Cape Disappointment is a 2,023-acre camping park on the Long Beach Peninsula, fronted by the Pacific Ocean and looking into the mouth of the Columbia River. The park offers yurts, cabins and unique historic vacation homes to meet travelers' diverse lodging needs.

Cape Disappointment has 137 standard campsites, 50 full-hookup sites, 18 partial-hookup sites with water and electricity, five primitive hiker/biker campsites first come first served, 14 yurts, three cabins, one dump station, eight restrooms (two ADA) and 14 showers (four ADA). Maximum site length is 45 feet (limited availability). Camping is available year-round.

Check-in time is 2:30 p.m.
Check-out time is 1 p.m.

Cape Disappointment State Park Campground

One of the things I hate is hearing a ton of people around me while I’m camping. This campground is huge and very popular with families, but because of how close it is to the beach and a pretty constant wind you really don’t hear anybody around you. I was aware of kids running around, but never really heard them. 

Our site was really big and lots of trees for hammocks &amp; tents with a nice table and fire ring. The sites are really flat and clean with bathroom &amp; showers located nearby. 

This entire park is VERY pet friendly. Keep your furry friends on a leash and you can take them on any of the trails in the park. Keep in mind that the beach is VERY windy and my mutt was fine walking downwind, but when we turned around she was very unhappy being very low to the ground with sand blowing in her face. 

There are lots of places to explore, a decomposing whale on the beach (stay upwind!), a nice lighthouse (under construction when I visited) and very close to Long Beach. 

HUGE campground, but nice sites

This is our go to off season campground. The yurts are awesome for winter trips like thanksgiving and the camp spots are big and have pretty good privacy.  Walk to the beach, lots of trails for hiking, good biking and kite flying.  Head into long beach for seaside town fun and you can drive on the beach there too.  Two lighthouses, a great visitor center, and fresh seafood from illwaco. The park gets pretty crowded in the summer which is why we go off season. Awesome campground

Cape D 

This campground has great accessibility to the beach and is often much less crowded than the northern Oregon coast. There's great beach-combing and a network of hiking trails that include historical military sites and view of a lighthouse. 

A whale had washed up just before we were there, but luckily the campground and the part of the beach where most campers spend time was upwind.   

The sites are pretty close together, in little roundabouts. There is vegetation between most sites, but if your roundabout backs up to another roundabout, there may be little privacy. 

Very popular with families. Easy biking routes for kids. Walk to the beach. Beautiful sunsets!

Great Beachcombing and Historical Sites

I have camped here several years in a row now.  And I love it!  Even with the 3 to 4 hour drive to get to the coast the views and the smell of the ocean make up for it.  As a child we would easily ride our bikes all over the campground, back when it was called Fort Canby.  As an adult I love waking up early to go for long beach walk.  The roar of the ocean is great to fall asleep to.  The sites are great for tent camping. On one trip we took in a bluegrass concert at the Amphitheater.  The trails for hiking to see the old Fort sites are pretty amazing.  The lighthouses are a great back drop when the ocean waters are turbulent. 

Beach Fun!

There is a lake with waterfront spots or pick a spot closer to the coast. There are tons of trails so bring your bikes! 

The bathrooms and showers are brand new and exceptional. They are clean and well appointed with outlets, hooks and flush toilets. 

Right before the entrance to the park there is a little mom and pop store, Cape D Cafe, that sells grocery items and home made pizza. They are super nice! Take a break from cooking and pop in for some pizza to go. 

Beautiful location your pick of lakefront or coastal

Cape D is our Favorite go-to camp. Perfect, pristine beach. Large, relatively private Campsites With close access to a bathroom.  The nearby trails in the park are amazing,  simply for the fact that the view is different, depending on the weather. Your kids can roam within this park,  bring the longboard and bikes! Even in the rain, fog, and cruddy weather this park has it all. The summer music series is fun for random dancing. No critters that we've ever noticed. If we can ever afford to retire, this is where it will happen. 

Camp Pete's Favorite

Love this place! The campgrounds are awesome and spacious! The bathrooms are close by, and always cleaned! Access to the beach is right there. There are a bunch of trails to go too! It's a perfect family spot :)

Great!

Beautiful space, amazing views, beautiful beaches, fun hikes. But the camp sites are right on top of each other, and the beaches were so unbelievably windy we got sand everywhere. They were unbearable and we didn't stay on the beaches long at all, which was a serious bummer.

Should have been so much better.

We were lucky enough to sneak another trip into this location before the summer ended.... okay maybe it was tipping into fall but the weather was still nice! 

This is one of the few locations that you can feel like you have an expansive beach to yourself. 

We love it because it gives our dogs room to run and we love to hike and bike in the area. 

Beautiful Open beach without the crowds

Company campout weekend went wonderfully everybody brought something for the potluck lot of trails Great Beach wish we had more time, definitely going back

Ryan's thoughts

Third time this month stayed in yurt 61 and 71 both awesome super close to the beach. Then stayed at campsite 117 also super close to the beach no electric in that loop though.

Cape disappointment 

Quick hike = secluded beach 

I was expecting large crowds and an unpleasant experience but didn’t get either when I visited. I went on Black Friday in November and the park was minimally crowded. I camped by the lake to stay protected from the howling wind coming in from the water. There are two different camping areas. By the lake or by the ocean. The ocean side is more expensive and you camp in circle loops. The lake side is cheaper but doesn’t have electric. Both sites have tables and fire rings. The bathrooms were nice enough, being built within the past 10 years and are standard flush toilets and concrete construction. There are two light houses to explore and a WW2 bunker in the park. I would return to explore more in the off-season. The sites are very very close together in my opinion so it wouldn’t be ideal for me when it is packed.

Coastal Delight

Well set up, everything easy to get to and with something for all. Great beach off the Pacific, a bit of a wild/windy/fresh air to it, and a fun community feel. We slept really well. One of the other circles/groupings had a campsite that was really loud, however, loud music, but ya gotta use your diplomacy skills out there sometimes to get your neighbors to quiet down. While popular, this is a beloved park at the end of a scenic drive, with lots of cool, out-of-the-way towns, good hikes and gorgeous water access nearby.

Great Mix, Access

We have camped here in both tents and RVs. This place never disappoints, no matter what the season. The beach is interesting, with lots of driftwood and wooded areas to explore. The facilities are newer and clean. There are many trails to explore and a trail that allows you to ride your bike all the way to Long Beach.

A favorite for many years now

This is a State run campground that is located right next to the Pacific Coast. We were able to walk from our campsite to the water in less than 5 minutes, and we weren't the closest campsites to the beach. It was lovely to listen to the ocean right from our tents.

Roomy (but not private) tent and rv spots. A great place to bring kids. Bathrooms are clean.

Spacious Campground Right next to the Beach

Cape Disappointment is a great spot for campers of all kinds. There are RV hook ups, tent sites, hiker/ biker spots, cabins, and yurts. Very easy access to the water as well.

The yurts are your basic state park round dome with sleeping arrangements for up to 5 people. It has a table, chairs, and indoor heat.

Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. There is a park store that has basic essentials and the ability to buy wood.

During the spring, the wind can be pretty intense so beware if you are tent camping.

This place has it all

Chilly and wet, but beautiful, interesting and a very unique experience!

Definitely NOT a disappointment

This is a must for camping if your near Longbeach WA. / hint: go when there are minus tides so you can see the cave at Waikiki beach and the tide pools at Beards hollow.

Best place near Long Beach

It was very busy. There were a bunch of people out hiking and running around. Right next to the beach with a beautiful lighthouse. If you don’t mind driving also not too far from Long Beach. And not horribly far from Astoria.

Beautiful and very near attractions. Kind of crowded.

Cape Disappointment is a huge campground, taking around 10 minutes of driving through until you finally reach the main entrance of the site. The campground is friendly to tents, trailers, RV's and has both yurts and cabins. Each space is pretty large, and it is enclosed, so even though there are hundreds of sites, there is still quite a bit of privacy. Sites 22-25 are really great. They provide ocean front views and very easy beach access. Near these sites is the amphitheater which offers great night time events.

The bathrooms are single occupant and very clean. The showers are likewise single occupant and take quarters to run.

There are lots of trails that lead to pretty awesome places. My favorite being the North Head Lighthouse. last time we went it was closed for renovations, so check the website or ask the rangers if it is open.

Big Campground, Small Feel

Absolutely breathtaking state park. There is so much to do here with miles upon miles worth of hiking trails to explore! It's also pet friendly so bring your pup and explore a true gem of the Pacific northwest!

Cape Disappointment. A must see!

Green, oh so green! 
Brisk ocean air, 
Waves crashing on the shore. 
I must be in heaven!! 

Want to stay here forever

Camp hosts are friendly an helpful, rangers are really nice too.  Our Boy Scout Troop went an the boys ready liked the beach access and riding bikes in the rain.

Always a great place to Camp

This park is definitley one of the most popular on the beach! With the vast amount of trails, lighthouses, views, stories, and ammenties it offers it is clear why! Book months in advance to get a good spot. Some spots have unmarked back trails to the beach. While this is nice for your own beach access sometimes folks came wandering through our campsite from the beach.

BEWARE: We did encounter a fair amount of hungry raccoons at this park! They unzipped and ripped apart our spare tent for a dog food an empty dog food bowl. Thankfully we werent in the tent and only had to listen to all the rucuss and ripping of our spare tent during the night. 

Very Popular

We returned to this park after 4 years of missing it.  It’s even better than before!!!  Winter camping here is so tranquil!  The multiple free shower houses are so clean.  Park host are constantly sweeping and blowing debris to keep this gem gleaming!  The surf and driftwood and incredible!  Plus the hiking was amazing!  Got to experience Clarke’s view of the pacific and was also “rewarded with a handsome view”!!!

Favorite winter spot

This state park on the edge of Washington is absolutely beautiful and wild. It’s best to visit in the summer of course as the weather can be very unpredictable the rest of the year.  The spaces are large and spread out (so are the bathrooms).  Very green and lush!

Wild and Free 

Marine life

Beautiful spot. Tons of sites, but they’ve done a great job of design so it doesn’t feel like there are SO many people around. The bathrooms are clean and plentiful — even with free showers! We stayed in the C loop and walked to the beach for evening walks. Definitely not an ocean you’d want to swim in, but fun place to hike around. Highly recommend!

Lots of greenery next to the ocean!

It’s very beautiful no matter what time you go !! We camp year around!!!

Breathe taken

Great state park with campsites right on the beach or very near the beach. Sightseeing including two lighthouses,   miles of forrest trails and a lake. Paved roads great for bike riding. Very well maintained, some camp sites with full hook. Yurts and cabins also available. 

Spectacular 

This is a large campground in a large 2000+ acre state park on Cape Disappointment. We usually stay at the standard no hook up sites by O’Neil Lake. There are usually fewer people there, especially in the shoulder seasons. Also, because we have a pop up truck camper, the roar of the ocean waves in the sites by the Pacific Ocean. 

There are  many trails here to explore. There is a lighthouse at Waikiki Beach close to where we camp. Also, there is a brand new restroom building near the short trail to Waikiki Beach with individual locking bathrooms plus coin operated showers. The facility is alway clean. There are also restrooms closer to the O’Neil Lake sites but they are more rustic. The  last time we were there was in October 2018 so they may have been remodeled. 

There are also water spigots scattered about. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. There is a central garbage station by the checkin office rather than individual cans at each site or dispersed throughout the campground. 

Lewis and Clark were here

I was able to walk up and get a spot in mid-March. There are two areas- one by the lake, which has good enough cell service and is for tents, and another by the beach which has no cell service at all but full hookups. I stayed in the lake area and was the only person there that night.

The bathrooms in the lake area are okay- flush toilets and a free hot a shower. The shower is a push button though, which I found annoying since that made the temperature fluctuate a lot. By the beach area the bathrooms seemed much nicer.

The sites are beautiful and grassy, right on the lake. Basically no privacy between sites though. There are tons of great hikes in the area and the beaches are gorgeous and huge. I loved my stay here and would gladly come back.

Love this Spot!

Cape disappointment is beautiful and we'll maintained the rangers are helpful and curious I love this place and all of it's beauty

Awesome beautiful place

We love camping at Cape Disappointment! There are plenty of hiking trails and easy access to the beach. The campground is also close to Long Beach. 
Some sites are more private than others. We stayed in the C Loop. One side of the site was pretty private the other open. We camped with others so it was nice to be close to each other but in the trees. The group sites are in a field with limited shade. 

Pretty of Hiking and Awesome Beaches

But that’s also the downside - there are somewhere near 200 sites and they were all booked. It was FULL. No cell reception but water and power at the yurts and even heaters inside. We pulled a teardrop and camped it on the pad in front of the yurt.

Bring rain gear even when it’s not in the forecast and watch out for sand fleas - my legs are destroyed.

Lots of campsites for yurt, trailer, tent 

This place is awesome. Our site in loop A was right by the beach. We could hear the waves from our site which was awesome. We had 2 tents on our site but it is made for a camper/trailer. Had electric and water. The bathrooms were amazing, all single rooms so you have so much privacy for bathroom/showers. Beaches were great, so many hiking and biking trails, lighthouses. Wish we would have had more time to explore. Will definitely be back!

Love love love

We do an extended family camp every year at Cape Disappointment. We have some family that stays in a yurt and we typically get a site or two next to the yurt for our family and any extended family that join. The beach is easy to access, the campground is very bike friendly for little kids (both on the cul-du-sac like loop sand also within the woody areas behind many of the campsites. We've stayed in several different sites over the years and some are better than others but overall they are all above average. 

A yearly must

Stayed here one night in September. No privacy between sites, but very clean and excellent bathhouse, at least near section A.

We fell asleep to the sounds of the ocean, then woke at sunrise to walk a hundred feet to the beach.

Would definitely come back.

Edge of the world

I enjoyed being here. I didn't stay for long to enjoy the park, which seems beautiful. 

The check in process was annoying. If you don't have a reservation, you have to drive 10 minutes into camp to find your spot, then drive back to the entrance both to pick up a yellow phone which connects you with the reservation line. I asked them if there was just a phone number I could call and they said no. The phone had really had reception and kept cutting out, even though it appeared to be a hard line connection. 

The showers were super warm. 

Two bars of Verizon LTE at the entrance. Zero bars at the c loop site. 

Decent place

We reserved our space online with the Washington State Parks website. Very easy to use and complete our reservation. https://washington.goingtocamp.com/ 

  

We have camped at some nice spots on the Coast of Washington but Cape Disappointment was a real treat! The campsites are spacious and clean, our Camp Host Lynn was really sweet, such a lovely lady and fun to talk with. Rebecca at the gate was very pleasant as well, helpful and even gave us pointers on which area would be best for us.

  

The local towns were full of things to go and see, lots of activities for young folks as well as us not so young folks too. Be sure to visit the Lewis and Clark lookout and interpretive center, tons of information. Cost is $5 per person, but worth it.

  

Visit the North Light House as well, this is an easy walk-in sight and it has outstanding views. Sunsets were simply amazing. Just beautiful. I didn't get a chance to photo from up there but will next time we go.

  

Word of warning, ZERO cell service at the camp sights, don't count on it for streaming or hotspot for work. I was able to make calls from at the entrance and boat ramp.

  

 Fishing out of Ilwaco is a fantastic way to stock your freezer, I have caught over a 100 Albacore tuna, countless rock fish, and a couple ling cod. If you enjoy crab, you can try your luck at the North Jetty.

  

All in all, this is a very beautiful park, we will be back at least another 4-5 times this year. (maybe more)

Went for two days, stayed for Five!

We spent 2 nights here in spot 95. The park was nearly fully booked and there were a ton of cars parked at the main lots, but the park still felt empty. The sites are nice but not super private, but the location is simply gorgeous. Wood was $8.50 a (small) bundle. Rangers were coming by fairly regularly to check on the sites. The loop's water spigot was off, but it looked like the yurt on our loop had its water turned on. 

  

We've already been twice this year and will definitely make this a regular spot to visit!

Endless views and wide open beaches

There is something for every type of camper at Cape Disappointment. Wonderful hiking, beautiful beaches, two lighthouses, fishing, proximity to Long Beach, WA and Astoria, OR for even more exploration, plenty of room to ride bikes, breathtaking views, and sites for tents, small RVs and campers, large RVs.  You are at the location the mighty Columbia River roars into the mighty Pacific Ocean, creating treacherous conditions for ships.  Savor the wildness! 

Phenomenal State Park

We had such a great time camping at Cape Disappointment State Park. Campground offers several private sites next to the ocean. Hot showers. Close proximity to various hiking trails. Very peaceful stay. 

Great campground by the ocean 

One of my favorite campgrounds. You ever think, “This is where I’d want to be if the world ever ends”? It crossed my mind here. It is so beautiful and peaceful.

It’s big, but loops are small and well spaced and you don’t feel like you’re packed into a space with too many people. Bathrooms are clean. Showers are blissfully hot.

The cape has several scenic lighthouses and beaches that are dog friendly and good for sand dollar hunting. We went out first thing in the morning when it was foggy and freezing, but tide was low and we had the whole beach to ourselves. Loved that it was a quick and easy walk from our site.

There is a store just outside the main gate with Cape Disappointment apparel, but we didn’t make it during business hours.

Where the world ends

We stayed at Disappointment for almost a week. It is a great place to relax and unplug from life. In the main campground loops,
There is no WiFi available, No TV signals of any kind, and absolutely no cell service from any Cell service provider. We use all 3 main carriers, AT&amp;T, Verizon, and T Mobile for service and work.
The is no cell service, not even with a Cell Booster.

Overall, it is a nice park campground. There's lots of trees. It's easy for us to get in and out. Nice hiking trails. A secluded beach that rarely sees people outside of Summer.

The only downside we had was the increased amount of pollution washing up on the shoreline. It was pretty bad.

In the end, it was a really great place to unplug from the world, relax, and enjoy nature.

The best place to unplug.

We’ve stayed at Cape Disappointment twice now. Both times were in November. The campsites are spacious. You stay under the canopies of mossy trees and the beach is a short walk away. The sites are positioned along one way roadway loops. Each loop has a water source. The site we 
stayed at did not have power/outlets. The bathrooms are a short walk and have showers with hot water. We haven’t been on any of the nearby hiking trials, but that’s on the list, as we certainly will be back! 

Never a disappointment!

Really nice campground and beautiful area on the coast. The area is pretty windy most of the day, although I slept in my car, so it wasn’t a big deal. But I could see where sleeping in a tent might get loud. Pretty buggy when there was no wind, so bring repellent. Stayed in site 105 which was really different from the pictures. No foliage to block the wind, instead a built up berm of sand and driftwood. Zero privacy as the trail to the beach is right next to the site. Sitting in the back of my Subaru watching the sunset meant a steady stream of people about 3 ft away heading to the beach. Also the site is really small. No real great tent areas. Bathroom was okay but I don’t think there was soap the entire weekend I was there. Free shower though! Good location close to Astoria and Cannon Beach. Would stay here again but choose site 104 or 106 as they were larger and more private. Zero cell service at campsite (T-mobile).

Beautiful area

We do enjoyed having such easy access to such a nice beach. We even were able to watch sunset over the water (through some trees) from our camper. 

One of my favorite campgrounds

Spent a night here in C loop.  Beautiful park with great history.

Great spot with views

The campground was nice and well maintained. Having the beach close by made for amazing white noise when your going to sleep. We had a great time relaxing and exploring. 

Relaxing Campground

This is a tough review to write. Honestly, the location and campground are wonderful. It was the lack of signage and a miserable staff that made my stay there challenging. It was Halloween and the campground was empty. I have a serious health issue that makes moving a bit rough. Twice when we were parked briefly to unload heavy groceries and then to take a quick phone call (wifi spotty), the militarized rangers came screeching up threatening to ticket us. I almost missed the incredible interpretive center due to lack of signage, it wasn’t obvious on their map and no one mentioned it when we checked in. But don’t let this review stop you. It’s still a great park.

A little disappointing 

Pros: clean, well-maintained sites. Visible park rangers who were friendly and helpful. Close to the beach. Lots of amenities and trails. 

Cons: (1) the electricity is not consistent and it is weak. Like you can’t run your microwave and your electric water heater at the same time weak. Make sure you have a surge protector/line conditioner on your electrical hookup because you could seriously damage your rig plugging into this park’s electrical. (2) no cell service. Not a single bar of Verizon LTE anywhere in this campground. This wouldn’t be a big deal if we were expecting that kind of experience but, to the contrary, the Dyrt’s listing for this campground says Verizon service is good. It is not only not good, it is nonexistent. (3) once you enter the park, there are no signs directing you to the campground. The address in the confirmation email sent after we reserved our spot was not anywhere near correct. Luckily there were 2 park rangers there when we pulled in who helped us get un-lost. This is a huge state park so it is unacceptable not to have any signs that even say “campground” with an arrow. There are signs for everything else, just not the campground.

Well-maintained, close to the beach

Once we got near Ilwaco, we followed the state park signs to the campground(CG). Check-in was quick, but the camp host checking us in noted we were an hour early, so our campsite may not be cleaned and someone could be in the site. When we got to back-in site A57 with FHUs, there was no one there, and the campsite had been cleaned. As the loops at this state park are in a circle, the sites are easy to line up for a straight back in. Our asphalt site was level with the water and electric in the middle of the pad and the sewer at the back. We needed about 20 feet of sewer hose. The sites are decently spaced and for the most part, shaded by mature trees. We were able to get a usable Starlink north shot out of the back of the site. Satellite could be iffy depending on the site. Sites towards the front of the loop probably have the best chance for satellite as they are near the road. Water pressure was good at about 55 psi. We sometimes got 1 bar on Verizon, but to make a phone call, we had to drive to Ilwaco. We noticed that camping at the beach for Thanksgiving is a“thing” in this area, as the CG was full. There were deer milling around the CG and they did not seem concerned that we were there. We enjoyed walking our pups on the dog-friendly beach. The lighthouses were enjoyable as well, especially the views. A few amenities are nearby in Long Beach, but for the most part, you’ll need to drive about 30 minutes into Astoria/Warrenton, OR. A walk along Long Beach’s boardwalk was worthwhile, especially the whale display with an actual whale skeleton.

This State Park Campground Did Not Disappoint

We had an awesome 2 night stay in site 103B. This site fit our needs well and was about 50 steps from Benson Beach. About 2.5 miles long and a jetty at the end. Light house , lots of trails! Just beautiful. We did not have WiFi or Verizon cell at this site.( not a problem)!