Qualla: Camas

Camas: Introduction

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Drown Soda, CC BY-SA 4.0. The smell of pulp processing once defined Camas, the paper mill that gave the town its identity and economy filling the air with the distinctive scent of wood becoming paper. The Georgia-Pacific mill still operates on the Columbia's north bank, though cleaner technology has reduced what used to be an inescapable presence. Camas has evolved into something more than a mill town now - a bedroom community for Portland workers seeking Washington's lack of income tax, a gateway to the Columbia River Gorge, and a small city of 27,000 finding new identity as its industrial heritage recedes. The setting helps: the Columbia nearly a mile wide here, Mount Hood rising to the south, the Cascade foothills climbing to the north.

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Image: Drown Soda | CC BY-SA 4.0

Camas: The Paper City

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Triddle at English Wikipedia, Public domain. The Crown Willamette Paper Company established the mill that became Camas in 1883, drawn by the abundant timber and the Columbia's power potential. The mill grew through the twentieth century under various owners, becoming one of the largest paper producers on the West Coast. The...

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Image: Triddle at English Wikipedia | Public domain

Camas: Prune Hill

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Triddle at English Wikipedia, Public domain. Much of residential Camas spreads across Prune Hill, an extinct volcanic vent that provides the elevated terrain where neighborhoods enjoy views of the Columbia and the Cascades. The hill is part of the Boring Lava Field, the volcanic province that dots northwest Oregon and south...

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Image: Triddle at English Wikipedia | Public domain

Camas: Gateway to the Gorge

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Ian Poellet (User:Werewombat), CC BY-SA 3.0. Highway 14, the Lewis and Clark Highway, runs through Camas along the Columbia's north bank, continuing east into the Columbia River Gorge. This Washington-side route parallels the more famous Historic Columbia River Highway on the Oregon side, offering its own viewpoints and acc...

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Image: Ian Poellet (User:Werewombat) | CC BY-SA 3.0

Camas: Twin Cities

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Triddle at English Wikipedia, Public domain. Camas and neighboring Washougal have grown together into a twin-city community, their borders blurring along the riverfront and in the subdivisions climbing into the hills. Washougal brings its own character - more outdoor-focused, known for the motocross events at Washougal MX P...

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Image: Triddle at English Wikipedia | Public domain