Lewis and Clark Monument at Rainbow Point, Council Bluffs

Lewis and Clark Monument Park

Quick Facts

Location:

19962 Monument Road in Council Bluffs

Amenities

5 listed

Benches/Seating, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information, Parking - Auto, Picnic Table

Lewis and Clark NHT Visitor Centers and Museums

This map shows a range of features associated with the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, which commemorates the 1803-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition. The trail spans a large portion of the North American continent, from the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington. The trail is comprised of the historic route of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, an auto tour route, high potential historic sites (shown in black), visitor centers (shown in orange), and pivotal places (shown in green). These features can be selected on the map to reveal additional information. Also shown is a base map displaying state boundaries, cities, rivers, and highways. The map conveys how a significant area of the North American continent was traversed by the Lewis and Clark Expedition and indicates the many places where visitors can learn about their journey and experience the landscape through which they traveled.

High above the Missouri River valley, looking west toward the Omaha metropolitan area, is Lewis and Clark Monument Park at Rainbow Point on the northern edge of Council Bluffs, Iowa.  

Dedicated in 1936 to honor the Corps of Discovery, the park has a small observation deck and two large commemorative stone markers, quarried from the Folsom Quarry in Vermont and created by sculptor Harry E. Stinson and architect George L. Horner.  The images and text on the markers explain Lewis and Clark’s meeting with local Oto and Missouri Indians.  (The actual site of the meeting took place on the west side of the Missouri about 10 miles north of Omaha near today’s Fort Calhoun, Nebraska.)

The monument stands atop a ridge of the Loess Hills, which run along much of the western edge of Iowa.  For this reason, mountain bikers enjoy the challenging route through the heavy woods of the park, hikers appreciate the nearby trails, and aerial enthusiasts love the panoramic view of planes landing at Omaha’s Eppley Airfield just across the Missouri. 

You’ll find Lewis and Clark Monument Park at 19962 Monument Road in Council Bluffs.