Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Lewis County, Washington

Riffe

Flooded town in Washington, United States.

Record

About Riffe

Riffe, Washington was an unincorporated town located on a bank of the Cowlitz River in Lewis County, Washington, southeast of Mossyrock. The community was abandoned by the populace by 1966 and officially ceased to exist in 1968 when it was flooded under Riffe Lake after construction of the Mossyrock Dam.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Riffe, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.

Map

Where Riffe is

USGS topographic map around Riffe
USGS topographic map, The National Map (public domain). The pin marks the coordinates in the record; old townsites are often a little off.

Historic maps

9 historic USGS maps cover Riffe

Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.

Directions

Getting there

Google Maps directionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

Before you go

  • Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
  • Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
  • Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.

Nearby

Other sites near Riffe

Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our Washington index.

Sources

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Riffe, Washington": coordinates and summary.
  2. Wikidata Q134700079.
  3. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  4. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).