Qualla: Washougal

Washougal: Introduction

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Bonnie Moreland from Oregon, United States, Public domain. The Washougal River tumbles out of the Cascades and meets the Columbia here, creating a confluence that has drawn people for millennia. The town that took the river's name has grown to 17,000, a riverside community where summer means swimming holes and inner tubes, where the motocross nationals draw thousands to Washougal MX Park, and where the Lewis and Clark Highway begins its journey through the Columbia River Gorge. It's a place defined by water and by access - access to recreation, to scenic beauty, to the outdoor life that draws people to the Pacific Northwest.

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Image: Bonnie Moreland from Oregon, United States | Public domain

Washougal: River Town

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Bonnie Moreland from Oregon, United States, Public domain. The Washougal River provides summer recreation that draws visitors from throughout the Portland metro area. When temperatures climb, families head for the swimming holes and beaches along the river, their inner tubes and kayaks joining a flotilla that works its way downstream. Th...

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Image: Bonnie Moreland from Oregon, United States | Public domain

Washougal: Motocross Capital

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Bonnie Moreland from Oregon, United States, Public domain. Each summer the Washougal MX Park hosts rounds of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, transforming the town into a destination for motorsports fans from across the country. The natural terrain amphitheater provides sightlines that let spectators watch the entire course, the roar ...

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Image: Bonnie Moreland from Oregon, United States | Public domain

Washougal: Gorge Gateway

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Jared Adams, CC BY 3.0. The Lewis and Clark Highway - Highway 14 - runs through Washougal, following the Columbia's north bank into the Gorge. This is the Washington side of the canyon, less developed than the Oregon shore but offering its own viewpoints and attractions. Cape Horn provides the first dra...

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Image: Jared Adams | CC BY 3.0

Washougal: Four Seasons

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0. Washougal celebrates each season distinctly. Summer brings the river crowds and the motocross fans. Autumn transforms the Gorge drive into a color tour, the Lewis and Clark Highway threading through auburn and gold as maple and oak line the route. Cape Horn overlook becomes a pho...

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Image: Walter Siegmund (talk) | CC BY-SA 3.0