Cispus River

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The Cispus River approximately 53 miles in length and flows into the Cowlitz River at Lake Scanewa in the Cascade Mountains of Washington. Its tributaries drain most of south-central and southeastern Lewis County, extreme northeast Skamania County, and some of western Yakima County.

Its main fork begins in Lewis County in a high, glacial valley to the north of Snowgrass Flats in the Goat Rocks Wilderness, located on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. From here the river flows in a southwesterly direction and takes on the waters of several important headwater tributaries such as Waptus Creek.

Approximately 10 miles from its beginning, the Main Fork of the Cispus River meets the Muddy Fork. Muddy Fork starts seven miles this junction, at Mt. Adams' Lava Glacier and is named for the glacial debris and silt in the water which give the river a muddy appearance. The Cispus River flows though a heavily forested valley, much of the forest regrown after the Cispus Burn, which occurred the first decade of the 20th Century and consumed most of the lower drainage.

The North Fork Cispus enters the main branch about 20 miles from its start. From here on, the Cispus River flows westerly, passing campgrounds and trails in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Two tributaries, Yellowjacket and McCoy Creeks, flow into the river from the south about midway though its course. Beyond here, the river passes beneath Tower Rock, a prominent basalt monolith on the south side of the river. Soon after this the river leaves the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and enters the Weyerhauser Cowlitz Tree Farm. The Cispus River ends its course entering the Cowlitz River at Lake Scanewa, just upstream from Cowlitz Falls and Riffe Lake.

There are a stream flow monitoring station on the river which sends its data live to the USGS. Whitewater rafting also takes place on the Cispus River.