Lewis & Clark State Park, State park in Lewis County, Washington
Lewis and Clark State Park is a nature reserve in Lewis County near Centralia featuring old-growth forests, dense vegetation, streams, and wetlands across about 250 acres (100 hectares). The site offers 8 miles (13 kilometers) of hiking and equestrian trails, five primitive horse campsites, and a group camp accommodating about 50 people with basic facilities.
The site began in 1922 as a public campground for automobile tourists and includes a section of the Oregon Trail's north branch connecting the Cowlitz River to Tumwater. This historic route reflects early travel patterns of settlers moving through the region.
The grounds show the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps, whose workers built structures like a log cabin in the 1930s that display items belonging to the Jackson family.
The park offers options for different activity levels with marked hiking and equestrian trails suitable for beginners as well as more experienced visitors. Visitors should know that primitive campsites have limited amenities and the area is most accessible during warmer months.
The area suffered severe damage in 1962 from the Columbus Day Storm when two-thirds of the old-growth trees were destroyed. The restoration work that followed shows how the landscape recovered from this natural disaster and changed over time.
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