Jefferson River Trail

The Jefferson River Trail explores the lower park terrain along the banks of the Jefferson River, following approximately the same corridor navigated by the Lewis and Clark Expedition during their westward journey in 1805. Meriwether Lewis named the Jefferson River in honor of President Thomas Jefferson, the expedition patron, and the captains spent considerable time studying this reach of the river as they sought the headwaters they hoped would lead to an easy crossing of the Continental Divide.

The trail winds through a gallery of massive cottonwood trees that line the Jefferson bottomlands, their silvery bark and trembling leaves creating a distinctive riparian atmosphere quite different from the arid hillside above. White-tailed deer, mink, and beaver inhabit the river corridor, and the Jefferson supports healthy populations of brown and rainbow trout that attract fishing activity throughout the season. Osprey frequently hunt the river from aerial perches in the cottonwood canopy. The historic context of walking a landscape that the Corps of Discovery examined with such careful scientific attention adds intellectual depth to what is already a beautiful riparian walk. Wildflowers in the meadow openings include lupine, fleabane, and various composites that bloom from late spring through summer in this protected valley bottom environment.