- Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
Infobox_protected_area | name = Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
iucn_category = V
caption =
locator_x =
locator_y =
location = IL, MO, KS, IA, NE, SD, ND, MT, ID, OR, and WA, USA
nearest_city = Billings, MT
lat_degrees = 46
lat_minutes = 0
lat_seconds = 13
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 108
long_minutes = 0
long_seconds = 34
long_direction = W
area = 51 acres (206,000 m²)
established =March 21 ,1978
visitation_num = 250,000
visitation_year = 2004
governing_body =National Park Service The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail is part of the National Trails System of the
United States . In 1804,Meriwether Lewis and William Clark began a voyage of discovery with 45 men, a keelboat, twopirogue s, and a dog. They departed fromCamp Dubois , located in what was to become theU.S. state ofIllinois .President
Thomas Jefferson had long dreamed of what lay to the west of the youngUnited States – the animals, plants, andminerals , and a route for eastern trade. ThePresident had privately requested Congress to fund the expedition shortly before theLouisiana Purchase in1803 . Lewis and Clark were ordered to write accounts of all they did, eachspecies encountered, details ofcultures they met, maps of the land—everything. They traveled over a three-year period through lands that later became 11 states.Most of the trail follows the Missouri and
Columbia River s. Much has changed in 200 years but trail portions remain intact. At 3,700 miles (5,950 km), the trail is the second longest of the 23 National Scenic and National Historic Trails. It begins atHartford, Illinois , and passes through portions ofMissouri ,Kansas ,Iowa ,Nebraska ,South Dakota ,North Dakota ,Montana ,Idaho ,Oregon , andWashington .The official headquarters for the trail is located at the
National Park Service , Mid-West Regional Headquarters, inOmaha, Nebraska .External links
* [http://www.nps.gov/lecl/ Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail (National Park Service)]
* [http://www.lewisandclark.org/ Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation]
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