In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson enlisted Meriwether Lewis to lead the Corps of Discovery on an unprecedented journey westward. Primarily travelling by watercraft up the Missouri river, the Corps of Discovery departed from Camp Dubois, Illinois, in May 1804.

On July 19, 1805, the Corp of Discovery encountered “the most remarkable clifts that we have yet seen. these clifts rise from the waters edge on either side perpendicularly to the hight of 1200 feet. . . the tow[er]ing and projecting rocks in many places seem ready to tumble on us.” The Corps had reached the “Gates of the Rocky Mountains.” Lewis noted that “the river appears to have forced it’s way through the immence body of solid rock.”

Presently, the Gates of the Mountains, which are actually composed of limestone, are located within Helena National Forest in the state of Montana. A private company offers boat tours of the Gates during the summer months. The Gates of the Mountains Wilderness Area of the Helena National Forest spans 28,562 acres and commemorates the Corps of Discovery’s exploration of the area.

Researched, written, and narrated by University of West Florida Public History Student Natalie Ray