Having discovered a series of waterfalls on a twenty-mile stretch of the Missouri River in present-day Great Falls, Montana, the Corps of Discovery established their base camp, called Lower Portage Camp, and began their preparations for the portage around the falls.

On June 17, 1805, Captain William Clark and five men set out to survey a route for the portage on the south side of the river. Along the way, Clark mapped the five waterfalls and found today’s Giant Springs, which is now a state park. Clark also established the Upper Portage Camp, near where you stand today—the endpoint of the portage. The route measured approximately 18 miles.

Meanwhile, Captain Meriwether Lewis and the rest of the party built two crude carts, on which they would haul their canoes, and readied the canoes and baggage for the portage. Also, Lewis determined that their large white pirogue would remain at the lower camp. In its place, they would assemble the iron-framed boat the captain had manufactured especially for this journey.

After several days of preparation, the portage began on June 21, with the men transporting some of the baggage and one canoe on a wagon inland about three miles. The following morning, most of the Corps left the lower camp and proceeded across the prairie with the canoe. After dark, the party arrived at the Upper Portage Camp, having travelled about 15 miles that day. Lewis and three men remained at the upper camp to work on the iron boat. Clark remained at the Lower Camp to oversee operations there, while Sgt. Ordway took charge of the actual portaging of the baggage and canoes.

Back and forth the men went, hauling their boats and supplies over steep slopes, razor-sharp rocks, and, as Lewis described them, the “extreemly troublesome” prickly pear cactus. On July 2, after 12 days of back-breaking work, the portage was complete.

Lewis and his party returned to the Upper Portage Camp on July 13, 1806, on their return from the Pacific. He left some men there, before heading north to explore the Marias River. Sgt. Ordway’s party came down the Missouri by canoe from the Three Forks and joined with the men Lewis left. This group, aided by horses, re-portaged the falls in only six days. After retrieving the pirogue they cached at the Lower Portage Camp, the small party headed downriver to meet with Lewis at the Marias.

Credits and Sources:

Information derived from: The Definitive Journals of Lewis and Clark: From Fort Mandan to Three Forks, edited by Gary E. Moulton; The Definitive Journals of Lewis and Clark: Over the Rockies to St. Louis, edited by Gary E. Moulton. Photos provided by the Portage Route Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation and the Lewis and Clark Honor Guard.