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Cottonwood Beach, Captain William Clark Park, Washington.
Image taken September 11, 2012.
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Cottonwood Beach ...
Lewis and Clark and Cottonwood Beach ...
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Lewis and Clark first noticed Cottonwood Beach on November 3, 1805, on their journey down the Columbia River on their way to the Pacific. Captain Clark wrote:
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"...
Passed a Small Prarie on the Stard. Side above,
a large Creek opposit qk Sand River on the Stard. Side, extensive bottoms and low hilley Countrey on each Side (good wintering Place) ..."
[Clark, November 3, 1805, first draft]
Cottonwood Beach was voted on to be a place of winter camp, but lost out to the location of Fort Clatsop.
In the spring of 1806 Lewis and Clark spent six days at Cottonwood Beach while they gathered provisions for their trip up the Columbia.
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Campsite of March 31 - April 5, 1806 ...
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Lewis and Clark spent six days in March and April 1806 camping at Cottonwood Beach, collecting provisions for their journey upstream.
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"... we proceed on about 2 miles above the enterance of this Seacalf river and imedeately opposit the upper mouth of the quick Sand river we formed a Camp in a Small Prarie on the North Side of the Columbia where we intend to delay one or two days to make Some Selestial observations, to examine quick sand river, and kill Some meat to last us through the Western Mountains which Commences a fiew miles above us and runs in a N.N.W. & S.S.E. derection.
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[Clark, March 31, 1806]
The "Seacalf river" is now called the
Washougal River, and across the Columbia the "quick Sand river" is now simply called the Sandy River. The "Western Mountains" are the Cascades of Oregon and Washington.
Between April 2 and 3, 1806, while Captain Lewis remained at the Cottonwood Beach campsite, Captain Clark led a party of men back down to Columbia to look for and explore the "Mult-no-mah" River (today's Willamette River), which the Indians had told them existed.
Lewis and Clark's previous campsite was downstream at "Jolie Prairie" near Columbia Shores. Their campsite of April 6th and 7th, 1806, was in the Shepperds Dell, Oregon area.
LEWIS AND CLARK
CAMPSITE
March 31 - April 6, 1806
"On their return to Missouri Lewis and Clark had planned to barter for food with the Indians. However, Natives in this area informed the explorers of a food shortage east of the mountains. They camped between here and the river and for six days hunted and dried elk, deer and bear. It was essential to have ample supply to last until they reached the Clearwater River of Idaho.
Also from this campsite Captain Clark, with an Indian guide, led a small party that discovered the Multnomah (Willamette) River and explroed it upstream a few miles."
Source:
Information sign, Cottonwood Beach, visited June 2003.
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Lewis and Clark Campsite sign, Washougal, Washington.
Located at the Marina at Washougal.
Image taken June 25, 2003.
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Captain William Clark Park, Cottonwood Beach, Washington, looking upstream.
Reed Island is in the background.
Image taken August 27, 2005.
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Views ...
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Captain William Clark Park, Cottonwood Beach, Washington.
Image taken February 2, 2012.
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Cottonwood Beach, looking upstream, Washougal, Washington.
Image taken September 11, 2012.
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Cottonwood Beach, looking downstream, Washougal, Washington.
Image taken September 11, 2012.
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- Captain William Clark Park ...
- Columbia River Dike Trail ...
- Cottonwood Point ...
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Captain William Clark Park ...
Captain William Clark Park, at the location of Cottonwood Beach, was formally dedicated on Sunday, August 7, 2005, after a weekend of gala events. This 85-acre park includes walk paths, paved parking, picnic tables, covered cooking areas, a recognition plaza, three restroom buildings, and replicas of Chinookan canoes and Lewis and Clark's dugout canoes. There is also a two-mile long trail on top of the levee at the north side of the Park and just above the Beach which offers hiking, jogging, biking, and horseback riding opportunities.
[More]
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Captain William Clark Park, Cottonwood Beach, Washington.
Image taken August 27, 2005.
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Captain William Clark Park, Cottonwood Beach, Washington.
Image taken August 27, 2005.
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Columbia River Dike Trail ...
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Columbia River Dike Trail, Washington.
Section near Steigerwald Lake NWR.
Image taken August 2, 2009.
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Cottonwood Point ...
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View downstream from Vista House, Crown Point, Oregon.
View shows the Columbia River, Reed Island, and Cottonwood Point is behind Reed Island. Lighting fixtures are from the Historic Columbia River Highway.
Image taken October 21, 2006.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, November 3, 1805 ...
Clark, March 31, 1806 ...
Lewis, April 2, 1806 ...
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Fir is the common growth of the uplands, as is the cottonwood, ash; large leafed ash and sweet willow that of the bottom lands. the huckleburry, shallon, and the several evergreen shrubs of that speceis which bear burries have seased to appear except that speceis which has the leaf with a prickly margin.
among the plants of this prarie in which we are encamped I observe the passhequo, Shannetahque, [8] and compound firn the roots of which the natives eat; also the water cress, strawburry, flowering pea not yet in blume, the sinquefoil, narrow dock, sand rush which are luxuriant and abundant in the river bottoms; a speceis of the bearsclaw of which I preserved a specemine it is in blume.
the large leafed thorn has also disappeared. the red flowering currant is found here in considerable quantities of the uplands.
the hunters inform me that there are extensive praries on the highlands a few miles back from the river on this side. the land is very fertile.—
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