The Lower Columbia region doesn’t get covered the way mountain or coastal routes do. But there are good roads here — some along rivers, some through timber country, some following the Columbia itself — that reward a slow drive and a camera.

These five routes are all accessible in a standard vehicle. None require permits or special equipment. All are within roughly two hours of Longview.

1. SR-4 West: Longview to Cathlamet

Distance: 38 miles one way
Condition: Two-lane state highway, paved
Best time: October–November for color; any overcast day

SR-4 follows the Columbia north shore from Longview west to Cathlamet and beyond. The road runs close to the river for much of its length, passing through small communities — Stella, Skamokawa Vista — that look like they’ve been there a long time, because they have.

The stretch between Stella and Cathlamet is the most scenic. The river is wide here, and the Washington shore is low and marshy. On a still morning with fog on the water, it’s one of the better landscapes in the region.

Cathlamet itself is worth stopping in. The town sits on a bluff above the river and has a quiet main street with a few good pullouts for river views.

2. South Fork Road: Kelso to Weyerhaeuser Country

Distance: ~25 miles
Condition: Two-lane, mostly paved with gravel sections
Best time: Year-round; overcast preferred

The South Fork of the Toutle River runs east of Kelso through active and recovering timber country. The road follows the river for most of its length, passing through clear-cut sections and older second-growth stands that give you a clear picture of how managed forestry works at scale.

This is not a wilderness drive. You will see logging operations, slash piles, and active harvest areas. What it is, is an honest look at what the region’s economy is built on. The contrast between the harvested hillsides and the river corridor below is stark and worth documenting.

3. Willow Grove Road Loop: Longview’s Quiet East Side

Distance: ~12 miles
Condition: Paved, two-lane
Best time: Early morning

Willow Grove Road runs east from Longview through a residential-to-rural transition that most people don’t see because there’s no particular reason to be on it. Past Willow Grove Park, the road continues through horse properties and small farms before looping back via Industrial Way.

It’s a short drive, but the morning light through the low-lying fields east of the park is consistently good, and the pastoral character of the east Longview periphery is distinct from the industrial and urban zones that most of the city presents.

4. Coal Creek Road: Into the Coweeman River Drainage

Distance: ~20 miles
Condition: Two-lane, paved main route; gravel beyond
Best time: April–June; October

The Coweeman River drains the hills east of Kelso and meets the Cowlitz near town. Coal Creek Road follows the main drainage east before branching into private timber land. The accessible portion of the road runs through a mature second-growth forest corridor that’s consistently green and often foggy in spring.

There’s a small bridge crossing at mile 8 that’s the right stopping point before the road degrades. The Coweeman here is narrow and clear — fish in it in fall. It’s a quiet, unremarkable stream in the way that all small Northwest rivers are unremarkable, which is to say very good to stand next to.

5. The Columbia River Highway: WA Side, Vancouver to Longview

Distance: ~50 miles
Condition: Four-lane to two-lane
Best time: Southbound in afternoon light; any clear day

I-5 on the Washington side of the Columbia between Vancouver and Longview isn’t a dramatic scenic road — it’s largely industrial and suburban. But the bridge crossings, the river views on the stretch north of Ridgefield, and the industrial scale of the Portland-Vancouver port complex make it worth doing once with the purpose of actually looking at what’s there.

The best section is the 15 miles north of Ridgefield, where the highway pulls close to the Columbia and the river is wide and straight. Eastbound in morning light, the view across to Oregon is clean.