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.

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.