n 2004 boaters will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to participate in the historical reenactment of the Lewis and Clark Expedition's trip of 1804 up the Missouri River and across the mountains to the Pacific Ocean. This year the United States will be observing the bicentennial of this famous military expedition that explored the untamed Missouri River. The winding, and meandering river with its many shallows and sandbars provided a way to explore the Louisiana Purchase that had just become part of the United States. Lewis and Clark had very little information about what they would find upstream and most of that came from French fur trappers and the Indians who lived along the river. They had to travel upstream against a mighty river with only paddles, oars, ropes, poles and sail. The only way to re-supply their expedition was to live off the land and river and hope to trade with friendly natives. They successfully completed their journey and provided the route of westward expansion of the United States. In the following 100 years Forts, Towns, and Cities grew along the river as the river continued to serve as the highway to the west. Canoes, keelboats and later paddlewheel riverboats provided travel and commerce to the rapidly developing region. Later barges, railroads and highways replaced the riverboats. The cities and towns along the river forgot their river heritage. The river became the domain of commercial barge traffic, commercial fisherman and some dedicated boaters who continued to enjoy the solitude of this beautiful river. 

Many boaters will be recreating this epic journey on a river that has changed greatly in the last 200 years. Most of the wetlands have been drained. The river has been concentrated by dikes and revetments into a single channel that more closely resembles a large ditch than the many channeled river traveled by Lewis and Clark. Communities will be staging historical reenactments that will celebrate the events of the voyage and people who participated in it. 

The Missouri River is also the center of a great debate to determine how it will be managed in the future. The Missouri River has been described as the most endangered river in the United States. It is also considered the most underutilized recreational resource in the state of Missouri. Commercial barge companies want it to be managed primarily for use by commercial barge traffic. Environmental groups want the priorities to be changed to providing favorable habitat for wildlife. Upstream states want to hold as much water as possible in their reservoirs for their recreational purposes while downstream states want water released to ensure adequate water for navigation and recreation in the lower Missouri and Mississippi rivers. 

The Corps of Engineers is caught in the middle. The Corps tries to fulfill its congressional mandate to maintain a navigation channel while it addresses environmental concerns by constructing mitigation projects that will improve wildlife habitat along the river. 

The increased attention being focused on the Missouri River by the Lewis and Clark commemoration is helping the communities along the river to realize the historical and cultural opportunities that have been ignored for so long. Increased use of the river for recreational purposes will bring increased business opportunities to these communities. Many of these communities are the oldest towns and cities in the region. Commerce and traffic on the river made their settlement possible. Now their location gives them an opportunity to benefit from this event and from future increased use of the river as a recreational resource. As these communities realize the potential of this untapped resource they will provide more and more services, which will also benefit boaters.

Unfortunately the shortage of services for boaters makes careful planning of long trips necessary. Though there are few marinas there are many communities located near the river where friendly natives will be glad to help you find the services you need. If your boat does not have the necessary range to travel between available fueling locations you will want to make arrangements in some of the river communities. 

In addition to the shortage of marinas, the Missouri River also presents some unique navigation problems:

It will also be helpful to use the Missouri River Page in this publication as a companion to this story. It has more information on safely navigating the Missouri River and pinpoints the location of needed services 

Commemorative Events

As this story goes to press much of the planning for the Lewis and Clark commemoration has not been completed. River communities will be looking forward to the arrival of the Discovery Expedition of St. Charles re-enactors and the reenactment flotilla. MRCN (Missouri River Communities Network) will be providing the Lewis and Clark Exploration Outpost to most of the community events. The Exploration Outpost will be at many of the community events as you travel up the river. We are including events in communities near the river but have chosen not to include events that are not easily accessible to boaters. The most complete and up-to-date information about Lewis and Clark events can be found at the Missouri Lewis and Clark Commission Website at: www.lewisandclark.state.mo.us.

May 14, 2004 the communities of Hartford and Wood River, Illinois will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Corps of Discovery's May 14, 1804 departure from its winter encampment at Camp River DuBois. The Discovery Expedition of St. Charles re-enactors will leave Camp River DuBois to begin their journey to the West. There will be musical and dramatic entertainment and period heritage craft and skill demonstrations. 

May 14, 2004 will also mark the start of the national commemoration events in St. Charles and the 25th Annual Lewis and Clark Heritage Days Festival. The Discovery Expedition of St. Charles' keelboat and piroques will be on display and crewmembers will be available to talk to visitors. There will be a recreated Lewis and Clark encampment and reconstructed village of St. Charles in 1804. There will be period foods and over 60 booths of 19th century crafts, a Native American encampment and horse and carriage parades. This event will conclude May 23 with the departure of the keelboat and piroques and their crews.

St. Charles became Missouri's first state capital and hub of Missouri River traffic for many years. As you head up the Missouri River you enter the rolling hills and rock bluffs of Missouri Wine Country. When Lewis and Clark passed through this area the Osage Indians dominated the country with white settlements along the river as far as present day Washington. Today the Katy Trail (hiking and biking trail) runs along the right hand side of the valley as you travel upstream. Next to the tree lined bank you will see fields of winter wheat ripen as corn, soybeans and other crops are being planted. You will also spot occasional signs of old river channels and sloughs that were largely eliminated when the Corps of Engineers channelized the river for navigation. 

Lewis and Clark arrived near Washington on May 24, 1804. From May 22 to May 26 the City of Washington will be hosting a Rendezvous at the Riverfront. This event will feature Native-American exhibits, a frontier village, interpretive exhibits, cuisine of the era, music and more. The Discovery Expedition of St. Charles re-enactors will arrive on May 24, 2004

Only 10 miles upstream from Washington is the charming little city of New Haven. New Haven will be hosting a Riverfront Festival on May 26 and May 27. There will be food and craft booths, a wine garden, costume contest, kid's activities, and the Lewis and Clark campfire.

Hermann is a historic city on the left bank of the river famous for its wineries and festivals. Lewis and Clark would have passed by the location of Hermann on May 27. Hermann will be providing a public dock to welcome boaters after May 1. Hermann's Lewis and Clark events include: 
May 15 and 16 Manifest Weekend events will include a concert at Riverfront Park on May 15 and a parade on May16. On May 22 there will be an art exhibit, demonstrations of violin making, period music, and quill pens. There will be lessons in, geology of the Hermann area, medicine in 1804, education in 1804, a venture 1804 re-enactment by the Boy Scouts and an Indian Campsite at Riverfront Park. On May 23, 2004 there will be a nondenominational Sunday Sunrise Service and music at Riverfront Park. Later in the day there will also be a Boy Scout campfire lighting and stories of John Colter. On May 27 there will be an Open Air Art Paint Out throughout Hermann and welcoming ceremonies for the arrival of the Discovery Corps from 10 am to noon. In the afternoon there will be a ceremony for the Opening of a new Hiking and Biking Trail, judging of artwork on bricks by the Discovery Corps, storytelling, music, animal calls and artifact display and a cookout. May 28 there will be a nondenominational Sunrise Service, a cookout breakfast and departure ceremonies. After breakfast there will be art, native plants, crafts, period dress, bands, quilt raffle and dancing throughout Hermann.

On May 27th, Lewis and Clark camped on an island at the Mouth of the Gasconade River about 7 miles upstream from Herman. About a mile up the Gasconade River is the town of Gasconade. 

On June 1 Lewis and Clark passed the mouth of the Osage River. The Osage River is one of the major tributaries of the lower Missouri River. It drains a large watershed including The Lake of the Ozarks. The Osage River is home to a significant number of fishermen and pleasure boaters. There are services a short distance from the Missouri River including: fuel, docking, camping and convenience stores.

On June 4th, Lewis and Clark passed a bluff on the left bank. This bluff became the site of the state capital in 1826. Jefferson City was named after president Thomas Jefferson, who conceived and commissioned the Lewis and Clark expedition. On June 1-2, Jefferson City re-enactors will greet the St. Charles re-enactors as they disembark from the Keelboat for a two-night encampment. Demonstrations as to how life was for the members of Lewis & Clark expedition will occur including food and music. This encampment will be at Noreen Access at North Jefferson City across the river from the Capital building. As you head up the river from Jefferson City you will see the beautiful rock bluffs which are part of the Manitou Bluffs Region of the Missouri River.

On June 5th, Lewis and Clark passed near the present day community of Hartsburg. Hartsburg is famous for hosting the Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival every fall. Hartsburg is about a mile from a private landing known as Jenning's Landing. There is also a public boat ramp just upstream. On June 4th, there will be a rendezvous at Jenning's Landing with Indian Crafts, food and music.

Hartsburg will also be holding an educational festival commemorating the Lewis and Clark Commemoration on May 1 & 2. This event is planned to feed into the excitement and anticipation of the boats coming and to get people involved in learning hands on about the journey and what it means today. There will be period crafts people, living historians and expedition re-enactors. A local farmer will be offering riverside excursions by van or wagon to the banks of the river. There will be the possibility of excursions from the landings to Hartsburg for both the May and June events. 

On June 5th, there will be a commemoration music and craft show event at Cooper's Landing. Cooper's Landing is a year round marina/resort and is located at the site of an early river port called Nashville. Nashville was an important shipping point for Columbia, Missouri until a flood destroyed it in 1844. The survivors founded the town of Providence, which continued to serve as Columbia's primary river port until river commerce ended after the civil war.

As you travel upstream from Cooper's Landing you will see the mouth of Perche Creek, which was called the Roche River on early maps. Providence is one mile up the creek and has the closest public boat ramp to Columbia. As you pass Perche Creek, the land on the right is part of the Eagle Bluffs Conservation area. On the left bank is the Plow Boy Bend conservation area. Two miles past Plow Boy Bend you will see the town of Lupus, which will host the Discovery Expedition on June 4th located on the left bank. Upstream from Lupus you will see California Island, which is a favorite gathering place for boaters on this stretch of the river. As you continue upstream you will pass more Islands and the Community of Huntsdale, which will be hosting the L & C Outpost, and the Discovery Expedition on June 5th. Further up the right bank you will pass Lewis and Clark Cave and Boone Cave before arriving at Rocheport which will be hosting the L & C Outpost and the Discovery Expedition on June 6th. 

As you leave Rocheport, you will be leaving the Manitou Bluffs Region. The bluffs are replaced by rolling hills. Boonville, on the hill of the left bank, is another historic city on the river and is in the heart of the Boone's Lick Region of Missouri. Boonville has June 7th events planned but access to boaters for these events are uncertain.

Arrow Rock another town on the hill on the left bank is planning events on June 8th but we do not know if they will be near the river. As you head upstream from Arrow Rock you will see two Conservation areas, Lisbon Bottoms and Jameson Island, where more natural habitat is being created through cooperative efforts of the Corps of Engineers, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Missouri Department of Conservation. 

At mile 226 on the right bank is the river town of Glasgow. You will see two barges on the right just above the highway bridge. Rooster's Marina and Driftwood Restaurant will serve as the newest marina along the lower Missouri River in 2004. Hopefully the new marina at Glasgow will be open by the time the reenactment flotilla arrives. Glasgow is in a perfect position to provide services to Lewis and Clark Events on June 9 and 10 and services to boaters in the foreseeable future.

Twenty-four miles upstream you will come to the mouth of the Grand River on the right bank. Only 4 miles up the Grand River you will arrive at the town of Brunswick. Lewis and Clark events will take place on June 12 and 13.

After you return to the Missouri River and continue upstream, you will travel to river mile 293 where you will find Waverly on the left bank. Waverly will host its Lewis and Clark events on June 16.

As you travel up the river another 23 miles you will approach Lexington on the left bank. Lexington is the site of a famous Civil War battle and is in an excellent position to benefit from increased recreational use of the Missouri River especially if fuel becomes available. Lexington will be observing Lewis and Clark events on June 17 and 18. The town will be transformed with demonstrations recreating life in the early 1800s. There will be demonstrations at the Battle of Lexington State Historic Site with period cooking, gardening, crafts, and Native American historians sharing oral traditions and skills. 

Twelve miles further up the river, on the left bank is the town of Napoleon. It is near the river but at this time we do not have information about planned Lewis and Clark events. Lewis and Clark passed through this area on June 20 and June 21.

June 23rd will be the night when Lewis and Clark camped near the present day community of Sibley and Fort Osage. Fort Osage was the second U.S. outpost built in the Louisiana Purchase. The site, overlooking the bends and currents of the Missouri River, was first noted by Lewis and Clark as a likely spot for a fort. Four years later, Clark returned to design and build this outpost, which remained the westernmost government presence until 1818. Today's Fort is a reconstruction from original plans still in existence in Washington, D.C. Interpretation within the fort will illustrate military and civilian life on the frontier in the early 1800s.

As you travel upstream from Fort Osage you will be entering the outskirts of Kansas City. Lewis and Clark passed by present day Missouri City on the right bank and camped near present day Sugar Creek on the left bank on June 25. Sugar Creek will host the Lewis and Clark Exploration Outpost on June 25 and June 26. Other activities include a Lewis and Clark re-enactment, traditional music, Missouri River educational displays, oral histories and children's activities. The re-enactment will include interpreters in authentic dress, foods from the time period, and many booths of 19th century crafts. Horse and wagon rides are planned throughout the event 

Lewis and Clark arrived at the mouth of the Kaw (Kansas) River on June 26 and remained there until June 28. Celebrations for the Lewis and Clark Commemoration in this area will be held on July 3 and 4. Plans include a spectacular fireworks display. There are many related events planned in the Kansas City area. 

On June 29, Lewis and Clark passed by present day Parkville on the right bank. Parkville has a boat ramp and friendly boaters of the Parkville Boat Club. You should be able to obtain fuel here with the assistance of boat club members. 

On July 1 Lewis and Clark camped near present day downtown Leavenworth. Leavenworth is the site of Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary and Fort Leavenworth Military Reservation.

On July 2, Lewis and Clark passed present day Weston, Mo on the right bank. Weston will be holding the annual Lewis and Clark Trad'n Days on June 26 and June 27. Activities will include stage entertainment, Native American hoop dancing, flute playing, drumming and singing, the Lewis and Clark Fife and Drum corps from St. Charles, trappers, journal readings, videos, and ice-cream social.

On July 4, Lewis and Clark camped just North of present day Atchison, Kansas. Atchison has an active boating community. There will be commemoration events and a large fireworks display on the river. 

Lewis and Clark camped in the St. Joseph, Mo. area on July 7 and July 8. You will find the Sunset Grill and Marina, with docks, restaurant, lodging, fuel and pump out. There will be a welcoming ceremony for the Discovery Expedition of St. Charles on July 5. Other activities include a fish fry and barbeque and the Sacred Hills Native American Encampment. On July 9 through July 11 there will be the Trails West Festival. Two hundred years of history will be condensed into three days of events. 

As you approach the Kansas/Nebraska state line you are entering Indian Country. Lewis and Clark camped near the present day community of White Cloud on July 10. On July 11 and 12 Lewis and Clark camped on the present day Iowa Indian Reservation, just downstream from Rulo, Nebraska. About 5 miles upstream from Rulo is Brownville and the Missouri River Historical Museum. At mile 553.4 the right hand bank changes from being Missouri to Iowa.

On July 19 Lewis and Clark passed present day Nebraska City, mile 563, site of the new Missouri River Basin Lewis and Clark Interpretive Trails and Visitor Center. Nebraska City has a municipal dock, the Riverview Park and Recreation Area. Plattsmouth Nebraska is planning a Two-day event, July 16 and 17 featuring crafts, live theater, historic presentations, evening "Chatauqua-style" entertainment, Lewis & Clark re-enactment with authentic evening meal at the confluence of Platte River and Missouri River.

Bellevue Nebraska, at mile 600, is the oldest city in the state of Nebraska.

At mile 612 you will begin to see Omaha, Nebraska on the left bank and Council Bluffs on the right bank. There are 30 docks on the riverfront next to the new Lewis & Clark Landing in Omaha. Lewis and Clark events will take place on July 24. 

Planning has begun for a boat parade at mile 651 at Blair, Nebraska in the evening of July 24 where participants will decorate their boats in lights for prizes. Cottonwood Marina will provide access to events at Ft. Atkinson, possibly with a shuttle service. There is camping available at the Riverland Park Resort next to the marina with boat access.

Nebraska's "First Tribal Council" Signature Event will be held at Fort Atkinson State Historical Park, July 31 through August 3, 2004. Fort Atkinson State Historical Park is located nine miles north of Omaha, Nebraska. This Event will showcase an outdoor dramatic reenactment of the First Council between the Corps of Discovery and the Otoe and Missouria Tribes. In addition to the reenactment, there will be four full days of a commemorative atmosphere in the towns and cities along the trail in Nebraska and Iowa.

There are marinas along the river to the Sioux City, Iowa area home of the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. Sioux City has one of the best riverfronts on the navigable portion of the Missouri River that includes vast public areas, parks, trails, marina, boat ramp, and much more. Boater's wanting to continue up the river from Sioux City, Iowa will have to trailer their boats past Gavin's Point Dam. There are 5 main stem dams on the upper Missouri River.

The Lewis and Clark re-enactment will continue up the Missouri River and across the mountains to the Pacific Ocean. As the re-enactment continues they will return down the Missouri River in 2006. This portion of the re-enactment will probably be even larger as many boaters will be joining the flotilla in canoes, kayaks, and rafts to take advantage of the much easier journey downstream. It will be interesting to see how many new marinas and communities providing docks will be available to boaters by 2006. Changes are taking place that will affect the way the river is managed and used. You can be part of this historical event in 2004 and 2006 and enjoy the opening of this beautiful and historic river to recreational boating.

Links:
www.CoopersLanding.net/newsletter
www.longestriver.org
www.missouririvertrips.com
www.lewisandclark.state.mo
www.moriver.org
www.lewisandclarkne.org
www.CottonwoodMarina.com

To Purchase Missouri River Navigation Charts contact:
District Engineer
U. S. Army Engineer District, Kansas City
Corps of Engineers
700 Federal Building
Kansas City, MO 64106-2896
Phone: 1-866-285-3219

To Purchase: Lewis and Clark bicentennial, Lower Missouri River, A Guide to Recreation & Visitor Safety. Contact the Missouri River Information Center (River Maps & Information) Toll Free: 1-866-285-3219 or Missouri River Communities Network (MRCN) 1-573-256-2602