Nature
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Cape Disappointment State Park occupies a dramatic headland where the Columbia River meets the Pacific, combining old-growth forest, lakes, marshes, ocean tidelands, and major historic sites. The cape was named in 1788 after Captain John Meares failed to cross the river bar; Captain Robert Gray succeeded in 1792, and the Lewis and Clark Expedition reached the area in 1805. Its military role began in 1862 with a post guarding the Columbia’s mouth, later expanded as Fort Canby and incorporated into the Harbor Defenses of the Columbia River. After World War II, the military post was decommissioned and the area became a state park centered on scenery and historical interpretation.
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Washington · United States
