ILWACO – The city of Ilwaco and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will dedicate the new Beards Hollow Ocean Overlook on State Route 100 near Ilwaco and Cape Disappointment State Park at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 26, at the overlook.

The event also will mark the official opening of the recently paved Ilwaco section of the Discovery Trail and State Parks’ construction of a multi-use trail running from the Beards Hollow parking lot to North Head road along State Route 100 Loop. North Head road leads to the North Head Lighthouse in Cape Disappointment State Park, and the overlook is north of Beards Hollow. The three features together create an accessible scenic corridor for the area.

The $2.3 million project was completed by the city of Ilwaco and State Parks with a combination of four federal grants, including the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Recreation and Conservation Office, funds from Pacific County, and in-kind private contributions. The project had been in planning for several years, with construction beginning in fall 2009.

Those planning to attend the event should be aware that there will not be parking available at the overlook site. A shuttle bus will leave the Port of Ilwaco parking lot from the bus stop shelter on Howerton Way in Ilwaco at 10:45 a.m., Wednesday. The shuttle will return visitors to the port parking lot following the dedication. Visitors also may park near Second and Main streets in Ilwaco and hike a mile along the Discovery Trail to the site, or park in the Beards Hollow lot and make the 1/4-mile uphill hike to the overlook.