About Washougal's Washougal River

Wow, Surprise for us all! Parking on the three mile marker on the Washougal River Rd just got listed as "Discover Pass Parking Permit" needed to park there! The Discover Park card can be purchased at the Washington State Fish and Game Department online or over in Orchards, WA. I know a lot of people are going to be mad about the Discover Pass card needed to park there. The three mile marker is a very popular swimming spot on the Washougal River. It is also a place that kayakers and people fishing can put in their boats or take them out of the river there.

The Washougal River three mile marker is a popular swim spot during the summer. On hot days there are cars filling the parking area and more cars are perched on every little sliver of land along that road so that visitors can play on the beach there, play in the waterfall on the east side and play in the rapids that run through that area.

Here is what the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife website has to say about having to get a Discover Card Parking Permit:

Where do I need a Discover Pass?

The pass is required to access state recreation lands and water access sites managed by Washington State Parks (State Parks), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR). These lands include state parks, water access points, heritage sites, wildlife and natural areas, trails and trailheads. The Discover Pass will be needed to access DNR’s developed or designated recreation areas, sites, trailheads and parking areas. For a complete list of exemptions, please go to the Discover Pass website.

A dear friend of mine just caught his first Steelhead on theWashougal River today! But he lost it. He fishes other places too but today the preferred spot was the Washougal River. If you are a fisherman/woman you know the thrill of having one on the line! The casting, the tugging on that elusive steelhead, all with the hopes of pulling one in!! It's February 1st, 2011 and the Washougal River road is packed with cars and trucks parked in almost every turn-out along the Washougal River. There are fishermen/women are in aluminum boats, bank fishing, wading out into the middle to catch that beautiful, record-breaking steelhead!

If you want to fish here, ya gotta drive out here on the curvy, winding Washougal River road. Highway 14 will bring you here, turn north onto 15th street--which turns into the Washougal River Road. Follow it on out to wherever the magic of the river calls you the loudest. The scenery is beautiful anytime of year, the secret fishing spots are waiting. Come on out! The Steelhead Fishing is fine!

I have Buyers for Washougal River properties with river access! January 10,2011...People are already shopping for that summer home!

If you know of anyone on the Washougal River that is thinking of selling...please let me know! I have the buyers for you! We have seen a lot of the current inventory already. Looking for a few more to tour. More and more buyers are asking to tour the currently available 12 homes on the Washougal river that have actual water frontage access. They do not want homes that are across the street from the Washougal River. They do not want homes that have steep hills and a drop off into the river. Buyers want "Walk Down River Access." They want to own a piece of the river. Most people who are looking for river frontage, are mainly wanting it for a summer vacation spot. They don't care if the home is far up the Washougal River Rd.

(Sorry...I just couldn't get the names of the rafters, so I wanted to respect their privacy! Looks like they are having fun though! Love to watch them!)

I'm a River Girl myself. I live on the river and love it EVERYDAY. It is entertaining even in the winter. In the summer you have more friends than you realized. It's fun. Although there are lots of things to know about living on the Washougal River. Such as the rapids spots along the river if you or your friends inner tube. There are three really, really good fishing spots here on the Washougal. Call me. I can tell you more.

Do you know of anyone able to sell their current Washougal river frontage home?

The Supra report says: "Supra Lockbox Activity - Updated Through January 2 Activity climbs after low numbers during Christmas week. When comparing the week of December 27 - January 2 with the week prior, the number of times an RMLS™ subscriber opened a Supra lockbox increased 71.7% in Washington and 62.7% in Oregon.

Here is a fun resource page for RiverFacts about the Washougal River! For people traveling here to the Washougal River area to try out some of our white water rafting, RiverFacts has a great map and local hotel page! For those of you who are voracious readers I know you will enjoy Amazon's Book link about White Water Rafting in WA.

Here is a great picture page of the Washougal River. It contains pictures from a great many sources so you can see the many moods and seasons along the Washougal River.

Washougal River's Cougar Creek and Cottrell Dam

Both Cougar Creek and old Cottrell Dam abutement are near the five mile marker on the Washougal River. Both areas are great fishing, inner tubing, and kayaking areas. The narrow between the two rock walls makes up the five mile marker and the best dang fishing spot on the Washougal River! It's easy to tell when the salmon are running because at this five mile marker... trucks and their respective fishermen and women are lining the road. There will be small groups of men and women gathered on the edge of the 25 foot drop cliff. Excited fishermen and women are staring down into "THE SLOT." The salmon have to pass through this slot to go up past the Salmon Falls bridge. (After the salmon reach the Salmon Falls Bridge...they are "safe" from preying fishermen. There is no salmon fishing on the North Fork either.)

Cougar Creek comes crashing down from the hillside above the five mile marker and makes a gorgeous waterfall that splashes and joins into the Washougal River right there at the five mile marker. This beautiful little waterfall is part of what makes the rapids that the salmon have to travel through. Even though it's a great fishing spot there at the five mile marker, it's a kayaker's dream. It's a challenge spot. The rushing water through that slot gives lots of opportunity for thrashing through and good practice at staying alive, depending on the time of year and the volocity of water running through the slot. Lot's of river-lovers have been thrown from their kayaks through this area. (The "Big Eddy" up by the 8 mile marker is quite a fishing/kayak/inner tube challenge too. People have died going through that fast-rushing river slot. The boulders are very dangerously placed at the 8 mile marker. It's a hot "hang-out" place in the summer and the rocky beach is covered with sun-seeker families.)

Here is a book from Amazon.com that describes a full history of Washougal, the business life, the first settlers, the growth and the people who have created the sweet little Washougal that we know and love.
Images of America, Washougal

Washougal - Google Books Result Richenda Fairhurst - 2006 - History - 127 pages


Click here for a larger picture of the Cottrell Dam:
Picture of Cottrell Dam from the book mentioned above