O Joy Day, November 7, 1805

NPS

“Great joy in camp we are in View of the Ocian, this great Pacific Octean which we been So long anxious to See. and the roreing or noise made by the waves brakeing on the rockey Shores (as I Suppose) may be heard distictly"

-William Clark, Thursday, November 7, 1805

In reality, the Pacific Ocean was still well beyond the horizon, more than 20 miles from the Corps’ location near Pillar Rock. They were viewing the Columbia estuary, a transition zone where the ocean tides impact the river levels and the salt water mixes with the fresh river water.