RV Rental Pe Ell, WA

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For those of you who love history, the town of Pe Ell in Lewis County, Washington comes with an interesting historical mystery for you to attempt to solve: the origin of its name. There are several theories that are discussed by locals. One is that the Native Americans living in the area could not pronounce the name of a French-Canadian settler, Pierre Charles, and it became Pe Ell. Another guess is that Pe Ell actually began as P. L., which were the initials of Pierre and his Native American wife. And yet a third story is that the Natives couldn’t pronounce the last name of another Frenchman who settled into the area and married a Native American woman, Charlie Pershell; unable to make the “sh” sound, “Pershell” became “Pe Ell.”

Whichever version of the story is true, just knowing the guesswork and theorizing that went into figuring out the origins of the town should be enough to spark your interest. If you’re curious to know more about the town’s history—such as the North Pacific Railway that has been converted into a hiking trail or why it was once known as a Polish town—rent a motorhome near Pe Ell and come see what historical mysteries you’ll uncover.

The town used to be primarily occupied by Polish immigrants and was once home to the only Polish National Catholic Church in Washington. Unfortunately, the historic church had been torn down due to age-related issues. If you brought your luxury RV rental to Pe Ell to see historical buildings, right nearby in Dryad is a lovely little church, Dryad Community Church, beckoning for a quick peek inside. You can also head to Doty, a nearby town that used to boast the largest sawmill in Lewis County. The historic Doty General Store requires at least a brief visit if only for its old-fashioned atmosphere.

Should you be craving more history, drive your motorhome rental from Pe Ell to the Lewis County Historical Society and Museum. Located in the 1912 Northern Pacific railway depot, the museum has a large collection of objects donated by several Native American tribal elders in order to educate locals and visitors about the town’s origin. Other permanent and rotating exhibits are there for your perusal as well.

Discover Pe Ell


The Great Outdoors

The first outdoor excursion you might want to embark on is that converted railway trail, now called the Willapa Hills Trail. The trail runs east to west from nearby town Chehalis to South Bend, a river town near the Pacific Ocean. Used by hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders, the trail consists of gently rolling hills and offers a canopy of trees.

If you decide to attempt the long hike from Pe Ell to the coast, you can camp at Rainbow Falls State Park. The State Park offers forested campsites, a waterfall, and picnic areas. The Chehalis River runs through the park and allows freshwater fishing along its banks. If you’re towing a boat behind your Pe Ell camper rental, Fort Borst Park offers a boat launch area that will help lower your dingy into the river.

For more outdoor entertainment, neighboring town Chehalis also has the Riverside Golf Club located by the picturesque river. During the summer, the same river is used for the Pe Ell River Run, a rafting competition over Rainbow Falls. Follow the river for a mile and a half to embark on another hiking excursion and you will find the Discovery Trail north of Centralia city limits.

RV Parks

When you’re ready to house your travel trailer rental from Pe Ell, WA for the night, your closest option is the same Rainbow Falls State Park. While the park offers 53 campsites for tenting, it only has eight sites available for RVs, so make sure to book in advance if you want to snag one of those.

If they are unavailable, your next option is one of the 27 sites at the the Chehalis Tribal Eagle RV Park in Oakville. This park welcomes short stays and offers reasonable rates, free WiFi, and hookups for all types of RVs. It’s also fairly spacious and allows room for slide outs and awnings and a 4’ strip of grass between all sites.

Maybe you plan to eventually make your way over to Seattle, and if that’s the case, a little north of Chehalis is the small city of Centralia. Centralia offers its own RV park, Midway RV Park Centralia Washington. The 16 sites come with hookups for your RV, a recreation hall, and an onsite restaurant.

Exploring the City

If you choose to stay in the Chehalis Tribal Eagle RV Park, just a few minutes away is the Lucky Eagle Casino in Rochester, WA. The park offers a free shuttle from your motorhome to the casino, just call the casino, let them know you’re ready, and they’ll be there to pick you up in a jiffy. If you get hungry Lucky Eagle Casino has plenty of options for you. With a steakhouse, a deli, a craft beer house or a cocktail bar, you will have a new place to try for every meal of the day.

While you’re near Chehalis, stop at the Willapa Hills Creamery for some artisan cheese made from blend of cow and sheep’s milk from a local dairy farm. With vats that hold 5,000lbs of cheese, the creamery has tons of aged cheeses to pick from. Pick some up at the Willapa Hills Farm Store on the same property as the creamery.

Prefer to grab a bite right in Pe Ell? The tiny town has a homestyle cafe with a cocktail lounge that is known for its homemade pies, cinnamon rolls, and soups. For more variety, you can head to Centralia for traditional Irish food, a colorful Greek plate, or a Caribbean tiki bar.

If you happen to be visiting in July, try to time your Pe Ell RV rental adventure early enough in the month to be able to catch the town’s Fourth of July Parade during the day and fireworks show later that night. During special occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Easter, or Christmas (look up all of the various holidays that the railway hosts), the nearby Chehalis-Centralia Railroad provides scenic nine-mile rides in a 1919-vintage steam locomotive. You can have lunch or dinner in a train car as the scene outside of your window changes from river views to farmland. On certain weekends, the train car also offers Murder Mystery Train events.

Whether you love Murder Mystery Trains, hiking down old railroads, or delving deep into Native American history, Pe Ell is an intriguing town to rent an RV and go exploring. So if you want to see some cedar root baskets woven by Cowlitz Chief Scanawa’s niece at the museum or try the honey chipotle artisan cheese spread straight from the farm it’s made on, book an RV in Lewis County and begin planning your next trip!

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Popular nearby hiking trails and campgrounds


  • Hiking TrailLocation
  • Rainbow Falls State Park Loop Trail, WAChehalis, WA
  • Willapa Hills Trail , WAChehalis, WA
  • Alger Truck Trail, WAColumbian White-Tailed Deer National Wildlife Refuge, WA
  • White Pass Scenic Byway, WAGifford Pinchot National Forest, WA
  • Lewis County Historical Cruise, WAChehalis, WA
  • Butte Creek Sitka Spruce Grove Trail, WARaymond, WA
  • Bob Bammert Grove Trail, WAOlympia, WA
  • Mima Falls Trail, WARochester, WA
  • Mima Mounds Trail, WAOlympia, WA
  • Mill Creek Truck Trail, WALongview, WA

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