National Geographic History - 03.2019 - 04.2019

hile Central Montana boasts a

variety of recreational, western and

cultural experiences, the region that

sits at the heart of Montana offers unparalleled

opportunities to walk in the footsteps of history.

Iconic to Central Montana are Meriwether Lewis

and William Clark, their legendary expedition

and the area’s Native American roots. There is

certainly no shortage of ways to experience this

history. With museums, landmarks, trails and

attractions across the region, visitors can immerse

themselves in stories of the past.

Great Falls is home to The Lewis and Clark

National Historic Trail Interpretive Center, a

must-see for anyone interested in the expedition.

Complete with spectacular views of the Missouri

River, you can learn about the Corps’ journey,

including when they were forced to spend nearly

a month portaging the many dramatic waterfalls

that influenced the namesake of the city. These

falls can still be viewed from the River’s Edge

Trail, a paved trail accessible from the Interpretive

Center. The museum also chronicles the

experience Lewis and Clark had

with the Plains and Northwest

Indians.

Throughout the region,

designated Lewis and Clark sites

include numerous campsites as

well as points of interest like Giant

Springs State Park, where nearby

Lewis was chased by a grizzly

bear, and Decision Point where

the expedition spent nine days

along the Marias River trying to

determine the right route.

North from Great Falls is Fort

Benton, birthplace of Montana.

Here visitors can continue their

journey into the past by visiting

a collection of museums and sites that display

Native American artifacts and more Lewis and

Clark history, including a heroic-sized statue of the

explorers and Sacagawea.

For a more in-depth Native American experience,

First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park in Ulm

should not be missed. Believed to be one of the

largest buffalo kill sites in the United States, Native

people used this site for at least 2,000 years prior

to Lewis and Clark’s expedition through Montana.

Here you can stand atop the cliff to experience the

beauty of surrounding grasslands, buttes and the

big, blue skies Montana is known for. The park also

includes an interpretive center where you can step

into a traditional tepee, see an ancient

tepee ring, early Native American tools

and weapons and fragments of actual

buffalo bones that have been on the

site for centuries.

Steeped in rich history, Central

Montana offers diverse options for

visitors to have an up-close-and-

personal experience with the past.

LIVING HISTORY

Central Montana hosts

the Lewis and Clark

Festival every year. The

weekend of rediscovery

provides a chance to

see how the expedition

lived firsthand.

Demonstrations and

exhibits, complete with

reenactors in historic

dress, make this event

true living history.

Experience it in person

over the weekend of

June 14-16, 2019. For

more information, visit

centralmontana.com/

calendarofevents.

W

LEARN MORE AT CENTRALMONTANA.COM

CENTRAL MONTANA STORIES FROM THE PAST

Statue honoring

Meriwether Lewis,

William Clark and

Sacagawea.

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