Basic Facts

Lewis and Clark Expedition Facts

• Expedition Dates: 1803–1806
• Expedition Leaders: Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
• Distance Traveled: Approximately 8,000 miles round trip
• Purpose of the Expedition:
  • Explore lands acquired through the Louisiana Purchase
  • Establish relations with Native Nations
  • Document plants, animals, and geography
  • Seek a practical route to the Pacific Ocean
• Number of Expedition Members: About 33 permanent members in the Corps of Discovery
• Only Expedition Fatality: Sergeant Charles Floyd, who died in 1804
• Notable Participants:
  • Sacagawea
  • York

  • Seaman, Meriwether Lewis’s Newfoundland dog

Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Facts

• Trail Length: Nearly 4,900 miles
• States Connected: 16
• Established: 1978
• Administered By: National Park Service
• Trail Route: From Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to the Pacific Coast near Astoria, Oregon
• Tribal Homelands: The trail passes through the homelands of more than 60 Tribal Nations.
• Trail Extension: In 2019, Congress extended the trail approximately 1,200 miles eastward to include the expedition’s preparatory journey from Pittsburgh to Wood River, Illinois.
• National Trail System Status: One of the original four National Historic Trails designated by Congress.
  

Did You Know?

• Lewis and Clark created some of the most accurate maps of western North America available at the time.
• The expedition documented hundreds of plants and animals previously unknown to US science.
• Members of the Corps of Discovery voted on important decisions, including where to spend the winter of 1805–1806.
• Sacagawea and York participated in that vote, an unusual occurrence for the era.
• The expedition met more than 50 Tribal Nations during its journey.
• William Clark's signature carved into Pompeys Pillar in Montana remains visible today.
• Visitors can explore the trail by car, foot, bicycle, boat, or horseback at sites across the United States.

By the Numbers

• 16 States connected by the trail
• 4,900 Miles of national historic trail
• 60+ Tribal Nations whose homelands the trail crosses
• 33 Permanent members of the Corps of Discovery
• 28 Months spent on the expedition
• 1 Expedition member lost during the journey
• 1803–1806 Years of the Lewis and Clark Expedition