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Lewis and Clark 200  >>  Montana  >>  Lolo  >>  Community Interest  >>  Centers  >>  Travelers Rest State Park

Travelers Rest State Park Lolo, Montana Location:    PO Box 995 Lolo 59847 406-273-4253 This web page has had 4276 unique visitors. Travelers Rest State Park Website info@travelsrest.org Description: Travelers' Rest State Park marks the location of a centuries-old Native American campsite which Lewis and Clark's used in 1805 and 1806. They called the nearby creek Travellers Rest. In Summer 2002, archeologists found evidence of the Corps of Discovery's latrine and central cookfire, positioning the Park as one of the the few sites in the nation with physical confirmation of the group's visit--a truly unique designation. The opening of Traveler's Rest State Park was a much anticipated event for the western Montana community of Lolo. The park is believed to be very near the historic Lewis and Clark Traveler's Rest campsite. On September 9, 1805, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and the Corps of Discovery followed the course of today's Bitterroot Valley to get near the confluence of a stream that tumbled down from the snowy western mountains. They hunted, rested and camped for two nights before following the creek toward the heights of what are now called the Bitterroot Mountains. Nearly a year later, the party camped at the same spot before separating to allow expanded explorations. Already a major crossroads of Native American trade and travel, the place was named Travelers' Rest.A National Historic Landmark sign on Highway 93 in Lolo, MT, marked the Travelers' Rest site since 1960. But two independent Lewis and Clark scholars have proposed that the marker is incorrectly placed. Their attention now focuses on several privately owned parcels directly adjacent to Lolo Creek, a mile away from the landmark sign. Not only are these creek-side properties the probable camping spot for the Corps of Discovery, but they are a centuries-old campsite and trail junction used by three Native American tribes. Nez Perce, Confederated Salish and Kootenai, and Shoshone-Bannock Tribes were among those who traditionally occupied the area. Professor Bob Bergantino, who has studied the Expedition's route since 1969, poured over maps and journals to conclude that Lewis and Clark camped on a sunny bench overlooking Lolo Creek rather than downstream where previously thought. Historical archaeologist Daniel Hall confirmed Bergantino's research after analyzing aerial infrared photos taken during his area fly-over in the summer of 1996. Shots were taken from several altitudes and data was validated using black and white prints of the same scale. The photos reveal strong evidence suggestive of Native American teepee rings and fire hearths. Interestingly, he and a crew of volunteers turned up a pewter button from the Lewis and Clark period during a 1998 dig at the site. The button is undergoing analysis at Harvard's Peabody Museum. More extensive research is slated to begin in the spring of 2000 and will continue. Park docents provide visitors with a short presentation about the site's Lewis & Clark and Native American history. Picnickers are welcome. No entrance fee, but a $2 donation per visitor is appreciated. Traveler's Rest Preservation and Heritage Association, a local nonprofit organization pays for and manages the park through a unique management agreement with Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Our self-guided path is open! Come out and take a walk through the historic Lewis & Clark and Native American campsite. Directions and/or Additional Information: Travelers' Rest State Park is located just south of Lolo, west of Highway 93, at 6550 Mormon Creek Road. Park Hours through winter 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday