Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
Explore the timeless rainforests and majestic coastal vistas. Discover the rich heritage of the native people. Unfold the dramatic stories of America's most famous explorers. The park encompasses sites along the Columbia River and the Pacific Coast. Follow in the footsteps of the explorers and have an adventure in history.
About 2 hours from Portland by car.
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Per PersonEntrance fees are collected at the Fort Clatsop Visitor Center. | $10 | |
| Passes | ||
| Annual Entrance - ParkThe Annual Oregon Coast Passport covers entry, vehicle parking, and day use fees at all federal fee sites along the Oregon Coast. Valid for 12 months. | $35 | |
Fees are collected in the Fort Clatsop Visitor Center. Please present your pass to the ranger at the visitor center. Card only no cash is accepted.
Hours
| Fort Clatsop Visitor Center and Replica (Winter) | Daily · 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day | Hours not published |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Eve Day | Hours not published |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day | Hours not published |
| Jun 23 to Sep 7, 2027Summer Hours | 9:00AM - 6:00PM |
When to go
July draws the most visits here and December the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Fort Clatsop Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
The Fort Clatsop Visitor Center is the first stopping spot for your visit to Fort Clatsop. The rangers inside are able to provide brochures and hiking trail maps of our site and the local area as well as take entrance fees or park passes.
Explore
Things to do
- Experience History Come Alive at Fort Clatsop1-3 Hours
Visit the replica fort and visitor center to learn more about the Lewis & Clark expedition and local native culture. If you visit during our Summer or Winter programs you may even get to talk to rangers in costumes and try your hand at 19th century…
Opens on the Park Service site - Fort Clatsop Audio Tour20-60 Minutes
Embark on a voyage of discovery as you learn about the historical homelands of the Clatsop people, and the winter that Lewis and Clark spent in the area.
Opens on the Park Service site - Stretch Your Legs at the Dismal Nitch Wayside5-30 Minutes
Start your Lewis & Clark journey where the Corps of Discovery did. Captain William Clark named the spot “that dismal little nitch.” For six stormy days, the group was trapped by fierce wind and high waves at the rocky shoreline.
Opens on the Park Service site - South Slough Trail1-3 Hours
The South Slough Trail is a three mile loop that can be accessed from the Fort to Sea Trailhead or from near the North Netul Landing that features twist and turns and steep changes in elevation among large trees and a boardwalk over the Colewort…
Opens on the Park Service site - Kwis Kwis Trail1-5 Hours
The Kwis Kwis Trail is a 3.6 miles one way trail that can be combined with the Fort to Sea to form loops. 2.7 miles - Fort to Sea west to 1st Kwis Kwis connector to Kwis Kwis to the Fort to Sea Trailhead.
Opens on the Park Service site - Clay Pit Pond Trail15-60 Minutes
The Clay Pit Pond is a half mile loop primitive trail with access at the Fort Clatsop Visitor Center picnic area. It is a great trail for those looking for a short but dynamic hike.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 12Hide
- Netul River Trail20-60 Minutes
Take an easy approximately 1 mile stroll along the beautiful Netul River Trail. Watch for water birds, eagles and sometimes otters! Along the way you can learn about the history of logging and commerce along the Lewis and Clark River.
Opens on the Park Service site - Fort to Sea Trail3-6 Hours
The Fort To Sea Trail starts at the Fort Clatsop Visitor Center then takes you up a gentle climb to the top of Clatsop Ridge, where on a clear day you can see to the Pacific Ocean.
Opens on the Park Service site - Find a Salt Camp in Seaside5-10 Minutes
To make salt, the Corps had to find rocks to build a furnace, wood to burn, ocean water to boil, fresh water to drink and game animals. Nearby rivers weren't salty enough, but a site 15 miles southwest of Fort Clatsop proved perfect.
Opens on the Park Service site - Continue South to Find a Whale1-4 Hours
Wrapping around Tillamook Head, between Seaside and Cannon Beach, Ecola State Park stretches along 9 miles of coastline and offers outstanding sightseeing and recreation opportunities combined with a storied past.
Opens on the Park Service site - See the Pacific at Cape Disappointment2-4 Hours
It was at the base of Cape Disappointment that the Corps of Discovery achieved their principal mission of traveling across the continent to the Pacific Ocean.
Opens on the Park Service site - Survey a Chinook Trade Village20-30 Minutes
Middle Village - Station Camp, has interpretive panels to inform visitors on the Chinook Indian Nation history, as well as telling the story of early contact, the Corps of Discovery, and the town of McGowan.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Bats, Spiders, Owls—Oh My!10/2205:30 PM · freeThe event begins at the Fort Clatsop Visitor Center. From here it follows the 100 yard path down to Fort Clatsop, 200 yard path…
- Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance Teacher Workshop10/2409:00 AM · registration requiredVisitor Center - 92343 Fort Clatsop Rd. Astoria, OR
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for the Pacific Northwest
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthBrown Pelican 24× · American White Pelican 9× · Belted Kingfisher 8× · Red-throated Loon 8× · Fox Sparrow 6× · Harbor Seal 6× · Bald Eagle 2× · Barred Owl 2×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 102 birds, 45 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Bald Eagle · Barn Owl · Cooper's Hawk · Fish Hawk · Great Horned Owl · Northern Harrier · Red-tailed Hawk · Saw-whet Owl · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Turkey Vulture · Western Screech-owl
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Coot · American Wigeon · Bufflehead · Canada Goose · Common Goldeneye · Common Merganser · Double-crested Cormorant · Great Blue Heron · Greater Scaup · Green Heron · Green-winged Teal · Hooded Merganser · Lesser Scaup · Northern Pintail · Pied-billed Grebe · Red-breasted Merganser · Red-necked Grebe · Virginia Rail · Western Grebe · Wood Duck
Shorebirds & seabirdsCaspian Tern · Dunlin · Glaucous-winged Gull · Greater Yellowlegs · Killdeer · Least Sandpiper · Spotted Sandpiper · Western Gull · Wilson's Snipe
Gamebirds & dovesBand-tailed Pigeon · Ruffed Grouse
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Pileated Woodpecker · Red-breasted Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsRufous Hummingbird
Also on the checklistAmerican Crow · American Goldfinch · American Robin · Audubon's Warbler · Barn Swallow · Belted Kingfisher · Bewick's Wren · Black-capped Chickadee · Black-headed Grosbeak · Black-throated Gray Warbler · Brant · Brewer's Blackbird · Brown Creeper · Bushtit · Cedar Waxwing · Chestnut-backed Chickadee · Common Raven · Common Yellowthroat · Dark-eyed Junco · European Starling · Fox Sparrow · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Golden-crowned Sparrow · Hermit Thrush · House Finch · House Sparrow · Hutton's Vireo · Mallard · Marsh Wren · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orange-crowned Warbler · Pacific wren · Pacific-slope Flycatcher · Pine Siskin · Purple Finch · Red Crossbill · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-winged Blackbird · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Savannah Sparrow · Song Sparrow · Steller's Jay · Swainson's Thrush · Swamp Sparrow · Townsend's Warbler · Tree Swallow · Varied Thrush · Violet-green Swallow · Western Tanager · White-crowned Sparrow · Wilson's Warbler · Wrentit · Yellow Warbler
Small mammalsAmerican shrew-mole · Baird's shrew · Beechey ground squirrel · California red-backed vole · Douglas' squirrel · Pacific jumping mouse · Pacific water shrew · Townsend's chipmunk · Townsend's mole · Townsend's vole · Trowbridge's shrew · White-footed Vole · beaver · black rat · brush rabbit · coast mole · creeping vole · deer mouse · dusky shrew · mountain beaver · muskrat · northern flying squirrel · snowshoe hare · vagrant shrew
Marine mammalsharbor seal
PredatorsAmerican black bear · American mink · Canadian (river) otter · Western Spotted Skunk · bobcat · coyote · long-tailed weasel · raccoon · short-tailed weasel
Hoofed mammalsRoosevelt elk
BatsCalifornia myotis bat · Townsend's big-eared bat · Yuma myotis · fringed myotis · hoary bat · long-eared bat · long-legged myotis
Also on the checklistVirginia opossum · cougar · nutria
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Canoeing and kayaking in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
Weather & climate
We see an average of 70 inches of rain a year and we are the foggiest location in the Lower 48 states. Summer months are usually nice with days ranging from 55-70 degrees. Winters are wet and mild, usually 40-55 degrees. During the 106 days the Lewis and Clark Expedition wintered at Fort Clatsop in 1806 it rained all but 12 days and they saw the sun 6 times. While we are usually not so dreary make sure to prepare for rain or shine.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Lewis and Clark?
Entrance is $10 per person on foot or bike. Entrance fees are collected at the Fort Clatsop Visitor Center.
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Lewis and Clark?
The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here, and a Lewis and Clark-only annual pass is $35.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Lewis and Clark takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Lewis and Clark free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Lewis and Clark?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Lewis and Clark. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Lewis and Clark?
Standard hours are 9:00AM - 5:00PM, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
How busy is Lewis and Clark?
244,195 recreation visits in 2025, number 162 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Lewis and Clark?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is the weather like at Lewis and Clark?
We see an average of 70 inches of rain a year and we are the foggiest location in the Lower 48 states. Summer months are usually nice with days ranging from 55-70 degrees.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
More in Oregon and Washington
