Bayside is Good Too

I spend a lot of time writing about beachfront homes and close to the beach properties on the Long Beach Peninsula. Let's face it, the beach has a certain appeal for many. But the Long Beach Peninsula is in fact a... wait for it... Peninsula! The dictionary says this: "a piece of land almost surrounded by water or projecting out into a body of water". So the Long Beach Peninsula does not stick out into the ocean. It runs parallel to the sea and the Willapa Bay is on the east side. The good news is that there is loads of views and waterfront along the "bay side" of the peninsula. And since the LBP is so narrow, measuring just about 1.5-2 miles wide, it is always close to the beach, even from the bay side.

Look at this charming little ranch house on the bay side. This home is adorable and it is one block to the bay front. Head west less than two miles and you are splashing in the waves of the mighty Pacific Ocean. This fantastic little house with two beds and a pair of baths features 1188 square feet of living area. It is listed by Light House Realty for the mere price of just $229,900. The same house in this condition in a hackneyed neighborhood in Vancouver USA would set one back some $300k. Yet this house is a mile or so to the beaches and a 45 second stroll to the shores of the Willapa Bay. 

So the bay can be a lovely sight as well and prices along the east side of the peninsula seem to be a little better than those on the left side. But the Long Beach Peninsula remains a coastal wonderland at a great value whichever side you choose.

Fort Canby and Cape Disappointment State Park

The Town of Ilwaco Washington sits at the very base of the Long Beach Peninsula. Right in the heart of the town is the former Fort Canby State park, now called Cape Disappointment State Park. This is a really nice park located on the north shore of the mouth of the Columbia River and the southern reaches of the Long Beach Peninsula.

The park features the Colbert House museum, In Ilwaco which is a restored Victorian era home listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center with an amazing perch overlooking the confluence of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean.

Two of the best known features are the lighthouses. Cape Disappointment Lighthouse first lit in 1856 and its companion the North Head Lighthouse added to cover the Norther approach and first lit in 1898. Of course the park has no shortage of great hiking trails and scenic wonders along with camping, picnic area and the usual assortment of State Park activities.

This park is part of the greater Lewis and Clark National Historical Park with state and national facilities in both Oregon and Washington.

History excerpted from Wikipedia:

In 1862, during the American Civil War, a camp called Post at Cape Disappointment was established and fortifications existed here from that date to protect the northern approaches to the mouth of the Columbia River from possible attacks by Confederate raiders or foreign fleets. It was garrisoned by Company A, U.S. 9th Infantry Regiment and Company A, 8th Regiment California Volunteer Infantry in the District of Oregon. In 1863, its mate Fort Stevens was established on the south bank of the Columbia River. In 1864, the post was renamed Fort Cape Disappointment. Some Civil War-era fortifications still exist. They were called the Tower (or Right) Battery, Left Battery, and Center Battery.

Fort Cape Disappointment was renamed Fort Canby in 1875. Later Fort Canby became part of the three fort Columbia River harbor defenses as a subpost of Fort Stevens along with Fort Columbia.

This is a must visit when out at the coast and a great getaway spot for the locals as well.