What You'll See On The 4,900-Mile Lewis & Clark Trail

One of the great trails cutting across much of the United States is the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. It is a trail that commemorates the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804 to 1806. The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail is part of the National Trails System and extends for around 4,900 miles or 7,900 kilometers.

It starts in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and reaches the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon. While traditionally, the Lewis and Clark Expedition started in St. Louis (with the Arch Gateway monument marking the starting point of the expedition, the historic trail includes the preparatory phase from Pittsburgh.

What To Know About the Historic Trail

The trail is not actually a hiking trail (although there are plenty of opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, and boating along the way). The National Park Service says of the Trail.

"As a national historic trail, we differ from a traditional national scenic trail (i.e. the Appalachian Trail) in that we are not a surface trail. There are no plans to acquire land along the trail corridor... The national historic trail protects the historic corridor of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and encourages people to connect with the story through a variety of interpretive, recreational and transportation means."

Length: Around 4,900 Miles or 7,900 Kilometers
Starting Point: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Ending Point: Astoria, Oregon
Administered: By The National Park Service

The route follows both the outbound and inbound routes of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It connects 16 states in total - Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. Additionally, it also runs through many tribal lands.

States: Runs Through 16 States

It is a great way to see places and states in the USA that one may not otherwise have seen. It is one of the things to see and do in states like Nebraska.

Exploring The Historic Trail

Exploring the trail requires at least 3 to 4 weeks to see the whole trail - but it really does depend on one's mode of travel and the number of sites one visits along the way. One can learn more about sites along the trail from the National Park Service's maps page or their Plan Your Visit section.

Duration: At Least 3 to 4 Weeks To See The Whole Trail

The NPS has recently added the preparatory section from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Wood River, Illinois. The extension added five new states to the Trail: Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana.

Expansion: The 1,200 Mile Preparatory Section Was Added In 2019

While many of the National Park Service attractions along the way do not charge entry fees, some of their park partners do. Check with each visitor and interpretative center to find out their fees.

Fees: Some of The NPS's Park Partners Charge Various Fees

To browse the many visitor centers, museums, points of interest, and other attractions browse the NPS's website. If one is looking for accommodation along the route, then lewisandclark.travel provides all that information and much more.

Along the route don't forget to see the Sacajawea Interpretive, Cultural & Educational Center. It is dedicated to honoring and providing education about one of America's greatest (and often forgotten) heroines - Sacajawea.

She was a member of the Agaidika (Salmon Eater) Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and played a central role in making the expedition a success.

Omaha Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Visitor Center

The official headquarters for the trial is in Omaha, Nebraska at the National Park Service Midwest Regional Headquarters. This is a great visitor center to check out to learn all about the historic expedition, the explorers themselves, and their Native American aids.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition traveled and met with the native people of the region including the Omaha Indians or "upriver people." It was these people who are the namesake of the City of Omaha (they also ceded most of their territory to the United States in a treaty in 1854).

Today the City of Omaha has over 400,000 people and the whole landscape is hard to imagine what it was like when the expedition passed through here. Back then it was a landscape of tall prairie teeming with buffalo and other animals. The river was not the deep and fast river today, but a wide and very shallow one.

As one passes through Nebraska, stop by at the Omaha Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Visitor Center - the official headquarters of the trail. Visitors are welcome to meet with the Park Rangers and learn more about the history and plan the next steps along the trail.