Lower Elochoman Forest, just across the Elochoman River from Nelson Creek Swamp, protects one of the few remaining large, intact parcels of tidal spruce forest habitat in the area. It is popular for waterfowl hunting with a reservation through WDFW, but has no maintained trails.
Recreational Activities: Hunting, Fishing
Access:
⇒ Hunting: waterfowl are huntable here. Reserve through WDFW (link coming soon). Note that hunting access to Lower Elochoman also includes hunting access to neighboring Nelson Creek Swamp.
⇒ Fishing and other walk-in activities: open access, no permission needed
⇒ Day use only.
Dogs: No dogs allowed.
Amenities: None
Trails: No maintained trails, but there is a 0.25-mile dirt road from the access point off Foster Road that you can walk on.
Acreage: 308 acres
County: Wahkiakum County
Nearest Town: Cathlamet, WA
Directions: There are multiple access points along the roads bordering the Lower Elochoman site. The roads have wide shoulders and pull-offs in some spots. Two of the best access points are off the east side of Highway 4 and off the west side of Foster Road about 0.2 miles south of bridge over Elochoman River. Please be respectful and don’t block in other vehicles.
Tips for Visiting: This site is popular with hunters during waterfowl season. Please be safe and respectful of hunters if you visit during this time. If hunting, please follow all state and federal hunting regulations, as well as Columbia Land Trust’s hunting rules. Beware of swampy, uneven terrain. Grass and other plants can be very tall and difficult to move through. Dogs are not allowed here due to the presence of threatened Columbian white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus leucurus). The Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian white-tailed deer and the Elochoman Marina are nearby and have bathrooms and other amenities.
Year Conserved: Parcels were conserved in 2009, 2010, and 2012
About: The Lower Elochoman site protects 308 acres of tidally influenced wetlands, forests, river channels, and floodplain habitat. Much of the site is shaped by the Elochoman River, including a 0.75-mile side channel that winds through the forest and connects to nearby sloughs and the Columbia River. The area includes tidal scrub-shrub wetlands, second-growth forest, emergent wetlands, and slightly higher ground where Douglas-fir and western hemlock grow.
Historically, this landscape was part of a Sitka spruce swamp, but surrounding lands have largely been converted to agriculture or industry. Today, Lower Elochoman is one of the area’s remaining large, intact tidal spruce habitat areas. The site provides important habitat for Columbian white-tailed deer and young salmon, including species listed as threatened or endangered. Columbia Land Trust conserved this land to support wildlife recovery, protect river and wetland habitat, and maintain habitat connections with nearby protected areas. Ongoing stewardship includes monitoring, weed control, replanting, and other restoration work to improve forest and wetland conditions.
Project Partners: Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board, Bonneville Power Administration, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), and Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership