The mouth of the Columbia fits a 1906 shipwreck, a 4-mile bridge and an 1856 lighthouse into one two-state day
Most coast road trips make you pick a state. The mouth of the Columbia River makes you pick a century instead.
In a single day you can walk up to a ship that ran aground in 1906, cross a bridge that stretches about four miles over open water, and look at a lighthouse that was finished in 1856. Two states, one river, and almost no backtracking.
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Start at the wreck in Oregon
The Peter Iredale, a four-masted sailing ship bound for Portland, ran ashore on Clatsop Spit in October 1906. The crew survived and the ship was never moved, so what remains is a rusty hull sinking into the sand at Fort Stevens State Park.
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Go near sunset at low tide, when the low light turns all that iron the color of a campfire. This is one of nearly 500 documented wrecks along a stretch of coast nicknamed the Graveyard of the Pacific, and this one happens to sit on a public beach. Fort Stevens charges a day-use parking fee, so plan for that at the gate.
Cross the longest bridge of its kind in North America
From Astoria, the Astoria-Megler Bridge carries you into Washington. It opened in July 1966, runs about four miles, and is the longest continuous truss bridge in North America. There’s no toll, and there hasn’t been since 1993.
The best moment of the day is mid-span, when the river gets wide enough to feel like open sea. Keep your eyes on the road, though: pedestrians are normally prohibited because there’s no sidewalk and the shoulders are narrow, so treat this one as a drive, not a walk.
Finish at an 1856 lighthouse in Washington
Cape Disappointment State Park, near Ilwaco, holds a 53-foot masonry lighthouse that was completed in 1856. Park at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, then take the short, steep trail up to it. If you’d rather skip the climb, you can see the lighthouse from the interpretive center itself.
The trail can get muddy, so wear real shoes. Washington state parks also require a Discover Pass for parking, so grab a Discover Pass before you roll in.
Trip tips: grab a rental car to get out here, lock in your hotel before the good rooms are gone, or skip both and book a camper van instead.
Rules and fees change, so always confirm current requirements before you go.
So which would you stop for first: the shipwreck, the bridge, or the lighthouse?
