South Lewis County is ideally located on Interstate 5 and adjacent to forests, foothills, mountains, rivers, and lakes. We ares a gateway to hiking, biking, horseback riding, climbing, snow skiing, hang-gliding, skydiving, water-skiing, fishing, hunting, wildlife watching, boating, floating, or a pleasant Sunday drive through pastoral country framed with evergreens and dotted with barns, silos, and turn of the century American bungalows.   Whatever your outdoor pleasure you will find it from the doorstep of our friendly communities.

On the water:
Boat launch locations, fees, regulations, and other information may be obtained locally at virtually any service station or retail store simply by asking, or online at www.wdfw.wa.gov. The Cowlitz River is a favorite swift-moving glacier-fed waterway for engine or oar-powered fishing, rafting, or inner-tubing. Mayfield, Riffe, and Scanewa Lakes (30 miles east of I-5 Exit 68) provide deeper-water fishing opportunities, swimming, and boast several State and County parks (inquire locally). Winlock Waters, a man-made lake just south of I-5 Exit 63 off of Knowles Road, was made for water-skiing

In the forests and hills:
The Evergreen State is nowhere greener than in Lewis County - with Mount Rainier and Mt. St. Helens anchoring the north and south ends of the area’s Cascade peaks and foothills. Hiking and non-motorized vehicle trails abound - “rail to trail” routes are perfect for equestrians or those who want a flat walk through nature, while the area’s extensive network of logging roads offer easy access to the back country.  Wildlife also abounds - Bald eagle, black bears, and cougar are a few of the rarest of our region’s creatures, though elk, deer, osprey, red-tailed hawk, and salmon are relatively easy to catch sight of in their natural habitat. Hunters and anglers have long come to this area to enjoy those activities, and more information on licenses, seasons, and limits may be obtained locally or online at www.wdfw.wa.gov.

The South Lewis County Chamber reminds you to obey all signs indicating private property or dangerous conditions. More information on day-use of public and private timber lands may be obtained at www.weyerhaeuser.com or www.fs.fed.us/gpnf.
 

 “Sunday drives”:
Any day of the week is perfect for a “Sunday drive” through South Lewis County. Even venturing a short distance from I-5 will bring a reward to those who love pastoral scenes and American farming heritage. The region is full of barns - some romantically distressed and weathered to the point of near-collapse, others brightly painted, clean, and used daily in local dairy or other farming. The Boistfort and Curtis valleys are accessible from both Vader and Winlock (see map), while Toledo’s Cowlitz and Layton Prairies are also blanketed with beautiful farmland. Every August on the Cowlitz Prairie the steam-powered farming of the late 1800s is showcased during a three day event which draws thousands. The Threshing Bee is not only a celebration and collection of this equipment from yesteryear, but a place to find unique and handmade crafts, collectibles, hear live bluegrass and country music, and enjoy hot buttered corn cobs under the warm August sun.  You might also be interested in the Gospodor Monument along I-5. Click here for more information.