Fodor's Expert Review Cape Disappointment State Park
The cape and its treacherous neighboring sandbar—named in 1788 by Captain John Meares, an English fur trader who had been unable to find the Northwest Passage—has been the scourge of sailors since the 1800s, hence its reputation as the graveyard of the Pacific. More than 250 ships have sunk after running aground on its ever-shifting sands. Now a 2,023-acre state park contained within the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park (which also has sections just across the Columbia River in Oregon), this dramatic cape with sheer sea cliffs and great stands of conifer forest was an active military installation until 1957. Emplacements for the guns that once guarded the Columbia's mouth remain, some of them hidden by dense vegetation. Some 8 miles of trails lead to stunning beaches, and opportunities to spy eagles, whales, sea lions, seat otters, and other wildlife abound. There are three lightkeepers' residences, dozens of campsites, several yurts, and three cabins available for rent.... READ MORE
The cape and its treacherous neighboring sandbar—named in 1788 by Captain John Meares, an English fur trader who had been unable to find the Northwest Passage—has been the scourge of sailors since the 1800s, hence its reputation as the graveyard of the Pacific. More than 250 ships have sunk after running aground on its ever-shifting sands. Now a 2,023-acre state park contained within the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park (which also has sections just across the Columbia River in Oregon), this dramatic cape with sheer sea cliffs and great stands of conifer forest was an active military installation until 1957. Emplacements for the guns that once guarded the Columbia's mouth remain, some of them hidden by dense vegetation. Some 8 miles of trails lead to stunning beaches, and opportunities to spy eagles, whales, sea lions, seat otters, and other wildlife abound. There are three lightkeepers' residences, dozens of campsites, several yurts, and three cabins available for rent. Exhibits at the park's free Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, which sits atop a 200-foot cliff with magnificent views, trace the cape's human and natural history. A more comprehensive permanent exhibit in the center, which costs $5 to enter, tells the tale of the duo's 8,000-mile round-trip expedition. Displays chronicle the Corps of Discovery, which arrived at Cape Disappointment in 1805. A ½-mile-long path from the center leads to the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. Built in 1856, it's the oldest lighthouse on the West Coast that's still in use, and one of two lighthouses in the park, the other being North Head.
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