Fort Columbia Coastal Battery

Several clusters of coastal gun batteries were built on the shores of Washington State to protect strategic areas from aggressors, starting with the Spanish-American War and continuing through World War Two. The largest group of batteries is around the entrance to Puget Sound, where six major forts were built with large concrete ramparts and guns that were updated as technology changed. Another cluster protected the entrance to the Columbia River, including these remnants at Fort Columbia, where 30 structures remain, some hidden in the underbrush.