SKAMOKAWA – Dedication of the Lower Columbia River Water Trail and the unveiling of the Lewis & Clark information kiosk at Vista Park in Skamokawa will take place on Friday, June 4. Enjoy the music, food and festivities, watch the kayaks and canoes come ashore, take large canoe rides, enter games of chance and feel the spirit of the past at Skamokawa Vista Park.

The Lower Columbia River Water Trail is 146 miles long, stretching from Bonneville Dam to the Pacific Ocean. The trail has a system of launch, landing, and rest sites to support day or overnight travel on the water.

The Lewis and Clark trail has eight information sites in Wahkiakum County. Each location has information from the journals and an opportunity to understand the trials and tribulations that the early explorers faced.

Mark your calendars for Friday, June 4, and plan on arriving at the park about 11:30 a.m. and having lunch with us. We should be finished with all the ceremonies by 2 p.m. You are invited to enjoy the park as long as you wish. It is a beautiful place to watch the sun go down.

This is your chance to show support to all the people that have put in endless hours to bring the Lewis & Clark experience to our county. Plan to spend some time with us.

If you want to get involved with the kayakers, they will be leaving the Elochoman Slough Marina in Cathlamet about 9:30 am; you can join in or see them off. Then you can watch the paddlers go by the Lewis & Clark marker in the Julia Butler Hansen Wildlife Refuge next to the river. If you go to the Wildlife Refuge to cheer on the kayakers, you can still join us for the celebration. As they disappear around the bend, just jump in your car and head down Steamboat Slough Road to Vista Park.

Redmen Hall in Skamokawa will be open from noon to 4 p.m. with a display of Lewis and Clark books for sale. Andrew Emlen will play music from the Lewis and Clark era at Redmen Hall at 2 p.m.

This will be a super kick off for the summer season. If you want more information, call the Lower Columbia Economic Development Council (LCEDC) at 360-795-3996. If you want to join in on the kayaking, call Ginni Callahan at 360-795-0895.