Monday April 1st: 2024 Opening Day

Open 9am-5pm. Tours at 10am and 2pm. Recreation Access Permits available online and in person.

Saturday April 27th: Wildflower and Wind Power Walk

Join us while we explore the beauty of the shrub steppe in bloom!

RSVP Required: Email or call with party size and which session you would like to attend (morning/afternoon, tour, presentation, or walk).

Schedule:

Walks are around a half mile in length, but will be cross country in nature over rocky terrain. Participants will drive from the visitor center in their own vehicle to the hiking location (based on where flowers are blooming). Please wear long pants, hiking boots, and dress in layers for the sun, wind, and cool temperatures. Pack water, snacks, sunscreen, a camera, and anything else you will need to have an enjoyable and safe hike. Wildflower walks by appointment are also available on weekdays.

Sunday April 28th: Run Like the Wind

Please join us for the Run Like The Wind at the Wild Horse Wind Facility!

Run for Good Racing Company puts on a great event, with 5K, 10K, and 10 Mile options, winding along the trails and dirt roads at Wild Horse. The race benefits the hard working volunteers of Kittitas County Search and Rescue, and helps fund the supplies for the program.

The courses are challenging, with a lot of elevation gain and tough trails, but feature gorgeous views of Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, and the Columbia Basin. Our race motto and promise is “Uphill, Into the Wind, Both Ways”, and we deliver! Music, refreshments, and great food awaits you at the finish line. While at Wild Horse, you can also go on a wind turbine tour or wildflower walk, to further experience the awesome power of the wind and the beauty of the shrub steppe.

Space is limited to 200 participants, so sign up now at run-like-the-wind.com.

We also love volunteers! Aid stations, kid’s race, and kitchen volunteers needed.

Saturday May 11th: Get Intimate with the Shrub Steppe

Wild Horse staff will be at a booth answering wildflower and wind power questions at this great educational event just south of Ellensburg. You will not find a better collection of field trips to learn about the Shrub Steppe! You can register for the field trips at Kittitas Environmental Education Network (KEEN).

Sunday May 12th: Mother’s Day Wildflower and Wind Power Walk

Join us while we explore the beauty of the shrub steppe in bloom! RSVP Required: Email or call with party size, and which session you would like to attend (morning/afternoon, tour, presentation, or walk).

Walks are around a half mile in length, but will be cross country in nature over rocky terrain. Participants will drive from the visitor center in their own vehicle to the hiking location (based on where flowers are blooming). Please wear long pants, hiking boots, and dress in layers for the sun, wind, and cool temperatures. Pack water, snacks, sunscreen, a camera, and anything else you will need to have an enjoyable and safe hike. Wildflower walks by appointment are also available on weekdays.

June 2: Wild & Whiskey History Tour

This ticketed event will be put in collaboration with the Kittitas County Historical Museum and Elk Heights Distillery. Begin your day with the Wild & Whiskey History Tour at Wild Horse, followed by a presentation at the museum on Prohibition and local moonshiners. End your tour at the Elk Heights Distillery, learning about the distilling process while enjoying a few samples. Once the date is set, tickets can be purchased directly from the Kittitas County Historical Museum.

June 8/9: EV Meetup and Behind the Scenes Tour

Date TBD

Summer Wild Horse Summer Kid’s Corral 1-3pm

Specific dates TBD

Science Sundays!

Join us for a weekly kid's activity followed by an interactive family friendly wind turbine tour. 1-3pm every Sunday, with the exception of the nighttime activity at our August 11th Perseid Meteor Shower Party!

Please RSVP via email or call us at 509-964-7815.

Closed toe shoes required for the tour.

Perseid Meteor Shower: Sunday Aug 11th

Limited space. RSVP required.

Looking for a laid back location to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower? Come on out to the Renewable Energy Center for an evening of twilight turbine tours, snacks, kid's activities, and star gazing.

RSVP REQUIRED: Email wildhorse@big5vn.com.

Please arrive no later than 9pm and park with your headlights facing away from the building. Bring a chair and blankets and stake out a spot on the east patio.

If you plan on staying after midnight, or star gazing from Beacon Ridge Road, please fill out an Access Permit to ensure that you understand our site rules.

Our parking lots along Beacon Ridge Road are great spots to watch the meteor shower if you want a quieter location. See the map on the Access Permit page of our website for the parking areas: Wild Horse Recreation Access Request.

*Wildfire smoke can limit visibility at times, along with the potential for cloudy weather. Please monitor weather conditions before attending. The event will be cancelled if visibility is severely limited due to clouds or smoke.

Friday January 17th, 2025: Renewable Energy Center Internship Opens

Paid Internship from late March through early November. Please send us email for information on how to apply.

Job Description:

The Renewable Energy Education Internship is a blend of public relations, tourism, education, and science. The internship will provide a broad understanding of the wind industry, wind turbine technology, and natural history, as well as an education and tourism experience.

• 7.5 month internship, late March through early November.
• Position is part time, approximately 7-31 hours a week. Hours are dependent on the tour schedule and staff availability. Additional hours may be available in the busier months (spring).
• The facility is open 9am-5pm, 7 days a week, from April-Oct 31st. Shifts are typically a full day.
• Greet visitors to the facility and answer questions regarding wind and solar technology.
• Give presentations and tours to businesses, schools, and other groups.
• Design and implement educational activities for school groups.
• Keep the visitor center clean, stocked, and set-up for conferences.
• Students can use this internship for credit in certain programs.
• Staff members are hired and contracted as Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce employees.

Requirements:

• College degree or student in pursuit of a degree.
• Must be available to work most weekends, and various weekdays. We can be flexible with weekday scheduling for students.
• A genuine interest in renewable energy.
• Must be a quick learner, able to memorize and effectively communicate information pertaining to energy production, the environment, and native plants and animals.
• Must have strong public speaking skills, and be able to project voice loudly and clearly.
• Must possess excellent people skills, be engaging and approachable, and willing to converse with all visitors. Tours and presentations of up to 2 hours in length are conducted throughout the day.
• Must be a self-starter who can recognize tasks and opportunities to improve the visitor center.
• Must have reliable transportation to the visitor center which is 20 miles east of Ellensburg.

The Wild Horse Wind Facility is located in Game Management Unit (GMU) 329 in eastern Kittitas County. PSE allows public hunting at Wild Horse during all legal hunting seasons that fall between September 1 and November 30.

HUNTING RESERVATION PERMITS ARE REQUIRED for hunting within the wind facility boundary. Hunting reservation permits are issued online only through WDFW's Hunt by Reservation Program. Permits, maps and rules are all available online.

Reserve a hunting reservation permit

For more information about hunting at Wild Horse please call 509-778-2630 or 509-899-1107.

Disabled Hunters

PSE offers special access opportunities to hunters with lower extremity mobility disabilities through a limited permit drawing administered by WDFW's Road Access Entry Program. If drawn for a permit, hunters will be issued a special use permit by PSE allowing access to drive into a designated closed or gated area where other hunters must walk in. Application submissions for the drawing begin the first week of June and must be submitted to WDFW by July 31 in order to be eligible for the drawing.

Apply for the drawing

If not drawn for special access, disabled hunters must apply for a hunting reservation permit though WDFW's Hunt by Reservation Program if they wish to still hunt at Wild Horse and MUST follow the same rules as non-disabled hunters.

For more information about disabled hunting opportunities at Wild Horse please call 360-902-2349 or 509-899-1107.

FREE Hunter Breakfast

Please join PSE and the Kittitas County Field & Stream Club at the Wild Horse Renewable Energy Center from 7 a.m. - 10 a.m. the Friday before the Modern Firearm General Elk Season for a free hunter breakfast!

Lands within the Wild Horse Wind Facility are also open to non-hunting recreational activities such as hiking, birdwatching and horseback riding from April 1 – November 30 by written permission only.

RECREATION ACCESS PERMITS ARE REQUIRED for public recreation within the wind facility boundary. Recreation access permits are available online and at the Wild Horse Renewable Energy Center April-October 31st, 9:00-5:00pm.

Print out a recreation access permit online

For more information about non-hunting recreation at Wild Horse please call 509-964-7815 or 509-899-1107.

Want to know more? Read up with the resources listed below.

• American Clean Power State wind industry fact sheets, U.S. Annual Market Reports, webinars, wildlife, permitting, and more.
• Vestas: Information on current Vestas wind turbine models and technology.
• Vestas E-Learning: Short cartoons about the wind-energy industry, construction of components, and the science behind the technology.
• Department of Energy Solar and wind information, renewables for your home, and industry updates.
• Wind Energy Education and Training Programs Wind energy education and training programs in the United States at community colleges, universities, and other institutions.
• U.S. Wind Speed Maps Color coded wind speed maps for each state.
• Wind Energy Curricula and Teaching Materials Curriculum resource list including KidWind, 4H, PBS, universities, and more.
• Solar Washington Information on solar in Washington for homeowners and businesses.
• Department of Energy Education Resources Student educational resources.