Long Beach Peninsula and Coast
It was a foggy morning . . .
The Sign Says It All for Today’s Weather!
The day trip started in Astoria, Oregon by going over the Astoria-Megler Bridge and into Point Ellice, Washington.
Seaside to Astoria
The Astoria-Megler Bridge
50 States Checklist
I can check Washington State, aka “The Evergreen State”, off my 50 States Checklist! It was so green and evergreens as far as my eyes could see!
Lewis and Clark
Mr. Craves became Lewis and I, the CravesAdventurer, played Clark for our day of exploration to the Long Beach Peninsula!
The Long Beach Peninsula has the Pacific Ocean on the west, the Columbia River on the south and Willapa Bay on the east. Leadbetter Point State Park and Willapa National Wildlife Refuge are located at the northern tip of the peninsula. The Long Beach Peninsula is remarkable for its continuous sand beaches on the Pacific Ocean side. Claimed to be the longest beach in the U.S. with 28 miles of sand and the world’s largest drivable beach!.
Cape Disappointment State Park, formerly known as Fort Canby State Park is at the southern end. Cape Disappointment is part of the Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks west of Ilwaco and was the westernmost terminus for the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Principal Industries:
- #1 – Tourism
- Fishing
- Crabbing
- Oyster Farming; #1 producer of farmed oysters in the U.S.
- Cranberry Farming
Interesting Fact About Oysterville: The entire town is on the National Register of Historic Places.
1st Stop – Chinook
Located on the Columbia River and Washington’s oldest salmon hatchery.
2nd Stop – Cape Disappointment
The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center features exhibits about the 1803-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition from St. Louis, Missouri to the Pacific Coast. The Interpretive Center sits on a cliff that overlooks the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean. There is an admission fee ($).
Cape Disappointment Lighthouse (1856)
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.
The Trail to Get to Cape Disappointment Lighthouse
Coast Guard Station
You Are Here – Almost There!
Cape Disappointment Lighthouse – Made It!
3rd Stop – North Head Lighthouse (1898)
The Fog Continues . . . Heading to North Head Lighthouse
North Head Lighthouse
Close Up
Lighthouse Keeper Housing
4th Stop – Leadbetter Point State Park
Leadbetter Point State Park is located on the tip iof the Long Beach Peninsula and driving any further would put you in the bay or the ocean! Leadbetter Point separates Willapa Bay from the Pacific Ocean.
Explored the Green Trail or Bay Loop Trail. Even though the tide was out it was still a pretty interesting place to explore. I would love to see the salt marsh when the tide is in. Biologists have recorded over 100 species of birds here, like a bird super highway of migration (Spring and Fall); resting, feeding and nesting.
Mr. Craves wondered if this place was used in the filming of the movie The Big Year starring Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson. The basis of the movie is a competition among birders to see who can identify the most different species of birds in North America in a calendar year. I checked and the principal photography took place in Vancouver, Canada.
Views of the Bay
Found Objects
Fauna and Flora
5th Stop – Long Beach
Decided to stop at Long Beach for lunch before heading back to Astoria. Checked out the Long Beach Boardwalk and strolled through the downtown area.
Back to Oregon
(Photos by RSheridan)
CRAVESAdventure 