Captain Clark and his crew, Sacagawea, and baby Pomp all camped on Pirogue Island, during their return trip. On July 29, 1806, they had attempted to camp immediately below the mouth of the Tongue River, but discharge from the Tongue colored the Yellowstone's water and gave it a bad taste. The camp moved downstream to this island on the opposite side of river. At the time, the mouth of the Tongue was downstream of its present location—it was relocated by the railroad in the late 1800s.
Four days prior to their encampment on Pirogue Island, Clark's party passed by a large rock formation on the bank of the river. Clark climbed the rock and inscribed his name and the date in its surface. He named it "Pompey's Tower" in honor of Sacagawea and Charbonneau's son. Modern travelers can visit Pompey's Pillar, operated by the Bureau of Land Management, to see Clark's signature—the only physical evidence left on the trail by a member of the expedition—and enjoy the spectacular views of the Yellowstone River.
In the days following the encampment on Pirogue Island, the party entered into a desolate area of eastern Montana, near present-day Terry. Clark recorded it as, "…by far the wo[r]st place which I have seen on this river … entirely bar[e] of tim[b]er … great quantities of Coal."
On August 2nd the troublesome mosquitoes returned, and so did the bears. A Grizzly "of the large vicious Species… plunged in the water and Swam towards us."
The men fired at the bear and wounded it. Another Grizzly swam down stream towards them, and Clark proceeded to shoot and skin "…much the largest female bear I ever Saw."
Pirogue Island became part of the State Park system in 1982 and today's visitors can hike in its dense forest, watch for deer and birds, or go rock hunting for moss agates. While in southeastern Montana you can also visit Makoshika State Park, Medicine Rocks State Park, Pictograph Cave State Park, Chief Plenty Coups State Park, Lake Elmo State Park, Pompey's Pillar National Historic Landmark near Billings, and Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument outside of Hardin.
