Lewis and Clark Expedition and Fort Clatsop
Lewis and Clark Expedition
Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson, the Lewis and Clark Expedition left St. Louis August 31, 1803 to lead an expedition to the Pacific to find the most direct and practicable water connection across the continent for the purposes of commerce. The Corps of Discovery entered the Lower Columbia River in November of 1805 and stayed through March 1806. They “wintered over” at Fort Clatsop, where it rained all but 12 days, hunting, making moccasins and clothing, trading with the Clatsop, Tillamook, and Chinook Indians, and working on their journals.
Fort Clatsop National Memorial
Located seven miles south of Astoria, Fort Clatsop commemorates the 1805-1806 winter encampment of Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and the famed 33-member Lewis and Clark Expedition team. The site and facility includes the reconstructed fort, a visitor center and museum, historical exhibits, a canoe landing, a spring and a picnic area joined by trails through the wetlands and rainforest of the park. During the summer months, living history demonstrations depict the activities of the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery.
Fort Clatsop Replica
The 1955 community-built replica of the explorers' 50' x 50' Fort Clatsop is the focus of the park. Furnished with hand-hewn wooden bunks, tables, benches and chairs, the authentic fort serves as an "outdoor museum" for over 200,000 visitors a year, providing real life, hands-on experiences and historically significant information about the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Fort Clatsop Activities & Information
The fort, historic canoe landing, and spring are nestled in the coastal forests and wetlands of the Coast Range as it merges with the spectacular Columbia River Estuary. Park rangers dress in buckskins, make candles, smoke meat, carve dugout canoes and fire flintlock rifles and muskets to reenact what life was like for the explorers. The Salt Works unit commemorates the expedition's salt-making activities. Admission: $2 each person; $4 a carload. Open daily: Summer 8-6; Winter 8-5. Call (503) 861-2471; www.nps.gov/focl.
Fort Clatsop Lodging
Looking for distinctive hotel accommodations near Fort Clatsop? The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites – Astoria, located just seven miles from Fort Clatsop, is an attractive, riverfront hotel, suited for both leisure and business travelers. All of the comforts of home plus the added benefit of cutting-edge amenities and impeccable service make it the ideal lodging choice on the beautiful North Oregon coast. Enjoy our complimentary breakfast buffet, indoor pool and Jacuzzi, fitness facility, high-speed internet and four elegant meeting and banquet areas. Pets are welcome, too! Find out more about the hotel’s exciting Specials & Packages.
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