History
As one of the few intact coastal defense sites in the U.S., Fort Columbia has the most intact collection of historic buildings of all Washington state parks. Fort Columbia was built from 1896 to 1904 as one of the harbor defenses of the Columbia River and constructed on the Chinook Point promontory because of the unobstructed view of the Columbia River. It was off this point that Robert Gray anchored and named the river for his ship, "Columbia Rediviva." Nearby the point was the Chinook Indian Nation village of Nose-to-ilse, and later the station camp for the Lewis and Clark expedition bivouacked on the point during the Corps of Discovery exploration.
For the duration of three wars, Fort Columbia was fully manned and operational. Declared a surplus at the end of World War II, the fort transferred to the custody of the state of Washington in 1950 and was then designated as a state park. Twelve historic wood-frame buildings and four coastal defense batteries still stand on the premises.
Interpretive opportunities
The Fort Columbia Interpretive Center and Commanding Officer's Historic House are closed until further notice.
The park offers a self-guided interpretive historic walk with information on various fort features and site history. Interpretive panels near the gun batteries include historic photos and blueprints.
Interpretive center: Focuses on Fort Columbia's history, including the topics of: early exploration, fur trade and westward settlement.
July and August hours:
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday - Thursday
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays - Saturday
September hours:
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday - Monday
Commanding Officer’s Historic House: Filled with era-appropriate furnishings, the Commanding Officer’s Historic House provides interpretation on the history related to the former house occupants.
July and August hours:11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday - Monday