The Lewis and Clark National Historical Park encompasses several sites along the Lower Columbia River in both Oregon and Washington. Just south of Astoria is Fort Clatsop, featuring a visitor center and a full-size re-creation of the explorer’s fort built to endure the winter of 1806.

There are several other sites you may find interesting further south along the Oregon Coast. The explorers set up a salt making camp in the area of present day Seaside during their winter on the coast. There is a commemorative “salt cairn” just off Seaside’s oceanfront promenade at Lewis and Clark Way. A large bronze sculpture of Lewis and Clark sits at the center of Seaside’s automobile turnaround at the beach. The explorers sent a party over Tillamook Head from the salt camp to find a whale they had heard was beached on the other side of the headland and that route can be hiked today from Seaside to Ecola State Park in Cannon Beach. In Cannon Beach, a small pocket park called Whale Park commemorates the explorers visit to the area where the whale was found on the south side of the creek Clark named Ecola, the native term for whale. There is interpretive signage on the north side of the creek at Les Shirley Park.

Happy exploring the explorers!