Two major streams, Deep River and Grays River, enter Grays Bay at RM 21. Miller Point, the most northern point of the Bay, lies between the two.

Upstream from Grays Bay are the small Washington communities of Altoona (RM 24) and Pillar Rock (RM 27). Downstream lies the community of Megler (RM _____) and Point Ellice (RM 12.7). Across the Columbia on the Oregon side lies Cathlamet Bay.

Grays Bay was named by Lieutenant William Broughton of the George Vancouver expedition, who, in 1792, named the bay after the American Captain Robert Gray, the first European to explore the mouth of the Columbia River.

On November 7, 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition arrived at Grays Bay and mistook it for the Pacific Ocean.

"... we are in view of the opening of the Ocian, which Creates great joy. ..." [Clark, November 7, 1805, first draft]

"... Ocian in view! O! the joy ..." [Clark, November 15, 1805, in distances for November 7]

In reality the men were looking at the lower Columbia River estuary and Grays Bay, with another 20 miles to go before reaching the Pacific Ocean. Today there is a turnout at Pigeon Bluff (along the road to Altoona and Pillar Rock) with a viewpoint overlooking Grays Bay. An information kiosk is located there honoring Clark's "Ocian in view! O! the joy".
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In October 1792 Lieutenant William Broughton of the George Vancouver expedition, crossed the mouth of the Columbia and journeyed 100 miles up the river. He named the small bay on the north of the river after the American Captain Robert Gray.

"... Mr. Broughton proceeded in the cutter at a moderate distance from the shore, with soundings of 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 fathoms to Tongue point. On the eastern side of this point the shores first fall to the southward, and then stretch nearly E. N. E. From this point was seen the centre of a deep bay, lying at the distance of seven miles, N. 26 E. This bay terminated the researches of Mr. Gray; and to commemorate his discovery it was named after him Gray's Bay. ... Mr. Manby was sent to sound the channel up to Grays bay, where in Mr. Gray's sketch, an anchor is placed; but on Mr. Manby's return he reported the channel to be very intricate, and the depth of water in general very shallow. ..."

In 1805, Lewis and Clark called the bay "Shallow Bay".

"... passed 2 old villages on the Stard. Side and at 3 miles entered a nitch of about 6 miles wide and 5 miles deep with Several Creeks makeing into the Stard Hills, this nitch we found verry Shallow water and Call it the Shallow <nitch> ..." [Clark, November 8, 1805]

"... We went about 5 miles and came to a bay 12 or 14 miles wide. We had to coast round it, as the wind raised the waves so high we could go no other way. We halted and dined at a point on the north side of the bay, where a small river comes in. We again proceeded on coasting, till we came to a point of land where the bay becomes much narrower; and the water quite salt. The waves here ran so high we were obliged to lie to, and let the tide leave our canoes on dry ground. This point we called Cape Swell; and the bay above, Shallow Bay, as there is no great depth of water. ..." [Gass, November 8, 1805]

In 1841, Charles Wilkes of the U.S. Exploring Expedition, charted the bay as two bays, "Grays Bay" and "Kutzule Bay". "Kutzule Bay" is today's Grays Bay, and Wilke's "Grays Bay" is the bay (today unnamed) to the west of Grays Point. Swan Bay is Cathlamet Bay and the Termination Islands are the islands in today's Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge.

"... There are two small streams of fresh water emptying into Kutzule Bay at its head. Gray's and Kutzule Bay are unfit for anchorage; the water is shallow, with mud and sand bottom. Swan Bay, on the south shore, lies between Tongue Point and the Termination Islands. It is 3 miles wide by 2 deep, is shallow, has a muddy bottom, which in places becomes visible at extreme low water. ..."

"Gray's Bay. -- This is the shoal bay, two miles deep, lying between Gray's Point and Yellow Bluffs. Large patches are bare at low water, especially in the eastern part, but a moderately deep channel runs close under the northwest shore from the mouth of the Alamient or Deep River, past Portuguese Point and Gray's Point.

Alamient River opens about a mile west of Gray's River and at its mouth the banks are low but densely wooded.

The bay was named by Broughton in 1792 in honor of Captain Gray.

Abreast of Flat Hill the river is five miles broad, but the southern part is wholly occupied by low islands which are in part marshy and in part covered with cottonwood. There are numerous channels through them, with one principal one called Prairie Channel which is buoyed.

Thence to the eastweard between Jim Crow and Three Tree Points, on the north shore, and Cathlamet Point on the south shore, the river narrows down to two miles in width, with half that space occupied by shoals and islands.

From two to two and a half miles eastward from Yellow Bluffs there are two fishery stations and a landing. Abreast the lower of these stations, on the opposite flats, bare at low water, there is another fishing station. "

"Gray's Point" is still today's Grays Point but "Yellow Bluffs" is now called Pigeon Bluff. "Alamient River" is called Deep River. "Flat Hill" is the ridge above Pigeon Bluff and Harrington Point. Jim Crow Point is now called Brookfield Point and Three Tree Point still exists. "Cathlamet Point" is now "Aldrich Point. The fisheries, such as those at Altoona and Pillar Rock, are long since gone.

• Grays Point ... RM 20
• Portuguese Point ...
• Frankfort ...
• Rocky Point ...
• Sisson Creek ...
• Brix Bay ...
• Deep River ... RM 21
• Miller Point ... RM 21
• Grays River ... RM 21
• Pigeon Bluff (Yellow Bluffs) ...
• Harrington Point ... RM 23.5