Traveling up the Blackfoot River and crossing the Great Divide at what is known today as Lewis and Clark Pass, Lewis seemed ebullient. Over 200 years later, each wonder described in his journals unfolds mile-by-mile as the traveler drives Montana State Highway 200 east from Missoula. The Nez Perce guides accompanying Lewis refused to follow this “Road to the Buffalo” as it was used by their enemies, the Blackfoot. An optional side trip up Alice Creek takes you to the Lewis and Clark Pass trailhead, and you can hike to the same divide that Lewis summited by horseback on July […]
On August 31, 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition left the Lemhi Shoshone and headed north with Toby and his sons as guides. Follow their route up the North Fork of the Salmon River, up and over Lost Trail Pass, and down the Bitterroot River valley. Stop at Travelers’ Rest, a must-see for any Lewis and Clark-related journey. End your trip in Missoula, Montana where you can find rest and refreshment. You can follow the expedition on this trip at our educational website. See August 31, 1805 through September 10, 1805 and June 30, 1806 through July 3, 1806.
They spell it Sacajawea here! On this Inspiration Trip, you will find out why. Cross the Great Divide where Lewis and Clark and countless generations before them did. Then journey down the Lemhi River Valley to the Sacajawea Interpretive, Cultural & Educational Center below Salmon, Idaho. End your trip there or hire one of several outfitters to take you down the Salmon—The River of No Return. Or, you can drive down the river that Clark explored to Shoup, Idaho and beyond. Learn more at our educational website: Sacagawea | Lemhi Shoshones | Lemhi Pass | Lemhi Valley
This adventure starts where Sacagawea was captured as a child and ends where she was reunited with her Lemhi Shoshone People. It starts at the Missouri River headwaters, then up the Jefferson River and through its canyon, and up the broad Beaverhead River Valley to a place the journalists called both “Camp Fortunate” and “Fortunate Camp”. Landmark stops include Beaverhead Rock and Clark’s Lookout. Learn more at our educational website: Jefferson Canyon | Beaverhead Rock | Clark’s Lookout | Rattlesnake Cliffs
On their way to the Headwaters of the Missouri in July 1805, the Expedition journalists described passing through several “gates”—narrow, mountainous constrictions in the Missouri River. This trip stops at the first two, known today as Tower Rock and Gates of the Mountains. Continue to Helena, the Montana State Capital, where historical attractions abound. At Townsend, you can see the unique Crimson Bluffs just as Lewis saw them in 1805. Learn more at our educational website with Tower Rock and Gates of the Rockies.
On June 13, 1805, Capt. Meriwether Lewis encountered the Great Falls of the Missouri and knew that the left branch at Decision Point was the true Missouri River. Further exploration revealed that a total of five waterfalls in the area impeded the progress of the Corps of Discovery. A portage of tremendous difficulty would be required to bypass these falls. With steep canyon walls and with coulees breaking up the adjacent plains, it was not a simple matter of hauling goods out of the boats and carrying them along a trail close to the river. Capt. William Clark reconnoitered the […]