Footsteps of Lewis and Clark Trip

450.0 mi 4 days
History | Indian Country | Road Trip | Guides & Tours

Road Trip Highlights

Fort Union Trading Post
Makoshika State Park
Fort Peck Interpretive Center and Museum

RETRACE THE PATH of Lewis and Clark, and parallel two mighty rivers—the Missouri and the Yellowstone—on a five-day loop around the state’s northeastern badlands and spacious plains. This route-less-traveled crosses the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and passes through lands where dinosaurs once roamed.

The Route: Glasgow > U.S. 2 > Culbertson > MT-16 > Glendive > U.S. 94 > Wibaux > U.S. 94 > Terry > MT 253 > MT-200 > MT-24 > Glasgow

Total Distance: approximately 450 milesGateway Airport: Glasgow International, Glasgow

Wide Open Spaces
Border Crossing
Play Paleontologist
Back Country
Hydro Power
Day 1

Wide Open Spaces

Wolf Point • Scobey • Daniels County Museum and Pioneer Town • Medicine Lake National Wildlife • Sidney

Head east from Glasgow to Wolf Point, home of July’s annual Wild Horse Stampede. Detour up MT-13 for a back-in-time visit to Scobey, home of the Daniels County Museum and Pioneer Town. Or, head north on MT-16 to look for white pelicans at the Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Spend the night in Sidney.

Day 2

Border Crossing

MonDak Heritage Center • Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site • Glendive

View Western art and pioneer artifacts at The MonDak Heritage Center in Sidney (closed Sundays and Mondays). From here, take a side trip to the Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, once the fur-trading hub of the Upper Missouri. The site straddles the Montana-North Dakota border. Head to Glendive to spend the night.

Day 3

Play Paleontologist

Makoshika State Park • Frontier Gateway Museum

In Glendive, pre-book a fossil hunt with Baisch’s Dinosaur Digs (April to October). See a Triceratops horridus skull and hike through the badlands at Makoshika State Park, one of two Glendive stops (Frontier Gateway Museum is the other) on the Montana Dinosaur Trail. Spend another night in Glendive

Day 4

Back Country

Terry • Big Sky Byway • Fort Peck Interpretive Center and Museum • Fort Peck

Head west to hook up with the Big Sky Byway, a 105-mile scenic route following a section of the historic Regina-Yellowstone (R-Y) Trail. Stop at the Byway kiosk in Terry to learn more about the drive. At the northern end of the route, the Fort Peck Interpretive Center and Museum to see one of the world’s most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons named Peck’s Rex™. Stay in Fort Peck

Day 5

Hydro Power

Fort Peck Lake • Glasgow

Before driving back to Glasgow, explore any of the six recreation areas surrounding Fort Peck Lake. Downstream from the dam, hike the Beaver Creek Nature Trail and look for elk and bison on the Leo B. Coleman Wildlife Exhibit driving route. Spend your last night in Glasgow.

More Inspiration

Hitch a ride through Big Sky Country with Nat Geo Travel and get inspired to take a road trip of your own.