Fort Clatsop, now part of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, is where the Corps of Discovery built their winter quarters in 1805 and endured four months of Pacific Northwest rain before beginning the long journey back east. The reconstructed fort — a small log compound of two rows of cabins around a parade ground — sits in the forest about 10km south of Astoria.
The visitor centre has an excellent interpretive exhibit on the expedition, including detailed maps, journals, and the artefacts the Corps collected. Rangers give talks and demonstrations of frontier skills. The reconstruction is accurate to the period; the setting in the Douglas fir forest gives a strong sense of the isolation the expedition experienced. The park is part of the larger Lewis and Clark National Historical Park that also includes the Corps' trail through the area and the Pacific coast viewpoint at Cape Disappointment. Open year-round; federal entry fees apply.