Immersive Learning: Exploring the Lewis and Clark Trail in Montana

Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. MT

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From left: Caitlin Campbell - Interpretive Specialist, Brye Lefler - Tribal Partnerships Specialist, and Mitch Meyer - Ecologist

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About this article: This article was originally published in the Lewis & Clark Trail Annual Report 2023.

In July 2023 four staff members traveled to Great Falls, Montana, joining Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation members from across the US and Canada on a three-day canoe trip through the remote White Cliffs section of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. The group read 218-year-old journal entries about expedition camp sites and geologic wonders they passed, and even visited the site of a Karl Bodmer landscape painting. Returning to land, the group visited several high potential historic sites, including a somber trip to the possible location of the Two Medicine Fight Site, where one or more Blackfeet youth were killed in a skirmish with Expedition members. Powerful immersive experiences such as these, help develop personal connections to these important sites, enhancing our work in interpretation and resource stewardship.

Mitch Meyer, Ecologist (Left)
Kassey Trahanas, Visitor Center Manager (Right)

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