The Naselle River is a river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Washington.

Course

The Naselle River originates in the Willapa Hills

Willapa Hills

The Willapa Hills is a geologic, physiographic, and geographic region in southwest Washington. When described as a physiographical province, the Willapa Hills are bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Columbia River to the south, the Olympic Mountains to the north, and the Cascade Range to...

 and flows generally west, passing the community of Naselle

Naselle, Washington

Naselle is a census-designated place in Pacific County, Washington, United States. The population was 419 at the 2010 census. Though very near Columbia River's estuary, the valley's Naselle River flows west into nearby Willapa Bay and then into the Pacific Ocean. Close about the town lie the...

 before emptying into the southern part of Willapa Bay

Willapa Bay

Willapa Bay is a bay located on the southwest Pacific coast of Washington state in the United States. The Long Beach Peninsula separates Willapa Bay from the greater expanse of the Pacific Ocean. With over of water surface Willapa Bay is the second largest estuary on the United States Pacific coast...

.

Tributaries of the Naselle include, from source to mouth, Alder Creek, North Fork Naselle River, Cedar Creek, Brock Creek, Salmon Creek, Lane Creek, O'Conner Creek, South Naselle River, Johnson Creek, Dell Creek, Petes Creek, Holm Creek, Smith Creek, and Ellsworth Creek. The community of Naselle is located near the confluence of the Naselle and South Naselle Rivers. The broad tidal mouth of the Naselle River is known as Chelto Harbor.
The Naselle River was used in a book called our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm.

History

The river's name has been spelled Nasel and Nasal. An early settler along the river called it the Kenebec. According to Edmond S. Meany

Edmond S. Meany

Edmond S. Meany was a professor of botany and history at the University of Washington and a UW alumnus, having graduated as the valedictorian of his class in 1885...

 the name comes from the Nisal Indians, a Chinookan

Chinookan

Chinook refers to several native amercain groups of in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, speaking the Chinookan languages. In the early 19th century, the Chinookan-speaking peoples lived along the lower and middle Columbia River in present-day Oregon and Washington...

tribe formerly residing on the river.