In the Wake of Lewis and Clark + the Montana Trail
Dates & Rates
Prices: starting at $4,840
Dates: Contact us for the latest departure dates
Ship: M.V. Sea Bird & Sea Lion
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From the great portage on the Missouri to their quest for the Continental Divide, this is the perfect complement to our river journey. Follow the trail of Lewis and Clark through Montana landscapes that look much the same as they did in the early 1800s. Expert historians and Indian tribal members provide compelling interpretations of events.
| Day 1 | Portland, Oregon/Embark Ship |
| Day 2 | Eastern Washington’s Wine Country |
| Day 3 | Clarkston |
| Day 4 | Exploring the Palouse River |
| Day 5 | Columbia River Gorge and Hood River |
| Day 6 | Astoria |
| Day 7 | Portland/Disembark/Great Falls, MT/Fort Benton |
| Day 8 | Fort Benton |
| Day 9 | Three Forks |
| Day 10 | Dillon |
| Day 11 | Salmon, Idaho |
| Day 12 | Missoula, Montana |
| Day 13 | Missoula/Home |
Itinerary - 14 Days
Day 1 - Portland, Oregon/Embark Ship
Board our ship and cruise the lower part of the Willamette River before reaching the Columbia River.
Day 2 - Eastern Washington’s Wine Country
We awake this morning to the colorful plateaus east of the sweeping Cascade Mountains, an area famous for its expanding wine industry. Washington, the nation’s second largest producer of premium wines, is home to more than 240 wineries and 29,000 acres of vineyards. Surprisingly, Washington averages two hours more daily sunlight than California, allowing the grapes more time to ripen. Warm days and cool nights make for rich wines that are extremely well-balanced. Onboard we’ll taste Washington’s syrah, cabernet, chardonnay and semillon wines, and sample local gastronomic delights such as cheeses, pickled vegetables, sauces, jellies, chocolates, dried fruits and smoked seafood.
As we travel on, the Columbia completely changes character with well-watered landscape giving way to gracefully tapered buttes and semi-arid steppes. Locks lift the ship higher and higher into desert-hued canyons. At the entrance to the Snake River, we pass between banks formed by the largest basalt flow in the world.
Day 3 - Clarkston
At Clarkston, we find ourselves at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers, more than 450 miles from the sea. Today, we have two choices of activities. One option is to travel by comfortable jetboat up the Snake River into one of North America’s most scenic spots, spectacular Hell’s Canyon. We stop to take in the old homesteads and the ever-changing geology of the river, and look for Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep. At Buffalo Eddy we see petroglyphs etched into the rock by the Native Americans who have inhabited this region for centuries.
Or you may opt to follow in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark along the Clearwater River, visiting several of their actual campsites. Led by our local historian, we learn about the relationship shared between the Nez Perce peoples and Lewis and Clark. We observe the rocks exposed in the shallow waters, recognizing them as the dangerous obstacles that nearly sunk one of the Corps of Discovery’s newly hewn canoes, while sending several of the men into the freezing waters. As mentioned in the journals, the few sandy beaches were temporary refuges for patching the damaged canoes and drying out the perpetually soaked provisions. The ponderosa pines along the river were the material used for the making of the five canoes, as well as a source of pitch for the canoes' subsequent repairs.
Day 4 - Exploring the Palouse River
The still water of the Palouse River is the perfect mirror for the surrounding basalt cliffs as we set off on our morning Zodiac cruises and kayak adventures, looking for birds, deer and beaver. The wide river bottom and towering cliffs seem out of place for such a small river; we learn that 12,000 years ago the “Bretz Flood,” a catastrophic natural event, formed the landscape. We travel by motor coach to Palouse Falls where cascading waters plunge into pools below. As we travel, we search for the mule deer, American coots, western grebes, great blue herons and graceful cormorants that are often seen here. This evening, we sail down the Snake River, enjoying a barbecue on deck.
Day 5 - Columbia River Gorge and Hood River
On our fifth day, we venture through the Columbia River Gorge, perhaps the most awe-inspiring section of the entire river. Here we encounter the 620-foot high Multnomah Falls. These are the most popular scenic attraction in Oregon and it’s easy to see why. The Corps of Discovery wrote in the journals about the many falls along this Gorge: “Down these heights frequently descend the most beautiful cascades, one of which, a large creek, throws itself over a perpendicular rock…”
At the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, we learn about the cataclysmic geological origins of the gorge, the region’s diverse ecology and its 10,000-year-old rich human history. This area was once home to Celilo Falls where Lewis and Clark described a gathering of some 10,000 natives who came to fish and trade from the far corners of the Pacific Northwest. When the river was harnessed for hydropower, navigation, irrigation and flood control, the Celilo Falls were drowned. Hood River, one of the towns we pass through as we pass through the Gorge, is the windsurfing capital of the world because of its almost constant gusts.
Day 6 - Astoria
We end our journey in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark by navigating the Columbia to the mouth of the river at Astoria. At Fort Clatsop, where explorers hunkered down for the wet winter of 1805-1806, we walk through the full-scale reconstructed fort. The Columbia River Maritime Museum chronicles the history of river navigation and this port town, the epicenter of the fur trading empire in the early 1800s. A series of fascinating displays about the many shipwrecks in the area is especially intriguing. The beautiful scene here is so at odds with the descriptions Lewis and Clark gave of their terrible winter. For an even better view, we can climb the 160 steps to the top of Astor Column.
Day 7 - Portland/Disembark/Great Falls, MT/Fort Benton
After breakfast onboard, disembark and fly from Portland to Great Falls, Montana. Arrive by 1:00 PM where your guide will transfer you to the Great Falls’ Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, reviewing the Corp’s journey through Montana. Later, settle into Fort Benton’s beautifully restored Grand Union Hotel for the next two nights.
Day 8 - Fort Benton
At the confluence of the Marias and Missouri rivers overlook the spot where Lewis and Clark debated which fork to take on their journey west. Float on the wide, gentle Missouri in large voyageur canoes for 10, similar to those of the expedition. Later, members of the Lewis and Clark Honor Guard, dresses as members of the Expedition, join us for dinner.
Day 9 - Three Forks
Today, meet Blackfeet tribal member Curly Bear Wagner at Ulm Pishkun, an ancient buffalo jump, and learn about the Indian Nations that called this country home when Lewis and Clark passed through. Later we’ll visit the State Historical Museum in Helena before settling into the historic Sacajawea Inn for the evening.
Day 10 - Dillon
In Headwaters State Park explore the site of the discovery of the confluence of the Madison, Jefferson and Gallatin rivers. Then visit one of the Expedition campsites and enjoy readings from the journals. Continue southwest toward the Continental Divide to famous Beaverhead Rock, a landmark Sacagawea was thrilled to recognize. Later, we’ll settle into the log lodge at High Country Ranch and enjoy a short hike or fly fishing lessons on the nearby pond.
Day 11 - Salmon, Idaho
Stroll the streets of Bannack, once a bustling mining community, now a deserted ghost town. You'll travel to Lemhi Pass where Lewis and Clark crossed the continental divide, traveling back roads through country little changed since Lewis and Clark. Later in the afternoon we’ll return to the High Country Ranch.
Day 12 - Missoula, Montana
Today we’ll visit the Big Hole National Battlefield and the historic site, Traveler’s Rest, traveling along the Lewis and Clark Trail via the scenic Bitterroot Valley. Along the way we’ll recount the hardships the Corps endured in deep mountain snows and how the Corps fortified themselves for the last big push over the mountains. Spend the night at the Double Tree Inn, located on the banks of the Clark Fork River and near downtown Missoula.
Day 13 - Missoula/Home
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for flights home.
