Park overview:
Cape Disappointment State Park (formerly Fort Canby State Park) is a 1,882-acre camping park on the Long Beach Peninsula, fronted by the Pacific Ocean. The park offers two miles of ocean beach, two lighthouses, an interpretive center and hiking trails. Visitors enjoy beachcombing and exploring the area's rich natural and cultural history. The nearby coastal towns of Ilwaco and Long Beach feature special events and festivals spring through fall.
Campsite Information:
Cape Disappointment has 137 standard campsites, 60 full hookup sites, 18 sites with water and electricity only, five primitive campsites, fourteen yurts, three cabins, one dump station, eight restrooms (two ADA) and 14 showers (four ADA). Maximum site length is 45 feet (may have limited availability).Camping is available year-round. Year-round reservations are available call (888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688.
Camping reservations: Spring and summer camping reservations for campsites 11-20, 101-110 and 161-170 are accepted (usually in March) after the winter storm season each year. These sites are in an area susceptible to erosion from winter storms and tidal surges and may not be open to camping because of damage. The sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis during the winter, weather permitting.
Camping Fees:
Please note that the following
general fee information is not customized for each individual park, so not
all fees will apply to
all parks (for example, primitive campsite and dump station fees listed apply only to parks that have primitive campsites and dump stations).
2010 FeesAn additional $2 per night is added to the basic camping fees listed below at this high-use park. Basic camping fees are:
Standard campsite, $19.
Full utility campsite, $26.
Partial utility campsite, $25.
Primitive campsite and water trail camping, $12
An additional $3 fee (standard) or $5 fee (utility) may be charged for select premium campsites at some parks.
Maximum eight people per campsite.
Second vehicle: $10 per night is charged for a second vehicle unless it is towed by a recreational vehicle. Extra vehicles must be parked in designated campsite or extra vehicle parking spaces.
Dump stations (if available): Year-round dump station fees are $5 per use. If you are camping, this fee is included in your campsite fee.
More about park hoursCheck-in time is 2:30 p.m., and check-out time is 1 p.m.
Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
Engine-driven electric generators may be operated only between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Length of stay: You may stay up to ten consecutive days in any one park during the summer; the stay limit is extended to 20 days between Oct. 1 and March 31.
To view campsites and facilities reservable at this park, visit the
reservation system and campsite maps.
Park hours/updates:
Summer: 6:30 a.m. to dusk.
Winter: 6:30 a.m. to dusk
The park is open year round for camping and day use.
Camping:
Check-in time, 2:30 p.m.
Check-out time, 1 p.m.
Quiet hours: 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
Park Winter Schedule
| Campground Closes |
| Campground Reopens |
| Day-Use Closes |
| Day-Use Reopens |
| Watercraft Launch Closes |
| Watercraft Launch Reopens | |
| Open |
| Open |
| Open |
| Open |
| Open |
| Open |
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Schedule Note:
Reservations accepted year round for camping, yurts, cabins and vacation houses.
Camping reservations: Spring and summer camping reservations for campsites 11-20, 101-110 and 161-170 are accepted (usually in March) after the winter storm season each year. These sites are in an area susceptible to erosion from winter storms and tidal surges and may not be open to camping because of damage. The sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis during the winter, weather permitting.
Winter Schedule for all Washington State Parks
Driving Directions
Located two miles southwest of Ilwaco, Wash. in Pacific County.
From Seattle:
Take I-5 south to Olympia, SR 8 west to Montesano. From there, take U.S. Hwy. 101 south to Long Beach Peninsula.
From Portland:
Take I-5 north to Longview, then SR 4 west to U.S. Hwy. 101. Then drive south to Long Beach Peninsula. Follow signs to Ilwaco and the park.
Park Maps
To view campsites and facilities reservable at this park, visit the
reservation system and campsite maps.
Cape Disappointment downloadable pdf map #1
List of all downloadable Washington State Park
maps.
Park Features
The park offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean, Columbia River, North Head Lighthouse and Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. The park has old-growth forest, lakes, freshwater and saltwater marshes, as well as streams and tidelands along the ocean. Three vacation rentals are available.
History
In 1788, while in search of the Columbia River, English Captain John Meares missed the passage over the river bar and named the nearby headland Cape Disappointment for his failure in finding the river. In 1792, American Captain Robert Gray successfully crossed the river bar and named the river "Columbia" after his ship, the Columbia Rediviva. Only a few years later, in 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition arrived at Cape Disappointment.
The Cape Disappointment Lighthouse was constructed in 1856 to warn seamen of the treacherous river bar known by then as "the graveyard of the Pacific." This is the oldest functioning lighthouse on the West Coast.
In 1862, Cape Disappointment was armed with smoothbore cannons to protect the mouth of the Columbia River from enemies. The installation was expanded to become Fort Canby in 1875. The fort was named after General Edward Canby, who was killed in the Modoc Indian War. The fort continued to be improved until the end of World War II. Gun batteries still sit uptop the park.
Interpretive opportunities
Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center (LCIC), perched on a 200-foot-high cliff, tells the story of Lewis and Clark and their journey from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean.
interp/lewisandclarkcenter/
LCIC hours: Open year-round from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
LCIC admission: $5 per adult, $2.50 children ages 7 to 17, free ages 6 and younger.
North Head Lighthouse is also open to visitors (tours cost $2.50 per adult, free ages 7 to 17). No children under the age of seven. Appropriate footwear is required; no flip flops or shoes without heel straps. We do not accept any Federal or State passes. Call the center at (360) 642-3029 for hours and tour information.
Other interpretive opportunities, such as the Fort Columbia Interpretive Center and the Fort Columbia Commanding Officer's House Museum, also are in the vicinity.
Services/Supplies
| Available in the park | Available in the area |
• Camping
• Park store
• Pay phone
• Fire wood
| • Auto repair
• Camping
• Diesel
• Fishing/hunting
• Gasoline
• Gifts
• Golf
• Groceries
• Hardware
• Horse rental
• Hospital
• Marine supplies
• Overnight Accommodations
• Pay phone
• Postal service
• Propane
• Recreational equipment
• White gas
• Wood
|
The park store offers gifts, ice, wood, fishing gear and other camper essentials.
Activities
| Trails | Water Activities | Other |
• 7 mi. Hiking Trails
| • Boating (freshwater)
• 1 boat ramp (freshwater)
• 135 feet of dock (freshwater)
• Fishing (freshwater)
• Fishing (saltwater)
• Clamming
• Crabbing
| • 1 Amphitheater
• Beachcombing
• Bird Watching
• Golf
• 1 Horseshoe pit
• Interpretive Activities
• Museum
• 3 Softball Fields
• 2 Volleyball Fields
• Wildlife Viewing
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Baseball fields and basketball courts located nearby. A Columbia River fish-cleaning station is available to fishermen.
Events occuring in the area spring through fall:
- Loyalty Days - first weekend in May.
- World's Longest Garage Sale - Memorial Day.
- Garlic Festival - third weekend in June.
- Stunt Kite Competition - fourth weekend in June.
- Fireworks on the beach - 4th of July.
- Sand Sculpture Contest - third weekend in July.
- Rodeo - fourth weekend in July.
- Jazz & Oysters - third weekend in August.
- Kite Festival - third week in August.
- Rod Run - second weekend in September.
- Water Music Festival - fourth weekend in October.
Swimming in the ocean on the Long Beach Peninsula is not recommended. Strong currents, riptides and unexpected high waves pose a hazard to swimmers.
Significant nearby natural areas include Willapa Bay, Leadbetter Point and Beard's Hollow.
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Boating Features
One boat ramp and 135 feet of dock are provided on Baker Bay in the Columbia
River.
A daily watercraft launching permit for $7 and a daily trailer dump permit for $5 is available at the park.
Annual permits also may be purchased at State Parks Headquarters in Olympia, at region offices,
online, and at parks when staff is available.
Events
Full list of
events at Washington State Parks
Picnic and Day-use Facilities
The day-use area has 20 unsheltered picnic tables, available first-come, first-served.
Wildlife
| Mammals | Birds | Fish & Sea Life |
• Bears
• Chipmunks
• Coyotes
• Deer or Elk
• Otters
• Rabbits
• Raccoons
• Skunks
• Squirrels
• Weasels
| • Crows or Ravens
• Ducks
• Eagles
• Geese
• Grouse
• Gulls
• Hawks
• Herons
• Hummingbirds
• Jays
• Ospreys
• Owls
• Snipes
• Swans
• Woodpeckers
• Wrens
| • Clams
• Crabs
• Mussels
• Sea Birds
• Seals
• Shellfish
• Shrimp
• Squid
• Starfish
• Whales
• Bass
• Cod
• Perch
• Red Snapper
• Salmon
• Steelhead
• Sturgeon
• Trout
• Tuna
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Environmental Features
| Physical Features | | Plant Life | |
| Bluffs, beaches, dunes, lakes, rivers, estuaries, wetlands, cliffs and caves. | | • Douglas Fir
• Hemlock
• Spruce
• Alder
• Daisy
• Rhododendron
• Rose
• Berries
• Eel Grass
• Ferns
• Moss or Lichens
• Seaweed
• Thistle
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Park photo gallery
