Fort Clatsop National Memorial

"Finally, on Dec. 5, Lewis returned, and told Clark he’d found the spot where they should spend the winter. Early in the morning on Dec. 7, they packed up and headed for a high, defensible spot surrounded by dense trees and brush, on the Lewis & Clark River. In less than a month, with rain falling each day, the Corps completed a 50-by-50-foot log fort. From Clark’s detailed drawings on the leather cover of his journal, the recreated structure at Fort Clatsop is strikingly accurate: three attached cabins facing four attached cabins, across a 20-foot-wide parade ground, gated on both ends.

"The first structure built in the region by American explorers was servicable, but not exactly cozy. The fire pits banked up against the walls smoked terribly, the winter temperature was so warm that even elk hung in the smoke house spoiled. The blankets were covered in fleas, and if that wasn’t enough, mosquitoes buzzed in. At least there was a fresh water spring, which you can still visit at Fort Clatsop today."