The West Hylebos Illahee property is a 33-acre parcel across 1st Avenue from Illahee Middle School. The property extends to Highway 99 and includes upland forest, wetland and West Hylebos Creek habitat.

Federal Way schools owned the property, but it was unsuitable for school development, so the district surplused the property. In 2003, the Friends assembled a partnership between the city of Federal Way and King County, and helped raise additional funds from the Natural Resources Damages Assessment Trustees (Hylebos/Commencement Bay Superfund Cleanup) and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant program to purchase the property.

King County pooled the partnership's funds and purchased the property in 2003 and transferred the parcel to the city of Federal Way Parks Department. It is protected from future development. In 2005, the city of Federal Way Surface Water Management Department conducted a major stream channel restoration project that include part of this parcel.

Federal Way Public Schools officials recognized the value of keeping the property across from Illahee Middle School undeveloped and worked to support the conservation purchase.