Quick Guide to Cape Disappointment State Park

Cape Disappointment is a sprawling state park with a healthy dose of weirdness in the mix. The park’s natural beauty showcases everything wonderful about western Washington, from old-growth forests to secret coves and towering headlands. But then there are the surprises. The abandoned military bunkers. The trail to an old stump. The elegant stone staircase to nowhere. Meanwhile, signage is hit and miss, making you as likely to find the old stump as the stunning lighthouse viewpoints. After visiting a few times, I feel like I can point you towards the park’s highlights. I’m focusing on the best scenery, but I’ll throw in a few oddities because no visit is complete without them. Here’s everything you need to know about the sometimes baffling, but never disappointing, Cape Disappointment State Park.

Viewpoint overlooking ocean and long jetty — *North Jetty*

Know before you go

You need the Washington Discover Pass to park in Cape Disappointment State Park. It costs $10/day or $30/year. You can buy a pass on-site with a credit card.
Leashed dogs are welcome at Cape Disappointment State Park.
Restrooms are in several places, including Waikiki Beach, the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, and the North Head Lighthouse parking area.
The Cape D Store sells groceries, camping supplies, and snacks like pizza and ice cream.
Have an offline map with you. The park doesn’t have reception, and the directions are less than intuitive. In a pinch, look for park maps at trailheads.
Parts of Cape Disappointment State Park are closing for construction starting in the fall of 2025 and continuing into 2026. Check the Washington State Park website for updates.

Lighthouses

Cape Disappointment State Park has two lighthouses, one on the east side and one on the west side of the peninsula. I’d say that they’re equally worth visiting. Both are perched high on cliffs and surrounded by ocean views. North Head Lighthouse is easier to reach. It has a shorter and flatter trail that, unlike Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, is accessible with most mobility devices.

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse has the classic beauty of Pacific Northwest lighthouses. Weathered black and white stripes decorate the 53-foot tower. Looking out from the lighthouse viewpoint, you’ll see water in every direction from 200 feet above the waves. Benches and picnic tables are perfect places to have a snack break and watch for whales. You can drive most of the way to the lighthouse. The easiest way to get there is to park at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and take the Cape Disappointment Trail, about a mile of hiking round-trip. It’s not a challenging trail, but it has uneven terrain and some uphill walking.

North Head Lighthouse

North Head Lighthouse is as captivating as Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. This 65-foot tower is the newer of the two. It was built in 1897 because ships coming from the north couldn’t see Cape Disappointment Lighthouse soon enough to prevent shipwreck. A short loop past historical buildings ends at North Head Lighthouse and panoramic ocean views. Looking south, you’ll see the waves rolling onto Benson Beach. The lighthouse viewpoint would be a tempting place to linger if it weren’t one of the windiest places in the country. Expect stunning vistas and messy hair.

Beaches

Waikiki Beach

Waikiki Beach is my favorite beach in Cape Disappointment State Park. This sandy cove has basalt cliffs on one side and the North Jetty on the other. Its beauty unfolds slowly as you walk toward the water. When you get beyond one of the cliffs, the views of the cape open up, culminating in a dramatic finale when you see Cape Disappointment Lighthouse perched high above the waves. Saddle Mountain’s faint silhouette is visible in the distance. The day I visited was calm and sunny enough that a few people were wading in the ocean. In stormy weather, this beach can be hazardous. The most dramatic pictures I’ve seen of high-tide events in the Pacific Northwest were taken here, when waves crash against the cliffs of the cape.

Benson Beach

Benson Beach is two miles long, extending from North Head to the North Jetty. Unlike Waikiki Beach, you have a good chance of finding solitude here, even on summer weekends. The easiest access is from the campground. If you’re not camping, take the road past Waikiki Beach until it ends at a parking area in front of a closed gate. Continue past the gate on foot, following the North Jetty. Toward the end of the jetty, you’ll see Benson Beach. It’s gorgeous and often deserted. The catch is that it’s usually veeeerrrryyyy windy. On a day when people were sunbathing on Waikiki Beach, so much sand blew in my eyes on Benson Beach that I turned around as soon as I arrived.

Deadman’s Cove

Whether or not you’ve been to Deadman’s Cove, I bet you’ve seen pictures. The beach looks like the Pacific Northwest in microcosm, making it a favorite subject for travel guides, social media, and art gallery prints. Lush forested slopes surround a hidden cove with the perfect centerpiece, a single spindly tree growing on a tiny rock island. The name adds to the atmosphere, conjuring up images of the pirates and smugglers who would fit in all too well. According to local lore, the cove’s name comes not from pirates but a shipwreck, one of many around the mouth of the Columbia. To reach Deadman’s Cove, park at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and take the Cape Disappointment Trail. You’ll see a sign pointing toward it in about 0.2 miles. You can see the cove from the trail. You aren’t supposed to take the stairs to the beach (there’s an easy-to-miss sign telling you to keep away), but people do. Just be aware that this beach can be hazardous during high tides.

History

Abandoned military battery — *Battery Harvey Allen*

Cape Disappointment State Park gets its name from the disappointment of fur trader John Meares, who mistook the mouth of the Columbia River for a bay in 1788. Although the name stuck, I don’t think anyone but him has ever found it disappointing. Beyond the incredible beauty of the scenery, the cape’s geography has made it important to human history for centuries. Traces of that history are scattered throughout the park, from artwork celebrating the resilience of the region’s Indigenous people to WWII military fortifications.

The Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center sits on a cliff 200 feet above the ocean. Outside are paved walkways overlooking Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, the North Jetty, and an old military battery. Inside is a museum with a focus on the area’s history, especially the Lewis and Clark expedition. The museum is open every day in the summer and Wed-Sun in the winter. Adult admission is $5. I’ll admit that whether I not I would spring for the extra fee depends mostly on the weather. On a nice day, Cape Disappointment has more things to see than fit in a single visit. On a rainy one, yeah, let’s look at some artifacts inside.
Behind the interpretive center is one of the park’s best oddities, Battery Harvey Allen. This early 20th-century military structure was decommissioned at the end of WWII. Today, it has a post-apocalyptic feel. Vines hang from the roofs of bunkers with rusty metal doors. Red elderberries ripen on a tree growing in a concrete pit. You can walk through underground hallways and abandoned rooms with hints of their original purposes. The park has another notable battery, Battery 247 near MacKenzie Lagoon, if this one sparks your curiosity.

Hiking

Building on dramatic cliff over the ocean — *Cape Disappointment Trail*

Cape Disappointment State Park has around 7 miles of hiking trails. It also connects to the Discovery Trail that starts in Long Beach. Here’s where to go:

If you only do one hike, check out the Cape Disappointment Trail. It has a short version (1 mile round-trip) starting from the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center or a slightly longer one (2.5 miles) from Waikiki Beach. Either way, the hike will take you past Battery Harvey Allen, Deadman’s Cove, and viewpoints overlooking the ocean and Baker Bay. It ends at Cape Disappointment Lighthouse and panoramic ocean views.
North Head Lighthouse Loop makes an easy half-mile loop past some historical buildings out to the incredible lighthouse viewpoint. The 0.2-mile Bell’s View Trail starts from the same parking area and ends at another great viewpoint. Unlike most trails in Cape Disappointment State Park, these would be accessible with some wheelchairs.
The North Head Trail is a longer way to reach North Head Lighthouse, adding a 3-mile hike through the woods.
The Coastal Forest Loop is a lovely 1.3-mile forested trail with glimpses of Baker Bay.
The Discovery Trail is a 16-mile out-and-back paved trail connecting Long Beach to Cape Disappointment State Park. It’s shared between hikers and bikers.

Beard’s Hollow Overlook

Forest and ocean from viewpoint — *View from the Beard’s Hollow Overlook*

Beard’s Hollow Overlook is a quick and easy stop on the road through Cape Disappointment State Park. It’s better to pull over on the way into the park because the parking lot has a one-way entrance and doesn’t allow left turns. The viewpoint is paved with sidewalks and has accessible parking. It’s along the Discovery Trail.

Camping

Cape Disappointment State Park has a large campground with every type of setup from primitive tent sites to RV sites with hookups to cabins and yurts. Campers have access to potable water, flush toilets, and hot showers. Camping is available year-round, but some sites close seasonally. Learn more and make reservations here.

Getting there

Cape Disappointment State Park is a short detour off Highway 101. From Ilwaco, Washington, take N Head Rd. You’ll pass Beard’s Hollow Overlook and the road to North Head Lighthouse. After N Head Rd merges with WA-100 S, continue to reach Waikiki Beach, the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, and the trail to Cape Disappointment Lighthouse.

The drive from Portland takes about 2.5 hours. From Seattle, it’s about 3.5 hours.

Enjoy your trip to Cape Disappointment State Park!

With love,

Emma

Explore nearby

Long Beach Boardwalk — Check out the **best things to do in Long Beach**.

Wreck of the Peter Iredale — Visit **Fort Stevens State Park** across the bridge in Oregon.