Travelers Rest Camp
Travelers Rest Camp (1805, 1806) - A Lewis and Clark Expedition Camp established in September 1805 near Lolo, Missoula County, Montana. Restablished on the return trip in June 1806. Abandoned on 3 Jul 1806 as Meriwether Lewis and William Clark left, each pursuing different routes back.
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Travelers Rest Visitor's Center.
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History
A Lewis and Clark Expedition Camp was established on 9 Sep 1805 and occupied through 11 Sep 1805 near present-day Lolo, Missoula County, Montana. The expedition camped here for two days before crossing the Bitterroot Mountains over the Lolo Trail.
On the return trip, Lewis and Clark again stopped for two days, 30 Jun 1806 through 3 Jul 1806. It was at this point that Lewis and Clark separated, intending to map different routes and rejoin near present-day Sanish, North Dakota.
Clark's group returned to Camp Fortunate to recover cached items. His party split into two groups at Three Forks, one of which continued down the Missouri to rejoin Lewis near Maria's River Camp. Clark and the second group traveled overland and then down the Yellowstone River to rejoin Lewis at the Missouri River.
Current Status
Now part of Travelers' Rest State Park. Archeological investigations have confirmed the location of Lewis & Clarks' campsite at Travelers Rest making it perhaps the only confirmed campsite location. The Visitor Center has some excellent displays and information. The actual site has little to see, just a set of place markers and a few interpretive panels but the setting is impressive with the West Fork of Lolo Creek running through the site.
Context
Location:
Travelers' Rest State Park near Lolo, Missoula County, Montana.
Lat: 46.75° Long: -114.088° Elevation: 3'
Bing, Google,
OldMapsOnline,
USGS, OHM
See Also:
Sources:
- The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. 2005. U of Nebraska Press / U of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries-Electronic Text Center.
- NPS - Lewis and Clark Expedition
- USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 1781554
Links:
Related:
Lewis and Clark Expedition, Maria's River Camp, Weippe Prairie Camp, William Clark, Meriwether Lewis,