Frankfort

Frankfort is a ghost town at the mouth of the Columbia River in Pacific County, Washington, situated near Portuguese Point. What exists today is the remnant of an ambitious but ultimately failed planned resort community.

The town's story begins with a homestead in 1876, but its defining chapter came in 1890 when two promoters — Frank Bourne and Frank Scott — platted a formal community and set out to sell it as a resort destination. Their pitch to lot buyers rested heavily on the promise that a railroad would one day connect Frankfort to the outside world. The location had no roads, and reaching it required traveling by boat. Despite that isolation, the promoters established a post office, general store, saloon, and sawmill in an effort to build credibility and attract settlers.

The railroad never came, and Frankfort faded into obscurity. Visitors today arrive as those early settlers did — by water — and find a quiet, overgrown site along the Columbia shoreline. Access remains boat-dependent, so plan accordingly, and be aware that the remote, water-access-only setting demands careful preparation regardless of season.