Cape Disappointment is a bold promontory of ancient basalt which rises from the shore of the Pacific Ocean to the north of the mouth of the Columbia River. In was named by Captain John Meares in 1788 to reflect his feelings about failing to find the fabled Northwest Passage. It was here in 1805 that the American Corps of Discovery under the leadership of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark first encountered the Pacific Ocean after their trek across North America.
Cape Disappointment State Park, formerly Fort Canby State Park is a 1,882-acre camping park which offers two miles of ocean beach, two lighthouses, an interpretive center, and eight miles of hiking trails. The park has old-growth forest, lakes, freshwater and saltwater marshes, as well as streams and tidelands along the ocean.