Beacon Rock is located in Skamania County along the Columbia River. It was originally named Beacon Rock by Lewis and Clark on their expedition to the Pacific Ocean on Oct 31, 1805. Lewis and Clark first measured tidal influences from the Pacific Ocean near Beacon Rock. The rock was called "Inoshoak Castle" by the John Jacob Astor expedition of 1811. It was known as "Castle Rock" until 1916 when the U.S. Board of Geographic Names restored the name to "Beacon Rock" 
A trail was built to the top by Henry J. Biddle and in 1935 Beacon Rock was turned over to Washington State for use as a park.
Beacon Rock is actually the core of an ancient volcano. The floods that came through the Columbia River Gorge eroded the softer material away and left this unique geological structure standing by itself on the banks of the Columbia River.
The park is open for hiking the trail. There is also camping on a first come first serve basis, showers in the campgrounds, and picnic facilities. for more info go to:
http://www.parks.wa.gov/parkpage.asp
The Columbia Gorge is a beautiful area in Oregon and Washington. There are many small towns on both sides of the Columbia River. Hood River is a popular destination close to many outdoor recreation activities. The popular historic downtown has galleries, restaurants, shops, wineries and breweries. The Dalles is a historic town located at the end of the Oregon Trail. White Salmon is a quaint town on the Washington side where many artists have opened shops. Stevenson, another small town in Washington has become known for it's restaurants, brewery, Skamania Lodge and close proximity to Portland.
Disclaimer: I assume no responsibilty for accuracy of information provided within this post and blog. Many entries on this blog are based on the opinions and ideas of the author and are provided without warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied.
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