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Comfort Inn, Super 8 Motel, Kelso
Red Lion, All Seasons Nursery, Three Rivers Mall, Town House,
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Best Western Aladdin Motor
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310 Long Ave. Kelso, WA * 360-425-9660 *
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Kelso Budget Inn
505 N. Pacific Ave., Kelso, WA * 360-363-4610 *
800-637-6123 Continental Breakfast, Exists 39 and 40, pets
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Under new mgmt. |
GuestHouse Inn & Suites
501 Three Rivers Drive, Kelso, WA *360-414-5953 *
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Hilander Bowl &
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1509 Allen St., Kelso, WA *360-423-1500 Family
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Motel 6
106 Minor Rd, Kelso, WA, *360-414-5953 or 800-4-motels6
Swimming Pool, Coffee, HBO/ESPN, Data Ports.
Kids Stay Free |
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Washington, USA |
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The City of
Friendly People
Kelso, Washington is a growing community of friendly people. In fact, Kelso is known as the “City of Friendly People.” Located in southwestern Washington at the confluence of the Cowlitz, Coweeman and Columbia rivers, Kelso is home to approximately 12,000 residents who take pride in their community and rich heritage. |
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The Kelso Volcano and Visitor Center, off Interstate 5 at Exit
39, is fully staffed seven days a week and provides information to visitors to ensure they get the most out of their stay in the area. |
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| A surveyor named Peter Crawford founded Kelso in the 1840’s. Crawford, a Scottish native, fell in love with the area and named it “Kelso” after his hometown in Scotland. 150 years later, the city continues to honor its roots with Highlander Festival featuring piping and dancing, a golf tournament and
parade. |
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Located on Interstate 5 at Exits 39 and 40, Kelso is 48 miles north of Portland, Oregon, 125 miles south of Seattle, Washington, and a short 80 miles to the Pacific Ocean beaches. This central location makes Kelso the perfect “hub” for convenient travel to the area’s finest
attractions. |
| A visitor can spend time exploring Kelso and its nearby tourist sites, then return each day to relax and get re-energized at one of Kelso’s outstanding
restaurants and lodging facilities. One can travel SR-504 to visit Mount St. Helens, then head back for dinner and a night’s rest. Traveling on SR-503 brings new sights of the volcano. Kelso’s proximity and accommodations will keep guests primed for more visual
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| Conventions and corporate meetings are well served by qualified staff in area motels. There are meeting rooms for groups of 5 to 500 and banquet facilities to serve
1000 people. Kelso area lodging facilities offer modern services, as well as indoor pools. |
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If a visitor just wants to enjoy Kelso, the community features the Three Rivers Mall with its major department stores, specialty boutique shops and food service.
Downtown Kelso features gift stores, antique shops, an award winning bakery/deli and a unique theater pub.
Tourists may bowl or play miniature golf in Kelso. |
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| Whatever guests decide to do, whether enjoying a play at the Columbia Theater for the Performing Arts or visiting the
Cowlitz Historical
Museum, people in Kelso will make their stay a pleasant experience. |
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Back to top

Three Rivers Mall

The Highlander Parade

Catlin Pool
205 Shawnee St.
Kelso, WA

Cowlitz
County Museum
405 Allen St.
Kelso, WA
back to top

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| There are plenty of outdoor
activities in Kelso. Golf at the Three Rivers Golf Course,
dubbed the “Driest Course in the Pacific Northwest”, is
played on the dredge spoils from the 1980 eruption of Mount St.
Helens. The course is reasonably priced and challenging.
Visitors can fish in the Cowlitz or surrounding rivers. Most
area streams are well regarded by serious anglers. If visiting
in January or February, smelt dipping is a “must do”
activity! The small, silvery fish may appear quite regularly for
consecutive years, then vanish for several more. Kelso is known
as the “Smelt Capital of the World,” an indication that the
wily smelt have filled the river more times than not. |
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| First-time visitors to Kelso may
think they are in “Park City” as the community offers six
city maintained parks, including the largest, Tam O’Shanter
Park. “Tam O,” as it is fondly called by locals, came into
being in 1958 and encompasses 38 acres located along the
pristine Coweeman River. The park has multi-purpose fields for
soccer, horseshoe pits, girls fast-pitch softball fields, a Babe
Ruth park, five Bambino fields and a basketball
court. Covered picnic areas, restrooms and a large
playground area allow for family outings in Tam O’Shanter
park. Joggers and bikers will enjoy the graveled path that runs
atop the dike along the river. The path begins in the 2500 block
of Allen Street and continues several miles to Talley Way.
In addition to the other small parks located throughout Kelso,
the community features Catlin Pool, the only outdoor, public
pool in the Kelso/Longview area. It is open during the summer
months for open swim, lap swims, classes and water
aerobics. |
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Kelso’s multi-Modal Transportation Center is
based in the historic Kelso Train Station and is served by
Amtrak rail, national and regional bus service, shuttle vans,
taxis and rental cars. Originally built by the Northern Pacific
Railroad in 1912, the stately brick building underwent extensive
remodeling in the early 90’s, after the City of Kelso launched
an aggressive plan to refurbish it. The extensive renovation
included the addition of a clock tower and was completed in
1994. Kelso is also well served by major arterials (SR-4, 411,
432 and 433) and Interstate 5, linking visitors to the outlying
communities and attractions. |
The Kelso Municipal Airport is
serviced by charter flights and private jets.
With all there is to see and do in and around Kelso, visitors
should consider staying four or five days. Visitors will find
Kelso’s friendly people excited about sharing their home with
others.
Kelso is a city of vision,
honoring its past and committed to its future. |
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Kelso
Washington, USA
I-5 Exit 39 |
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