Can I drive the Lewis & Clark Trail in an RV?

Approximately. The actual trail traveled by the Corps of Discovery was rivers (Missouri + Snake + Columbia) and overland portages. Modern highways parallel the route. From St. Louis, follow I-70 + I-29 + I-90 + US-2 + I-90 west. About 4,000 miles RV-friendly. Multiple NPS Lewis & Clark interpretive sites along the route. Plan 28-42 days minimum.

Multiple state parks + federal sites along the route. Plan 4 weeks minimum reservation lead.

Can I drive the Lewis & Clark Trail in an RV?

Approximately. The actual trail traveled by the Corps of Discovery was rivers (Missouri + Snake + Columbia) and overland portages. Modern highways parallel the route. From St. Louis, follow I-70 + I-29 + I-90 + US-2 + I-90 west. About 4,000 miles RV-friendly. Multiple NPS Lewis & Clark interpretive sites along the route. Plan 28-42 days minimum. • 4,000-mile RV-driveable parallel • NPS National Historic Trail • 28-42 days minimum • Multi-state interpretive sites • Complex heritage — Indigenous + colonial

Special / heritageCited official sources

Lewis & Clark expedition retrace

RV-friendly route following the 1804-1806 Corps of Discovery. With honest framing of Indigenous impact.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition (Corps of Discovery, 1804-1806) traveled 7,800 miles from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean and back. The NPS Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail interprets the route across 11 states. The RV-driveable retrace covers about 4,000 miles east-bound or west-bound through MO, KS, NE, SD, ND, MT, ID, WA, OR. This is one of the great heritage routes — but the heritage is more complex than the 19th-century mythology suggests.

Browse RV rentals All special / heritage routes

By PickRV·Cited primary sources·Updated May 18, 2026

Route almanac

Tier: Special / heritage
State: Missouri
Sources: Cited official (.gov / .org)

Indigenous nations along the route

The honest history

The Lewis and Clark Expedition is celebrated in American mythology as exploration. For the Indigenous nations the Corps encountered — Mandan, Hidatsa, Lakota, Salish, Nez Perce, Shoshone, Chinook, and many others — the expedition was the first contact in a process that would dispossess them of their lands within decades.

Sacagawea — the Shoshone woman whose translation made the expedition viable — is often reduced to a mythologized figure. The actual person was a young woman, married into the expedition, navigating between cultures under duress.

Travel with awareness. NPS Lewis and Clark interpretation has improved in recent years and now includes Indigenous perspectives. Visit the Bismarck ND area Mandan-Hidatsa villages (Knife River Indian Villages NHS) and the Salish-Kootenai Cultural Center on the Flathead Reservation. Engage the full history, not just the mythology.

Acknowledgements

Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
Nez Perce Tribe
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
Lower Chinook Nation

Suggested 5-week RV retrace

Week 1: St. Louis → Kansas City → Omaha. Multiple interpretive sites.

Week 2: Omaha → Sioux Falls → Bismarck. Knife River Indian Villages NHS.

Week 3: Bismarck → Great Falls → Helena.

Week 4: Helena → Missoula → Lolo Pass.

Week 5: Lolo Pass → Lewiston → Walla Walla → Astoria. Fort Clatsop.

National Park Service — find a parknps

What NPS Lewis + Clark National Historic Trail doesn't tell you

NPS interpretation has improved. Older interpretive materials often centered the colonial perspective; newer materials center Indigenous experience as well.

NPS Lewis + Clark NHT: Official trail.[source]

Frequently asked questions

Where do I camp?: Multiple state parks + federal sites along the route. Plan 4 weeks minimum reservation lead.

Authoritative sources

National Park Service — find a park National Park Service
America's Byways — Federal Highway Administration scenic byway program FHWA National Scenic Byways

Verify current conditions with state DOT 511 systems before departure. RV restrictions may change. Weather may close roads.

Cultural respect

This route crosses or commemorates lands and histories of Indigenous, African American, or other communities. Travel with cultural awareness. Visit tribal cultural centers and support tribal-owned businesses. Respect photography restrictions and sacred sites.