Cathlamet / Skamokawa / Naselle Washington Tourism

Nestled in turn-of-the-century buildings and historic homes, Cathlamet offers visitors attractions such as Strong Park, with picnic tables, an award-winning salmon rearing pond built by local students and a 1926 Locomotive Logging Shay display and mural.

Strong Park is an entrance to the Waterfront Trail, which connects a full service 250 slip marina and the downtown area, including the Wahkiakum County Historical Museum where fishing and logging history are on display.

Accommodations include hotels and bed and breakfast inns here and on pastoral Puget Island just across the Cathlamet Bridge. There are miles of country roads for bicycling and touring on Puget Island with views of historic churches, boat moorage and dairy farms.

Skamokawa is a National Historic District. Known at one time as “Little Venice”, you can learn about local history at Redmen Hall which was built in 1894, where the River Life Interpretive Center presents the community’s fishing heritage and cannery life on the lower Columbia River. Traveling exhibits are also a regular feature. Skamokawa Vista Park is a wonderful spot for picnics and gazing at passing ships.

The park also has RV and tent sites, a boat launch and a play area. West of Skamokawa on a short loop road off Hwy. 4 is the historic Grays River covered bridge. Farther west of Skamokawa is the community of Naselle, a stronghold of Finnish Heritage.

Salmon Creek Park in Naselle has picnic facilities and primitive overnight camping. The Columbia River Estuary, located between Cathlamet and Ilwaco is an excellent place to observe resident, migrating and winter birds and mammals from the fall through the spring.
During the fall migration of shorebirds, the estuary is one of few areas between Alaska and Mexico with over 100,000 shorebirds at any one time.

Endangered species such as the bald eagle, northern sea lions, brown pelican and the Columbian White-tailed deer can be seen in and around the estuary throughout the fall. The 4,000 acre Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for Columbian white-tailed deer between Skamokawa and Cathlamet, provides drive-through and walking access to see these remarkable native deer, plus eagles, elk, diving and dabbling ducks and river otters. Julia Butler Hansen Heritage Center is open Tuesday thru Saturday and tours are available.

Ferry near Cathlamet