Walk the headlands, tour a lighthouse, and watch the Pacific meet the Columbia on a history-rich day at Cape Disappointment.
Salt wind knots itself in your hair, sea spray brushes your face, and the roar of the Pacific collides with the churn of the Columbia River bar. Cape Disappointment State Park greets you with both grandeur and grit.
Trails slip under moss-draped trees, then open suddenly to cliffs where waves slam the rocks below. Along the way, you pass crumbling bunkers that once guarded the coast, lighthouses weathered by fog, and signs that recall explorers who named this place while chasing passage.
The walk feels less like a loop and more like moving through time, military history, shipwreck lore, and raw coastal power all layered together.
Author's summary: Explore Cape Disappointment's rich history.