There's little left of Fort Canby (1852) nowadays, but it's still interesting to poke around the remains. The fort was heavily armed during the Civil War to prevent Confederate gunboats from entering the Columbia River. Upgraded dramatically during WWII, the fort stood as the principal defender of the river. Although no shots were fired from Fort Canby, a Japanese submarine did manage to penetrate close enough to the Oregon side to fire on Fort Stephens in 1942.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center

0.36 MILES

A state-of-the-art museum tracing the journey of Lewis and Clark, the center has a fittingly dramatic location on a high bluff overlooking the point where…

2. Cape Disappointment State Park

0.48 MILES

Cape Disappointment State Park (2 miles southwest of Ilwaco) is home to wild beaches, sea-smashed cliffs, the remains of Fort Canby and 8 miles of…

3. Cape Disappointment Lighthouse

0.52 MILES

From the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, a hiking trail leads half a mile to Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. Built in 1856, it's the oldest such…

4. North Head Lighthouse

1.57 MILES

The more scenic of Cape Disappointment's two lighthouses, this 1898 beauty is found at the end of a short trail with views out to sea.

5. Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum

1.81 MILES

Investigating ancient Chinook culture, along with the journeys and trade of successive Spanish, Russian, British and American explorers, is this fine…

6. World Kite Museum & Hall of Fame

4.32 MILES

If you think a museum devoted to the history and artistry of kites might be a bore, think again. Kites have been used for scientific research, aerial…

7. Marsh's Free Museum

4.56 MILES

Half souvenir shop and half sideshow, the 'museum' features Weekly World News stars like Jake the Alligator Boy (a wonder of taxidermy that appears to be…

8. Fort Stevens State Park

6.82 MILES

Ten miles west of Astoria, this park holds the historic military installation that once guarded the mouth of the Columbia River. Near the Military Museum…