Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks in Oregon on the anniversary of Lewis and Clark reaching the Pacific

A milestone in American exploration. ‘Ocian in view! O! The joy.’ – William Clark

At Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks, you can walk in the steps of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who arrived at the Pacific near the mouth of the Columbia River on this day in 1805. It was 1 year, 6 months, and a day after the Corps of Discovery left St. Louis, Missouri, on its mission to explore the Pacific Northwest. Upon seeing the ocean, Clark wrote in his journal: ‘Ocian in view! O! The joy.’ (Clark’s journal was full of misspellings.)