TheColumbia Bar is a system ofbars andshoals at the mouth of theColumbia River spanning theU.S. states ofOregon andWashington. It is one of the most dangerous bar crossings in the world, earning the nicknameGraveyard of the Pacific. The bar is about 3 miles (5 km) wide and 6 miles (10 km) long.[1] TheColumbia River Bar Pilots, based inAstoria, Oregon, assists vessels navigating the bar.[2]
The bar is where the river's current dissipates into thePacific Ocean, often as large standing waves. The waves are partially caused by the deposition of sediment as the river slows, as well as mixing with ocean waves. The waves, wind, and current are hazardous for vessels of all sizes. The Columbia current varies from 4 to 7knots (7.4 to 13.0 km/h) westward, and therefore into the predominantly westerly winds and ocean swells, creating significant surface conditions.[4][5]Unlike other major rivers, the current is focused "like a fire hose" without the moderating effect of ariver delta.[6]Conditions can change from calm to life-threatening in as little as five minutes due to changes of direction of wind and ocean swell.[7]Since 1792, approximately 2,000 large ships have sunk in and around the Columbia Bar, and because of the danger and the numerous shipwrecks the mouth of the Columbia River acquired a reputation worldwide as thegraveyard of the Pacific.[8]
The navigational channel is 2,640 feet (805 m) wide at the west end and narrows to 600 feet (183 m) within the jetties (though the jetties themselves are never closer than two miles (3.2 km) apart). The channel is dredged to 55 feet (17 m) in the northern three-quarters and 48 feet (15 m) for the southern quarter. Inside the bar, the channel remains 600 feet (180 m) wide and reduces to 43 feet (13 m) deep.[1] The Clatsop Spit juts into the ocean on the south side of the river mouth, and on the north side is Peacock Spit, named after theUSSPeacock which wrecked there in 1841.[9]
In 1884, after decades of shipwrecks, theUnited States Corps of Engineers built the south jetty to keep the channel navigable. In 1914, the north jetty was added.[9] The third and final Jetty A was constructed later, with the modern system in place by 1939.[10] The three jetties were repaired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and private contractors between 2016 and 2025.[3]
The nearbyUnited States Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment, Washington, is renowned for operating in some of the roughest sea conditions in the world, and is home to the National Motor Lifeboat School. It is the only school for rough weather and surf rescue operation in the US, and is respected internationally as a center of excellence for heavy boat operations.[11]
Approximately 16bar pilots, earning about $180,000 per year, guide ships across the bar, often boarding ships by helicopter.[12]They generally consider "the bar" to be the area between the north and southjetties and Sand Island (see detail of bathymetric map for locations of these).[13] Over 700 people have drowned in the Columbia Bar[14] 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 marinecoastal hazards along thePacific Northwest coast, includingCape Flattery at the northwest tip of theOlympic Peninsula andCape Scott, which is at the north tip ofVancouver 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 theStrait of Juan de Fuca.[14][15]
The most accessible place to watch ships cross the bar is at the South Jetty viewing platform atFort Stevens State Park located nearWarrenton, Oregon. This is also the north end of theOregon Coast Trail. A more dramatic view can be found by hiking the steep 0.75-mile (1.21 km) trail to theCape Disappointment Lighthouse at the Cape Disappointment State Park located inIlwaco, Washington.
