Fort Clatsop was the encampment of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the Oregon Country
near the mouth of the Columbia River during the winter of 1805-1806. Located along the
Lewis and Clark River at the north end of the Clatsop Plains approximately 5 miles
southwest of Astoria, the fort was the last encampment of the Corps of Discovery, before
embarking on their return trip east to St. Louis. The Lewis and Clark Expedition wintered
at Fort Clatsop before returning east to St. Louis in the spring of 1806. It took just over
3 weeks for the Expedition to build the fort, and it served as their camp from December 8, 1805
until their departure on March 23, 1806.