Take the Trail
Lewis and Clark
What they found here: beautiful and broad plains, abundant wildlife, hospitable natives and a young Indian interpreter and guide who would prove invaluable on their journey.
Where the Adventure Begins…
…A Journey into the Unknown
April 7, 1805. As the last chunks of ice float away from the Missouri River shoreline, a gathering of Indian men and women bids farewell to the curious band of light-skinned men who wintered among them. The voyagers eagerly set forth upstream, in the company of a young Indian woman whose husband was hired “with his wife, as an interpreter through his wife” (Lewis’ journal). Carrying her infant son in a cradleboard, she dreams of returning to the mountains of her birth and to her family. For all but Sakakawea, the Indian woman, it is a voyage into the vast unknown.
Lewis & Clark Trail attractions and historical markers
North Dakota still boasts the “handsomest plains” you may ever behold. The full length of the Missouri River, wide-open spaces, rugged buttes and abundant wildlife take you back in time and closer to nature. The State Historical Society of North Dakota has identified and marked 27 locations of significance to Lewis and Clark’s expedition. While a few may require a short hike or directions from the locals, most are within easy reach of lodging, dining and other travel services. And now that Lewis and Clark have done all the hard work, charting and exploring the West, you get to have all the fun! Visit www.ndtourism.com or call 1-800-HELLO-ND to learn all the details about where to find the best places for your favorite activities, including fishing, boating, sailing, biking, hiking, golfing and “real west” trail rides and ranch vacations
For more information about Lewis and Clark's journey through North Dakota, contact Annette Schilling, North Dakota Lewis & Clark Coordinator at 701-328-2525.
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