Long Beach Peninsula

Long Beach Peninsula is a 45 km long peninsula on the Pacific coast in the state of Washington. It is bordered on the south by the Columbia, on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the east by Willapa Bay. The northern tip is called Leadbetter Point, the southern tip of the mouth of the Columbia River is called Cape Disappointment.

History

Cape Disappointment was named in 1788 by the English Captain John Meares on the unsuccessful search for the Northwest Passage. He called the northern tip Low Point. Cape Disappointment was the westernmost point, to the Lewis and Clark expedition reached 1805. Low Point was renamed in 1852 in honor of Danville Leadbetter, an officer of the U.S. Küstenvermesung in Leadbetter Point. The place Oysterville was founded in 1854 and passed through oyster fishery to prosperity. 1856 Cape Disappointment Lighthouse was built, which is the oldest functioning lighthouse on the U.S. West Coast today. During the Civil War, a fort at Cape Disappointment in 1862 built to protect the mouth of the Columbia River. 1875, this attachment was renamed Fort Canby and 1896, exacerbated by the investment of Fort Columbia. The two coastal forts were used by the military until the end of World War II.

Geography

The Long Beach Pensinula has 45 kilometers of the longest sandy beach of the U.S. Pacific coast. The beach can be busy with cars, so that the Tourist Office of the peninsula, describes him as "the longest drivable with cars sand beach in the world". On the peninsula, there are four state parks:

Economy

Because of its sandy beach and the easy accessibility of Portland and Seattle from the Long Beach Peninsula is now a center of tourism. Especially the places Ilwaco, Long Beach and Seaview are strongly touristy. The place Oysterville is a protected monument. The oyster fishery has no more importance on the peninsula.