Traveler's Rest (Montana) | |
 Countryside at Travelers Rest | |
   | |
| Nearest city | Lolo, Montana |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 46°44′20″N114°04′50″W / 46.73889°N 114.08056°W /46.73889; -114.08056 |
| Built | 1805 |
| Website | Official website |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000437[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966[2] |
| Designated NHL | October 9, 1960[3][4] |
Traveler's Rest was a stopping point of theLewis and Clark Expedition, located about one mile south ofLolo, Montana. The expedition stopped from September 9 to September 11, 1805, before crossing theBitterroot Mountains, and again on the return trip from June 30 to July 3, 1806. Traveler's Rest is at the eastern end of theLolo Trail.[5] It was declared aNational Historic Landmark in 1960 and added to theNational Register of Historic Places in 1966.[3][6] The boundaries were subsequently revised, and mostly lie within the 51-acre (21 ha)Traveler's Rest State Park, which is operated by theMontana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Significant archeological findings made in 2002, including latrine sites with traces ofmercury and fire hearths, make this the only site on theLewis and Clark National Historic Trail that has yielded physical proof of the explorers' presence.[7] Records made by Lewis and Clark often spell "Traveler's"as "Traveller's".[6] This spot is largely unchanged from the days of Lewis and Clark.[5] From this location, Lewis and Clark split up to explore Montana during their return trip, not reuniting until they reachedSanish, North Dakota.[8] After departing here in 1806, Lewis' part of the expedition traveled to what is now theAlice Creek Historic District.[9]
At the time of landmark designation in 1960, the exact location of the expedition's campsite was unknown. Boundaries were formalized on December 12, 1983. Subsequent investigations revealed that errors had been made in setting the boundaries of the landmark. Detailed historical and scientific investigations resulted in a 55-page request for boundary corrections, submitted on May 10, 2004, and approved on March 21, 2006.[4][10] A new road and bridge were built in 2006.[3]
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