Traveler's Rest was a stopping point of the

Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gro ...

, located about one mile south of Lolo, Montana. The expedition stopped from September 9 to September 11, 1805, before crossing the Bitterroot Mountains, and again on the return trip from June 30 to July 3, 1806. Traveler's Rest is at the eastern end of the Lolo Trail. It was declared a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 1960 and added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1966. and The boundaries were subsequently revised, and mostly lie within the Traveler's Rest State Park, which is operated by the

Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) is a government agency in the executive branch state of Montana in the United States with responsibility for protecting sustainable fish, wildlife, and state-owned park resources in Monta ...

. Significant archeological findings made in 2002, including latrine sites with traces of mercury and fire hearths, make this the only site on the

Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail is a route across the United States commemorating the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804 to 1806. It is part of the National Trails System of the United States. It extends for some from Pittsburgh, ...

that has yielded physical proof of the explorers' presence. Records made by Lewis and Clark often spell "Traveler's" as "Traveller's". This spot is largely unchanged from the days of Lewis and Clark. From this location, Lewis and Clark split up to explore Montana during their return trip, not reuniting until they reached Sanish, North Dakota. After departing here in 1806, Lewis' part of the expedition traveled to what is now the Alice Creek Historic District. At the time of landmark designation in 1960, the exact location of the expedition's campsite was unknown. Boundaries were formalized on December 12, 1983. Subsequent investigations revealed that errors had been made in setting the boundaries of the landmark. Detailed historical and scientific investigations resulted in a 55-page request for boundary corrections, submitted on May 10, 2004, and approved on March 21, 2006. A new road and bridge were built in 2006.

References

External links

Travelers' Rest State Park
Travelers' Rest Preservation and Heritage Association
Travelers' Rest State Park
Montana Fish, Game, & Parks
Travelers' Rest State Park
AllTrips: Missoula, Montana
Old Map of Travelers' Rest area
* {{authority control National Historic Landmarks in Montana Lewis and Clark Expedition Protected areas of Missoula County, Montana History of Missoula, Montana State parks of Montana Historic American Engineering Record in Montana National Register of Historic Places in Missoula County, Montana 1960 establishments in Montana Protected areas established in 1960

See also

References

External links