Hike of the Week: Discovery Trail

Retrace William Clark's historic hike over Cape Disappointment

Discovery Trail

Cranberry Coast hike perfect for Thanksgiving Day





by Craig Romano
photo by Craig Romano
produced by Michael Fagin

November 25, 2005

Quick Facts Location: Long Beach Peninsula, Pacific County, WA
Land Agency: Washington State Parks
Roundtrip: 16.0 miles
Elevation gain: 350 feet
Access: Main Street in Ilwaco, Cape Disappointment State Park, and city of Long Beach
Notes: Dogs must be leashed. Washington State Park Pass ($5 day/$50 annual) required at Cape Disappointment.


I take to the trail for many reasons. Most of the time I hike to appreciate the natural world. But I have a fondness for human history as well, and our backcountry is loaded with stories to tell. Many of our favorite trails utilize routes that were once used by Native Americans, explorers, missionaries, traders and trappers. Some of these trails were once important transportation routes delivering commerce, speculators, and settlers to the Pacific Northwest. I like to hike these bygone byways and contemplate the past. On this Thanksgiving Day weekend, take the time to contemplate the hardships and aspirations of those who passed by before us. Hiking these bygone byways is a great way to appreciate both our past and our future.
Perhaps the most famous explorers to traverse the Pacific Northwest interior were Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery. Entering the region by way of the Bitterroot Mountains they made their way down the Clearwater, Snake, and Columbia Rivers before settling on the Oregon Coast for a dreary and dismal winter. But before taking up residence in Fort Clatsop, they snooped around the Long Beach Peninsula in what is now Washington. Clark set about on a hike from Cape Disappointment up the sandy beaches of the peninsula. Along the way he documented coming upon a huge whale carcass. He inscribed his name into a lone snag rising from the dunes as evidence of his passing. Of course nothing remains of his historic hike except the entries in his diary.
But now, thanks to a consortium of folks from Pacific County and the Washington State Parks Department, you can recreate that famous hike. To help commemorate the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition an 8 mile paved trail has been constructed from Cape Disappointment State Park to the city of Long Beach. It’s a beautiful path along bluffs, through misty maritime forest and over dunes-and it’s full of history. An actual gray whale skeleton has been placed along the way as well as a magnificent bronze sculptured replica of Clark’s tree. This is a hike that can be done anytime of year, but for full appreciation try it on a rainy and windy day during the late autumn. One just like when Clark did this hike on November 19, 1805, exactly two hundred years ago.
Happy Thanksgiving.