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EnglishPortage Route of the Lewis and Clark Expedition: What It Was and Why It Mattered
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The Portage Route was the roughly 18-mile overland carry the Corps of Discovery had to make around the five falls of the Missouri River near present-day Great Falls, Montana. The expedition could not move its canoes and heavy supplies through the falls by water, so the men hauled everything across the prairie instead. The detour cost them far more time and labor than they expected, and it became one of the best-documented ordeals of the journey. If you want to follow the story or visit the sites, the route and its markers are still traceable today, and the Portage Route Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance in Great Falls works to preserve and interpret them.
Why the expedition had to portage at all
The Missouri River above and below the falls is navigable in stretches, but the five falls themselves are a series of cascades and drops that no loaded canoe could safely run or line through. Lewis and Clark had been told by Native informants and earlier traders that a short carry would get them past the obstruction. The reality was a set of separate falls spread across miles of broken country.
The Corps therefore had to:
- Unload the canoes and cache or carry the supplies.
- Drag the canoes overland, sometimes on improvised carriages made from cottonwood wheels and axles.
- Move the load in relays, which meant walking the route multiple times.
- Contend with prickly pear, rough ground, heat, and mosquitoes.
The work stretched from roughly mid-June into July 1805 and consumed weeks rather than the few days the party had hoped for. Rain, heat, and injuries to feet and legs slowed the carry further. The portage is often described as one of the hardest physical episodes of the entire expedition.
What the route covered
The portage ran from the area of the lower falls to a point above the upper falls, bypassing all five. The falls, in the order the expedition encountered them, are commonly named:
| Fall | Note |
|---|---|
| Great Falls (the "Grand Falls") | The largest and most dramatic drop |
| Crooked Falls | A smaller, curved cascade |
| Rainbow Falls | Named for the spray it throws in sunlight |
| Colter Falls | Named for John Colter, a member of the party |
| Black Eagle Falls | The uppermost of the five |
The route crossed what is now the city of Great Falls and surrounding land. Because the falls have been altered by dams and development, the modern landscape does not match what the Corps saw, but interpretive markers and sites along the way still tell the story.
Why it mattered
The portage mattered for three reasons:
- It tested the expedition's endurance. The carry pushed the men and their equipment to the limit and shaped how they planned the rest of the journey.
- It confirmed the geography. The falls told Lewis and Clark they were on the right river system and approaching the mountains, which mattered for the larger goal of finding a water route to the Pacific.
- It left a detailed record. The journals describe the falls, the portage, and the surrounding country in enough detail that historians and visitors can reconstruct the experience.
Sacagawea, York, and the rest of the party were part of this stretch of the journey, and the portage is one of the episodes where the full company's labor is visible in the record.
Visiting the route and the falls today
If you want to see the ground the Corps crossed, Great Falls, Montana, is the base. The area offers:
- Interpretive sites and signage along the historic route, maintained in part through the work of the Portage Route Chapter.
- The falls themselves, though dams have changed their appearance from 1805.
- The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls, which also houses the Alliance's home office and the William P. Sherman Library and Archives.
The Portage Route Chapter, founded in 1983, is one of the oldest chapters of the Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance. It is headquartered in Great Falls, maintains a membership of about 50, and describes its objectives as educating the public about the expedition and preserving the trail in the area. It also offers field trips and tours to sites along the trail and works to identify, develop, and maintain interpretive sites and signage.
Events and membership
The chapter hosts programs and projects with partners, and it holds its annual meeting in September, when board members are elected from the membership. The national Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance is hosting its 2026 Annual Meeting in Great Falls from June 21–24, and the Portage Route Chapter is the host chapter.
To learn about membership in the chapter or the national Alliance, the chapter directs visitors to its Contact Us page. The chapter is registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and is also a Montana nonprofit corporation.
Quick answers
What was the Portage Route? An approximately 18-mile overland carry around the five falls of the Missouri River near present-day Great Falls, Montana.
Why did the Corps of Discovery portage? The falls were impassable by loaded canoe, so the party hauled canoes and supplies across land.
How long did it take? Weeks, from roughly mid-June into July 1805, far longer than expected.
Where can I see it today? In and around Great Falls, Montana, through interpretive sites, markers, the falls, and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.
Who preserves it? The Portage Route Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance, based in Great Falls.