Packwood

History

Before the Packwood community began, a large village of the Upper Cowlitz people existed at the present-day site of the town; tribal members near Kiona Creek were known as the ceq'klama. The name "Packwood", used for the town, a mountain pass, and a lake, honors William Packwood, a Virginian pioneer and explorer of Oregon and Washington. Packwood and James Longmire were tasked by the Washington Territorial Legislature to chart a low pass over the Cascade Range, this necessitated by the deaths of several delegates in their journey to the first legislative session. As a mark of their successes in this venture, the charted pass – called the Packwood Saddle – is still unused by any road, trail, or other conveyance to pass between the east and west sides of the Cascades. Packwood is home to the historic Packwood Ranger Station located off of US-12. Packwood suffered severe flooding during an excessive rain and snowmelt event in December 1977. Eight homes were washed away and evacuations were necessary. Several bridges were closed after either washouts or structural damage, cutting off Packwood. The Johnson Creek Bridge, located on the main arterial of White Pass Scenic Byway, collapsed. The community was inundated again during a November 2006 flood necessitating evacuations of hundreds of people from the High Valley area after a dike broke. Washed out homes were carried away by the Cowlitz River, which was recorded as exceeding ; the powerful flood changed the course of the river. The Cowlitz crested twice during the 2025 Pacific Northwest floods. The river on December 9 reached , considered just under major flood stage; it peaked the following day at . People were evacuated along the river in the Packwood area; approximately 60 or more people were rescued in part by…

Geography

Packwood is located at the intersection of US Highway 12 and Gifford Pinchot National Forest Road 52 (Skate Creek Road). It is located between Mount Rainier National Park to the north and Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument to the south. The Tatoosh Wilderness, Goat Rocks Wilderness, and William O. Douglas Wilderness are to the north, southeast, and northeast respectively, with the Gifford Pinchot National Forest as a buffer in all directions. Packwood is located in the upper Cowlitz River valley, just downstream of the confluence of the Muddy and Clear forks of the Cowlitz. The White Pass Ski Area and crest of the Cascade Range demark the eastern edge of the Packwood area, the town of Randle the west, and large expanses of forest, wilderness, and parkland the north and south. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Packwood CDP has an area of , all of it recorded as land. The larger Packwood area, including the residential communities of Goat Rocks, High Valley Park, Packwood Heights, Skate Creek Terrace, Skyline, and Timberline Village, has 1,073 full-time residents. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Packwood has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity