Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center
4201 Giant Springs Rd
Great Falls, MT
A center on the bluffs above the Missouri that tells the whole Corps of Discovery story, anchored by the month-long portage around the Great Falls that nearly broke the expedition in 1805.
The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center sits on the bluffs above the Missouri River in Great Falls, and it may be the best single place to understand the entire Corps of Discovery. Built in 1998 and run by the US Forest Service, it tells the whole story of the 1804 to 1806 expedition, with a special focus on the event that unfolded right here, the portage around the Great Falls of the Missouri.
In the summer of 1805, the expedition reached the falls expecting a short carry and instead faced five waterfalls and roughly eighteen miles of overland hauling that took about a month. It was one of the hardest passages of the whole journey, and standing in the center above the same river, with its two-story diorama of men dragging canoes up the hill, brings that ordeal vividly to life.
What Guests Love
- A two-story diorama of the men hauling canoes and gear up the hill around the falls
- One of the most complete tellings of the entire Lewis and Clark journey, not just the Montana leg
- The setting on the Missouri bluffs, steps from Giant Springs and the River's Edge Trail
- Exhibits that include the Native nations the expedition met, told from their side as well
Worth Knowing
- It is run by the US Forest Service and can have seasonal hours, so it is worth checking before an off-season visit
- Pair it with Giant Springs State Park next door for a half day on the river
- The center covers the whole journey, so allow a couple of hours to do it justice
- It sits above the river with trail access, so leave time to walk the bluffs
Details
Great Falls, MT
Learn about Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center
The portage that nearly stopped them
The Corps of Discovery reached the Great Falls of the Missouri in mid-June of 1805, and what they found was not one waterfall but a series of them. To get their canoes and tons of gear past the cascades, they had to portage overland for roughly eighteen miles, a task that stretched to about a month of brutal labor in the summer heat.
The men built crude wagons with cottonwood wheels, hauled loads over ground studded with prickly pear that shredded their moccasins, and pushed on through hailstorms, grizzly encounters, and exhaustion. It was among the most punishing stretches of the entire expedition, and the center's exhibits, including a full-size scene of men straining to pull a canoe uphill, make you feel the weight of it.
The whole journey under one roof
Beyond the portage, the center holds one of the most extensive interpretations of the full Lewis and Clark story anywhere, following the Corps from its start near St. Louis, across the plains and the Rockies, to the Pacific and back. Exhibits, films, and artifacts trace the science, the hardship, and the sheer distance of the two-year trek.
The center also gives real space to the many Native nations the expedition depended on and encountered, from the Mandan and Hidatsa villages where they wintered to the Shoshone and Nez Perce who helped them cross the mountains. That fuller telling, including the long consequences of the journey for Native peoples, is part of what makes the center feel current rather than dated.
The river and the springs
The setting is half the experience. The center overlooks the Missouri where it bends past Great Falls, and next door lies Giant Springs, one of the largest freshwater springs in the country, feeding the short Roe River into the Missouri. The River's Edge Trail runs along the bluffs and the water, linking the center to the springs and the remaining falls.
Great Falls itself grew up around the power of those cascades, which were later harnessed by dams, so the wild river the expedition fought is now partly tamed. Even so, from the bluffs you can still read the lay of the land the Corps struggled across, and understand why this bend in the Missouri earned a month of their journey.
Great Falls and planning a visit
The center is run by the US Forest Service and can keep seasonal hours, so it is worth checking before an off-season trip, and it deserves a couple of hours to take in the full journey. Its riverbluff setting means you can pair it with a walk on the River's Edge Trail or a stop at Giant Springs next door.
Great Falls itself makes a good base in central Montana, near the Rocky Mountain Front and the C.M. Russell art country. The expedition's route runs right through the area, so the center is both a museum and a doorway to the actual ground the Corps crossed.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Great Falls
Giant Springs State Park
Adjacent
One of the largest freshwater springs in the United States, feeding the very short Roe River into the Missouri, with trails, a fish hatchery, and picnic grounds.
C.M. Russell Museum
About 4 miles
A museum devoted to cowboy artist Charlie Russell, with his log studio and one of the great collections of Western art.
First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park
About 15 miles southwest
One of the largest bison jumps in North America, used by Native peoples for centuries, with an interpretive center below the cliffs.