Lewis and Clark Expedition Historic Campsite Locations, 1803-1806

Approximate locations where Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery camped during their 1803-1806 outbound and return journeys. The data layer was created by Robert Bergantino, Research Associate Professor at the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology. The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail is approximately 4,900 miles long, connecting 16 states and was established by Congress in 1978.

Use Cases

• Mapping the expedition's daily progress based on campsite locations.
• Analyzing geographic patterns and environmental context of the historic journey.
• Supporting heritage tourism and educational resource development based on the trail route.
• Correlating campsite data with other historical records for timeline reconstruction.

Strengths

• Data is based on research by a professor at the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology.
• Covers the full 4,900-mile length of the National Historic Trail across 16 states.
• Temporal coverage is explicitly defined as the 1803-1806 expedition period.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Locations are described as 'approximate', indicating potential positional inaccuracy.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Department of the Interior, likely via the National Park Service.

Collection Method

Created using information developed by Robert Bergantino.

Time Range

1803-1806

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-04 00:54:04.085292; freshness should be verified.

Geography

The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, extending from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon, connecting 16 states.