Packer Meadows is located on the Lolo Trail near the present day Idaho and Montana border. The Nez Perce tribe utilized the Lolo Trail in order to pass through the Bitterroot Mountains and reach buffalo country. The Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery passed through Packer Meadow on two different occasions during their expedition to the Pacific Ocean and back. William Clark first made mention of Packer Meadow when he wrote about open glades in his journal on September 13, 1805. On the expedition’s return journey, Meriwether Lewis wrote that Packer Meadows was a “pretty little plain of about 50 acres plentifully stocked with quawmash.” At the time, Lewis and Clark named the area the Quamash Meadow after the plant that grew there in abundance. The meadow later received the designation “Packer” after the name of a man who built a cabin near the meadow.

Researched, written, and narrated by University of West Florida Public History Student Sean Baker.