Ryderwood, Washington ~ "The Village in the Woods"

1923-53: "World's Largest Logging Town";

Since 1953, the Oldest "Planned Community for Retired Persons". 

  • Hospitals are located in Longview and Centralia.
  • Doctors, dentists and optometrists are available in Castle Rock, Toledo and Winlock.
  • Banking, Groceries, Hardware, Restaurants etc. are available in Castle Rock, Toledo and Winlock.
  • Two Cafes and shops are located in Vader.

Community Events:


Garage SaleWeekends:

the last full weekends of April and August


Craft Fairs:

3rd weekends of May and October


4th of July: Parade, Picnic and Games ​


Holiday Potlucks: Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas


​& More!

The Town Served by Volunteers

Telecommunications Options

@ the end of SR 506:

  1. CenturyLink: Landline Telephone & DSL Hi-Speed Internet (May need to ID as "Legacy Centurytel"). Offers fastest Internet connection @ 6-10 mbps. www.centurylink.com 
  2. USCellular: 4G LTE Data & Cellphone service.
  3. Sprint and Verizon: Extended LTE cellphone/data service.
  4. AT&T and T-Mobile do not work in Ryderwood.
  5. Television: ​DirectTV and/or Dish are the best options for local stations (Portland) and sports.​

Utilities & Services

  • Postal Service @ Ryderwood, WA 98581: Registration required for P.O. Boxes and/or street delivery.
  • ​Electric Service: "Cowlitz PUD" (Public Utility District) @ (360) 423-2210, 961 12th Ave, Longview, WA
  • Water & Sewer: "Cowlitz Public Works" @ (360) 577-3030, 1600 13th Ave, S. Kelso, WA. This is Ryderwood's most expensive utility. All aspects have been updated within the last 10 years.
  • Trash Collection: Community Waste & Recycling @ (360) 748-7387. Weekly service for 1 30-gal. can is included in RISA dues.​​

What are “Coffee Stops”?

The I-5 Rest Stops at Toutle are serviced by registered non-profit groups. Volunteers staff the Rest Area and serve coffee and cookies to travelers. These are major fund-raisers for our local non-profit groups:


​AMVETS Post 7010

​Community Church

Fire Auxiliary/Firewise

RCCT (Café)

​Ryderwood Social Club

Ryderwood Women’s Club

VFW Post 7010

Volunteers Opportunities:

  • Firefighters & EMTs: Top of the list!
  • C.O.P.s: Citizens on Patrol, evenings
  • Coffee Stops: Shift staffers and cookies - lots & lots of cookies!
  • Cafe: morning coffee, cooking, cleaning, dishwashing & much more!
  • Town Breakfast: Cooks, servers, dishwashers
  • Senior Nutrition: servers, dishwashers, set-up, clean-up.
  • Library: Shelving, cleaning
  • Grounds Maintenance: Park & Lake
  • Craft Fairs & Garage Sales: assist with every aspect of putting on these popular events.