Travelers’ Rest – National Historic Landmark, Lolo, Montana
 

📖 Captain Meriwether Lewis, September 9, 1805“ — as our guide informed that we should leaved the river at this place and the weather settled and fair I determined to halt the next day rest our horses and take some scelestial Observations. We called this creek Travellers rest.”
 

Before the Corps of Discovery began their grueling ascent across the Bitterroot Mountains, they made camp along a quiet creek in what is now western Montana. Captain Lewis noted that the place would be ideal to rest their horses and take celestial observations. He named it Travellers Rest—a name that still resonates more than two centuries later.
 

A Historic Camp with Proven Footsteps

From September 9–11, 1805, the Corps encamped at Travelers’ Rest. During this time, they had a peaceful encounter with three Flathead warriors who were pursuing horse thieves from another tribe. On September 11, the Corps left camp and followed the rugged Lolo Trail into the mountains.
 

👉 On their return journey in 1806, they camped again at this site from June 30 to July 3. It was here the expedition made a pivotal decision: to divide into separate groups to further explore the Louisiana Purchase.

The 1806 Split at Travelers’ Rest— Clark Explores the Yellowstone

• On July 3, 1806, Captain William Clark led a detachment of 20 men, Sacagawea, her baby, and 50 horses southeast up the Bitterroot River.

• They crossed Gibbons Pass into the Big Hole Valley and stopped briefly at a hot springs before crossing Big Hole Pass.

• By July 8, they reached Camp Fortunate, recovered their cached supplies, and continued toward the Yellowstone River via the Gallatin Valley.

• Sergeant John Ordway led a small group down the Missouri River with dugout canoes from the previous year.

Lewis Explores the Marias

• Lewis and nine men traveled north along the Bitterroot and Blackfoot Rivers, following traditional Nez Perce buffalo hunting trails.

• On July 6, they crossed the "prairie of the knobs" and passed through old Indian encampments before crossing the Continental Divide at Lewis and Clark Pass.

• On July 16, Lewis branched off to explore the Marias River, hoping it extended to the 50th parallel—the northern boundary defined in the U.S.–British Treaty of 1783.

• They reached the Cut Bank River, but realizing the Marias did not extend far enough north, Lewis named their camp “Camp Disappointment.”

• During their return, they encountered a group of Blackfeet Indians. A conflict erupted that left two Blackfeet dead—the only hostile incident of the entire expedition.

A Place Where History Is Proven

In 2002, archaeologists made a groundbreaking discovery: fire hearths, lead fragments from firearm repairs, and a mercury-contaminated latrine—all physical evidence directly linking this site to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Travelers’ Rest remains the only confirmed campsite on the entire trail with archaeological proof.

But the site's story stretches far beyond Lewis and Clark. For centuries, Salish, Pend d'Oreille, and Nez Perce peoples used this area as a trail junction and seasonal camp—long before explorers set foot on the landscape.

Plan Your Visit

Traveler’s Rest State Park
📍 6550 Mormon Creek Road, Lolo, Montana
Just 12 miles southwest of Missoula

• Explore the Visitor Center & Museum, featuring:

  • Expedition replicas

  • Native American handcrafts

  • Salish culture exhibits

  • A frontier-style Main Street

Travel south on U.S. 93 along the Bitterroot River to Lost Trail Pass (83 miles), or west on U.S. 12 along Lolo Creek to Lolo Pass (33 miles)—both scenic routes closely tied to the expedition’s journey.
Set beneath the stunning Lolo Peak (9,075 ft.), Travelers’ Rest is a destination where the past feels powerfully present.