Billings, Montana to Great Falls, Montana
(335 miles)

This route takes you through Bozeman, Three Forks, and Helena, Montana.
Experience mountain passes, battlefield history, and remarkable natural wonders.
 

Across the mountains of Montana, the landscape unfolded with challenges, natural beauty, and pivotal moments in Native American and American history. This route connects dugout canoes and daring escapes with towering peaks, sacred rivers, and lasting memorials.

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POINTS OF INTEREST

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📍Laurel/Park City, Montana (July 19–24, 1806)

• Clark’s group stopped here to carve two dugout canoes for exploring the Yellowstone River.

  • During the night, half their horses were taken by members of the neighboring Crow Tribe, regarded by Plains tribes as master horsemen and expert horse-thieves.

📍 Laurel, Montana

• • Canyon Creek Battlefield (8 miles north): Site of a significant 1877 clash between the Nez Perce led by Chief Joseph and U.S. Cavalry under Col. Samuel Sturgis.

  • Chief Joseph Monument: Located in downtown Laurel at First Avenue and Main Street, honoring the Nez Perce leader’s journey through this area during his people’s retreat toward Canada.

📍 Livingston, Montana – Sacajawea Park

• • Home to the beautiful "At the Yellowstone" bronze statue, featuring Sacajawea on horseback with her son Pomp as a toddler—commemorating her crucial role as guide and interpreter.​​

📍Bozeman, Montana​

• • On July 15, 1806, Clark’s team crossed Bozeman Pass based on Sacagawea’s guidance.

  • Clark wrote: 📖 “The Indian woman who has been of great service to me as a pilot through this country recommends a gap in the mountain more south which I shall cross.

📍Three Forks, Montana – Missouri Headwaters State Park

• • This is where the Jefferson, Gallatin, and Madison Rivers meet to form the mighty Missouri River.

  • On July 28, 1805, the captains named each tributary, marking a key geographic moment in the expedition.

📍Helena, Montana – Gates of the Mountains

• • This scenic stretch along the Missouri River was named by Lewis in 1805 for its towering cliffs that seem to part like gates as you approach by boat.

  • Today, you can take a guided boat tour through this breathtaking geological marvel.

📍Great Falls, Montana

• Field Notes
  On June 13, 1805, the Corps reached the Great Falls of the Missouri. Expecting a two-day portage, they instead faced a grueling journey around a 20-mile series of falls with a 500-foot elevation gain.

• Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center
  A powerful and immersive exhibit experience – not to be missed

• Giant Springs Heritage Park
  One of the largest freshwater springs in the world and home of the Roe River, the world’s shortest river

• C.M. Russell Museum Complex
  Features Charlie Russell’s home, original log studio, and expansive museum galleries

• Overlook Park
  Bronze monument of Lewis, Clark, York, and Seaman by Bob Scriver
  Scenic views of the river and trail route

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📍Ulm, Montana

• First People's Buffalo Jump 

  • Possibly the largest buffalo jump in the world

  • Cliffs stretch over a mile with bison bone deposits over 13 feet deep

  • Used by Native peoples between 900 and 1500 A.D.

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