Fort Clatsop

Oregon, the Columbia River, Montana, the Missouri River are all in the Lewis and Clark area. The first time we were in this area, we learned a lot about the Corps of Discovery and their harrowing trip across the newly acquired lands of the Louisiana Purchase. President Thomas Jefferson sent them out to learn about this huge addition to the United States. They spent 3 months of the winter of 1805-06 just south of what is now Astoria. They built Fort Clatsop which is now located in the Lewis and Clark National Historic Park.

One day we visited the park and hiked maybe 3 miles on the Fort to Sea Trail through the forest.

You can get an idea of how massive the trees are today by comparing John to the tree to the right.  I wonder what the trees looked like 2,014 years ago.

We did stop in the National Park visitor center there to look briefly at the exhibits about Lewis and Clark. But our main purpose was to get in a good walk. I have read a lot about their journey and have read their journals. On our last visit we visited 2 or 3 museums with lots of information about the trip here in 1805.