photo #9437354

Childhood memory: The Peter Iredale, a four-masted steel barque, ran aground on Clatsop Spit on the night of October 25, 1906, while attempting to enter the Columbia River mouth near Fort Stevens. Navigating through thick fog and facing a rising tide, the ship encountered a sudden shift to heavy southeast winds and strong currents that drove it into the breakers before the crew could veer away from shore. Although the hull sustained little initial damage and plans were made to tow the vessel back to sea, the ship remained stranded for several weeks waiting for favorable weather. During this delay, high seas and persistent winds caused the vessel to list to port and become deeply embedded in the sands, making extraction impossible. The wreck has remained in this location for over a century, slowly deteriorating but largely intact as a popular tourist attraction.