Lighthouses on Washington's Pacific Coast - Part 5 - Cape Disappointment Lighthouse

Shipwrecks were once a common occurrence for ships in the Pacific who were trying to enter the mouth of the Columbia River. Over 200 ships have wrecked in this area because of the navigational challenges the ocean-river meeting creates. During storms, early ships had trouble judging their distance from land. To help with navigation at this critical and dangerous location, a lighthouse was built on Cape Disappointment, the southwestern most point in Washington State.

During a recent vacation, my family visited the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. The trail to this lighthouse begins at the parking lot of the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. Visitors weave their way through the forest about a quarter of a mile until they come to a wide paved road. This road leads from the U.S. Coast Guard base to the Cape Disappointment lighthouse. The Coast Guard mans the lighthouse, scanning for ships in distress.

The road leading up to Cape Disappointment lighthouse

One of the U.S. Coast Guard watchers

Captain Robert Gray was the first explorer to enter the mouth of the Columbia River on May 11, 1792. He named the river after his ship Columbia Redivivia. Cape Disappointment was named by Captain John Meares on July 6, 1788, when he tried to seek shelter from a sea storm, but found none.

Navigation was treacherous and dangerous. Trees, signal flags and campfires were used to guide mariners into the Columbia River. A lighthouse was proposed in 1848 and in 1852, funds were laid aside for the project.


The first shipment of supplies was sent by ship. However, the supplies did not reach the cape. On September 18, 1853, the ship carrying the supplies wretched just below the cape. While the crew survived, the supplies did not. It was another two years before construction finally began on Cape Disappointment light.

Construction of the lighthouse was almost complete when it was discovered that the lantern room would not be able to hold the first-order lens designated for the lighthouse. The lighthouse tower had to be disassembled, redesigned, and put back together. The error cost two years time. The lighthouse was finally lit on October 15, 1856.

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse

In 1898, the first-order lens was put in the North Head Lighthouse. A fourth-order lens was put in its place. Electricity came to the lighthouse in 1937. The U.S. Coast Guard talked about closing the lighthouse in 1956. Protests from mariners crossing the Columbia River bar persuaded the Coast Guard to leave it open. The lighthouse was completely automated in 1973.
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To find out more about shipwrecks in the Cape Disappointment area, visit...
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Shipwrecks of the Beach
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Lighthouses on Washington's Pacific Coast - Part 4 - North Head Lighthouse

Wind and the wide open ocean are two of the greeters that welcomed my family to the North Head Lighthouse during a recent vacation to the area. The North Head Lighthouse is one of two lighthouse located on Cape Disappointment, in the southwestern corner of Washington State. Cape Disappointment is home to two active lighthouses - North Head Lighthouse in the north and Cape Disappointment Lighthouse in the south. 

North Head Lighthouse

The lighthouse was first lit on May 16,1898. It was built in reaction to the cries of mariners who were trying to navigate into the mouth of the Columbia River from the north. They were not able to see the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse located approximately two miles south due to a piece of land jutting out from the coast. Shipwrecks around this area reinforced the mariners message.

Insets in the main lighthouse building

In addition to the lighthouse, outbuilding were built at the lighthouse. Up the hill approximately a quarter of mile, two houses with additional outbuildings, including a barn, were built for the head light keeper and two assistants and their families.

Outbuildings at the North Head Lighthouse

One of the light keeper residences

The original lens was a first-order lens brought to North Head Lighthouse from the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, which had previously changed lens. In 1936, when electricity was installed in the lighthouse, the lens was replaced with a fourth-order light. The lighthouse was completely automated in 1961. 

Courtesy of Joel Mattson © 2010

The wind has been the source of a few interesting stories. During one particularly windy day, a duck was blown into lantern room, chipping the lens. It is also said that one light keepers wife committed suicide because she could not stand the wind. North Head Lighthouse also became the windy place in the United States on January 29, 1921 with speeds clocked at 126 mph before the wind instrument blew away.

A view of the Pacific Ocean through the trees at North Head Lighthouse

North Head Lighthouse has a beautiful view of the ocean, as well as a souvenir shop. Visitors can also rent the old light keepers house.

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Lighthouses on Washington's Pacific Coast - Part 3 - Grays Harbor Lighthouse

The tallest lighthouse in Washington State, an intact original third-order Fresnel lens and 135 stairs - this is what the Grays Harbor Lighthouse at Westport, WA can boast.

During a recent vacation along Washington State's Pacific coast, my family visited this unique lighthouse. Previously during our trip, we had visited Cape Flattery and Destruction Island lighthouses. Each of these lighthouses we had viewed from a distance. When we arrived at the Grays Harbor Lighthouse, we were excited to find out that not only could we walk up to the lighthouse, but we could take a tour inside lighthouse.

Grays Harbor Lighthouse

The tour began in the base of the lighthouse, which also houses a small gift shop. Visitors who take the tour climb the 135 metal stairs that circle the inside of tower. As visitors climb the stairs, they may stop on the various landings that are built into staircase. A tour guide greets visitors as they reach the last landing and  gives a brief history of the lighthouse as visitors climb the remaining stairs to the gear room.

The gear room is located just under the lens. The gear mechanisms in this room were once responsible for rotating the lens. After explaining the operation of the gears, visitors are invited to climb up a few final stairs to view the lens.

The gears that turned the Grays Harbor light

The Grays Harbor Lighthouse in Westport, Wa, was lit on June 39, 1898. It was equipped with a third-order Fresnel lens that flashed both red and white. During the early years, light reflected off of rubies  was used to produce the red light. But because of the value of the rubies, they kept getting stolen. A form of red plastic was then used, but heat from the refracting lens melted the plastic. Eventually an acceptable red lighting source was found.

A steam-powered fog horn and several other building were built next to the lighthouse. The fog horn was reported to have blasted out to sea every 10 to 20 seconds both day and night. People in the town next to the lighthouse became annoyed by constant noise of the fog horn. They requested the fog horn be removed or changed, but the plea was ignored. Finally the steam shed burnt down and the fog horn was eventually moved further away from the town.

The U.S. Coast Guard automated the Grays Harbor Lighthouse in 1992. The new light, located just outside the lens room, shines the same red and white beams out to sea. Visitors may view the new light from the lantern room. The vast different in size and operation of the two lights is clearly seen.

The Grays Harbor automated light

While in the lantern room, visitors may view the ocean and forest to the west and the town of Westport, WA to the east. During our tour of the lighthouse, my family noticed a picture of a lighthouse next to the ocean. When we inquired about the picture, the tour guide told us that when the lighthouse was originally built, the lighthouse was on the beach. But beach growth, in addition to the growth of new trees, had "moved" the lighthouse inland approximately a half mile inland.

Looking out the Grays Harbor Lighthouse towards the Pacific Ocean

While my family was viewing the lens room, we noticed a thin, dark curtain covering the entire interior of the glass. The tour guide told us that the curtain was to block the sun from shining into the lens room. At one point in the lighthouse's history, a rash of fires broke out all over town. Arson was believed to be the cause at first. But as more fires appeared in random places, the towns people began to look for another answer. It was finally determined that light rays from the sun were being caught and refracted by the lighthouse lenses causing the fires. A curtain was put up in the lighthouse and the fires ceased.

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For more information about the Grays Harbor Lighthouse, visit......
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Westport, Wa Museum
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maritimemuseum-ghlighthouse.org
Lighthouse lenses information