Klickitat, WA

Tucked into a rugged canyon along the Klickitat River, Klickitat is a small, peaceful community in south-central Washington. The surrounding landscape of steep basalt cliffs and running water shapes daily life here, offering world-class salmon and steelhead fishing, rafting, and hiking right outside your front door. It is a quiet place to settle down, with Goldendale sitting about twenty miles to the east for shopping, schools, and everyday services.

ATTRKlickat Resident / Public domain

The town spent most of the twentieth century centered around timber, but life has shifted into a much calmer rhythm since the last sawmill closed in 1990. The old railroad corridor that once hauled logs through the canyon is now the Klickitat Trail, stretching thirty-one miles along the water and Swale Creek for easy walking, trail running, and birding. It makes a great home base for anyone looking to trade city noise for wide-open river country.