Lewis and Clark National Historical Park — Attraction in Astoria

It's a small, unassuming site, surrounded by dense conifer forest. But the visitor center's museum / historical display is very well done and informative, both regarding the expedition itself as well as the various Indian tribes they encountered in their journey, including especially those who inhabited the lower Columbia and the coast. Allow a minimum of an hour to take it in.

The reconstructed small fort itself lies about 100 yards farther into the woods--i.e., not directly in the visitor center's "backyard." I'm guessing there were fewer trees immediately surrounding the original fort (the location of which is no longer known, but is believed, from historical accounts, to have been within mere yards of the reconstruction), as they would have been cut down to build the fort, and the surrounding ground would likely have been cleared for defensive purposes.

Most people will likely visit during the usual summer tourist season. But if you can, try to visit it in wintertime to gain a sense of what it must have been like: cold, damp, drippy, and...

Wonderful hike, mostly shaded which was great for us, really interesting to see the terrain shift as you go along the trail. Hug your national parks people, they are doing an incredible job of reforesting. You really get a visceral understanding of what this means for the ecosystems. So fun to walk with the cows for a bit, too! We parked a car on each end so it was 6.5 miles total with an extra .6 at the end to the beach. The visitor center is excellent with activities, information, books, and a clean bathroom to boot. Ok an update: went back for seconds in the Fort to Sea direction but was solo so I went to the underpass and back. Due to riveting conversation on the first hike I did not notice the massive switchback section...lemme just say Sea to Fort direction is a doozie. It didn't take long. It was painful then it was over. Much hotter today than the first time which felt like it added some amount of sweat to the occasion. Felt great after and I really think this is one of my all time favorite hikes, even with the...

Oregon and Washington have quite a few historical locations, and Lewis and Clark National Park is a nice place to visit if you're in the area. Relatively easy to find off of 101, the drive is beautiful enough, but walking through the area in which the camp was is so peaceful and almost transcendental. There are so many trees in Oregon, like, everywhere you look. The cabins built here are recreations of the originals, but the museum, and just the walk through the area is worth the admission ($10 per adult currently; didn't pay attention to what they charge for kids). The staff on site were also quite pleasant and helpful.

My wife and I spent maybe an hour total, but it's a self guided tour, which allows you plenty of time to sit and take everything in. The sound of the birds in this forest enhances the serenity of this place. You can even walk to the sea along the route that Lewis and Clark took, but it's about 7 miles, and we didn't do it ourselves. Definitely...