Skamania County Economic Development Council

Mount St. Helens dominates the northern section of Skamania County and offers many spectacular views. Visitors can participate in ranger-led programs, hike trails and learn first hand about the volcano and its aftermath. A great portion of the County lies within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which offers an abundance of campgrounds, hiking trails, horseback riding trails, fishing spots, etc.

Skamania County’s southern border is located in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and offers spectacular views, cascading waterfalls and hiking trails. It has abundant year-round recreation opportunities, which include boating, kiteboarding, hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. The Gorge also offers one of the finest windsurfing and kiteboarding locales in the world.

Skamania County lies within a geographical basin formed by the Cascade and Pacific Coast Mountain Ranges. The County is comprised of a rare combination of dense forest, sunny river beaches, rugged mountain cliffs, rolling lowlands and an active but subdued volcano. The forests of the high country are snow-covered for at least four months of the year. In the lowlands, weather is more moderate with mild winters and moderately dry summers.

Monthly Temperatures in Skamania County 20 year average, 1980-2000
Monthly Total Precipitation, Skamania County 20 year average, 1980-2000

Skamania County offers a broad spectrum of recreational opportunities. The U.S. Forest Service maintains numerous campgrounds, hiking trails and wilderness areas. Congress created the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, located in the northwest corner of the County, following the 1980 eruption of the volcano.

The Lewis and Clark Trail Highway follows the Columbia River through Skamania County. Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery followed the Columbia River through the entire length of the County. They named Beacon Rock and Strawberry Island where they first detected the effects of the tide. The State of Washington maintains Beacon Rock State Park, located off State Highway 14. The park offers 7 1/2 miles of hiking trails, picnicking, camping, fishing, boating, rock climbing and swimming. The trail to the top of Beacon Rock, a unique 848-foot high geological formation, provides spectacular views of the Columbia River Gorge and Bonneville Dam.

One may also visit the Fort Cascades National Historic Site, which includes portions of the old portage railroad, a Chinook indian village, and the site of one of the three military forts near the Cascade Rapids.

The Bonneville Lock and Dam, built and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was the first of eight federal locks and dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers. The first lock, built in 1938 was replaced in 1993 by a new and larger navigation lock. This allows commodities to travel between Lewiston, Idaho and the Pacific Ocean on the river highway known as the Columbia-Snake Inland Waterway.

The Visitor Complex at North Bonneville offers interesting displays, close-up views of generators and migrating fish. This powerhouse offers one of the world’s most accessible views of a powerhouse. Visitors can ride an escalator down into the powerhouse to get a close-up view of a generator and rotating turbine shaft through special viewing windows. Exhibits explain the history of fish in the area and the workings of a modern hydropower plant.

Stevenson, the county seat, was selected as the site for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Lodge and Conference Center. Skamania Lodge is a 165,000 square foot complex that includes a 254-room hotel, 30,000 square foot conference area, spa, fitness center and 18-hole golf course. The lodge reflects the unique Northwestern style architecture, which carefully blends into its natural surroundings. It features commanding views of the spectacular Columbia River Gorge or Cascade Mountain Range.

The Bonneville Hot Springs Resort is located at the base of Hamilton Mountain in the City of North Bonneville, six miles west of Stevenson. The resort features 74 rooms and four spacious suites, and offers European-style spa services. The Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center is located at the west end of Stevenson, and is a short walk from Skamania Lodge. The Center exhibits and interprets the cultural and natural history of the Columbia River Gorge.

The Sternwheeler “Columbia Gorge” offers narrated sightseeing excursions, weekend champagne brunch cruises, dinner cruises and a variety of special event and holiday cruises. This authentic triple-decker paddle wheeler gives visitors the opportunity to enjoy the sights and history of the Columbia River.

To find out even more about the County's many attractions and assets, visit the Chamber of Commerce's website at www.skamania.org.

Education is an important priority in Skamania County and is consistent with Washington State, which ranks second in the nation for the highest number of residents who have completed at least 12 years of school. Four public school districts currently serve the educational needs of Skamania County. Facilities and equipment are modern, budgets are sound, community involvement is high and student/teacher ratios remain low.

Several special programs are offered in the school districts throughout the County. These include a mainstreamed special education program, state gifted program, enrichment program for students K-8, summer remediation and enrichment programs and comprehensive athletic programs.

Clark College is a community college providing two-year transfer degree studies, technical training and basic skills classes to more than 12,500 full-time and part-time students each quarter. It is the third largest college in the Washington State system of 35 community and technical colleges. Clark College is located on an 80-acre arboretum in Vancouver's historic Central Park, and 93% of its student body comes from the College's service area which includes Clark, Skamania and west Klickitat counties. It has a Cooperative Agreement for Transfer (CAT) with WSU, which enables students to take lower division studies leading to a transfer degree.

Washington State University began offering courses in Southwest Washington in 1983, and was formally established as a branch campus of the state's landgrant institution in 1989. As a branch campus, WSU-Vancouver is on a semester system, and offers junior, senior and graduate-level courses.

Campus facilities also include science laboratories, a 200-seat lecture hall, a gallery and a cafeteria, as well as a system of biking and pedestrian paths.