The Southwest region of the state boasts a growing hub for innovation in the city of Vancouver, coupled with scenic drives and plentiful hiking along highways 12 and 14 and the coastal Highway 101. Lewis County’s largest city, Centralia, is also the largest U.S. city founded by an African American, George Washington, in 1875.

The Chehalis and Cowlitz tribes are among those that call this region home. Both reservations operate two of the region’s largest employers, a water slide park in Grand Mound, and a 400,000-square-foot gaming and entertainment venue in Ridgefield. 

The Washington sections of the Pacific Crest Trail, a popular thru-hike that spans from Mexico to Canada, begins in Skamania County, a rural area known for Bigfoot sightings that is 80% national forest. 

In the coastal area of Willapa Bay, University of Washington scientists are studying oysters in an effort to advance conservation efforts of sea life in the area.