Part One
Following in the Footsteps of
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark

For more information on the walks, contact: St. Charles, Missouri, Andrew Lucas, 314-283-7893, arlucas@swbell.net Rocheport, Missouri, Terri Wise, 314-961-5927, terriw0311@sbcglobal.net Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Connie & Phil Koerin, 913-651-0811, koerinpc1@juno.com Pierre, South Dakota, Pierre Area Chamber of Commerce, 605-224-7361, kkern@pierrechamber.com Bismarck, North Dakota, Bismarck-Mandan Convention & Visitors Bureau, 800-767-3555

By Dan Friesen

The first Saturday of June has been designated by the American Hiking Society as National Trails Day – a time to celebrate and experience America’s abundant and diverse network of trails. This June, we are also commemorating the bicentennial of America’s greatest trailblazers, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and their indefatigable Corps of Discovery.

In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson presided over a transaction that many historians rank in national importance alongside the proclamation of the Declaration of Independence and the crafting of the Constitution. Napoleon, France’s ambitious emperor, sold a vast tract of land to the fledgling United States that doubled the nation’s size and ensured dominance over North America and beyond – the price, a mere $15 million!

Jefferson’s private secretary, Meriwether Lewis, had previously been commissioned to explore the domains west of the Mississippi River. The contract with Napoleon for the Louisiana Purchase solidified Jefferson’s resolve to determine the nature of the lands encompassed by the Missouri River drainage system and the extent of the territory. Lewis chose his friend William Clark as co-captain of the historic endeavor, and in May 1804, after months spent accumulating men and supplies; the Corps of Discovery began an incredible odyssey through more than 8,000 miles of uncharted terrain. Their first objective was to follow the Missouri River to its source. Accomplishing that, they anticipated a quick crossing of the Rocky Mountains, and an uneventful float down the Columbia River to the Pacific.

What better way to celebrate America’s trails and develop a deeper appreciation for our heritage than by following in the footsteps of these intrepid explorers? Though the Corps required over two years to make the journey, a vehicle and a few good maps will allow you to retrace their trail and gain a sense of their adventures in the space of about three weeks. Following is the first of a two-part Lewis and Clark survey. It is a combination of interpretive centers along the route with stops at significant points of interest and a series of six-mile walks organized by member clubs of the American Volkssport Association (see right).

Illinois and Missouri
Like many auspicious beginnings, the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition is a matter of controversy. Since most historians conclude that the party first coalesced as a unit at Camp Wood, in present-day Illinois near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, we’ll accept this as their point of embarkation. Start your epic journey here with a visit to the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site. The visitor center has a worthwhile 15-minute film and a re-creation of the simple stockade where the Corps spent the first winter.

From Camp Wood, follow the Missouri River west to St. Charles. The Expedition’s last contact with non-natives occurred in this hospitable village of humble French farmers. Stretch your legs in St. Charles with a six-mile walk encompassing the cobblestone streets and charming shops and eateries of the well-preserved historic district.

To break up a long section of interstate, stop in the sleepy 19th century community of Rocheport for a stroll along the Katy Trail. This longest rails-to-trails project in the country offers plenty of room to reflect on what the men of the Corps might have been feeling as they worked their way upriver, ever farther from friends, family, and the familiar.

Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa
Before leaving Missouri, visit the excellent Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence; then continue into Kansas for a wonderfully diverse trail through historic Fort Leavenworth. From Leavenworth, follow the river north to Atchison, where the Corps celebrated the first of three Independence Days on the trail.

Continue along Highway 159 through rich prairie farmland to Nebraska City for a night at imposing Lied Lodge with its massive Adirondack-style wooden beams and stonework. Just outside of Nebraska City, the new Missouri River Basin Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center provides a captivating presentation of the myriad new species of flora and fauna discovered and faithfully catalogued by Captain Lewis – a result of his endless days hiking the landscape adjacent to the Missouri River with his faithful dog Seaman.

Fifteen miles north of Omaha, the reconstruction of Fort Atkinson in a remote and serene setting commemorates the first of many types of council between the Corps and Native Americans. Leaving Fort Atkinson, cross into Iowa for a memorable stop at Lewis and Clark State Park near Onawa. A dedicated group of shipwrights and history-lovers called the Friends of Discovery have constructed faithful replicas of the riverboats used by the Corps. We recommend a cruise around the lake in the company of local Lewis and Clark legend “Buffalo Bill,” a colorful character attired in fringed buckskins and sporting a full, grizzled beard.

In Sioux City, the Sergeant Floyd Monument memorializes the only fatality of the 2 1/2-year expedition. That Floyd was the Corps’ solitary casualty testifies to the skill and good fortune of this blessed enterprise, and to the competence of its leaders.

South and North Dakota
Following the Missouri into South Dakota, your next stop is Spirit Mound, which captured the imaginations of Expedition members when Oto Indians recounted tales of devils haunting this otherwise inconsequential hill. A pleasant stroll through undeveloped prairie ends atop the mound — one of the few sites along the Trail where you can with certainty claim that you are standing in the footsteps of the undaunted explorers.

Further upriver, Chamberlain’s Akta Lakota Museum offers insight into the complexities of Native American culture in the days before the Expedition. From Chamberlain, take the Native American Scenic Byway north to Pierre. A trail from the Pierre Chamber of Commerce explores La Framboise Island, a peaceful nature preserve likely to produce wildlife sightings. Near this spot, the Expedition survived a series of tense encounters with the powerful and aggressive Teton Sioux.

Leaving Pierre, continue into North Dakota to the capital city of Bismarck. The sightseeing walk here features the fascinating North Dakota Heritage Center. Be sure to inquire with Captain Jim Stellick about a Missouri River dinner cruise aboard the Lewis & Clark Riverboat — especially memorable if Jim has enlisted one of the entertaining Lewis and Clark lecturers. Just north of Bismarck, Fort Mandan marks the spot where the Corps spent a bitterly cold winter on the trail. Without the aid of the friendly Mandan tribe, the Expedition may have ended here.

Next issue, the saga with Lewis and Clark continues as you relive their month-long portage of the Great Falls of the Missouri and retrace their dramatic, nearly disastrous crossing of the foreboding Rocky Mountains.

Dan Friesen, president of Walking Adventures International, which is a dedicated team that plans and guides tours combining three-hour walks with sightseeing and cultural attractions in North America and around the globe. Call: 800-779-0353; email: fun@walkingadventures.com; www.walkingadventures.com.