On August 21, 1805, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led the Corps of Discovery down the Salmon River in what is now the State of Idaho. At the fork splitting the river into two pathways, the Corps of Discovery witnessed Native American techniques for catching salmon, the dominant fish of the area. Catching up with five of his own men who traveled ahead of him, Meriwether Lewis wrote, “the natives resort in great numbers for the purpose of gigging fish, of which they made our men a present of five fresh salmon.” Earlier that day, the Corps caught a two-and-a-half foot salmon in a small creek off the banks of the Salmon River.

After President Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory, he commissioned Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to travel the newly acquired territory. The captains took their team to the Salmon River, the longest river to be located completely in one state within the contiguous United States. The Corps of Discovery did not reach the Salmon River until after a year of travelling. They explored the wilderness by wooden keelboat, a large and bulky vessel that the men dragged through shallow areas of the Missouri River and rowed through deep areas.

Locals refer to the river as the “River of No Return” because it has no outlet on its southern course. For about 180 miles of the Salmon River, the canyon reaches one mile deep and harbors 1.5 billion year old rocks. It is located in the Salmon-Challis National Forest a 4.3 million acre wilderness area.

Researched, written, and narrated by University of West Florida Public History Student Natalie Ray