In addition to the main objective of finding and mapping a new route to the Pacific Ocean, President Thomas Jefferson had 3 other tasks for explorers Lewis and Clark to complete. The first was to make contact with Native Americans. Secondly the explorers were to obtain specimens of flora and fauna for further study. Lastly Lewis and Clark were charged with keeping full and detailed records of their activities during their expedition in search of a new route to the Pacific Ocean. Their trek through wild, unsettled Montana provided some of the most challenging and interesting experiences in their long, arduous adventure. Near Billings Montana From July 13th to July 26th, 1806, near Billings Montana, Captain William Clark’s exploration team watched as smoke billowed into the deep blue Montana sky from the neighboring Crow nation. While floating down the Yellowstone River, Clark went ashore and carved his name on a giant sandstone pillar he named “Pompy’s Tower in honor of Sacagawea’s young baby. Nearby at Buffalo Mirage Access they constructed two canoes to continue their trip down the Yellowstone River. From there they traveled onward via a 149 mile segment from what is now Kipp State Park, upstream to Fort Benton. For those wanting an exciting vacation in beautiful Montana, this route has changed little since Lewis and Clark explored it in 1805 and 1806. Commercial boat trips are available for interested vacationers. In June 1805, the explorers made camp for nine days along the Marias River and determined that the Marias is not the main tributary of the Missouri river. Vacationers will find an interpretive sign, nearby in Loma, Montana. Visitors to the historic town of Fort Benton will find an impressive statue of Lewis, Clark, Sacagawea and her son. The Bureau of Land Management there also has a visitor center featuring the explorers. The Two Medicine Fight Sight, which may be accessed by gaining permission from the private landowner, is the site where Meriwether Lewis and three of his men fought with eight members of the Blackfoot Indian tribe. Lewis’s men killed two of the Blackfoot Warriors. Another stop for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the interestingly named Camp Disappointment, is the northernmost point reached by the explorers on their exploration of the Marias River. Montana Vacationers will find an interpretive sign for this site on U.S. Highway 2, about 22 miles west of Cut Bank. Here also, access is allowed through private property. For those vacationers wishing to stay, local realtors may have listings for beautiful home sites on these historic lands. Perhaps one of Montana’s most famous landmarks, Great Falls, which Lewis described as a sublimely grand spectacle, can be viewed from a series of scenic overlooks. These overlooks located in Montana Power Company’s Ryan Dam Park, contain many informative interpretive signs. The Portage around the Great Falls delayed the Lewis and Clark expedition of almost a month in 1805. The Expeditions’ boats and supplies had to be portaged nearly 18 miles around this navigational obstacle. Almost all of the route is privately owned and is not accessible to visitors. Again, visitors wishing to own a piece of history can contract one of the Great Falls area’s local realtors to see if any of this privately land becomes available. A quick look at the Montana Map shows Square Butte, a landmark named “Fort Mountain” by the expedition in 1805. Lewis used this landmark to guide him to the Great Falls in 1806. Another landmark, the aptly named Lewis and Clark Pass, was crossed by the party in 1806 as they followed an Indian Trail to the Great Falls. This landmark is accessible by a foot trail. Commercial boat trips are available to vacationers interested in an explorer’s eye view of another landmark on the map of Montana named by Lewis. The Gates of the Mountains is a spectacular Missouri River Canyon and well worth the trip. Montana Vacationers will also find lots of state recreation areas located around Canyon Ferry Lake, many of which have Lewis and Clark interpretation. There are many other Lewis and Clark Expedition sites to visit on your Montana Vacation. Other Lewis and Clark stops you’ll see on your Montana Map include, Missouri Headwaters State Park, Beaverhead Rock State Monument, Clark’s Lookout State Monument, Camp Fortunate Overlook, Lemhi Pass, Cameahwait’s Shoshone Camp, Travelers Rest and many others. So plan your Lewis and Clark Montana Vacation now. And remember, your Montana real estate agent is only a phone call away if you decide to stay.