From 1804 to 1806, Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark led the first overland expedition in the United States to the Pacific Coast and back. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, President Thomas Jefferson?s idea of supporting the Lewis and Clark expedition was to find out what existed to the west of the young American territory. They were looking for things such as plants, animals, minerals. They were given the order to write accounts of all they did and saw. They did in fact write about each species they encountered, the details of cultures they met, drew maps of the land, and more. Their journey took over three-years to complete through the lands that later became 11 states.
Today, one of the most interesting and beautiful RVs journeys you can take is the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. You will be able to visit the states of Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oregon, South Dakota and Washington during your own expedition. You are going to be overwhelmed by the beauty and spectacular landscapes you will see on the road, as well as for its flora and fauna. Most of the original trail follows the Missouri and Columbia Rivers; the trail has obviously changed in 200 years but there are still some trail portions that remain intact.
Celebrating its bicentennial, the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail with 3,700 miles is the second longest of the 23 National Scenic and National Historic Trails. It is so popular nowadays that many people traveling with RVs are choosing to follow the trail or segments of it, to enjoy outdoor activities such as boating, biking or hiking. Also, many people are looking to experiment the emotions that Lewis and Clark lived by visiting the White Cliffs in Montana, the Spirit Mound in South Dakota or meeting the descendant of the people who hosted the famous expeditionary ones. Therefore, don?t miss the occasion of an historical adventure taking your RV into a journey through the past!