Silver Lake (Washington)

Silver Lake, in Washington, United States, is both a marsh and unincorporated area located about 30 miles west of Mount St. Helens. It is home to a nature trail, and the visitor center for the Mount St. Helens National Monument. The lake itself is 180 acres in size with several camping and RV sites, along with a state park.

Silver Lake is located in Cowlitz County, in the SW portion of Washington State. Employment in the area is primarily centered around the cities of Longview, Kelso, and Castle Rock, which are all situated along the Interstate-5 freeway.

The area considered Silver Lake is approximately six miles east of I-5 and is approximately 50 miles from Portland, Oregon to the south and Seattle about 110 miles to the north. The closest cities to the subject property are Castle Rock, six miles to the west, and Toutle, four miles east. The area in general relies on an economy that is largely based around the timber and tourism industry, but tourism has taken precedent since the declining timber industry.

Local economic growth has remained stable due to the plethora of outdoor activities take place in the scenic Silver Lake area, including camping, hunting, and fishing. Additionally, the Pacific Ocean is approximately 90 minutes west and skiing and other wilderness activities are all within an hour away.

Silver Lake is served by one major road, Spirit Lake Highway, which joins I-5 in Castle Rock to the west and runs east to the US Forest Services’ Mount Saint Helens Observatory at Johnson Ridge. This highway is a two-directional arterial heading west and east with both residential and commercial development areas running along side it. Major shopping, dining and commercial properties are located up and down the I-5 corridor.

Silver Lake is not an incorporated town, but relies primarily on Castle Rock and the town of Toutle for schools and services. Cowlitz County provides most services including police, fire, ambulance, water, sewer, and garbage. Gas service is provided by Cascade Natural Gas and Qwest and GTE provide telephone service. The area is composed of a mixture of uses that range from single-family and multi-family residential, commercial, retail, and agricultural uses. Traffic volume along Silver Lake remains consistent with approximately 1,000 cars passing it per day.