Fort Columbia State Park is a 593acre Washington state park that preserves the site of Fort Columbia in Chinook. It is one of several state parks and sites in Washington and Oregon that make up the Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks.Fort historyFort Columbia was built from 1896 to 1904 to support the defense of the Columbia River. The fort was constructed on the Chinook Point promontory because of the unobstructed view. Fort Columbia was declared surplus at the end of World War II and was transferred to the custody of the state of Washington in 1950.In the 1960s and 1970s, Battery 246 was outfitted to serve as a Civil Defense Emergency Operating Center and was one of several possible locations the governor could use in an emergency.Park featuresTwelve historic wood-frame fort buildings still stand. The Commanding Officers Quarters is decorated with turn of the century furnishings. Exhibits at the Fort Columbia Interpretive Center focus on the fort's history, early explorers and pioneer history. Visitors can walk around three artillery batteries and two coastal artillery guns on the park grounds. There are picnicking facilities and of hiking trails that work their way up Scarborough Hill. Two historic homes, the Steward's House and Scarborough House, are offered for rental.
