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the
Blackfoot drainage to the Dearborn drainage, Rogers Pass located 5.3 miles (8.5 km) to the southwest was more than 800 feet (244 m) lower than Lewis and Clark Pass, and modern highway construction and engineering methods favored Rogers Pass over Lewis and Clark Pass for highway construction. Therefore, Rogers Pass is traversed by Montana Highway 200, connecting the cities of Great Falls and Missoula, Montana.
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A road carries the visitor within 1.5 miles of the pass on the west side. Thereafter the visitor must follow the example of earlier Native
Americans and travel on foot or horseback to the pass. The extensive use of the Lewis and Clark pass by Native people using dog and horse travois is evidenced by
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Lewis and Clark pass is an exception to the rule that highways follow old Indian pathways. No highway or road crosses this pass today. It is the only pass that Lewis and Clark used that was not later traversed by a road. While the approaches to Lewis and Clark Pass are much easier to traverse from
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On July 7, 1806, late in the day, Lewis and his small party came to the top of the divide between the
Blackfoot River and the Dearborn. Lewis described it as "the dividing ridge between the waters of the Columbia and Missouri rivers". Lewis said little about the area other than that he could see
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The goal of the Lewis and Clark
Expedition was to find the shortest pathway from the Missouri River drainage to the Columbia River drainage. After crossing Lewis and Clark Pass, Lewis confirmed that the route that went over Lewis and Clark Pass, and then over Lolo Pass farther west, was the most
230:. However, the pass was also used by war parties from the nomadic people living on the plains of Eastern Montana to conduct raids on western Montana tribes living in the inter-mountain valleys. The pass was described as a broad and "well beaten" trail when Meriwether Lewis traversed it in 1806.
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guides for
Meriwether Lewis in 1806 referred to the pathway over the pass as the "Buffalo Road" or the "Cokahlarishkit" trail. Tribes living in the mountain valleys west of the continental divide used the pass as a shortcut to move out of the mountains and onto the broadreaching eastern Montana
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Of all places along the Lewis and Clark Trail, this is the only pass that is roadless, and it is the only area on the Lewis and Clark
National Historic Trail where it is possible to encounter grizzly bears. On a clear day there are extensive views out over the eastern plains of Montana. Like
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in the far distance, on the skyline of the eastern
Montana plains, the landmark now called Square Butte which the Corps had dubbed "Fort Mountain" the previous July. Square Butte can still be seen from the pass on a clear day at a viewing distance of about 40 air miles.
382:, on Highway 200 and is a full service community. Lewis and Clark Pass is located 9 miles east of Lincoln off Highway 200. Turn north onto Alice Creek Rd (FS Road 293) and drive 11 miles to the trailhead. An uphill 1.5 mile hike reaches the summit of the pass.
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On the westward leg of their expedition to the
Pacific Ocean in 1805, Lewis and Clark were unaware of the pass, but by the time of their return they had learned of it from local tribal people and were determined to travel over it. On July 1, 1806, at
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The pass over the continental divide, now known as Lewis and Clark Pass, was part of a much used "road" for Native
American people, since it was easily traversible and, most critically, the route traversing Lewis and Clark pass and also
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Valley, Lewis and Clark split into two separate parties. Lewis was to go directly east, using the pass to take a shortcut out of the mountains to the eastern
Montana plains. He then planned to veer north to explore the upper
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to one of the least visited passes today. It can be accessed by a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) trail. Modern visitors encounter the pass much as Lewis did in 1806. The furrows left by the countless dog and horse
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that crossed the pass are still visible (though fading), and it is one of the few places along the expedition's route where visitors may still encounter a
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252:. Ironically, today it is the least used pass on the Lewis and Clark Expedition route, since all other passes are traversed by roads fit for vehicles.
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the furrows from travois that are fading but which can still be made out at the crest of the pass and at several places along the approach pathways.
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241:. However Lewis and Clark is the pass with the easiest approaches to the summit over which Native people could travel, using dog and later horse
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In the early 19th century, the pass was a heavily-used pathway where native peoples crossed over the continental divide. The pass was crossed by
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until he could cross over to the Yellowstone River, which he would then follow down to the Missouri where he intended to find Lewis.
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Before the time of Lewis and Clark, the pass was probably one of the busiest and most used passes in the northern
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farther west, was the shortest and easiest route between the plains of eastern Montana and the
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496:"Alice Creek/Lewis & Clark Pass Lewis & Clark History on the Helena National Forest"
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drainage to the pass over continental divide. After crossing the pass he then went down the
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550:"Lewis Journal Entries:Lewis Explores the MariasLEWIS EXPLORES THE MARIAS"
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Meriwether Lewis, one can see Square Butte 40 miles away on the skyline.
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On July 3, 1806, Lewis left Traveler's Rest with nine men and his dog
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Lewis and Clark Pass is the only roadless mountain pass on the entire
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direct route from the Missouri River to the Columbia River Valley.
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172:. The pass is named for the expedition's two leaders, Lewis and
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316:. His route to the pass lay through the Hellgate area, where
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Lewis and Clark Pass is not the lowest pass in the area.
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to the Missouri, and then out onto the plains where the
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The only roadless pass on the Lewis and Clark Trail
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289:and descending it to where it was joined by the
196:. On a clear day, visitors to the pass can see
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574:"Lewis and Clark Pass, near Lincoln, Montana"
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1283:Landforms of Lewis and Clark County, Montana
528:"Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition"
157:traverses north and south through the pass.
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402:Timeline of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
305:. Here Clark planned to turn east up the
204:, 40 miles (64 km) to the northeast.
168:on July 7, 1806, on the return leg of the
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461:. Crown of the Continent. Archived from
436:United States Department of the Interior
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181:Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
41:Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
16:Mountain pass in Montana, United States
297:and then follow the Big Hole and the
164:with a party of nine men and his dog
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427:Geographic Names Information System
324:. He then turned and followed the
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530:. University of Nebraska, Lincoln
378:is located 58 miles northwest of
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823:Regional designations of Montana
285:Country before returning to the
432:United States Geological Survey
55:Lewis and Clark County, Montana
1:
322:Clark's Fork of the Columbia
256:Lewis and Clark and the pass
576:. Discovery Lewis and Clark
320:is now located, and up the
303:Three Forks of the Missouri
264:Map plotted and drafted by
226:plains to hunt and harvest
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1288:Mountain passes of Montana
392:Mountain passes in Montana
266:Lewis and Clark Expedition
170:Lewis and Clark Expedition
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665:Congressional delegations
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32:6,424 feet (1,958 m)
155:Continental Divide Trail
202:Cascade County, Montana
459:"Lewis and Clark Pass"
422:"Lewis and Clark Pass"
397:Helena National Forest
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208:Ancient Indian pathway
151:Lewis and Clark County
147:Helena National Forest
97:47.14278°N 112.42889°W
51:Helena National Forest
818:Glacier National Park
276:on Lolo Creek in the
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141:and the east-flowing
67:Lewis and Clark Range
123:Lewis and Clark Pass
108:Lewis and Clark Pass
102:47.14278; -112.42889
22:Lewis and Clark Pass
729:Tourist attractions
717:The Last Best Place
508:on 18 December 2010
465:on 21 February 2013
307:East Gallatin River
239:Montana Highway 200
92: /
1263:Montana portal
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131:continental divide
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357:Visiting the pass
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808:Eastern Montana
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299:Jefferson River
274:Traveler's Rest
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250:Rocky Mountains
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139:Blackfoot River
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127:mountain pass
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1154:Powder River
1079:Judith Basin
813:The Flathead
765:Demographics
690:bibliography
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578:. Retrieved
553:. Retrieved
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532:. Retrieved
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510:. Retrieved
503:the original
467:. Retrieved
463:the original
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416:
374:The town of
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342:
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311:
301:down to the
283:Marias River
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198:Square Butte
194:grizzly bear
178:
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122:
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37:Traversed by
1244:Yellowstone
1209:Sweet Grass
1129:Musselshell
891:Great Falls
833:Yellowstone
790:LGBT rights
580:29 February
555:29 February
534:29 February
512:29 February
469:29 February
291:Yellowstone
235:Rogers Pass
185:pioneer era
100: /
87:112°25′44″W
74:Coordinates
1277:Categories
1204:Stillwater
1199:Silver Bow
1024:Deer Lodge
984:Broadwater
969:Beaverhead
931:Miles City
926:Livingston
675:Government
408:References
278:Bitterroot
106: (
84:47°08′34″N
1234:Wheatland
1179:Roosevelt
1139:Petroleum
1074:Jefferson
951:Whitefish
921:Lewistown
911:Kalispell
775:Education
680:Governors
670:Geography
640:(capital)
326:Blackfoot
223:Nez Perce
215:Lolo Pass
145:, in the
28:Elevation
1224:Treasure
1194:Sheridan
1174:Richland
1144:Phillips
1124:Missoula
1049:Garfield
1044:Gallatin
1039:Flathead
1004:Chouteau
974:Big Horn
961:Counties
936:Missoula
896:Hamilton
886:Glendive
861:Billings
856:Belgrade
851:Anaconda
785:Politics
780:Gun laws
750:Cannabis
745:Abortion
386:See also
370:Location
336:roamed.
318:Missoula
47:Location
1189:Sanders
1184:Rosebud
1169:Ravalli
1164:Prairie
1149:Pondera
1119:Mineral
1114:Meagher
1104:Madison
1099:Lincoln
1094:Liberty
1064:Granite
1054:Glacier
1014:Daniels
999:Cascade
866:Bozeman
800:Regions
770:Economy
760:Culture
738:Society
685:History
627:Montana
376:Lincoln
334:buffalo
243:travois
228:buffalo
190:travois
135:Montana
129:on the
1239:Wibaux
1229:Valley
1159:Powell
1109:McCone
1034:Fergus
1029:Fallon
1019:Dawson
1009:Custer
994:Carter
989:Carbon
979:Blaine
946:Sidney
941:Polson
916:Laurel
906:Helena
881:Dillon
707:Sports
697:People
647:Topics
637:Helena
314:Seaman
166:Seaman
153:. The
1219:Toole
1214:Teton
901:Havre
871:Butte
755:Crime
655:Index
623:State
506:(PDF)
499:(PDF)
125:is a
62:Range
1134:Park
1084:Lake
1069:Hill
582:2012
557:2012
536:2012
514:2012
471:2012
625:of
200:in
149:in
133:in
1279::
565:^
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424:.
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176:.
53:,
615:e
608:t
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516:.
473:.
438:.
110:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.