The Corps of Discovery established the Travelers' Rest campsite on September 9, 1805 and camped here for four days, as they took a much-needed rest before their arduous journey over the Rockies.
Private Joseph Whitehouse recorded in his journal:
"As our road [next] leads over a mountain to our left, our Captains conclude to Stay here this day to take observations, and for the hunters to kill meat to last us across the mountains and for our horses to rest, etc… Though the day is warm, the Snow does not melt on the mountains a short distance from us… The Snow makes them look like the middle of winter…"
While camped here Lewis detailed in his journal an encounter with some Salish people. "This evening one of our hunters returned accompanied by three men of the Flathead (Salish) nation…. The Indians were mounted on very fine horses of which the Flatheads have a great abundance…. two of them departed … and the third remained having agreed to continue with us as a guide…"
Thus the Corps of Discovery pushed through the Rocky Mountains across Idaho, and then down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean.
On the return trip, the captains decided to split into two smaller groups at Travelers' Rest—Lewis heading north to the Marias and Clark moving south on the Yellowstone. On Monday June 30, 1806, Lewis noted, "we passed our encampment of the 12th of Septr. Last… a little before Sunset we arrived at our old encampment on the S. side of the Creek a little above its enterance in to Clarks river. Here we Encamped with a view to remain 2 days in order to rest ourselves and horses and make our final arrangements for Seperation."
The two captains made plans to reunite at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers as they returned to the Mandan villages and on to St. Louis.
Travelers' Rest became a State Park in 2001 in acknowledgement of the site's significance to the Expedition, and as a traditional campsite for the Salish, Nez Perce, and Lemhi Shoshone. The Travelers' Rest Preservation and Heritage Association works in conjunction with Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks to preserve and interpret the site. Future plans to learn more about past usage of the site. FWP and the Association are working together to make Travelers' Rest the hub of Lewis and Clark interpretive and educational programming for western Montana.
Fort Owen State Park and Council Grove State Park are nearby and the route south to Painted Rocks State Park is a beautiful drive down the Bitterroot Valley. In addition, you can camp and fish at Salmon Lake State Park, Placid Lake State Park or Beavertail Hill State Park. Also in the area, you can discover the history of smokejumping at the Smokejumper Visitor Center in Missoula, pay a visit to the Daly Mansion in Hamilton, or roam north with the bison at the National Bison Range in Moiese.
