Pittsburgh, PA - Cincinnati, OH – 408 miles
 

Meriwether Lewis departed from Pittsburgh on August 31, 1803, navigating the Ohio River aboard his newly constructed keelboat. His journey westward was marked by significant stops, including Wheeling, WV, and Maysville, KY, where he recruited key expedition members.

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POINTS OF INTEREST

📍 Wheeling, WV – Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex
On September 7, 1803, Lewis landed in Wheeling. Nearby, you can visit Grave Creek Mound, one of the largest conical mounds built during the late Adena Period (250-150 B.C.). This ancient structure is a testament to the sophisticated cultures that predated European settlement.

📍 Maysville, KY – Historic River Town & Pioneer District
By September 22 or 23, 1803, Lewis likely recruited John Colter in Maysville. Colter later became the first known European to explore what is now Yellowstone National Park (around 1808).

• Stroll through Maysville’s Historic District, a charming Ohio River town featuring 19th-century architecture and cultural landmarks.

• Visit the Washington Historic District, an authentic pioneer community with 1790s log cabins, shops, and museums.

• Experience the Buffalo Trace, a historic path used by Native Americans and early settlers
  📍Big Bone Lick State Historic Site – Union, KY

👉Discover the birthplace of American paleontology, where ancient fossils, roaming bison, and outdoor recreation come together near the Ohio River. Thomas Jefferson requested that Lewis stop at Big Bone and collect bones of the giant mammals that were preserved in the salt lick. 

Highlights:

• Salty Natural Springs – Namesake of the site, attracting prehistoric wildlife.

• Bison Herd Viewing – Spot bison grazing year-round.

• Free Admission – Open daily until dark, year-round.

📍 Cincinnati, OH – Queen City of the West 

• On September 28, 1803, Meriwether Lewis arrived in Cincinnati with his small crew after traveling nearly 500 miles down the Ohio River from Pittsburgh.

• Cincinnati was a modest frontier town at the time, with a population under 2,000.

• While in the city, Lewis wrote to William Clark, updating him on their progress and noting he had recruited two young men on trial—likely George Shannon and John Colter.

• He also wrote to President Thomas Jefferson, describing challenges due to historically low water levels on the Ohio River.

• Lewis left the keelboat in the care of his crew and traveled 17 miles overland to Big Bone Lick, Kentucky to study fossil beds—a site of growing scientific interest in Jefferson’s America.

• He rejoined the keelboat 55 miles downstream to continue the expedition.

• Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal
  Learn about early American history, river travel, and natural science in one of the city’s most iconic buildings.

• The Banks of the Ohio River
  Walk along the riverfront where Lewis once docked. The Smale Riverfront Park offers modern views and historic context.

• National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
  Explore the complex history of freedom and movement along the Ohio River, a defining boundary in American history.

• John G. & Phyllis W. Smale Riverfront Park
  A perfect spot to reflect on the journey of the Corps of Discovery while enjoying views of the river they once traveled.

• Colter & Shannon Legacy Connections
  While no physical monuments exist for these two at this stop, knowing that John Colter would go on to become one of the first mountain men, and George Shannon a future U.S. Senator, makes this moment in the trail particularly compelling.
  
   

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