Columbia County has 62 miles of shoreline along the Columbia River. The river is suitable for boating, but nature and culture offer other ways to experience the destination: forests, parks, and trails; a protected habitat for waterfowl; and museums and historic sites each provide a different focus. When planning your trip, it helps to consider whether you are mainly looking for time outdoors, wildlife watching, or historical discoveries. The following offerings provide concrete points of reference for these interests.
Shorelines and Water
The county owns or maintains a total of 24 forests, parks, and trails, making these recreational opportunities available to residents and visitors. These offerings complement the shoreline with other ways to spend time outdoors. When planning your trip, you can decide whether water activities or recreation in forests, parks, and on trails should be the main focus.
The Columbia River is suitable for boating. On Scappoose Bay, The Paddle Shack offers guided excursions through wetlands in beginner-friendly kayaks. The two water experiences differ in format: boating is possible on the river, while a guided kayak tour through wetlands is the focus on the bay. If you are considering a guided activity, this offering gives you a concrete point of comparison with boating on the river.
Birdlife and Nature
The Sauvie Island Wildlife Area offers another perspective on nature. It protects important habitat for waterfowl and is home to diverse wildlife, with hundreds of species in the groups of birds, mammals, reptiles, and plants. Birdwatching is possible there. Waterfowl are explicitly at the heart of a habitat whose biodiversity also extends beyond birds. For anyone looking to narrow down their nature interests, this is a clear alternative to boating or a guided kayak tour.
History in Different Places
The Columbia County Museum is located in the John Gumm Building and Civic Center, 251 St. Helens Street, in St. Helens, Oregon. It exhibits artifacts and photographs relating to Columbia County's maritime history and activities. Its focus is therefore on the county's maritime past; the exact address identifies the museum's location.
The Caples House Museum offers a different historical focus. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and shares the story of the Charles G. Caples family, considered early pioneers of Oregon. Throughout the year, the museum offers educational programs for all ages that provide insights into life in the late 19th century. The two museums differ in their focus: maritime history and activities at one, and a family history and the life of a particular era at the other.
Other places also offer concrete historical points of reference. The Historic Columbia Theatre opened in 1928. Chapman Landing is a historic wooden terminal accessible via the Crown Z Trail. Since 2017, the Flippin House has been home to the Clatskanie Historical Society Museum.
Discover more destinations: Clatskanie, Deer Island, St. Helens, Crook County, Baker, Coos County, Gilliam County, Clatsop.
For the broader travel overview: Oregon.
