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Follow the Corps of Discovery from the Missouri River to the shores of the Pacific — the greatest American expedition ever undertaken.
In May 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led a hand-picked group of soldiers, frontiersmen, and one enslaved man named York westward up the Missouri River on orders from President Jefferson. Their mission: find a route to the Pacific, document the land, and establish American presence in the vast Louisiana Purchase territory. What followed was 28 months of extraordinary courage, scientific observation, diplomatic skill, and survival against impossible odds.
Follow the Route
The outbound route follows the Missouri and Columbia Rivers through ten states. Select a state to explore the historic sites, interpretive centers, and landscapes the Corps of Discovery passed through.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition was not just an adventure — it was one of the most consequential acts of scientific inquiry and geopolitical vision in American history. Jefferson’s instructions were remarkably specific: observe the soil, the plants, the animals, the weather, and above all, the Native peoples. Lewis and Clark complied with meticulous journals that remain primary scientific documents today.
The trail they followed — up the Missouri through what is now Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota, then overland through Montana and Idaho and down the Columbia through Washington to the Oregon coast — is today a National Historic Trail managed by the National Park Service, with hundreds of interpretive sites, museums, and landmarks marking the route.
Download our free Lewis & Clark Trail Guide — curated stops for all 10 states, key sites, and practical planning advice for the journey of a lifetime.
Download the Free Trail Guide →