By August 1805, the Corps of Discovery, led by Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, desperately needed horses before winter approached. On August 8, Sacajawea, a Lemhi Shoshone, recognized Beaverhead Rock, a familiar landmark of her tribe. The Corps split up, Lewis and a small party traveling by land and Clark by water. On August 13, Clark climbed to a rocky point, later called Clark’s Lookout, located near Dillon, Montana, in order to observe the surrounding area.

From on top of this high, rocky point, Clark made several directional observations, which he recorded in his journal. His writings accounted for the locations of Beaverhead Rock as well as Wisdom River, now known as Big Hole River. Clark’s observations also included temperature readings with the aid of a thermometer. Clark recorded the day as rather cool at an exact fifty-two degrees that persisted throughout the day.

In 1985, the State of Montana established Clark’s Lookout State Park to preserve the historic rock formation. Clark’s Lookout, located about a mile north of Dillon, Montana, and bordering the Beaverhead River, provides a dramatic view of the Beaverhead Valley. Today visitors can hike onto the rock monument and view markers of the compass measurements that Clark recorded to better understand a substantial chapter in Montana’s history.

Researched, written, and narrated by University of West Florida Public History Student Michelle Richoll