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Lewis and Clark Trail
Lewis and Clark entered North Dakota in mid-October 1804, wintered at Fort Mandan, near present-day Washburn, North Dakota, and departed for the Pacific Ocean on April 7, 1805. They followed the Missouri to the Yellowstone, near present-day Williston and departed North Dakota by the end of the month. On their return trip, having separately explored the Missouri and Yellowstone valleys, they reunited just south of present-day New Town. To aid today’s travelers, the highway on the east side of the Missouri River is numbered ND 1804. On the west side of the river, ND 1806 commemorates the expedition’s return in August 1806.
The State Historical Society of North Dakota has identified and marked 28 locations of significance to Lewis and Clark’s expedition. While a few may require a short hike or directions from the locals, most are found within easy reach of lodging, dining and other travel services. For your “then and now” journey, be sure to visit many of the sites described in Lewis and Clark’s journals. For your “then and now” journey, be sure to visit many of the sites described in Lewis and Clark’s journals, including those on the list that follows:
Standing Rock Reservation, Cannon Ball, ND
Then:
“A fine day. Above the mouth of the river, great numbers of stones, perfectly round, with fine grit, are in the bluff and on the shore. The river takes its name from those stones, which resemble cannon balls.” - Captain Clark, 18 October 1804
Now:
Visitors to the Standing Rock Reservation today still find cannon ball stones on and near the mouth of the Cannonball River. Nearby attractions include the Sitting Bull Burial Historic Site in Fort Yates and the Prairie Knights Casino & Resort.
Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, Mandan, ND
Then:
“I saw an old remains of a village, covering 6 or 8 acres, on the side of a hill which the chief…tells me that nation [Mandans] lived in.” - Captain Clark, 20 October 1804
Now:
Several earthlodges have been reconstructed at this same site in Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, which is also home to the reconstructed Fort Abraham Lincoln, where George Custer commanded the 7th Cavalry 70 years later.
Fort Mandan, Washburn, ND
Then:
“This morning at daylight, I went down the river with 4 men, to look for a proper place to winter. Proceeded down the river three miles, and found a place well supplied with wood, and returned.” - Captain Clark, 2 November 1804
Now:
Fort Mandan has been reconstructed a few miles north of Washburn near the location of the original fort. Together with the new Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, this is one of the best places on the trail to step back in time to the winter of 1804-1805 and to learn about Sakakawea’s role in the expedition. Lewis and Clark spent more time at Fort Mandan than any other single location on their journey.
Knife River Indian Villages, Stanton, ND
Then:
“Those people are…possessing national pride…live in warm houses, large and built in an octagon form, forming a cone at top which is left open for the smoke to pass. Those houses are generally 30 or 40 feet in diameter, covered with earth on poles-willows and grass to prevent the earth passing through. Those people express an inclination to be at peace with all nations.” - Captain Clark, 13 October 1804
Now:
Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site preserves the ruins of the villages upstream from Fort Mandan, including Sakakawea’s home village. Hundreds of depressions in the prairie mark the locations of collapsed earthlodges where many tribes populated a virtual metropolis here for thousands of years. These villages were the hub of a vast trade region, as influential as Chicago today. The Indian people Lewis and Clark met here would be among its last occupants, succumbing to smallpox epidemics and the encroachment of white settlers. Visitors today tour reconstructed earthlodges and enjoy miles of trails through the villages.
The Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence, Williston, ND
Then:
“…the high plain, rising very gradually, extends back about three miles to the hills, and continues with the same width between these hills and the timbered land on the Yellowstone River, up that stream, for seven or eight miles; and is one of the handsomest plains I ever beheld.” - Captain Lewis, 27 April 1805
Now:
In precisely the spot described by Lewis as “the most eligible site for an establishment” the Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site provides another step back in time. The reconstructed fur trading post was built just three decades after Lewis’ prophetic description of the area and served as a hub of peaceful commerce between whites and natives. Only a mile away, the Fort Buford State Historic Site contains original buildings from the military post where both Sitting Bull, the great Sioux leader and Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce were detained.
North Dakota, then and now.
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. There is no “right” place to start following the Lewis & Clark Trail, as long as you start with a spirit of adventure!
Lewis & Clark found here: beautiful and broad plains, abundant wildlife, hospitable natives and a young Indian interpreter and guide who would prove invaluable on their journey.
What you will find here: all that - (really!) - plus nationally praised golf courses, world-class fishing, sailing, canoeing, waterslides, go-carts, fine dining and a riverboat cruise on which you are NOT required to paddle.
Use the links to the left for detailed information on the Lewis & Clark story in North Dakota.
For more information about Lewis and Clark's journey through North Dakota, contact Annette Schilling, Cultural and Heritage Tourism Marketing Director, at 701-328-2525.
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