Beacon Rock State Park is a geologic preserve and public recreation area on Route 14 in the

Columbia River Gorge The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to deep, the canyon stretches for over as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range, forming the boundary between the st ...

National Scenic Area in

Skamania County Skamania County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,036. The county seat and largest incorporated city is Stevenson, although the Carson River Valley CDP is more populous. The ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. The park takes its name from Beacon Rock, an

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90 ...

volcanic plug A volcanic plug, also called a volcanic neck or lava neck, is a volcanic object created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano. When present, a plug can cause an extreme build-up of high gas pressure if rising volatile-charged ma ...

on the north shore of the Columbia River east of

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

. On October 31, 1805, the

Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gr ...

arrived here and first measured tides on the river, indicating that they were nearing the ocean.

Beacon Rock

Castle Rock from Eleven Years in the Rocky Mountains

Beacon Rock is an

monolith A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock, such as some mountains. For instance, Savandurga mountain is a monolith mountain in India. Erosion usually exposes the geological formations, which are often ma ...

composed of

on the north bank of the Columbia River. It was named by Lewis and Clark in 1805; they originally referred to it as ''Beaten Rock'', later as ''Beacon Rock''. They noted that the rock marked the eastern extent of the tidal influence in the Columbia. The rock was later known as ''Castle Rock'', until 1915 when its name was changed back to ''Beacon Rock''. Henry J. Biddle purchased the rock in 1915 for $1 and during the next three years constructed a trail with 51 switchbacks, handrails and bridges. The three-quarter mile trail to the top, completed in April 1918, leads to views in all directions. The

United States Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

planned to destroy the rock to supply material for the jetty at the mouth of the Columbia (see

Columbia River Bar The Columbia Bar, also frequently called the Graveyard of the Pacific, is a system of bars and shoals at the mouth of the Columbia River spanning the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington. It is known as one of the most dangerous bar crossings in ...

), and dug three caves on the rock's south side. During this time, Biddle's family tried to make it a state park. At first Washington refused the gift, but changed its position when

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

offered to accept. The park was established in 1935. Workers with the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...

made improvements which remain in use.

Claims

Beacon Rock has been variously claimed to be the second largest free standing

in the northern hemisphere, or in the world, just behind the Rock of Gibraltar,

Stone Mountain Stone Mountain is a quartz monzonite dome Inselberg, monadnock and the site of Stone Mountain Park, east of Atlanta, Georgia. Outside the park is the small city of Stone Mountain, Georgia. The park is the most visited tourist site in the state o ...

, or Mount Augustus, the latter two being very much larger than either of the first two. The assertion depends on how one defines the term "monolith." For example,

Devils Tower National Monument Devils Tower (also known as Bear Lodge Butte) is a butte, possibly laccolithic, composed of igneous rock in the Bear Lodge Ranger District of the Black Hills, near Hulett and Sundance in Crook County, northeastern Wyoming, above the Belle Fo ...

in Wyoming is larger than Beacon Rock, but is considered an

igneous Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ''ignis'' meaning fire), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or ...

intrusion rather than necessarily a "single rock."

Activities and amenities

Beacon Rock is known for quality, challenging, technical rock climbing. The park's include of Columbia River shoreline and forested uplands with of hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian trails. The park has boating and camping facilities. Trails go to the top of Beacon Rock and Little Beacon Rock. Hardy Falls and Rodney Falls (Pool of the Winds) are scenic highlights along the trail to the summit of Hamilton Mountain, which has a view of

Bonneville Dam Bonneville Lock and Dam consists of several run-of-the-river dam structures that together complete a span of the Columbia River between the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington at River Mile 146.1. The dam is located east of Portland, Oregon ...

and points east. Hamilton Mountain Saddle, located north of the summit, provides additional views, including

Table Mountain Table Mountain ( naq, Huriǂoaxa, lit= sea-emerging; af, Tafelberg) is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the ...

, and the opportunity for a loop hike.

Sources

References

External links

Beacon Rock State Park
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Beacon Rock State Park Map
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission {{authority control Climbing areas of the United States Columbia River Gorge Parks in Skamania County, Washington State parks of Washington (state) 1935 establishments in Washington (state) Landforms of Skamania County, Washington Civilian Conservation Corps in Washington (state) Protected areas established in 1935