9. Great Falls

Updated: August 7, 2020

On the afternoon of June 13, 1805, the expedition arrived at the first of the five falls. Lewis described the falls and made careful notes of the heights of each. The first and highest stood at almost 90 feet. Lewis didn't have much more time to appreciate the view before being chased into the river by yet another grizzly bear.

The route around the series of falls presented one of the greatest obstacles faced by the expedition. They had to pass through 18 miles of mosquitoes, gnats, rattlesnakes, and grizzlies. Men in moccasins, pulling wagons with wheels cut from tree-trunks, hauled six canoes and all their baggage over rutted buffalo trail covered in cactus. It took them nearly a month and eight trips to get all of their gear around the falls.

Updated: August 7, 2020