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Fort Peck Dam. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has operated the dam since 1940. Stretching across the upper Missouri River in northeastern Montana, it is the furthest upstream of six dams and reservoir projects built on the mainstem of the upper Missouri River. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

Drowning the Missouri River — Lewis and Clark on the Reservoirs!

The Missouri was a wild, free-flowing river when Lewis and Clark began their epic western journey in 1804. Today, much of that river is a series of reservoirs.
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Though Thomas Jefferson never saw the Missouri River, it (and Mrs. Maria Cosway) held a special fascination for him. (ChatGDP Image by Clay Jenkinson)

Hunting Rivers’ Sources on the Upper Missouri

Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis, and Clay Jenkinson all share a fascination with the origins of rivers.
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The Quest for the Authentic on the Lewis and Clark Trail

As Clay Jenkinson leads his annual canoe trip through a remote section of the Missouri River, a sudden thunderstorm makes for dramatic challenges
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Meriwether Lewis’ Deadly Encounter

Clay reports on his visit to the remote Montana site where Lewis and Clark had their only fatal encounter with Native Americans on their historic 1804-1806 expedition.
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Aerial view of Clay, Nolan and Brian's

On the Missouri River With Two Rapscallions

When I began to plan for my 2025 retracing of the Lewis and Clark expedition, hauling an Airstream from Jefferson’s Virginia across the country to Astoria, Oregon, I realized I was planning a paradox.
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What Does It Mean to Listen to America?

The art of listening and genuine communication to a thriving democracy.
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Meriwether Lewis at work on his journals. The renowned explorer was frustratingly inconsistent in keeping an ongoing record of his historic journey across the continent. (Illustration created by Clay Jenkinson using the AI tool Chat GPT)

Exploring the Ohio River with Captain Lewis

Following the path of Meriwether Lewis, Clay notes that while the famous explorer could be an outstanding journal writer, he was frustratingly unreliable in keeping a daily account of his transcontinental travels. No known journals exist for about half of the 28-month expedition.
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At the RV Park. (Shutterstock)

A Few Reflections on RV Life

A short report on the RV Life.
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The Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers join, forming the headwaters of the Ohio River in Pittsburg, Penn. The Ohio River then flows southwestward, eventually joining the Mississippi at Cairo, Illinois.

Following the Ohio River on the Lewis and Clark Trail

One of America’s truly grand rivers, The Ohio ranks eighth in length in the United States but second in volume.
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Lewis and Clark’s Traveling Magic Show

Attending a magic show by my friend Joshua Jay in Pittsburgh got me pondering the “magic” of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
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