During the winter of 1805-1806, Lewis & Clark established their winter quarters at Fort Clatsop. A salt camp was established by five members of the expedition 15 miles southwest of Fort Clatsop National Memorial. The seawater had a high salt content, and game and wood were abundant. The saltmakers boiled approximately 1,400 gallons of seawater over several weeks, producing three and one-half bushels of salt for the return trip across the continenet.
The site was re-established in 1900 by the Oregon Historical Society. The testimony of Jenny Michel, a Clatsop Indian born in 1816, recalled her mother's memory of white men boiling water on that spot where a stack of fire-blackened rocks remained. In 1979, the site was donated by the Oregon Historical Society as an addition to Fort Clatsop National Memorial.
To reach the salt works, travel on Hwy 101 to Seaside. Turn on Avenue G and follow the signs to South Beach Drive and Lewis & Clark Way.