Cougar, WA

Travel Guide

Panoramic view of the mountains and valley near Merrill Lake at Rd81 at Cowlitz county, Washington, USA.
Panoramic view of the mountains and valley near Merrill Lake at Rd81 at Cowlitz county, Washington, USA.
Landscape of Panther Creek Falls in Carson, Washington.
Walking in winter. Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, King County, Washington
This year marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of the eruption of Mt. Saint Helens. As you can imagine, the place is buzzing with tourists even more so than usual. But if all you want to do is get a clear look at a mighty big chunk of it, you could do worse than to travel the back roads around Cougar and look up from time to time. This photo was taken at the Yale Reservoir, probably about 3 or 4 miles outside Cougar, Washington. There are trails and vantage points all through the area, some of them marked, some, not so much. If you don't like the view in one place, just move onto the next. And if you feel the tug too hard from the visitor centers and the souvenir shop, they're just a short drive away. But give the countryside a try first. The views are so beautiful, you may never get to those tourist centers after all.

The Annual Vacation Sale

Members save up to 40% on hotels and homes. Plan this year’s big trip and save.
Book now
Lone Fir Resort

Lone Fir Resort

3 out of 5
16806 Lewis River Rd. Cougar WA
$133 nightly
The price is $146 total per night from Feb 17 to Feb 18
$146 total
Feb 17 - Feb 18
Total with taxes and fees
Stay at this holiday park in Cougar. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and an outdoor pool. Our guests praise the helpful staff in our reviews. Popular attraction ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (393 reviews)
Very large 3 room apartment, quaint, quiet, and excellently appointed. Onsite manager was very nice and very helpful in pointing out places of interest (he was also an excellent cook and laid out/ prepared a wonderful. One of the very best places we’ve had the pleasure of staying in

Reviewed on Nov 2, 2025

Lone Fir Resort
YALE House -Mt St Helens / Yale Lake Retreat

YALE House -Mt St Helens / Yale Lake Retreat

Cougar WA
Book a stay at this family-friendly vacation home in Cougar. Enjoy a garden, laundry facilities, and a pool table. Popular attraction Ape Caves is located ...
9.6/10 Exceptional! (37 reviews)
Check in was super easy! We ended up having a leak in our roof and Troy was over there within the hour to fix it! The game room was a hit with the entire family! Kids and adults! Yale lake is my favorite place to be so being only a 4 minute drive made the vacation that much better! We are already ...

Reviewed on Aug 18, 2025

Get rates
YALE House -Mt St Helens / Yale Lake Retreat
St. Helens House ~ Yale Lake/Mt St Helens Retreat.

St. Helens House ~ Yale Lake/Mt St Helens Retreat.

Cougar WA
Stay at this vacation home in Cougar. Enjoy a garden, laundry facilities, and patios. Popular attraction Ape Caves is located nearby.
9.2/10 Wonderful! (14 reviews)
Kitchen was fully equipped, we never ran out of supplies like TP, paper towels, etc, and much more furniture than we needed for the 3 of us. Very cute cabin, the ladder may be difficult for young children/elderly, but our daughter didn’t mind it & loved the loft.

Reviewed on Oct 5, 2025

Get rates
St. Helens House ~ Yale Lake/Mt St Helens Retreat.
See all 34 properties in Cougar
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
YALE House -Mt St Helens / Yale Lake Retreat

YALE House -Mt St Helens / Yale Lake Retreat

Cougar WA
Book a stay at this family-friendly vacation home in Cougar. Enjoy a garden, laundry facilities, and a pool table. Popular attraction Ape Caves is located ...
9.6/10 Exceptional! (37 reviews)
Check in was super easy! We ended up having a leak in our roof and Troy was over there within the hour to fix it! The game room was a hit with the entire family! Kids and adults! Yale lake is my favorite place to be so being only a 4 minute drive made the vacation that much better! We are already ...

Reviewed on Aug 18, 2025

YALE House -Mt St Helens / Yale Lake Retreat
St. Helens House ~ Yale Lake/Mt St Helens Retreat.

St. Helens House ~ Yale Lake/Mt St Helens Retreat.

Cougar WA
Stay at this vacation home in Cougar. Enjoy a garden, laundry facilities, and patios. Popular attraction Ape Caves is located nearby.
9.2/10 Wonderful! (14 reviews)
Kitchen was fully equipped, we never ran out of supplies like TP, paper towels, etc, and much more furniture than we needed for the 3 of us. Very cute cabin, the ladder may be difficult for young children/elderly, but our daughter didn’t mind it & loved the loft.

Reviewed on Oct 5, 2025

St. Helens House ~ Yale Lake/Mt St Helens Retreat.
COUGAR House -Mt St Helens / Yale Lake Retreat

COUGAR House -Mt St Helens / Yale Lake Retreat

Cougar WA
Stay at this vacation home in Cougar. Enjoy free WiFi, a garden, and laundry facilities. Popular attraction Ape Caves is located nearby.
9.6/10 Exceptional! (32 reviews)
Great access to lakes

Reviewed on Dec 3, 2025

COUGAR House -Mt St Helens / Yale Lake Retreat
See all properties in Cougar
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Cities near Cougar

Beautiful day to see Mt. St. Helens

Amboy

Yale Reservoir with the pump house in the middle distance.

Ariel

Explore a world of travel with Expedia