Fort Clatsop Administrative History

Roads And Parking

Memorial roads total 1.8 miles and consist of the Fort Clatsop Loop Road, the entrance road, service roads, and a portion of an old road leading from the Fort Clatsop Loop Road to the privately owned Cavenham property. During site development, the memorial relocated Fort Clatsop Loop Road and constructed an entrance road, service roads, and the visitor center parking lot. Just as the visitor center auditorium quickly proved to be too small, the visitor center parking area also immediately needed expansion. In 1967, the parking lot was expanded in width, allowing parking on both sides of the lane, and an additional area was cleared, graded, and graveled. While the addition provided 13 more car and 4 bus spaces, parking still overflowed during the summer months. Visitors would park on the grass along the entrance road and along Fort Clatsop Loop Road. On busy summer months, a memorial employee would have to direct traffic and parking. In 1973, an overflow lot was built to help ease the flow and at the same time "the service road and employee parking area behind the visitor center paved, and the visitor walkway to the fort re-paved." [11]

In 1989 and 1991, during the visitor center expansion project, the memorial received Federal Lands Highway Program funds for the creation of an overflow parking area and the rehabilitation of Fort Clatsop Loop Road. The parking expansion was completed following an overflow parking recommendation in the 1964 Master Plan. The overflow lot provided for 25 car and 10 bus or trailer spaces. Fort Clatsop Loop road was widened and a bicycle lane created. Drainage along the parking and road areas was also improved.