Washington whitewater, Cowlitz River Lewis county, Cispus River to Riffe Lake section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS III     9 miles   The starting point is not too far from Longview-Kelso, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. The natural beauty of Washington and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream are in themselves reasons enough to come here to paddle. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in Washington tend to be more challenging than the national average, so keep in mind that a large number of rivers in     this state are not easy. Getting your paddling muscles activated and a chance to spend some time outdoors are great reasons to come. The nearby hotels are a bit away from the river, and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. The campgrounds here at Cowlitz River are pretty good. The beauty of the Northern Cascade Range is a great plus for this river. This river system has a few good paddling stretches and the Cispus River to Riffe Lake section is one of them. This stretch of Cowlitz River is 9 miles long and has been rated as a class III section by American Whitewater. You might be into whitewater rafting or kayaking or both, doesn't matter,   this is an area with plenty of spots for that. This section is long enough to enjoy a good non stop paddle, good for a one day paddling trip. Briefly about the general area: Cowlitz Falls is always fun to check out, and the Independence Pass Interpretive Trail is a great hiking trail close by. So many fun things in the Northern Cascade Range, just astonishing. There are plenty of folks from Glenoma here at Cowlitz River, and there is a perfect hiking trail close by called the Coldwater Trail. This river is a great place to visit. Summer at Cowlitz River arrives with high temperatures in the 70's. Cowlitz River, Cispus River to Riffe Lake road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.     Map Detailed Map Stats Stats for this river stretch Weather Local weather forecast These outdoors activities are available near Cowlitz River.   Whitewater Near Cowlitz River: Cowlitz River, Lewis County, 2 miles away       Class III - 9 miles long (Cispus River to Riffe Lake) Mineral Creek - North Fork, Lewis County, 11 miles away       Class IV(V) - 6 miles long (Gale to Mineral Creek) Mineral Creek, Lewis County, 12 miles away       Class II - 5.5 miles long (North Fork to Alder Lake) Tilton River, Lewis County, 12 miles away       Class II-III - 8.5 miles long (Morton to Bremer) Green River, Cowlitz County, 14 miles away       Class III-IV - 11.7 miles long (Cascade Creek to gaging station) Silver Creek, Lewis County, 15 miles away       Class V - 4.5 miles long (Lynx Creek to Mary Kiona Park) Toutle - South Fork, Cowlitz County, 16 miles away       Class II-III - 11 miles long (Harrington Place to Big Wolf Creek) Muddy River, Skamania County, 17 miles away       Class II-III(IV) - 5.5 miles long (FR 25 Bridge to Lewis North Fork) Little Nisqually River, Lewis County, 17 miles away       Class IV+ - 5.7 miles long (Winston Creek to Alder Lake) Hoffstadt Creek, Cowlitz County, 19 miles away       Class IV-V(V+) - 4.2 miles long (3100 Road to North Fork Toutle)   Ski Areas Near Cowlitz River: Crystal Mountain, Washington , 50 miles away, 3100 foot drop, 11 lifts, 50 runs White Pass, Washington , 51 miles away, 1500 foot drop, 6 lifts, 32 runs Timberline Lodge, Oregon , 61 miles away, 3590 foot drop, 6 lifts, 32 runs Mt. Hood Ski Bowl, Oregon , 61 miles away, 1500 foot drop, 9 lifts, 65 runs Cooper Spur, Oregon , 62 miles away, 500 foot drop, 2 lifts, 10 runs Mt. Hood Meadows, Oregon , 63 miles away, 2777 foot drop, 12 lifts, 87 runs Summit at Snoqualmie, Washington , 66 miles away, 2280 foot drop, 26 lifts, 96 runs Alpental, Washington , 67 miles away, 2280 foot drop, 5 lifts, 19 runs Stevens Pass, Washington , 82 miles away, 1800 foot drop, 10 lifts, 37 runs Hoodoo, Oregon , 100 miles away, 1035 foot drop, 6 lifts, 30 runs   Hotels Near Cowlitz River: Skamania Lodge, Stevenson , 24 miles away Great Wolf Lodge Grand Mound, Grand Mound , 31 miles away Econo Lodge Buckley, Buckley , 33 miles away Best Western Premier Plaza Hotel & Conference Center, Puyallup , 35 miles away Holiday Inn Express & Suites PUYALLUP (TACOMA AREA), Puyallup , 35 miles away   Campgrounds Near Cowlitz River: Taidnapam Park, Glenoma, 3 miles away Quartz Creek Big Trees Campground, Lewis County, 5 miles away Green River Horse Camp, Glenoma, 6 miles away   Trails Near Cowlitz River: Independence Pass Interpretive Trail, Skamania , 9 miles away, 1.5 hiking miles, 382 feet elevation difference Coldwater Trail, Skamania , 10 miles away,  10.6 hiking miles, 3233 feet elevation difference Fawn Lake Trail, Cowlitz , 11 miles away, 1.4 hiking miles, 361 feet elevation difference Smith Creek Trail, Skamania , 12 miles away,  6.2 hiking miles, 2573 feet elevation difference Bean Creek Trail, Skamania , 12 miles away, 7.4 hiking miles, 3072 feet elevation difference Pine Creek Trail, Skamania , 13 miles away, 7 hiking miles, 2561 feet elevation difference Smith Creek Butte Trail, Skamania , 15 miles away, 2.2 hiking miles, 1525 feet elevation difference   Public Lands Near Cowlitz River: Mount Rainier National Park, Ashford - WA , 16 miles away Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington , 26 miles away Ike Kinswa State Park, Washington , 28 miles away Flaming Geyser State Park, Washington , 39 miles away   Golf Courses Near Cowlitz River: Ironwood Green, Glenoma , 3 miles away Maple Grove RV Resort & Golf Course, Randle , 12 miles away   Lakes Near Cowlitz River Duck Lake, Lewis , 17 miles away McBride Lake, Cowlitz , 18 miles away Lake Christine, Pierce , 20 miles away