Lewis and Clark National Historical Park

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park consists of seven units in Washington and Oregon, for a total of 1,916 acres.

Natural Resources:

The park preserves a variety of ecosystems from coastal dunes, estuarine mudflats and tidal marshes to shrub wetlands, temperate rainforests and swamps. Situated within the Sitka spruce vegetation zone, its forests are dominated by conifer trees and carpeted with a great diversity of understory shrubs, ferns and wildflowers.

Extensive wetlands in the park include fringing saltmarshes on the lower Columbia River, the tidally-influenced lower Lewis and Clark River and many low-gradient brackish sloughs and marshes.

Freshwater streams and springs are numerous in park forests, and freshwater ponds are found in various habitats. These wetlands provide valuable habitat for a diversity of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.

Visitation:

We are open from 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. in the summer and 9-5 after Labor Day.

Most of the 200,000 visitors per year come to see the reconstructed Fort Clatsop, home of the Corps of Discovery during the winter of 1805-1806.

During the summer we offer living history talks on candle making to black powder demonstrations.

There are plenty of recreational opportunities at the park from hiking trails to kayaking on the Lewis and Clark River. Free paddle tours and guided walks are offered throughout the summer months.

Our most popular hike is the 1.5 mile Netul River Trail. It is a one-way, gentle, down and back trail that is three miles long and follows the Lewis and Clark River.
For more information about recreational opportunities, historical reenactments, wildlife, educational field trips and special events like fun runs and ranger led programs, go to: www.nps.gov/lewi