Photo: Adbar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Cape Disappointment State Park
244 Robert Gray Dr · Ilwaco, WA
Why you should go…
Cape Disappointment State Park covers 2,023 acres on the headland where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center sits on a cliff with exhibits on the 1803 to 1806 expedition and the area's maritime history. You can see North Head Lighthouse and Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, walk trails through old-growth Sitka spruce and look over the remains of Fort Canby. Yurts and historic vacation homes are available for overnight stays.
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- #camping
Good to know
General sport & outdoor guidance
Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.
Weather calls the shots
Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.
Shoes, water, sun cover
The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.
Parking and launches fill early
On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.
Daylight shrinks in shoulder season
Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.