Trailblazers
How A Community Saved Its Mountains
Contact Paul Winterstein, IHM Executive Director - paul.winterstein@issaquahhistory.org
An All-New Exhibit from Issaquah History Museums
COMING SPRING 2026
The Issaquah Alps were saved because people believed they could be.
Trailblazers tells the story of how local residents—activists, hikers, neighbors—rose up to protect the lands of Issaquah Alps not because they were untouched, but because they were irreplaceable. Their efforts didn’t just preserve a landscape. They sparked a regional movement that inspired the Mountains to Sound Greenway and redefined what conservation could look like in the Pacific Northwest.
Now, we’re building an exhibit to honor that legacy—and we need your help to bring it to life.
Why This Exhibit Matters
Perhaps you already know the Alps. You’ve walked, ran, or rode their trails, breathed their forest air, and seen what’s possible when a community comes together to protect what it loves. But many newcomers to the area don’t know the story behind the views.
Trailblazers will:
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Illuminate the grassroots origins of the Issaquah Alps conservation movement
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Center Indigenous stewardship and the deep history of this land
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Celebrate the people and emerging shared ideals that made preservation possible
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Inspire the next generation of advocates, recreationists, and caretakers
Opening Spring 2026 at the Issaquah Depot Museum.
What Your Support Makes Possible
We’ve done the research. We’re preparing the artifact and oral histories. We’re working with students, artists, and community partners. But to build the exhibit—panels, mounts, multimedia, signage—and to promote it widely, we need your help.
Your sponsorship will:
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Fund fabrication of exhibit materials and interactive elements
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Support youth and artist engagement
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Amplify outreach to schools, families, and new residents
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Ensure this story is told with the depth, dignity, and visibility it deserves
Ready to Be a Trailblazer?
- Sponsor the exhibit.
- Introduce us to someone who might.
- Host a talk, share our story, or help us spread the word.