Wynoochee River: Lower Main Stem

The Wynoochee River flows south out of Olympic National Park, but a major dam that makes this river runnable throughout the year (though it may get a bit lean in late summer and early fall) creates a barrier between the pristine and the merely scenic. Several segments of the upper river are run by kayakers, and canoeists run a 19-mile segment above this lower 16-mile stretch, which is broken by a diversion structure near RM 8. This segment flows through a broad farming valley to the Chehalis just south of Montesano. It is a pool-and-riffle river with plenty of gravel bars and fine views of low, timbered hills.