A glimpse of a mountain goat is a big reward for backcountry hikers, as these surefooted climbers stick to the highest and most inaccessible country. Photographer John Marshall hit the jackpot as he was photographing the Naches River region for the Conservancy.

More about Mountain Goats

Mountain goats are elusive and rare. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has documented their decline from more than 10,000 mountain goats in the 1970s to around 2,500 animals today.

But one of the places you can find them is in the southern Cascades, where the Conservancy is involved in a project with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the WDFW to conserve more than 10,000 acres above the Naches River.

We asked John to go photograph the area, to help us tell the story of why it’s so important. Here’s what he said about getting this photo:

“I never expected to photograph mountain goats on this trip. When Betsy (Bloomfield, the project manager) said people sometimes saw them in the area, I thought I should be packing a 400 mm lens. We were out all day without a sighting. Then we came over a rise on the way back to the car, and there they were – totally unexpected! I had to scramble to get the shot.”

Nature picture credits (left to right): Photo © John Marshall (mountain goats); Photo © John Marshall (Naches River).