You take to the road in your camper or RV to go to a campground where you've never been. That is what happened to me. I came to the most amazing campground located just over the Astoria Oregon bridge on the Washington side of the mouth of the Columbia river where it meets up with the Pacific Ocean. That place would be a beautiful campground and state park named Cape Disappointmemt.
Why do they call it Cape Disappointment?
Well, it seems way back in 1788, a British fur traider and military man was sailing his ship on the coast looking for the Northwest Passage. He came to the mouth of the Columbia river and because it was a shallow sand bar and dangerous port to enter, he was disappointed that it wasn't the place he had hoped. The name Cape Disappointment was born and started appearing on the maps of the sailors on their visit to the Northwest. Cape Disappointment has some very treacherous waters during storms that rage off the coast. Waves can get very high and the undertow is dangeorous to swimmers.
(Photo by J Weeks June, 2017)
Cape Disappointment became a military installation in the middle 1800's to guard America from foreign attacks and was on the map when Captains' William Clark and Meriwether Lewis began their trek westward from Saint Lews MO in the late 1890's. There is a Lewis and Clark Interpetive Center at the top of the hill near the lighthouse of Cape Disappointment. It is a must visit place so plan on putting that on your family agenda should you find yourselves camping at the state park. The park houses two different light houses built in the late 1800's, the Cape Disappointment lighthouse built on the mouth of the Columbia river where it meets the Pacific Ocean, is high on the hill above the park. The North Head lighthouse was built over on the Long Beach side of the area for ships coming from the North to find the channel.
Wildlife abounds at this park. It is not unusual to see Bald eagles and a host of 4 footed friends from black bears to deer. It is a photographer's dream.
The campground has over 200 camp sites some with electrical, some just for camping. There is a great place for the kids to be on the beach at Waikiki Beach, that is the safest place in the park due to the stong undertow. You can reserve these camp sites on the Washington State Park website.
For directions check your GPS or Google maps.
