Lower Falls of the Columbia, Oregon
N 45° 40.254 W 121° 53.591
10T E 586209 N 5058078
The Lewis and Clark expedition charted the river in this area and in their journals, referred to it as "Lower Falls of the Columai".
Waymark Code: WMF9W7
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 09/16/2012
Views: 3
Lewis and Clark studied the geology and marveled at the huge landslide that had occurred many thousands of years ago, here in Cascade Locks, and blocked the water of the Columbia Rivers, creating a cascading waterfall about 6 miles long, at this location. This waterfall is the one the explorers called "The Cascades" and "Cascade Falls", or “The Lower Columbia Falls” in their journals. In the explorer's journal, they mention the purchase of canoes, which they used to portage the river from a point near present-day Marine Park, where the Port of Cascade Locks recently placed commemorative statues of Sacagawea and the Newfoundland dog, Seaman, who both traveled with Lewis and Clark thru this area in 1804-1806. commemorate the importance of this location for the explorers.
The plaque near the two statues has a portion of the explorer's journal:
"Sunday April 13, 1806
I found the village consisting of 11 houses crowded with inhabitants; it appeared to me that they could have mustered about 60 fighting men then present. They appeared very friendly disposed, and I soon obtained two small canoes from them for which I gave two robes and four elkskins. I also purchased four paddles and three dogs from the with deerskins."
The explorers charted the area with maps, and one of their maps is represented on the plaque, and a copy of another of their maps of the Casecade Locks area can be seen at this link: (
visit link)