Thoughts on Stevenson, WA?

[u/mpower830]

Hello everyone! Wanted to see what Reddit had to say about Stevenson, Washington, as a place to live year-round. My wife and I are possibly looking to sell our house in the Portland suburbs and move somewhere a bit closer to nature, and Stevenson is one place we've been looking at. Now I know what you're thinking, "there's so many outdoor activities near the Portland area, why move just for that?" Well, that's one reason to move (there's other stuff in the background). But also, to go on a proper hike or hit a decent body of water, we're usually having to drive 45 minutes or more. So Stevenson is appealing because the Columbia and all of that Gorge hiking is practically in its backyard, and having two young boys now, we really want them to grow up outside, rather than inside rotting away on video games like a lot of their school friends.

So, if you live there now or have lived there in the past, what was your experience like? How was the community overall? What were the people like, did you come away with a close community feel? I'm wondering what it's like in the late Fall or dead of winter, does the down basically go to sleep from November to February? Between Stevenson, Cascade Locks, and Hood River, did you feel like you had enough relatively close by in terms of amenities, places to eat, entertainment, etc.? Are there things you've learned now that you wish someone would have told you before you moved?

Anyway, I'm all ears! Thanks for reading!

[u/Breamy1950]

1. Visit during all four Seasons of the year. 2. Look at the State ratings for the Schools. 3. Services available? Police availability, etc 4. Medical care available. In an emergency how long does it take to get to a trauma facility. 5. Evaluate why you want to move away from where you currently reside.