As they ended their expedition at Astoria, Lewis and Clark sent a party to explore the long finger of land, then covered with cedar forest, sand and sedge, now known as Long Beach Peninsula.
Today, the Columbia River Mouth/Long Beach Peninsula Scenic Drive takes off from Astoria, Oregon. It crosses the Astoria Bridge where the Columbia River merges into the Pacific Ocean and catches Washington 101 on the Washington State side.
You can take that route all the way up the two-mile-wide Long Beach Peninsula to Seaview, which bills its 28 miles of sand, “the world’s longest beach drive.” Or you can take Washington 103 up the other side, hugging the ocean all the way.
At the southern end, you can explore Cape Disappointment State Park, one of 12 sites that tell the story of Lewis and Clark across the United States. It is also home to Cape Disappointment Lighthouse and North Head Light, two of the oldest lighthouses in the Pacific Northwest. Willapa National Wildlife Refuge is packed wildlife watching and the Long Beach Boardwalk makes for a romantic walk with sublime ocean views.
The drive ends in Leadbetter Point State Park, with foot trails and beaches to view the many residents and migrating birds including eagles, brown pelicans, warblers, snowy plovers, and kinglets.
