Washington whitewater - Cowlitz River, Northern Cascade Range, Lewis County

Lewis county, salmon hatchery to Blue Creek access section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS I-II     10 miles
  If you're coming from Centralia it's not a long drive at all to the put-in location, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. The average Washington whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be harder to run than those in other states, so don't forget that lots of rivers here are not for beginners. The salmon hatchery to Blue Creek access stretch of Cowlitz River is 10 miles long and has been rated as a class I-II section by American Whitewater. Great exercise and just hanging out with mother nature will have
    you coming back for more. There are campgrounds quite near the river where you can camp. The beautiful scenery of Lewis County and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water beats anything. There aren’t any hotels right nearby but if you're willing to drive a short distance then
no problem but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. The Northern Cascade Range scenery is wonderful. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way this area has a large number of paddling places. Cowlitz River doesn't have a lot of paddling sections, the salmon hatchery to Blue Creek access section is the only one. This stretch has enough mileage for an overnight trip, so why not pack your camp stove too.

Briefly about the general area:
Much precipitation falls at Cowlitz River; the month
 
of December is the wettest with most of the rain; July meanwhile is the driest month.
Summertime brings highs in the 70's to Cowlitz River. When the night sets in temperatures drop down into the 50's. The wintertime brings highs down to the 40's, and after the sun is down through the wintertime temperatures at Cowlitz River descend into the 30's.

Cowlitz River, salmon hatchery to Blue Creek access road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: I-II
Length: 10 miles
Average Gradient: 9 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 46.51597
Longitude: -122.63801

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 46.48388
Longitude: -122.73096

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Current weather conditions at Cowlitz River, Northern Cascade Range, Washington
WXPort

Local climate location: CENTRALIA 8 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Holiday Inn Express Ocean Shores, Wa, Ocean Shores
20 miles away
The Holiday Inn Express Hotel Ocean Shores is located on the beach and just 1 block from the Ocean Shores Convention Center. Ocean Shores' only casino, Quinault Beach Resort Casino, is only 2 miles aw...

Best Western Park Place Inn & Suites, Chehalis
20 miles away
***100 percent Non-smoking property*** The Best Western Park Place Inn & Suites is equipped to make both the business and leisure traveler feel right at home. The hotel is conveniently located close ...

Chehalis Inn, Chehalis
20 miles away
Welcome to the Chehalis Inn and Suites. We are located in Chehalis, WA off Exit 76 on Interstate 5 - halfway between Seattle and Portland. We are near the VF Factory Outlet stores, Chehalis Industrial...



OTHER_INFO
  Northern Cascade Range Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Northern Cascade Range.

Northern Cascade Range Outdoors Info
Complete outdoors info for the Northern Cascade Range.

All Washington Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Washington.
Books about whitewater paddling on Cowlitz River, Washington
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Cowlitz River, Washington.
Find a whitewater outfitter in Washington

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Centralia, Washington
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Centralia, Washington, the metro area neareast to Cowlitz River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Cowlitz River.
 Whitewater Near Cowlitz River:
Toutle River - North Fork, Cowlitz County , 7 miles away, Class II+ - 10 miles long (Green River to South Fork confluence)
Toutle River, Cowlitz County , 10 miles away, Class III+(IV) - 9.5 miles long (Highway 504 Bridge to Tower Road Bridge)
Tilton River, Lewis County , 15 miles away, Class III-IV - 11 miles long (Bremer to Ike Kinswa State Park)
Coweeman River, Cowlitz County , 16 miles away, Class II-III(IV) - 11.3 miles long (Brown Creek to Jim Watson Creek)
Deschutes River, Thurston County , 17 miles away, Class II - 9.3 miles long (Vail Loop Road to Military Road)
Green River, Cowlitz County , 18 miles away, Class III-IV - 11.7 miles long (Cascade Creek to gaging station)
Goble Creek, Cowlitz County , 19 miles away, Class III - 2.4 miles long (North Fork and Main Fork)
Olequa Creek, Lewis County , 19 miles away, Class II+ - 6.5 miles long (Annonen Road to Cowlitz River)
Hoffstadt Creek, Cowlitz County , 20 miles away, Class IV-V(V+) - 4.2 miles long (3100 Road to North Fork Toutle)
Kalama River, Cowlitz County , 22 miles away, Class II-IV - 9.5 miles long (Gobar Creek to Lower Kalama Falls)
 Ski Areas Near Cowlitz River:
Mt. Hood Ski Bowl, Oregon , 86 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
Crystal Mountain, Washington , 86 miles away, 3100 vertical feet
Timberline Lodge, Oregon , 87 miles away, 3590 vertical feet
White Pass, Washington , 90 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
Mt. Hood Meadows, Oregon , 90 miles away, 2777 vertical feet
Hurricane Ridge Ski Lodge, Washington , 91 miles away, 100 vertical feet
Cooper Spur, Oregon , 91 miles away, 500 vertical feet
Alpental, Washington , 98 miles away, 2280 vertical feet
Snoqualmie, Washington , 98 miles away, 1100 vertical feet
Stephens Pass, Washington , 112 miles away, 1800 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Cowlitz River:
Holiday Inn Express Ocean Shores, Wa, Ocean Shores , 20 miles away
Best Western Park Place Inn & Suites, Chehalis , 20 miles away
Chehalis Inn, Chehalis , 20 miles away
Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites CHEHALIS NORTHEAST, Chehalis , 21 miles away
Kelso Super 8 Motel, Kelso , 22 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Cowlitz River:
Cowlitz Timber Trails Assoc, Salkum, 2 miles away
Barrier Dam Campgrounds, Salkum, 4 miles away
Rainbow Cove, Medical Lake, 7 miles away
 National Parks Near Cowlitz River:
Mount Rainier National Park, Ashford - WA , 50 miles away
 Lakes Near Cowlitz River

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater