Visiting Fort Clatsop National Memorial in Astoria, Oregon

On December 7, 1805, explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark arrived at the site Lewis had chosen for their winter encampment.

"this situation is on a rise about 30 feet higher than the high tides leavel and thickly covered with lofty pine. this is certainly the most eligable situation for our purposes of any in its neighbourhood."
- from the journals of Lewis and Clark

On December 9, they began clearing land for a fort. They named it Fort Clatsop, after the Native American tribe living in the area.

Lewis and Clark left the area in 1806, and Fort Clatsop didn't last much longer in the wet climate of the Oregon coast. But archaeologists have studied the site, and in 1955 a replica fort, based on drawings and descriptions from Lewis and Clark's journals, was constructed on the site. This fort burned in an accidental fire in 2005, but was reconstructed yet again, and remains the center of the Fort Clatsop National Memorial (now part of Lewis and Clark National Historic Park).

If you're visiting the Astoria/Seaside portion of the Oregon coast, Fort Clatsop is definitely worth a visit. In today's terminology, Fort Clatsop is located on Fort Clatsop Road, which is accessible from Highway 101 near either Astoria or Warrenton. Free shuttle bus service is available between various tourist sites in the area, including Fort Clatsop, during the summer season. If you're camping at Fort Stevens State Park or the nearby KOA campground, it's an easy shuttle ride to Fort Clatsop.

Begin your visit at the Fort Clatsop visitor center, adjacent to the parking lot. A ranger is available to orient you to the site. There is a per-person admission charge for visitors ages 16 and older, which you can pay at the visitor center as well. The visitor center has exhibits on both the Lewis and Clark expedition and the native people of the area. You can also view two movies here. Confluence of Time and Courage traces the journey of Lewis and Clark from its beginnings as an idea in Thomas Jefferson's head, and Clatsop Winter Story1805 Journal Entry Archives December 4 - 11, 1805 tells about interactions between the native Clatsop people and members of the expedition.

The replica fort is 100 yards from the visitor center, on a paved, accessible path. Visitors can enter the fort itself and explore the living quarters, which are furnished with items appropriate to the time period. Costumed interpretive programs are held here during the summer months, and visitors can see activities like rifle-firing and candle-making in action.

Visitors can also walk a short distance to a spring that was probably used by the expedition and a canoe landing. If you enjoy walking, there's also a 1.5-mile trail to Netul Landing on the Lewis and Clark River, and a 6.5-mile Fort to Sea trail that ends at Sunset Beach (during the summer, you can hike either trail and return by shuttle bus).

Fort Clatsop is open every day except Christmas day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and until 6:00 p.m. from mid-June through Labor Day. For more information on Fort Clatsop and other sites in the area, visit the National Park Service's Lewis and Clark National Historic Park site.

SOURCES
National Park Service, "Fort Clatsop", http://www.nps.gov/lewi/planyourvisit/fortclatsop.htm
Wikipedia, "Fort Clatsop", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Clatsop
LewisandClarkTrail.com, "1805 Journal Entry Archives December 4 - 11, 1805", http://lewisandclarktrail.com/section4/orcities/astoria/1805history2.htm