Last updated: June 9, 2021
Place
Lewis & Clark and the Kanza
Quick Facts
Location:
Atchison, KS
MANAGED BY:
Amenities
2 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Trailhead
Lewis and Clark NHT Visitor Centers and Museums
Visitor Centers (shown in orange), High Potential Historic Sites (shown in black), and Pivotal Places (shown in green) along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
Discover the original home of the Kanza Indians in the state that bears their name and the location of the first celebration of Independence Day in the West.
Independence Creek: Lewis & Clark Historic Site is the campsite where the Lewis & Clark expedition spent the night on July 4, 1804. The area covers 13.5 acres of native grasses & wildflowers. Today, a re-created Kanza Earthlodge is connected to the Atchison Riverfront by a hiking/biking trail.
Located five miles north of Atchison’s Main Street, this site may be reached by car or by hiking/biking trail. The site has reestablished the prairie as seen by the Corps of Discovery and encompasses a stretch of Independence Creek referred to by Captain William Clark in his July 4, 1804 journal entry. A pedestrian bridge completes the 5-mile trail link to the Atchison Riverfront.