Willapa Hills Trail

Willapa Hills State Park Trail is a scenic, multi-use trail on a historic railroad bed in southern Washington. It stretches from Chehalis to South Bend near the Pacific Coast, weaving over and past the Chehalis River via trestles and bridges. The first 26 miles between Chehalis and Pe Ell in the east and the five miles between South Bend and Raymond in the west are developed for hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding. Sections of the rest of the trail remain undeveloped but open to experienced hikers. If you start in Chehalis, you’ll pass by gently rolling farmland which gives way to a forest of Douglas fir and western red cedar in the Chehalis River Valley. The South Bend side of the trail features open meadows and lush, riverside scenery. Willapa Hills State Park Trail is open year-round. Autumn brings vibrant golds, reds, and yellows, and you won’t want to miss the springtime wildflowers. The trail’s highest point in the Willapa Hills was once a railroad stop called “Pluvius” after the Roman god of rainstorms — a fitting nod to a region that receives over 100 inches of rainfall each year.