Local Guide

Be sure to call ahead and ensure your selection is open for business. In our small communities of Skamokawa and Cathlamet, things are not always open even when they say they are. There are menus in this notebook from some of the local restaurants, but we don’t have them all, and the menus often change.

The Duck Inn: liquor, American food (360-795-6055) - Skamokawa

The O: beer, snacks, and music on Saturday nights only (206-949-6033) - Skamokawa

The Cottage Bread and Breakfast: pastries, breakfast, lunch (360-849-9731) - Cathlamet

Back Roadz: burgers, wraps, ice cream, etc., lunch, dinner (360-849-4563) - Cathlamet

The Spar Restaurant and Bar: liquor, breakfast, lunch, dinner (360-849-8168) - Cathlamet

Old Netshed Coffeehouse: coffee, pastries, breakfast, lunch (360-795-2098) - Cathlamet

Maria’s: Mexican, breakfast, lunch, dinner (360-795-3032) - Cathlamet

JJ’s Pizza & Mohr: pizza, sandwiches, lunch, dinner (360-795-3311) - Cathlamet

River Mile 38 Brewing Company and Salt & Tomato Restaurant - beer, cider, view, dinner (360-355-4662) - Cathlamet

Kels: burgers and hot dogs, low cost, walk-up window, lunch (360-506-2271) - Cathlamet Marina

The Rat Tap Bar: sandwiches, drinks, view, CASH only, dinner (360-849-9717) - Cathlamet Marina

Third Place Beer Garden: at Puget Island Gardens, afternoons (206-390-4980) - Cathlamet

Duffys: Call ahead. It's an interesting place. (360-465-2898) - Grays River

Skamokawa Resort - within walking distance, next to the Skamokawa post office. They have ice cream, lots of drinks, and a great beer selection, snacks, and souvenirs

Cathlamet Market Fresh - downtown Cathlamet on Main Street, the best grocery store

Dollar General - some food and lots of other stuff

Tsuga Gallery: great little art gallery with local talented artists - Cathlamet

Ruth Doumit Designs: one-woman gallery in the upstairs portion of the Cathlamet Market Fresh. Enter on the side of the market, and if the flag is flying, she is there with her huge selection of beautifully painted ceramic ware, among other things. - Cathlamet

The Jabber Shack: fiber & yarn shop with lots of interesting other things - Cathlamet

Cathlamet Pharmacy: they have some cute gifty things

Steamboat Slough or Brooks Slough:

Walk to the Post Office and take the road running next to it, Steamboat Slough. The road is hardly used by any cars, so it’s good for walking. Here are a few options from there:

1. Walk to the end of Steamboat Slough until you can’t go further and then turn around. It ends with a nice river view, but you can’t really see the slough/river much as you are walking most of the trail. It has a primarily forest view.

2. Walk almost to the end of Steamboat Slough but take the path on the left, right before you reach the end. This path takes you into the deer reserve onto a gravel road. You can walk quite a ways if you want. The gravel will turn back into the pavement of Steamboat Slough. Years ago, Steamboat Slough Road disintegrated, which is why it’s divided now. Anyway, if you follow it far enough, you’ll end up back at Highway 4. No dogs on the reserve. This is a great BIKE route.

3. Walk to the fork in the road and stay left, heading onto Brooks Slough Road. You can walk on this all the way to Highway. This route is lovely, as it meanders alongside Brooks Slough, which is visible.

Vista Park:

1. Walk down the road and turn left on the road across from the boat ramp. This takes you to Vista Park. Head into camp and up the hill past the yurts. There is a path that heads off into the forest once you pass the yurts. Take the path, and it sort of ends down towards the riverfront by all the river debris/logs. Head out toward the beach and walk along the riverfront until you get “home”.

2. Or, once you are almost to the beach after going through the forest, there is a trail leading off to the right (west) that will take you a little ways to the first little cove beach. Be careful, with the tides this is sometimes inaccessible.

Cathlamet Marina:

1. Park at the marina and walk on the waterfront and up through the town of Cathlamet.

1. See #2 above, under the Steamboat Slough section. This is a great path for biking.

2. Bike anywhere on Puget Island. Barely any traffic and all flat. Park wherever you can find a spot or at Svensen Park (265 W Sunny Sands Rd, Cathlamet)

For easy kayaking, walk in front of the cabin through the field to the creek and put in there. Go up the creek and take the fork on either side. Both sloughs are great places to check out.

1. Put in at Cathlamet Marina and head upstream.

2. Head to Puget Island and put in at Svensen Park and head up any slough.

   

1. Beach Time - The path to the beach is right through the field in front of the cabin. It’s a great place for kids to play because the depth only increases slightly for a long way out. If you move closer to the creek, it will be less windy. Keep watch for ships in case the water surges when they pass.

2. Horseshoes - There should be horseshoes on the front porch of the cabin.

3. Kites - A few kites are available to use in the closet.

4. Disc Golf - There’s a basket with discs out in the field for putting practice. There are two fantastic, beautiful courses nearby. Lucky Mud Disc Golf (44 Old Chestnut Dr, Skamokawa Valley, WA ) and Skyline Golf Course in Cathlamet.

5. Vista Park playground - This is next door and a spot for kids to slide and swing at the two different play structure areas.

6. Ask to use the swing next door by texting 360-910-4586. Someone will need to push.

   

Ships on the river

Deer

Herons

Eagles - they often nest on the navigation tower in the river in the wintertime

Osprey - they often nest on the navigation tower in the river in late winter/early spring whe they chase the eagles off

Turkey Vultures - these guys are huge and come around when there is something dead to eat

Sea lions and seals, primarily from January through March or April (smelt run season)

Bats - in the summer during dusk

Birds - LOTS of them, from April through September

Beavers or river otters sometimes show up

Stars- on a clear night

1. River Life Interpretive Center: Local Skamokawa history. Located in the 1894 Central Schoolhouse here in Skamokawa on Highway 4. Generally open 12-4 on Saturdays and Sundays March through December. (360-795-3007) - Skamokawa

2. Wahkiakum Historical Society Museum: call ahead to see if open(360-849-4353) - Cathlamet

Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce

Skamokawa

Wahkiakum Ferry