Fort Clatsop

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"Ocian in view! O! the joy!"

"Ocian in view! O! the joy!" Meriwether Lewis exclaimed in his journal on November 7, 1805 when he first sighted the Pacific Ocean near present-day Astoria. Within a month, he, William Clark, and the other 31 members of the Corps of Discovery began constructing Fort Clatsop (named in honor of the local Clatsop Indians) where they lived from December 1805 to March 1806. Today, you can visit Fort Clatsop National Memorial and see where the explorers spent a wet winter over 200 years ago. Located just five miles south of Astoria, Fort Clatsop is rather small in size-- just 50'x50'-- but as an outdoor museum it’s big on preserving and interpreting the Corp of Discovery's arrival at the Pacific Coast.

Stop first inside the Visitor Center first to get an overview of the 125-acre park. The displays and exhibits will familiarize you with the Corps of Discovery’s mission and the difficult 2,000 miles they had traversed to reach the Pacific Ocean. The movie shown in the theater makes you realize just how excited the team of weary explorers must have been to finally meet their goal.

Thanks to soggy coastal conditions, the original fort slowly rotted away after Lewis & Clark left the Pacific Northwest. It has been authentically rebuilt twice since then— first in 1955 and then again in 2006 following a devastating fire. The fort still stands on the original site, as confirmed by notes and floor plans drawn by William Clark. Even the furnishings inside the tight living quarters (just seven small rooms for 33 people!) are exact reproductions. The hand-hewn wooden bunks, tables, benches and chairs were functional, not fancy. Also sit in a replica of the dugout canoes used by the Corp of Discovery. They’re definitely none too large or comfortable!

During the summer season, park rangers dressed in period clothing teach outdoor survival skills and conduct candle-making and fire-starting demonstrations. Visitors are encouraged to give it a try using only the materials Lewis & Clark would have carried with them-- flint and tinder. It’s tricky until you get the hang of it!

Fort Clatsop National Memorial
92343 Fort Clatsop Road
Astoria OR 97103
(503) 861-2471, ext. 214
www.nps.gov/lewi

The parking lot at the Fort Clatsop visitor center is closed June - September because it’s too small to accommodate many vehicles or RVs. The Netul Landing parking area and shuttle bus pick-up is located about 2 miles away from the Visitor Center on Fort Clatsop Road where there’s plenty of RV parking. The shuttle bus is included in the admission price. To be on the safe side, call (503) 861-2471 before you go regarding RV parking and to check current admission prices.
Hours: Peak (mid- June — Labor Day) Daily 9AM – 6PM
Off Peak (Labor Day— mid- June, closed December 25) Daily 9AM – 5 PM

Keywords: All year, Under US$ 5, Walking tour, Less than 3 hours, Everyone, Close to the city, Easy to reach

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Experience US history

If you have any interest in the history of the United States then this place is one you can not miss. In the winter of 1805 the expedition of Lewis and Clark camped here after becoming the first to cross the American Continent. Just seeing how they lived for several months during a rainy winter makes one cold ...
The memorial has a nice museum explaining the expedition, a replica of the fort and a path that leads to the water where the corps landed with their canoes.

Keywords: Any time of the day, US$ 5 - US$ 10, Historic Site, Outside the city, Difficult to reach, Interesting, All year, Park (Local / State / National), Historic, Museum (History), Everyone, Need a car