Along the way, Sacagawea proved even more helpful than they had originally thought, as she also acted as a peacemaker and negotiated for horses and supplies along the way.

The expedition continued up the Missouri River and into Montana Territory, but as they neared the Rocky Mountains the flow of the Missouri River began to lessen. As the expedition approached the river’s headwaters deep in the mountains they were forced to start traveling by land. Although, they had believed that the Missouri would connect to another great river leading to the Pacific, the expedition found that such an easy connection did not exist.

The expedition continued by land, traveling across much of present-day Northern Idaho until reaching the Clearwater and Snake Rivers, where they again could journey by boat. The expedition moved more quickly by water, finally reaching Columbia River in mid-October. Continuing on, they passed Celilo Falls and through what is now Portland, Oregon.

In November, 1805, some 18 months after leaving St. Louis, Lewis spotted Mt. Hood, a mountain known to be very close to the ocean. However, winter was upon them so they soon set up a permanent winter dwelling south of the Columbia River, near present-day Astoria, Oregon , which they called Fort Clatsop. The expedition spent the self-described long, wet winter preparing for the trip home by boiling salt from the ocean and hunting elk and other wildlife.

The explorers started their journey home on March 23, 1806 and on their return Lewis and Clark split up. Clark led one group up the Yellowstone River, while Lewis led another group into what are now North Central Montana and the Province of Alberta. In August they met on the Missouri River and arrived back in St. Louis on September 23, 1806.

Throughout the journey, Lewis and Clark constantly collected samples of plants, animals, and birds, while also documenting encounters with the many Indians they met along the way. Their detailed observations on their 8,000 mile round trip journey of climate, landscape, plant communities, and human and animal populations were valuable to an expanding nation.

Although the expedition failed to find the Northwest Passage, it greatly increased knowledge of the nation’s newly acquired territory and opened the doors to westward settlement.

After the expedition concluded, Lewis was made governor of the Louisiana Territory in 1807. His career started well, but two years later a controversy involving government finances arose and Lewis made plans to travel to Washington D.C. to resolve the dispute. Traveling through Tennessee, Governor Meriwether Lewis on October 11, 1809 died mysteriously from gunshot wounds inflicted while at Grinder's Stand, a public roadhouse. It is not known whether he was murdered or committed suicide. His grave lies where he died, within today's Natchez Trace National Parkway near Hohenwald, Tennessee.

Meanwhile, Clark was made a brigadier general of the territory in March, 1807. In 1813 he was appointed Governor of Missouri Territory, a position he held until Missouri Statehood in 1820. In 1822 he was appointed Superintendent of Indian Affairs by President Monroe. He was reappointed to this post by each succeeding president and served in this capacity for the remainder of his life. General William Clark died of natural causes in St. Louis, September 1, 1838 and is buried in the Clark Family plot at Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis.

Today the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail can still be followed along the Missouri and Columbia Rivers. Though much has changed over the past centuries, many of the trail portions remain intact. At 3700 miles, the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail is the second longest of the 23 National Scenic and National Historic Trails. It begins at Hartford, Illinois and passes through portions of Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota , North Dakota , Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington .

Many people follow the trail by auto while the more adventurous can still find many sections that encourage boating, biking, or hiking.

© Kathy Weiser/Legends of America, updated, October, 2009.