The Awesome Power of Water

The weather was pleasant this past weekend and so we decided to set aside our chores for a few hours and go exploring. 

One of the few treasures of the past year has been the discoveries of new places within an hour of our house. 

We have always enjoyed the area around Montesano, Washington. While many people rush past on their way to the Ocean Beaches, we have found it a lovely destination. 

On the south side of the Chehalis River, just off highway 107, is the Chehalis River Surge Plain Natural Area. This DNR site encompasses a slough area which was once used for handling logs on their way to the mills in Aberdeen. 

According to DNR:

Tucked between Montesano and Cosmopolis near the mouth of the Chehalis River rests Washington’s largest and highest-quality coastal surge plain wetland.

The Chehalis River Surge Plain Natural Area Preserve is a 4,493-acre site that protects rare plant communities and species that thrive in the estuary environment where fresh and salt water systems meet. It is one of the 94 Natural Areas conserved by the Washington Department of Natural Resources for their high-quality native ecosystems and rare species or communities of species. Visitors to this minimally impacted, rural surge plain can learn about wetland function, use of the area by a variety of species, and the cultural significance of the site.

The site has several water trails for kayak and canoes. It also has over 3 miles of trails which follow along the old railroad which ran between Aberdeen and Chehalis. 

One stretch of the trail is flanked by over a hundred white alder trees, which form an arcade along the side of the trail. 

We will definitely be back later in the spring to see the trail as the native plants bloom and leaf out. And, we will bring our canoe to check out the water trail as well.