Missoula

The Missoula Valley lies where the Clark Fork, Bitterroot and Blackfoot river corridors meet. It forms part of the homelands of the Salish, Kootenai and Pend d'Oreille peoples, whose routes led through the mountains toward the bison plains. South of the valley, Lewis and Clark camped at a place they called Travelers' Rest in 1805, before crossing the Bitterroot Mountains. They returned in 1806 and divided their expedition there: Clark went south along the Bitterroot, while Lewis headed east through Hellgate Canyon.