Cape Disappointment Lighthouse Ilwaco Washington

You can visit the lighthouse grounds by parking at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and making a short, but steep, 1.5-mile hike. The trailhead for the Cape Disappointment Trail is on the left side of the parking lot. Be sure to bring proper footwear. The trail can get muddy at certain times of the year. If you aren’t up for a hike, you can view the lighthouse from the interpretive center. You will need a Discover Pass when you visit.

When I say steep, I do mean steep and there are no switchbacks here to make the hike any easier. This was my last stop for the day and if I knew how steep this hike was going to be I would have made it my first stop. This is not a family friendly hike or wheelchair accessible.

When you park in the parking lot here you have two choices, and I would recommend doing both. I would hike the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse trail first because it is the harder trail of the two. I will discuss the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in another post.

The dirt (and probably muddy) path winds downhill to a low area, where a social trail to the right leads to a beach, ominously named Deadman’s Cove. Though the beach may be tempting, please stay on the true trail—the park has closed these social trails to prevent erosion.

Snap some photos of the little cove and continue back up the trail you came down on.

There are stairs in one section leading down to Deadmans Cove and they are also pretty steep. Make sure you have good hiking shoes/boots on.

There are many picture opportunities of Deadmans Cove from above on the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse trail.

Once back up on the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse trail continue on and soon, it becomes paved because the last section of the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse trail is shared with the service road from the Coast Guard compound.

Once you get to the paved road you will see an old military battery building on your left.

From here the Lighthouse isn't that far away.

When you finally arrive take some time and enjoy the view and your legs will thank you tomorrow.

The original lighthouse keepers' quarters were located down the hill and after a lot of complaining from the keepers the quarters were finally attached to the lighthouse.

As I was leaving, I tried to get the sun behind the lighthouse and get a halo effect picture.

Now you have to hike back down the same trail you came in on and I want to say it's easier, but I would be lying.

I highly recommend saving a copy of our directions before you leave! App-based driving directions aren't always accurate and data connections may be unreliable as you drive to the trailhead. With this being said there are areas here where there is no cell phone reception. I found this funny as I was standing next to this sign and hand no cell service.

When Cape Disappointment Lighthouse was first lit on October 15, 1856, it became the eighth active light on the West Coast. Six of the original batch of eight lighthouses were built in the form of a circular tower protruding from the center of a keeper’s dwelling, but at Farallon Island and Cape Disappointment, there was only room for a circular tower at the lighthouse site, and a detached dwelling had to be built a considerable distance away.

Cape Disappointment is two miles south of Ilwaco. From Kelso, take Ocean Beach Highway to the tiny town of Naselle. Here, make a left onto SR 401, driving for 12 miles to a junction of Highway 101, where a left turn would take you over the Astoria Bridge. Drive straight through this intersection, continuing on Hwy 101 for 11 miles to the city of Ilwaco and the junction of SR 100.

Home to several trails, campsites, cabins for rent and two lighthouses, Cape Disappointment also boasts a visitor center highlighting the journey of the Corps of Discovery—Lewis and Clark’s journey from Missouri to the mouth of the mighty Columbia. If you have time after your hike, make a stop here to round out your visit—it’s located just up the hill from the parking area for the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse.