We were passing through after visiting Olympic Park and looking for a hiking spot in the area. Lake…read moreSylvia seemed like a possibility so we stopped off last Sunday around 10am. There were a few hikers there, but otherwise mostly those preparing to fish. We didn't visit the camping section, but they've got a decent sized day-use area with a good amount of parking, tables, and restrooms. We took the forest loop trail that leads from the lake along the stream through the forest and back around to the day-use, about 2 1/2 miles. There are sections of the trail that are simply gorgeous, and other parts not quite as pretty. But the trail is pretty fun, ups and downs, winding with steps and bridges. While the path is completely passable right now, it was very muddy in many places. A bit precarious at times, as some of the soupiest, slickest spots happened to be on inclines and declines. You'll definitely need waterproof shoes and prepare to get dirty, but Sylvia is good for a quick hike. They've got some interesting educational info along the trail too...and the lake has a very peaceful feeling.

This place is quite the gem for a family trip ! Camping is very reasonably priced. Our walk in…read moreprimitive sight was $20 a night. If you have children the walk in spots are best because the are closest to the swimming and playground and bathrooms! There are plenty of amazing trails and all well kept! ***WATER FALL ALERT*** yes there is a waterfall and also a really neat dam that creates a man man water fall affect . Fishing is aloud (no motor I believe) Dogs on leash Swim at your own risk Drinks aloud (I think ... I see lots of them) Also a group camping site that is at the top of a hill and looks down at the water. Easily fits 8-10 tents and has a covered shelter ! Perfect for a family reunion camping trip and honestly a beautiful place to even consider as a wedding venue.

Chehalis River Surge Plain Natural Area Preserve is a Washington State Department of Natural…read moreResources managed land. It has two parking lots and an interpretive trail that connects those two parking lots. The distance between the lots/length of the interpretive trail in one direction is approximately 3.5 miles (so about 7 miles roundtrip). There is another shoreline access trail from the Preachers Slough parking lot that is 1/4 mile each way, so 1/2 mile roundtrip. If you hike all of the foot trails the total is a little over 7.5 miles. A Discover Pass is required for this site, and I found signage that provided instructions on how to purchase one if you forgot to buy one in advance of your visit. I chose to purchase my pass online which was $11.50 including the $1.50 processing fee. The nice thing about a one day Discover Pass is that the pass is good for the whole day, so you can use it to visit more than one park if you so desire. I chose to park my car at the parking lot on Preachers Slough Road while I hiked the trail out and back. I encountered a total of four other groups during the four hours I spent hiking and exploring this location. Blue Slough Road and Highway 107 run alongside the interpretive trail meaning I could hear vehicles on the road while I was hiking. The trail runs along the winding Chehalis River and there are occasional look-outs over the river. The parking lot on Blue Slough Road is the larger of the two. There was a picnic area and boat ramp in addition to a restroom (port-a-potti). A few fallen trees were in the water at the bend in the river not far from the boat ramp. About half a mile from the trailhead at Preachers Slough Road is a viewing platform. I stopped on my way back to the car and encountered two geese with their two goslings. At first I only saw one goose and one gosling. Then the other gosling and goose came out and they slowly waddled and foraged their way along the river bank. I saw a few other groups of geese/geese and goslings on my hike. They are so precious! An hour of my time was absorbed watching geese and their goslings foraging and swimming about. It would have taken me less than four hours to hike the interpretive trail if I hadn't stopped very often to take pictures or watch the wildlife. The trail path is flat and well maintained, so I found it arduous in the sense of not getting so distracted by the wildlife and vegetation as to not complete the trail. There were parts of the trail I would stop every 3 inches to 15 feet just to take a few pictures, I took just shy of 400 photos and videos total. This place is amazing and the plants and animals you can see are diverse and abundant. At one of the informational signs about birds and their songs, I read the sign, turned left and there was a wren near the sign. Talk about perfect timing! Mosquitos were not a problem and I didn't get any bug bites on my visit. In reading the Department of Natural Resources' website however, I learned of some cougar and bear potential sightings/appearances. The site provided some guidance on what to do to ward them off or if you encountered them in person. I incorporated some of the tips like making myself larger and speaking loudly as part of my hike to be safe. I was just one person, so this meant everyone once in a while I would stop, spread my arms, make myself tall and shout things like 'I love you cougars! I love you cougars! I love you cougars!'. So far as I know no one else on the trail saw me... Signs posted along the interpretive trail tell about the history of the area and the wildlife. I thoroughly enjoyed these fun tidbits that helped give context for how the land has changed over and through time. Little tidbits like a railroad used to run through here help bring history to life.

Friends Landing is one of those places that reminds you why small towns and simple spaces are where…read moreit's at. It's peaceful, scenic, and right on the Chehalis river, perfect for fishing, boating, dog walking, or just sitting quietly and taking it all in. There's nothing flashy here, and that's exactly the point. It feels cared for, accessible, and connected to the land in a way that's becoming harder to find. What I appreciate most is how welcoming and unpretentious it is. You'll see families, and visitors all sharing the space respectfully. It's a great spot to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with nature without feeling crowded or commercialized. If you're in Montesano and looking for a calm, beautiful place to spend some time outdoors, Friends Landing is absolutely worth a visit. It's simple, authentic, and quietly beautiful.

August 2-4, 2025 - Montesano, WA…read more We loved this campground--especially after coming from a busy, crowded KOA. The peacefulness here was a welcome and much-appreciated change. There are 18 RV sites with water and electrical hookups. The campground is nestled between a river and a lake, offering a scenic and serene setting. A trail loops around the lake, and I really enjoyed taking peaceful walks there with my pup.

Easy to imagine you are in an enchanted forest here. 128 acres with a couple of different trails…read moreabout 2 miles total. It is beautiful and quiet. Several spots to look out onto duck lake also.

Enjoyed the trails here. We were searching out shaded trails when traveling through the area and…read morelucked upon Weatherwax. Nothing epic, but it was the only forest type trail system we found in the immediate area. We only took a portion, a bit more than the loop. Some winding & uneven walking surfaces...trails maintained and easy to follow. Street parking only, but wide enough you can get completely off the road.

We stayed and camped here for 4 nights total leading up to the 4th of July. The park was mostly…read moreempty when we were there and overall was not too noisy. Most of the noise were children playing around during the day but most got very quiet once dark. The park is nice and well kept, this is a newer section that I stayed at. They do have an older side that is a bit more rugged and off grid. The new side spots have power and water. They do provide a sewer dump station which is out off the street. The power hookups had both 30 and 50 amp and it had 2 normal 120 plugs which is what I used to run things. Most of the sites are decent size, not all of them are leveled though, the one I was in was a bit steep and the one next to me even steeper and they had a trailer they had to fight to level. Some of the sites are easy pull thrus but only a few. I noticed at least one ADA site that also has concrete around the pit for those with disabilities. They also had several first come first serve sites. The new side also has a brand new bathroom which is pretty nice and it has multiple bathrooms multiple showers available all newer and upgraded. I am missing those as I am in the grayland state park now where nothing is very new and there seems to always be a line to use one of 2 toilets in the loop. The park is along the river and you can get to it very easy with a couple of trails they have. There is also a trail you can enjoy that goes along the river between it and the campground that is very green. As for staying connected to the world at this park.... you cant unless you bring Starlink, I was able to get pretty decent speeds with my starlink but it can be a challenge depending which site you get and how many trees are in line of site. I was in 2 different sites during my stay and one was easier than the other. None of the cellular networks were working from what I was able to see, T-Mobile was a dud for sure with SOS the whole time, the park wifi allows you to load a page or two for checkin but nothing other than that if you can even get it to connect. Overall it was a pleasant stay and a campground I would possibly consider again in the future. Its a bit more remote for those who need to be connected.

Clean restrooms and plenty of water faucets with camp ground areas. Park staff was courteous and…read morehelpful. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate but we enjoyed our four day visit. The adjoining stream was refreshing. Would recommend!

Generally my family heads out to Lake Chelan and i was invited out to visit at Lake Cushman this…read moresummer. There are so many beautiful pockets to take in the views & nature'The drive in is beautiful and not too far out, depending where you're staying (vacation residence, campgrounds). Beautiful lake, cold temperatures due to it being a glacier lake - the water is so clear ! Would love to go on some hikes and spend more time out there. Im so grateful that theres so much to see and do in out here in the pnw!

Stunning. Just a really beautiful lake and surrounding forest, like so much of the national park…read more Swimming is good here but be brave for the cold water. There are 3 boat ramps. Camping and fishing are permitted.

Great place to go tire pooling! Amazing drift wood. Beautiful views. We lived our time there.read more

Damon Point is a really great place to go for a walk and view the ocean, seabirds, any other random…read moreanimals that happen to be there like seals and deer, and watch boats. Free parking in gravel. Easy beach access. There is not an ADA friendly entrance to the beach, hope that is changed soon.

Information on documents from September 2024…read more Beautiful location. Great for people of all ages.

Finally got up to the Staircase area last week. Great time to visit, although the gorgeous…read morecampground isn't open the trails were practically empty. You have to park near the Lake Cushman day use area, as the road into Staircase is closed for the season. We took the rapid loop trail first. The trail was fun, not too muddy, and an easy 2 1/2 miles including the short out & back to the big cedar. The trees are beautiful and the waters crystal clear. We also decided to take the Shady Lane Trail, just to take a different trail back to the van and day use. This trail was nice, but it wasn't in quite as good of shape right now. The lake was lovely too. We enjoyed a nice lunch at the day use, and got gorgeous aerial pics of its clear waters and massive boulders. The Staircase area is just beautiful. While I would've loved to stay at the campground, I prefer the peacefulness of the trails at this time of year.

How many times have we driven past the sign on the freeway but never stop? So we finally did and it…read morewas a fun place to explore and spend an hour or so. We are looking into maybe camping here soon, just to get out of the house for a night and bring the dogs. The campsites were clean and spacious. Very pretty!

This is a lovely state park. The Willapa Hills trail is right there and is very long but is more…read morefor bikes and horses than hikers: no benches or signs. With the bridge out, we had to drive to the small parking area to do the 3 miles of forested trails starting at the Oxalis loop. The group camping is very pretty and close to the bathroom facility (2 sink/toilet rooms and 2 rooms with showers on the other side). There are often short lines. Tokens for the shower were 50 cents for 3 minutes. There was a dog who barked endlessly, all night, nearby (not in the park) and some very loud cows so bring your ear plugs!

This is a very easily walkable 1.1 mile trail that leads to a spawning ground for wild chum salmon…read more The trail is very well marked and level. I visited during mid December, so there were still a handful of salmon making their way upstream and spawning in the gravel beds. There's a little footbridge spanning over the stream and so you can get a good look at the fish swimming without being tempted to wade into the water itself (which is highly, highly discouraged since it's very easy to crush fish eggs and disrupt the migration). I would describe this as a multisensory experience as you can see the fish, hear them splashing in the water...and smell the dead fish. I wouldn't advise going if you have a sensitive nose! This was a cool experience otherwise.

What a gem in our back yard! Easy, flat well maintained…read moretrails, good for the whole family. No bikes allowed so safe for the little ones. A bird watcher's paradise any time of the year. Presently, lots of ducklings swimming amongst the water lillies that are in bloom. Lots of old timber and vegetation to walk through In the fall, spawning salmon in the creeks that have look-out platforms for your viewing Swimming in the main pond are beaver and other aquatic animals. A couple of modern outhouses that are fairly well maintained too. And for the price of a Discover Pass ($35 annually that covers 2 cars) you can visit 7 days a week. You can also buy a day pass on line. The penalty for no pass is quite expensive - $99 !