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The valley is heavily treed with a variety of evergreen species and associated understory vegetation. The vegetative cover effectively obscures the visual presence of the freeway for most of the valley. 2.2.3 Existing Land Use and Ownership With approximately 3 square miles of land area, Denny Creek is the smallest of the five sub-units in the study area. About two thirds of the land is National Forest System Land, and the right-of- way for Interstate 90 also represents a large, lineal land ownership. The Forest Service operates and maintains the Denny Creek Campground, which contains 64 tent and trailer camp sites. There are private cabins on Forest System Land across the river from the campground. Private land holdings range in size from less than one acre to about 80 acres. Several houses and cabins provide both permanent and seasonal residences. 2.2.4 Access and Utilities Access to Denny Creek is available from the south from Exit 47 of Interstate 90. This road provides primary access to the Denny Creek Campground and is a two-lane paved roadway from Exit 47 to the campground. Beyond the campground, the road narrows and the surface becomes variable. This portion of the roadway is on the route of the first permanent roadway over the pass, which was dedicated in 1915. Along this route are remnants of the old cross-pass wagon road dating from the 1880's. This winding road connects to the north near Alpental Road and Exit 52. Sewer and water services are not provided to the Denny Creek area. Individual septic systems and wells serve the area. Telephone and electricity are provided to most dwellings. 2.2.5 Development Constraints The small amount of private lands which exist in this subarea would not justify the expense of extending sewer and water service to the area. The absence of these utilities present a development constraint, which will preclude the development of small lot subdivisions. The primary zoning of this area (Forest Production) also limits development potential. 2.3 Subarea "C" 2.3.1 Location and General Description Subarea C is the center of the planning area, both geographically and economically. The Summit is the most recognized part of the sub-area, and its highly visible ski slopes and tourist services are visited by over 500,000 people each year. The subarea is separated topographically into two parts by a ridge that runs in a north-south direction. The west side of the ridge, which is essentially undeveloped, descends toward the east bound lanes of Interstate 90 as they climb toward the summit. East of the ridge, ski slopes Kittitas County Comprehensive Plan December 2016