bar" to be the area between the north and south jetties and Sand Island (see detail of bathymetric map for locations of these). Over 700 people have drowned in the Columbia Bar and Bar Pilots are highly skilled and trained in navigating ships through the rough waters. The Columbia Bar is part of a set of major marine coastal hazards along the Pacific Northwest coast, including Cape Flattery at the northwest tip of the Olympic Peninsula and Cape Scott, which is at the north tip of Vancouver Island. Historically, the region's mariner's nickname was the Graveyard of the Pacific, and it is studded with thousands of shipwrecks. The "Graveyard" also includes the rocky, rugged shoreline of the west coast of Vancouver Island, the shores of the Olympic Peninsula, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Viewing The most accessible place to watch ships cross the bar is at the South Jetty viewing platform at Fort Stevens State Park located near Warrenton, Oregon. This is also the north end of the Oregon Coast Trail. A more dramatic view can be found by hiking the steep trail to the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse at the Cape Disappointment State Park located in Ilwaco, Washington. See also King & Winge (bar pilot boat from 1924 to 1958). U.S. lightship Columbia, historic navigational aid into the Columbia River. Rabboni, first regular steam tug to bring a ship across the Columbia bar. SS Iowa, wrecked on Columbia Bar in 1936. Rosecrans, wrecked on Columbia Bar in 1913. References External links "Rough Bar" photos at Columbia River Bar Pilots website Columbia River Bar Pilots Video produced by Oregon Field Guide Columbia River Landforms of Pacific County, Washington Landforms of Clatsop County, Oregon Shoals of the United States