1.5 hr
Overview
Cape Disappointment is the southernmost point on Washington’s Pacific coastline and is near the place where Captain William Clark first sighted the ocean in November, 1805. The Cape Disappointment Lighthouse was constructed in 1856 to warn ships of the dangerous bar at the mouth of the Columbia River. This hike will take you over a headland which once hosted the gun batteries of Fort Canby (the area was originally named Fort Canby State Park), built during the Civil War, and now the site of the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center (separate entry fee). The trail then dips to skirt an active Coast Guard station and the overlook above picturesque Dead Man’s Cove before rising to the lighthouse with its views over the mouth of the Columbia and south to Tillamook Head and Saddle Mountain . This is a good whale-watching spot in season. In addition to being a Washington state park, the area is part of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park.
Trail Stats
4.7 km
117 m
52 m
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Photos
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