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Local info for the Clark County area.
A brief tour of the cities and towns in Clark County.
Clark County encompasses nearly 600 square miles from its boundaries in the foothills of the Cascade Mountain range, one of the most diverse and prosperous areas in Washington State.
Cities and towns in this Southwest Washington county include bustling urbanized surroundings and quiet rural settings, each with its own special sense of community and charm, characteristics that make Clark County an ideal place to live, work and play.
Vancouver
Welcome to Vancouver USA - the first city in the Pacific Northwest and gateway to Clark County. Vancouver is the state's oldest city, and the county's largest with a population of 143,000. It is also on its way to becoming one of the largest in the state.
Walk tree-lined streets and neighborhoods. Enjoy a riverfront concert or one of the city's many festivals. Delight in the rich history carefully preserved right in the midst of town at the Vancouver National Historic Reserve.
Vancouver is celebrated as an exciting and diverse waterfront community. It is known for its friendly and well-planned neighborhoods, well-managed resources, thriving business center, abundant recreational opportunities and historical and cultural richness, along with progressive people-oriented government.
Take a short drive north and view the magnificence of Mount St. Helens. Drive east to the sheer cliffs and waterfalls of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and west to the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
Then talk to the people. In the coffee shops, the mall or downtown, people love talking about the reasons why they call Vancouver home. Everyone has something different to note. Some say it's the mild weather, for others it's the natural beauty. Still others appreciate the community's affordable living.
In addition to the nearby attractions and special events that give Vancouver its identity, efforts to revitalize the community's downtown core are breathing new life into the city, offering new living, working and recreational opportunities.
Vancouver, at its core, is about lifestyle - the values and visions that drive the work its residents do.
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Camas - Washougal
Camas and Washougal sit side by side along the Columbia River just east of Vancouver. So close to the Vancouver-Portland metropolitan area, their residents enjoy all the cultural and commercial advantages of large cities while maintaining a small, friendly community lifestyle.
The cities, with a combined population of about 20,000 have a strong industrial base, home to some of the largest employers in the county, which include Georgia Pacific, Sharp Microelectronics, Landa, Underwriters Laboratories and WaferTech. As a result, Camas and Washougal have low property tax rates.
And even with a thriving residential market, the towns still exude small-town charm and the unique advantages of pristine rural areas, parks and waterways.
The location within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is a popular tourist area. The Washougal River, which joins the Columbia River here, is noted for its excellent fishing.
The Camas-Washougal area is rich in history dating back to before the Lewis and Clark expedition. Parker's Landing on the Columbia River is where the town of Parkersville was one of the first incorporated areas in the Washington Territory. To visit this historical site, exit State Highway 14 at Second Street in Washougal. Parker's Landing in located adjacent to the Port of Camas-Washougal marina.
Downtown Camas centers around a unique drive-through shopping mall on Northeast Fourth Avenue. The historic downtown buildings have been preserved and are utilized by businesses to make this a busy community center. Trees, street lamps and planter areas on this street make the downtown mall a beautiful and appealing place to visit and shop.
An outdoor swimming pool, located in Crown Park, is open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. The area has several other smaller parks, tennis courts and baseball and soccer fields.
North of downtown Camas is Lacamas Lake, a popular locale for hiking, fishing and boating enthusiasts. The Lacamas Lake area is noted for the unique and beautiful wild Camas lilies, which grow profusely in this area. The dark blue flower attracts scores of visitors during its annual blooming season in mid-April. Hiking trails in Lacamas Lake Park cover 312 acres, providing a ringside view of the natural habitat with its wide variety of wildlife.
Pendleton Woolen Mills has operated its Washougal mill since 1910, weaving wool blankets and clothing. The company offers tours of its Washougal factory and operates a factory outlet store at the site, open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Take the 15th Street Exit off Highway 14 to visit the Pendleton store and factory.
Visitors interested in fishing will find ample spots to try their skills. The Columbia River, for example, offers salmon, sturgeon, steelhead, walleye and shad fishing. Winter and summer steelhead runs provide opportunities to catch these fine migratory trout, which can weigh up to 20 pounds. With Spring and fall salmon runs up the Washougal River, sports enthusiasts have year-round fishing opportunities.
Tourists will also enjoy a visit to Cottonwood Beach, a sandy beach along the north shore of the Columbia River that begins at Steamboat Landing in Washougal - take the 15the Street Exit south - and stretches for nearly three miles into the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Cottonwood Beach has been developed as a state park with walking trails along the entire length of the beach. A floating dock at this site offers visitors a beautiful panoramic view of the gorge.
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Battle Ground
Battle Ground, the name of the city is as full of history as the city itself, originating from a battle scheduled near the Cascade foothills that was settled peacefully between soldiers and American Indians from Fort Vancouver.
A population of approximately 10,000 residents enjoy living in Battle Ground, a city small enough for citizens to know their neighbors, but large enough to offer all the amenities.
Battle Ground has experienced phenomenal growth in recent years, with new businesses and new homes springing up in the country setting, nestled near the foot of the Cascade Mountains.
Residents enjoy easy access to nearby forests, lakes, streams and other recreational areas while being only minutes from urban centers and interstate freeways. A range of community events illustrates the town's family-oriented atmosphere - festivals, parades, restoration projects and golf tournaments, which draw citizens together in this strong and growing community.
Major employers include: Fred Meyer, Andersen Dairy, Hi-School Pharmacy, Cenex Harvest States and Safeway, and the Battle Ground School District, with 16 schools encompassing a 328 square mile range.
Community events range from Easter egg hunts to auctions, to the largest event of the year, Harvest Days, held the third weekend in July. The Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce also sponsors Clark County's only all-volunteer-made float entered in the Portland Rose Parade each year.
Easily accessible from urban centers and interstate freeways, Battle Ground has a world of recreation at its back door. Just minutes away are Battle Ground Lake State Park, thought to nestle in the crater of an extinct volcano, and Lewisville Park, a historic site and the state's oldest county park.
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Ridgefield
Ridgefield is a picturesque small town community that lies just 10 miles north of Vancouver and is known for the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, which provides thousands of acres of marsh, forest and pasture for birds and seasonal waterfowl, including sandhill cranes, swans and Canada geese. This waterfowl paradise offers visitors and resident nature lovers the opportunity to view and photograph birds in their natural habitat.
Among other abundant recreational opportunities in Ridgefield, golfers enjoy the Tri-Mountain Golf Course and boaters can launch from McCuddy's Marina. City parks include Davis, Abrams and Fireman's. Schurman's Iron Ranch includes meeting rooms and exhibits and the Big Fir Campground offers year-round camping facilities.
Ridgefield's sense of community closeness is evident by the traditional events held annually in the area, including the Fourth of July Parade, which lines spectators along city streets for music, magic and make-believe while it weaves its way through town, ending at the entrance to Abrams Park. The two-day celebration also includes street dancing, picnicking, live entertainment, children's activities and food favorites.
The town's economy has traditionally been linked to activities at the waterfront Port of Ridgefield, which now includes newly developed industrial land tracts near Interstate 5.
Each year, the town hosts the area's largest event, the Clark County Fair, bringing in world-class entertainment and thrilling fair attendees with bull riding, monster trucks, demolition derbies and gravity-defying carnival rides.
The Clark County Fair has been a tradition for more than 130 years, the largest single-location community event held in the greater Vancouver-Portland metropolitan area. Nearly 300,000 people attend the annual weeklong event at the county fairgrounds, located just off Interstate 5 at the 179th Street exit.
Ridgefield also hosts the Hometown Celebration, held annually in December. The event takes place throughout the town's downtown core with a variety of attractions to make the perfect recipe for holiday spirit, including a holiday bazaar and talent showcase.
The community's small-town feel is fostered by a local commitment to schools and area programs. Many of the town shops have been in existence for generations and have passed from one family member to the next.
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La Center
The surrounding landscape of this north Clark County city places high value on untouched natural beauty and fertile land for farming and crops. La Center offers visitors a magnificent view of Mount St. Helens, outdoor and indoor recreational activities and small-town charm.
Located at the navigational head of the east fork of the Lewis River, La Center served as a communications and supply post for early settlers throughout northern Clark County. The city was an active point for many sternwheelers during the early 1900s, serving area logging and farming businesses.
The city lays claim to the sunken sternwheeler Leona, which sank just feet away from the La Center ridge back in 1912, the same year the Titanic sank.
La Center's economy is based on the city's downtown cardrooms, which light up the downtown core in the evening like a small Reno, Nevada, pulling visitors from all over the region.
Salishan Vineyards is also located just north of La Center, producing limited edition winery products, award-winning pinot noirs, chardonnays and dry Rieslings.
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Yacolt
Yacolt is a small town nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains less than 25 miles northeast of Vancouver. The area has preserved its quiet rural atmosphere away from the booming growth of the county and provides prime hunting and fishing resources.
The town is home to Pomeroy Living History Farm, one of the county's premier attractions, as well as Moulton Falls Park, almost 400 acres of beautiful waterways and recreational areas.
Yacolt is located in the Battle Ground School District, and Yacolt Primary School provides the early years of formal education for area children. Students from kindergarten through fourth-grade attend this school. Fifth-grade through eighth-grade students attend Amboy Middle School approximately nine miles away. Battle Ground High School rounds out the formal education for students in the ninth through twelfth grades.
Home to several businesses, Yacolt offers small town charm to visitors passing through, as well as conveniences for local residents. Community activities include youth t-ball, baseball and softball programs. Residents and visitors also enjoy spending time in Yacolt's town park, which offers playground equipment, a covered shelter and cooking area and large, open space for picnicking.
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Amboy
Known as one of Washington's last villages, Amboy offers newcomers a rustic lifestyle amid forests and foothills. The Cedar Creek Grist Mill, a functioning 1876 grain mill, serves as a reminder of the town's residents' dedication to heritage and country life.
Since Amboy lies in the shadow of Mount St. Helens, residents were witness to the spectacular volcanic eruption in 1980, as well as the region's natural restoration over the last two decades.
Built in the center of timber country, Amboy celebrates its lifestyle each year with Amboy Territorial Days. This annual July event allows lumberjacks to compete in ax-throwing and tree-chopping contests, water obstacle log courses, tree climbing and lawn mower races.
Amboy is also the location for the Mount Tum Tum Native American Encampment, held the first weekend in July. The event celebrates all aspects of Native American life with dancing, drumming, art exhibits and more.
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Brush Prairie
The quaint town of Brush Prairie lies quietly between Vancouver and Battle Ground, the fastest-growing cities in the county. Local folks know the area as home to golf courses, farms and new residential growth. The Brush Prairie Baptist Church is the oldest Baptist congregation in the state.
Brush Prairie is home to the Battle Ground School District headquarters, as well as numerous new businesses.
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Hockinson
Located on the southeast side of Battle Ground, Hockinson was first settled as home to Scandinavian immigrants. This farming community has experienced its share of development with a number of high-end neighborhoods being constructed in recent years and new businesses opening their doors on the town's main thoroughfare.
Hockinson provides residents with a quiet natural setting and farming community.
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(Reprinted with permission from the Vancouver Business Journal)
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