Because of the warmer climate (relative to the rest, even, of the British Columbia coastal lowlands), there were forests of immense trees throughout the Douglas Ranges, which were logged relatively early on in British Columbia's history. A network of logging railroads ran throughout the basin of the Chehalis River, which drains the core of the ranges to the southeast, meeting the Harrison River just north of Chehalis, British Columbia. In other areas east of Stave Lake and along the side of Harrison Lake, grades required roads instead of rail.