Imagine living in this rugged fort in Oregon’s forest as the explorers of the Lewis and Clark Expedition did in the early 1800s.
Inside a national historic park, visit Fort Clatsop National Memorial for a chance to relive the past. The setting has been created to show how Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and their Corps of Volunteers for Northwest Discovery lived for the winter after spending nearly two years making the dangerous journey across unexplored territories of what is now the western United States.
Thomas Jefferson charged Lewis and Clark with exploring the lands included in the Louisiana Purchase from the Mississippi River all the way to the Pacific Ocean. They left Illinois in May, 1804, and arrived at their final destination at the mouth of the Columbia River in November, 1805. They quickly built the fort using logs they cut from the area’s plentiful cedar forest. See the replica in place today that was created using the plans and dimensions of the original fortress.
The fort stands near the waterway previously known as the Netul River and now called the Lewis and Clark River. This narrow channel is off Youngs Bay, which is part of the large and treacherous Columbia River. Paddle along these quiet waters and appreciate how relieved the explorers would have been to find quiet waters after battling currents, waves and storms on the Columbia.
Check the schedule of ranger activities at the fort and elsewhere in the national park. Rangers often appear in historic costumes to raise the flag, fire flintlock guns, make fires in primitive fashion and demonstrate other activities the explorers undertook two centuries ago. Join guided nature walks or kayak trips on the river.
Fort Clatsop National Memorial is part of Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. As such it is open daily except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. To enter the park, you’ll need to pay an individual multi-day entrance fee. Admission is free for children. Drive to the park from Astoria in about 15 minutes or bike in about 45 minutes. Paddle to Netul Landing, a bit south of the memorial.
