Lewis and Clark Tour: Undaunted Courage

After breakfast, you will stop at a Lewis and Clark Monument overlooking the Missouri River, and then continue on to Fort Benton, often called “The Birthplace of Montana.”

From there, you will visit Decision Point at Loma, a pivotal location on the Corps of Discovery Trail. Here, Lewis and Clark made the crucial choice about which river to follow to reach the Northwest Passage—take the Marias or continue on the Missouri.

You will also explore historic Old Fort Benton, the trading post for many Native American tribes and trappers, as well as the Missouri River levee. Fort Benton was the endpoint of steamboat travel between St. Louis and the West. In addition, you’ll stop at the Agriculture Museum to view the Hornaday Bison.

Later, you will return to Great Falls and visit the Lewis and Clark Trail Interpretive Center. Situated beside the Missouri River, the Center features indoor and outdoor exhibits that historian Stephen Ambrose called “outstanding—the best anywhere.” Highlights include dioramas depicting the explorers, Sacagawea and her son Pomp, an Indian village, and many artifacts. A scenic drive along the river concludes at Giant Springs, where you will enjoy a stunning view of the Falls.

You will begin the day with a visit to the C.M. Russell Museum. Charles M. Russell was a world-renowned artist whose deep knowledge of the American West informed his work throughout his lifetime. Known as the first artist to truly live most of his life in the Cowboy West, he created approximately 4,000 works of art that went on to inspire generations of artists who took the West as their muse. Afterwards, you will visit the First Peoples Buffalo Jump, a prehistoric site where Indigenous peoples carried out large-scale bison hunts.

In the afternoon, the group will travel by bus to the five-mile canyon that Meriwether Lewis christened the Gates of the Rocky Mountains. Here, you will enjoy a scenic boat ride through the Gates of the Mountains, where bighorn sheep, deer, bald eagles, and osprey can still be spotted in their natural habitat.

You will begin the day at the Montana State Capitol in Helena which features an impressive collection of artwork, including Charles M. Russell’s mural depicting Lewis and Clark with the Flathead Indians at Ross’ Hole, Montana.

Next, you will visit Missouri Headwaters State Park, where Meriwether Lewis recognized the site as “an essential point in the geography of this western part of the Continent.”

You will end the day with a visit to the renowned Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman to explore the acclaimed exhibit on Crow Indian culture, Apsáalooke Women and Warriors.

Our Corps’ day begins with a drive to Whitehall, Montana, to view the remarkable murals of the expedition, followed by a visit to Beaverhead Rock, which Sacagawea recognized as a landmark near Shoshone tribal lands. From there, you will continue to Camp Fortunate, where Lewis and Clark made their critical first contact with the Shoshone—Sacagawea’s own people.

Your next stop is Lemhi Pass on the Continental Divide and the Missouri River Headwaters. Here, you will walk in Lewis’ footsteps across the Divide and down to the place where he first drank from the waters of the Columbia River.

The day concludes with a dinner cruise on the legendary “River of No Return” at Salmon, Idaho.

The day begins with a short drive along the Salmon River, exploring the route that William Clark found too wild to navigate.

You will continue with a visit to the Big Hole Battlefield National Monument, where in 1877 Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce mounted a fierce defense during one of the battles between the tribe and U.S. Cavalry forces. Next, you will travel north to Ross’ Hole, where Lewis and Clark encountered the Montana Salish Indians.

The day concludes at Traveler’s Rest on Lolo Creek, where Lewis and Clark camped while traveling west in 1805 and again in 1806, splitting up to explore Montana further.

Your day will begin with a stop atop Lolo Pass and the Corps’ Glade Creek Campsite, which historian Stephen Ambrose helped preserve in its wilderness condition. After brief visits to the DeVoto Cedar Grove and Heart of the Monster, a key Nez Perce cultural site, you will continue to Kamiah, where the Corps camped on their return trip while waiting for better traveling weather.

Next, you will head to “Canoe Camp” in Orofino, Idaho, where the Corps built five dugout canoes for their downstream journey to the Pacific Ocean. Your final stop is a visit to the Nez Perce National Historical Park, dedicated to preserving the tribe’s rich culture.

The day begins at Hells Gate State Park on the border of Idaho and Washington. The park commemorates several pivotal moments in the history of the American West through interpretive signage and hiking trails.

You will then continue to Walla Walla, stopping along the way at three important Lewis and Clark sites: the Alpowai Village Site at Chief Timothy State Park, the Patit Creek Campsite near Dayton, Washington, and the Touchet River Campsite near Waitsburg.

The day concludes at the Whitman Mission National Historic Site, a 19th-century memorial highlighting the unique challenges posed by the cultural divide between Christian missionaries and Native American tribes.

The morning begins at Sacajawea State Park, where the Snake River meets the Columbia River, a significant site where Lewis and Clark encountered the Yakama and Wanapum Indians. From there, you will follow the Columbia, stopping along the way at Hat Rock State Park, near the location where the Corps met the Walla Walla Indian people, and then at Celilo Falls and the start of the Long Narrows—among the most important ancient fishing sites in the Columbia River Basin.

Next, you will visit Rock Fort Camp in The Dalles, Oregon, followed by the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, which features an excellent Lewis and Clark exhibit. The day concludes with a short drive along the original U.S. Highway 30, offering spectacular views of the Columbia River Gorge.

The day begins in the Cascades section of the Columbia River, at the remnants of the immense 17th-century landslide that formed the Bridge of the Gods, a geological phenomenon correctly observed by Lewis and Clark. You will then visit the Bonneville Dam, constructed as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal” program in the 1930s, before continuing downstream to the Sandy River, known to Lewis and Clark as the “Quick Sand River” and a landmark of major importance during both the 1805 and 1806 voyages along the Columbia.

From there, you will proceed to the river’s vast estuary and onward to the Pacific Coast, stopping along the way at Dismal Niche, the Station Camp site where Lewis and Clark encountered bands of Chinook Indian traders, and finally Cape Disappointment, where the captains first beheld the Pacific Ocean.

Your final day begins at the Astoria Column, where the towering observation deck offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River. You will then visit the Columbia River Maritime Museum, dedicated to artifacts related to the exploration of the Pacific Northwest. Next, you will continue to Fort Clatsop, the reconstructed 1805–1806 winter encampment of the Corps of Discovery and the terminus of their westward expedition. From there, you will travel to Seaside, Oregon, to enjoy the sights of this beautiful coastal town and visit the Salt Works National Historic Site, where members of the Corps spent six weeks boiling seawater to produce 28 gallons of essential salt.

Your final stop will be Cannon Beach, site of the famous beached whale that provided the Corps with a welcome winter diversion from the dreary chores at Fort Clatsop.

The evening concludes in Portland, Oregon, where we will celebrate the journey with a Farewell Dinner.

This morning, our Corps of Discovery will bid farewell to the Pacific Northwest and conclude our Lewis and Clark adventure with a flight out of Portland International Airport (PDX).