We started our journey at the northeastern most point in Washington State - Cape Flattery. The Cape Flattery lighthouse sits on an island about a half mile off the tip of the main land. There is only one road leading on to the cape. My family concluded that visitors to Cape Flattery do not end up there on accident.
All visitors to Cape Flattery Lighthouse must pass through the town of Neah Bay, the last civilization before the Pacific Ocean. One of the first places we spotted as we entered town was the museum. The museum gives visitors a history of the Makah Indian Nation, Cape Flattery's native population, as well as selling locally made items.
The museum also has information on how to view the Cape Flattery Lighthouse. The road to the lighthouse makes several turns. "Follow the yellow line" was the advice we were given, along with a map. Once the road ends, visitors hike the last half a mile to an observation deck.
The path leading to the observation deck begins as a wide, sloping, gravel path. About a quarter of the way to the observation deck, the trail switches to a narrow plank walkway. In some places, the walkway serves as a bridge so visitors do not have to wade through water.
Our first view of the Pacific Ocean came about three quarters of the way to the lighthouse observation deck. A little side deck off the main trail gives visitors the chance to view one of the many coves along Cape Flattery's outer banks. As visitors approach the lighthouse observation deck, more of the rugged coast line becomes visible through the trees.
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As the coast line comes into view, so does the lighthouse observation deck. The observation deck is raised off the ground approximately ten feet and can be ascended via a steep, narrow staircase.
When visitors reach the top of the stairs, they are greeted by views of Cape Flattery Lighthouse, the Pacific Ocean and Canada. They are also greeted by a trail guide who is there to answer any questions visitors might have about what they see. The trail guide present when my family visited Cape Flattery told us about some of the wildlife that lived in the area, and gave a brief history of the area.
Captain James Cook was the first to name Cape Flattery in 1778. In 1788, Captain John Meares met Chief Tatooche, chief of the Makah Indians, and named the island off Cape Flattery after him. During the 1850's, exploration of the area led to the proposal and monetary allocations for a lighthouse to be built on Tatooche Island. Cape Flattery Lighthouse sent out it's first beam of light on December 28, 1857. A fog horn and weather station were later installed. The lighthouse became fully automated in 1977.
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| Cape Flattery Lighthouse |
The trail guide also told us about another lighthouse approximately 17-20 miles northwest in Canada. Even though it is not visible to Cape Flattery's day time visitors, we were told that it is still in operation.
My family accomplished two goals while we were at Cape Flattery. First, we added another lighthouse to our list, and second, we could say we had been on the northwestern most point Washington State. Not bad for one day. Next stop - Destruction Island Lighthouse.
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More information about the Cape Flattery Lighthouse, visit...
lighthousefriends.com
howstuffworks.com
historylink.org
