Salkum is a small, rural, residential, unincorporated community with access to the Cowlitz River and Mayfield Lake for fishing and boating. It is also home to salmon and trout hatcheries.
Salkum has a library, post office, grocery store, tavern, and fire department. Nearby is Mayfield Lake, which has a variety of camping and water sports activities, as well as Ike Kinswa State Park and Tacoma Power’s Mayfield Park.