Clark's Canoe Camp on the Yellowstone

By editor

Park City, Stillwater County, Montana

On the morning of July 3, 1806, Captain William Clark led twelve members of the Corps of Discovery away from their winter encampment at Travelers’ Rest, set to explore the Yellowstone River by water. The expedition, which had already traversed the vast northern plains and the forbidding Rocky Mountains, sought to navigate the Yellowstone’s course, hoping to unlock new geographic and natural knowledge. Yet Clark’s journal entry from that day reveals an immediate obstacle: “I can See no timber Sufficiently large...to answer my purpose.” This stark observation uncovers a subtle but significant detail about the Yellowstone valley’s environment and its human and animal inhabitants.

The Yellowstone River valley, carved through ancient sedimentary layers of Cretaceous shale, sandstone, and the volcanic basalt flows of the nearby Absaroka Range, appeared at first glance to offer a plentiful supply of timber. Cottonwoods (Populus deltoides), their broad leaves shimmering like emeralds in the breeze, lined the riparian zone. However, Clark discerned the scarcity of large, sturdy trunks suitable for constructing the canoes necessary for river travel. This shortage was not accidental. The valley’s largest cottonwoods had been harvested extensively, both by the industrious beaver (Castor canadensis) and by the Crow people who inhabited the region. The beavers, driven by instinct to fell trees for dams and lodges, had shaped the riverside landscape, while the Crow used the wood for fuel and the poles of their lodges, leaving few trees with the girth Clark required.

The expedition’s difficulties expanded on July 18, near what is now Columbus, Montana, when Sergeant George Gibson suffered a severe injury after falling from his horse onto a jagged snag. This accident compelled Clark to halt the party the following day, just south of present-day Park City. Here, the men faced the pressing need to fashion two small dugout canoes from the largest cottonwoods they could locate. The process demanded skill and patience, as the trees were not the ideal size or shape for the task. The canoes, though modest in scale, allowed the explorers to continue their journey on July 24, carving a path into the unknown along the Yellowstone’s meandering course.

For over a century, the precise location of Clark’s Canoe Camp remained a subject of intrigue and debate among historians and enthusiasts of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Early accounts and maps provided general indications, but the shifting riverbanks and changing landscape complicated efforts to pinpoint the site. Beginning in 2010, a renewed effort combined traditional historical scholarship with the precision of modern technology. Utilizing GPS mapping, LiDAR scanning, and detailed analysis of Clark’s journals and expedition records, researchers narrowed the site’s location with unprecedented accuracy.

The Montana State University Billings archaeology department undertook a comprehensive investigation in 2011, supported by the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, the National Park Service, and local chapters such as Rochejhone and Headwaters. The study engaged not only university students but also local Boy Scouts, whose participation added a community dimension to the scientific endeavor. The archaeological team meticulously surveyed the area just south of Park City, seeking material evidence that aligned with the documented military camp layout described by Clark.

Their discoveries were revealing. Among the artifacts recovered were traces of mercury and lead--substances not naturally abundant in the region but closely associated with the expedition. Mercury, employed as a medicinal salve and as a component of Dr. Benjamin Rush’s proprietary pills known colloquially as “thunderclappers,” was carried exclusively by the Corps of Discovery. This chemical signature thus provided compelling proof of the camp’s identity. Additionally, the lead artifacts matched the composition of shot and ammunition found at Travelers’ Rest and traced chemically to the mines of Kentucky, a known source of the expedition’s supplies.

The camp’s physical arrangement further validated the researchers’ conclusions. The spatial distribution of a fire pit, a latrine, and the camp’s proximity to the Yellowstone conformed to military protocols observed by Clark and his men. The site’s location on a terrace above the floodplain offered strategic advantages--protection from sudden rises in water level and a vantage point over the river’s broad channel.

The natural environment around Park City today still bears elements of the landscape that Clark would have observed. The Yellowstone River here flows through a wide valley of alluvial deposits, its banks lined with narrow bands of cottonwood and willow (Salix spp.). The surrounding hills rise gently to the east and west, composed of Eocene-aged sedimentary rocks that slope down toward the river, their rust-red hues contrasting with the river’s deep green. The area’s climate and soils support grasses and shrubs typical of the Northern Great Plains interspersed with riparian vegetation.

Clark’s expedition, despite its hardships, contributed substantially to the scientific and geographic understanding of this region. His meticulous journals provide not only an account of travel but also careful observations of the flora, fauna, and geology. Writing of the river valley, Clark noted the scarcity of suitable timber, a fact that today reveals the complex interplay between human use and natural processes. His words invite us to consider how the landscape was shaped by the beaver’s engineering and the Crow’s stewardship long before the arrival of European-Americans.

Reflecting on the expedition’s challenges, Clark expressed pragmatic resolve: “We must make Canoes of the best timber we can find, although not large enough for the purpose intended.” This statement encapsulates the adaptability and perseverance required for such an arduous journey into the western wilderness.

The rediscovery and confirmation of Clark’s Canoe Camp site near Park City enrich our understanding of the Corps of Discovery’s final summer of exploration. These findings connect us tangibly to the men who ventured into uncharted territory, guided by curiosity and necessity, carving their way through the landscape with tools and resolve. The interplay of natural history and human endeavor here remains a compelling chapter in Montana’s layered past.

See also

• Clark's Canoe Camp on the Yellowstone at Park City, Stillwater County
• Captain Clark and the Corps of Discovery on the Yellowstone at Livingston, Park County
• Evidence of the Expedition at Forsyth, Rosebud County