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Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson to lead an expedition during 1804-1806 to explore the headwaters of the Missouri River and find an overland route to the Pacific Ocean by way of the Columbia River. This epic journey was one of the most ambitious and well-documented explorations of the American West.
In 1805, their route took them down the Snake and Columbia Rivers on their way to the Pacific Ocean.
Instead of retracing their westward route on their return trip, Lewis and Clark took an overland shortcut through Walla Walla County. Following the Nez Perce Trail, Lewis and Clark camped two miles east of Dayton along Patit Creek, where today the public may view the campsite, a monument, and informational plaque. Lewis & Clark Trail State Park, five miles west of Dayton, provides interpretive programs each Saturday evening during the summer months, along with day use and overnight facilities most of the year.
A life-size diorama depicting the events of April 29, 1806, as the expedition traveled homeward, is displayed at the Fort Walla
Walla Museum.
Click here to view and download The Lewis & Clark in Walla Walla Brochure (1.5 MB in .pdf format).
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