Lewis and Clark River - Definition

The Lewis and Clark River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 20 mi (32 km) long, in northwest Oregon in the United States. It drains a part of the Coast Range in the extreme northwest corner of the state, entering the Columbia near its mouth. The river is the site of the former Fort Clatsop of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and is named for Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

It rises in the mountains of central Clatsop County south of Saddle Mountain State Natural Area. It flows WNW then north, parallel to the coast and approximately 5 mi (8 km) inland. It enters the Youngs Bay on the Columbia at Astoria. The site of Fort Clatsop is located approximately 1.5 mi (2.5 km) upstream from the mouth of the river.

The river was called the Netul River by Lewis and Clark, and the Native American Clatsop people who were living in the areaat the time. The river flows through the Lewis and Clark National Historic Park, designated as national park in 2004.

See also

• Skipanon River