Baker Bay

North Head Lighthouse at Baker Bay

"North Head Lighthouse and Baker Bay" by alex1derr is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Quick Facts

Location:

Washington

Lewis and Clark NHT Visitor Centers and Museums

Visitor Centers (shown in orange), High Potential Historic Sites (shown in black), and Pivotal Places (shown in green) along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail

It might be surprising to learn that Meriwether Lewis and William Clark weren’t the first Europeans to explore the Columbia River. In 1792, over a decade before the Corps of Discovery set out, a small crew under the command of Lieutenant William Broughton sailed up the Columbia River up to what would become modern-day Vancouver aboard “The Chatham,” while the expedition’s leader, Captain George Vancouver, remained at sea on the main ship. It was Broughton who gave Baker Bay its moniker, naming it after a British merchant, Captain James Baker, whose ship happened to be anchored just inside the Columbia’s mouth when Broughton passed through.

Years later, on November 15, 1805, Baker Bay, a popular spot for ships to shelter, would receive a new name. Lewis and Clark had just rounded “Point Distress” and established Station Camp on the sandy shore of the bay. They chose to call it Haley’s Bay in honor of a European trader that the local natives said to be their favorite. Clark mentions this in his journal, saying:

“This Bay we call Haleys bay from a favourate Trader with the Indians which they Say comes into this Bay and trades with them.”

Today, visitors can access or view Baker Bay from a variety of locations. The town of Ilwaco, Washington, for example, is located inside the bay, as are Chinook Point and Cape Disappointment State Park.