Cape Disappointment North Head lighthouse (#1218)

The lighthouse is comparatively new, built in 1898 for guiding ships coming to the Columbia river from the north. The other light on the cape (2 miles away) was built much earlier when shipping traffic on the Columbia was mainly from the south. The Cape Disappointment lighthouse is not visible to traffic from the north, thus the need for this, the North Head lighthouse. A satellite view of the area illustrates the complexity of the area around the mouth of the Columbia.

The lighthouse has been modified many times over the years and Washington State Parks is working to bring it back to its original colors and conditions, thus the construction at the lighthouse.