I can safely guarantee that you will never read at Indie Auto who invented the automatic transmission or designed the Batmobile. That kind of historical trivia just doesn’t fire up my engines. However, I can tell you where Bigfoot lives.
If that sounds impressive, know that this discovery was not the product of exhaustive research that taxed my journalistic and scholarly skills. Quite the opposite — the whereabouts of Bigfoot is such common knowledge in my state that they even made a road sign in its honor, which I will show you in a minute.
But first I would like you to see a duck crossing, a soggy stuffed animal on a mailbox, and a fire hydrant painted like a cow.
Welcome to Cathlamet, Washington
I would like to tell you about where Highway 409 ends, which is near Cathlamet. It makes sense that Bigfoot would live here because this area is among the least populated in the entire state of Washington.
The 2020 census counted only 560 people living in Cathlamet proper even though it is the only incorporated town in Wahkiakum County (Wikipedia, 2025a). Highway 409 connects the community with a ferry that crosses the Columbia River to Westport on the Oregon side (Wikipedia, 2025b).
The ferry, named Oscar B, operates daily with a minimum of 18 runs (Wahkiakum Co., 2025). However, unless you time it right you may need to wait around.
Which is where checking out the duck crossing comes in. And the DIY “Watch For Deer” sign. And the spring-loaded hobby horse in a small park.
Sitting on a bank of sand and watch the river flow
It’s possible that while you are waiting, you could run out of things to see around the rural neighborhood surrounding the ferry terminal.
So you could watch the Oscar B chugging its way across the river, seemingly more slowly than a kayaker paddling close to the Washington shoreline. Or you could count the number of decaying dock pilings poking up from the water like a tired, old hair brush.
Saying goodbye to Washington while others say hello
Eventually the ferry will show up. But before you drive onto the mighty Oscar B, why not take one last look back at Washington — and the sign that greets those who are about to disembark the ferry from Oregon?
This is a much quirkier sign than the one north-bound travelers see on Interstate 5 — the highly trafficked main highway connecting the two states.
Perhaps the Bigfoot theme is a purely local effort, but I do appreciate that someone, somewhere deep in the bureaucracy had a sense of humor — and got away with it. Roadway signage in the U.S. tends to be rather dour.
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RE:SOURCES
- Wahkiakum Co.; 2025. “Ferry.” Accessed Aug. 17.
- Wikipedia; 2025a. “Cathlamet.” Page last edited June 30.
- ——; 2025b. “Washington State Route 409.” Page last edited Feb. 10.
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