The Netul River Download
Highlights: Waterfowl, history, Fort Clatsop.
Travel Time (from Urban Centers to Park/Trailhead): Two hours from Portland, 15 minutes from Astoria.
Nearby Supplies and Gas: Warrenton (5 miles north).
Difficulty: Very slight incline/decline just outside the fort; otherwise, easy peezy.
Distance: 2.6 miles.
Entrance Fees: $5, pay at visitors center.
Top Elevation: 44 feet.
Trailhead GPS: 46.12681, -123.87705
Getting There: From Astoria, head south on U.S. Highway 101 and follow the signs to Fort Clatsop. Drive 1.5 miles past the entrance to the fort to Netul Landing.
Click Here for Multimedia Map, Elevation Profile & Presentation of the Hike
Back in the day, the Discovery Corps paddled up what they and local natives called the Netul River up to Fort Clatsop, where they wintered before returning to St. Louis in 1806.
Nowadays, the river is named for Lewis and Clark and is a place to fish for sole or salmon, or stroll along to daydream and observe waterfowl. This is an easy, accessible hike, better to slake your soul than push your heart.
You can start at Fort Clatsop, parking outside the visitor center, or at Netul Landing, where you can launch kayaks or canoes and check out the interpretive display. I started at the landing because it was too early to access the visitor center lot.