Which Fork to Take?

Meriwether Lewis, traveling ahead with 3 men, reached this spot two days ahead of William Clark and the main party. After exploring the river courses, Lewis left a note telling Clark to stay on the Jefferson River. Clark never found it and started up the Big Hole instead.

The men pulled the boats upstream about nine miles before meeting one of Lewis’ men. Their return trip resulted in a near disaster which almost killed a man.

The expedition was reunited and made camp near here on August 7th. They spent a day drying out their baggage. After repacking, they decided to leave one dugout behind, hidden in a thicket.

”…arrived at the confluence of the two rivers where I left the note. this note had unfortunately been placed on a green pole which the beaver had cut and carried off together with the note; the possibility of such an occurrence never once occurred to me when I placed it on the green pole… Capt. Clark… ascended it (Big Hole River) with much difficulty…”

Meriwether Lewis

August 5th, 1805

”Whitehouse had been thrown out of one of the canoes… a great part of our most valuable stores were wet and much damaged on this occasion… all the baggage wet, the medicine box… lost a shot pouch and horn with all the implements for one rifle lost and never recovered…”

Meriwether Lewis

August 6th, 1805

”…the Indian woman recognized the point of a high plain to our right which she informed us was not very distant from the summer retreat of her nation on a river beyond the mountains which runs to the west, this she says here nation calls the beaver’s head…”

Meriwether Lewis

August 8th, 1805

One of the most famous landmarks in Southwest Montana, named for its resemblance to the head of a swimming beaver.

Erected by Montana Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commission and National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.