Discovered in 1792 by Capt. Robert Gray, an American en route to China to trade sea otter pelts for tea, Grays Harbor is presided over by Aberdeen and Hoquiam (HO-qwee-um). Grays Harbor has long been a major center for the timber industry, and the surrounding country bears witness to this.

Heading toward Aberdeen and Hoquiam from any direction leads you through mile after mile of tree farms, with second- or third-growth forests interspersed with newly logged hillsides.