Fort Stevens, where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean, was a critical coastal fort. It was part of a three-fort Harbor Defense System, the only one located in the state of Oregon. The other two were Fort Canby and Fort Columbia in Washington State.

The fort served for 84 years, starting at the time of the Civil War. By January 1944, most Coast Artillery units had been disbanded, including Fort Stevens.

Not only is there still an enclosed Civil War earthworks site (the only one on the West Coast), but also a rare 90-year-old underground gun battery (Battery Mishler) that used to be a command center in World War II.

Step inside another gun battery, Battery Russell, and you will slip back in time to June 21, 1942. This is when the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-25 shelled Fort Stevens in retaliation for the U.S. bombing of Japan in April. The battery did not return fire and there is no serious damage. This was the first shelling of a U.S. mainland military installation since the War of 1812, and displayed a weakness in U.S. coastal defense strategy. No matter how big the rifles and mortars in the fort, enemies had developed weapons with longer ranges, making it easy to remain out of reach.

During the summer, Army truck tours are available of the fortifications that served all the way from the Spanish American War until the end of the Second World War. There are also living history programs each weekend from May to September.

Fort Stevens is now the center of a beautiful 3700-acre state park with the largest campground in the state of Oregon. Six miles of hiking trails and nine miles of bike trails wind through the park, connecting a unique patchwork of beachcombing, fresh water swimming, historic shipwrecks, forests and dunes, wetlands and military history.

Coffenbury Lake is a freshwater lake with two swimming areas, a beautiful picnic area and a boat ramp. It has paddle boats and canoes available for rent. Two smaller lakes offer boat ramps for fishing and canoeing.