Cape Flattery ( 48°23′09″N 124°43′37″W / 48.385961°N 124.726912°W / 48.385961; -124.726912 ) is the northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States . It is in Clallam County, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula , where the Strait of Juan de Fuca joins the Pacific Ocean . It is also part of the Makah Reservation , and is the northern boundary of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary . Cape Flattery can be reached from a short hike, most of which is boardwalked. The westernmost point in the contiguous United States is at Cape Alava , south of Cape Flattery in Olympic National Park . However, the westernmost tip of Cape Flattery is almost exactly as far west as Cape Alava, the difference being approximately 5 seconds of longitude, about 360 feet (110 m), at high tide and somewhat more at low tide.
8-468: The Cape Flattery Lighthouse is on Tatoosh Island , just off the cape. Makah Bay and Neah Bay are on either side of the cape. Neah Bay, Washington is the closest town to the cape. Cape Flattery is the oldest non-Native permanently named feature in Washington state, being described and named by James Cook on March 22, 1778. Cook wrote: " ... there appeared to be a small opening which flattered us with
16-620: A modern optic lens in 1977. The lighthouse's light was decommissioned after a 30-foot (9.1 m) skeletal structure with a solar-powered beacon fitted with six-year solar pack batteries was built on the island in 2008. In 2009, the Coast Guard began cleanup operations in anticipation of handing the historic lighthouse to the Makah tribe, who own Tatoosh Island. After the transfer, the Coast Guard will continue to have access for purposes of maintaining
24-557: The Hudson's Bay Company which controlled the site. Fuca Pillar is a tall, almost rectangular, rock on the west side of Cape Flattery. It is named after Juan de Fuca , a Greek sailor who explored for Spain. Fuca has a doubtful claim to being the first European explorer to see the Fuca Pillar and to explore the Strait of Juan de Fuca , also named after him. The first generally accepted mention of
32-596: The Makah Indian Reservation. The deactivated lighthouse sits on Tatoosh Island , which is named after Chief Tatooche of the Makah Tribe . It is the northwesternmost lighthouse on the West Coast of the contiguous United States . Although closed to the public, it can be viewed from Cape Flattery via a short 30-minute walk. The lighthouse was built in 1854 based on the design by Ammi B. Young . Its first light
40-536: The hopes of finding an harbour ... On this account I called the point of land to the north of it Cape Flattery. " In 1834, the first Japanese persons (including Otokichi ) known to have set foot on what is now Washington state arrived in a dismasted, rudderless ship that ran aground near Cape Flattery. The three survivors of the broken ship were held as slaves by the local Makah people . When William H. McNeill learned about them, he took them to British authorities at Fort Vancouver , under orders from John McLoughlin of
48-598: The optic. On Friday, September 25, 2017 Cape Flattery Lighthouse was announced as the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s newest National Treasure. As part of the continuing work with the USCG, the National Trust hired Cardinal Architecture and SSF to assess the structural integrity of the fog signal building and lighthouse. Emergency repairs were recommended to prevent further collapse, and an extensive list of structural repairs were recommended to fully repair and restore
56-409: The pillar was by John Meares in 1788. Cape Flattery Washington was the hometown of the fictional characters Ma and Pa Kettle from the " Ma and Pa Kettle " movie series. Cape Flattery Lighthouse The Cape Flattery Light is a historic lighthouse structure located at the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca near Neah Bay , Clallam County , in the U.S. state of Washington , within
64-417: Was displayed from a first-order lens in 1857 and was Washington Territory's third lighthouse. The house with a 65-foot (20 m) tower from the center still stands; the tower's light stands 165 feet (50 m) above water. A fog signal building with a 12-inch (300 mm) steam whistle was built on the island in 1872. The original first-order lens was replaced by a fourth-order lens in 1932, then with
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