Louisville Waterfront Park - Lewis and Clark Trail Experience

Information

Waterfront Park Hours 6 am – 11 pm, daily Adventure Playground Hours Currently closed due to COVID-19. Splash Park Hours (in season) Currently closed due to COVID-19. Big Four Bridge Hours Open 24/7 Restroom Hours (in season) 9 am – 9 pm daily

502-574-3768

Free

lat: 38.2607389 long: -85.7426013

Louisville Waterfront Park is both a non-profit organization and a public park in Louisville, Kentucky. Bordering the Ohio River, we are not only a destination but the front door to the city.

We connect people to the river and are devoted to preserving and growing a space that can be enjoyed by the community forever.

Once a wasteland of scrap yards and abandoned industrial buildings, Waterfront Park is now a vibrant 85-acre green space that welcomes over 2.2 million visitors each year. We are home to some of Louisville’s most exciting celebrations, such as the Fourth of July at Waterfront Park, Forecastle Festival, and WFPK Waterfront Wednesdays. If big crowds aren’t your thing, there is plenty of space to take a walk, ride your bike, do some yoga, or enjoy a breathtaking view of the city from the Big Four Bridge.

As the most utilized urban park in Louisville, Waterfront is where we come together to celebrate our unique sense of community. We are a non-profit, public park made possible by the generosity of our supporters. Your donations help us maintain and expand Waterfront Park for the entire community to enjoy.

Waterfront Wednesday Free Concert

Waterfront Wednesday Free Concert

Waterfront Wednesday

Waterfront Wednesday

Waterfront Wednesday from the Big Four Pedestrian Bridge

Waterfront Wednesday from the Big Four Pedestrian Bridge

Forecastle Festival

Forecastle Festival

Waterfront Park in the Fall

Waterfront Park in the Fall

Abraham Lincoln Statue at Waterfront Park

Abraham Lincoln Statue at Waterfront Park

Abraham Lincoln Statue by Sculptor Ed Hamilton

Abraham Lincoln Statue by Sculptor Ed Hamilton

Thunder Over Louisville Fireworks Show

Thunder Over Louisville Fireworks Show

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Sign Up for the Lewis & Clark Trail Experience Newsletter

Our bi-weekly newsletter provides news, history, and information for those interested in traveling along along the Lewis & Clark Trail.

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Site of the Week: The Lewis and Clark Visitor’s

Site of the Week: The Lewis and Clark Visitor’s Center at Gavins Point Dam

By August of 1804, the Lewis and Clark Expedition had entered the land of the Yankton Sioux, a powerful tribe on the Missouri River. Lewis and Clark were tasked with notifying them that the United States now had a claim over their land. So, on August 29, the expedition met with the tribe at a site called Calumet Bluff where Lewis gave his routine speech and the customary gifts were handed out.

Today, the Lewis and Clark Visitor’s Center at Gavins Point Dam sits on Calumet Bluff, overlooking the nearly two-mile-long Gavins Point Dam. The dam was originally planned to be built further upstream at Gavins Point,the place from which the dam gets its name. However, even though it was constructed at a different site (which resulted in the formation of Lewis and Clark Lake), the dam maintained its original name throughout the project.

The visitor’s center, which is operated by the Army Corp of Engineers, has exhibits pertaining to the wildlife and rich history of the area. Information regarding recreation on Lewis and Clark Lake is also available, as well as a gift shop and bookstore. There is a viewing deck on the back of the visitor’s center which allows visitors to view the Gavins Point Dam.

https://www.nps.gov/places/lewis-clark-visitor-center-at-gavins-point-dam-nebraska.htm

Photos credited to Cait Clark

#lewisandclark #history #adventure #travel #nebraska

Site of the Week: Sergeant Floyd Monument The Lew

Site of the Week: Sergeant Floyd Monument

The Lewis and Clark Expedition is known for having lost only one man, something of a miracle when it comes to such a lengthy and treacherous adventure. Sadly, the majority of people do not know the name of this man as he died rather early on in the Expedition. Fortunately, there is a monument dedicated to his burial in Sioux City, Iowa.

On July 31, 1804, Sergeant Charles Floyd, one of the original “Nine Young Men from Kentucky,” wrote in his journal that he was “verry sick and {had} ben for Sometime.” He recovered somewhat before suddenly taking a turn for the worse. Captain Lewis administered to him as he was the Expedition’s doctor, but it was no use. On August 20th, the young man passed away at the age of 22. It is widely believed that Floyd died from peritonitis caused by a ruptured appendix. If this truly was the case, there would have been nothing that Lewis could have done to save him.

Today, the Sergeant Floyd Monument stands on a cliff overlooking I-29, a tall obelisk surrounded by iron fencing for protection. There is a parking lot and informational signs concerning the Expedition and the last days of Floyd’s life. When standing at the base of the monument, one can look out over the mighty Missouri River. Despite the rumbling of the cars racing by below, the site possesses a solemn tranquility, especially when visited in the evening as the sun is fading in the west. A sun that young Charles Floyd was unable to pursue with his fellow explorers.

#lewisandclark #history #adventure #travel #Iowa #siouxcityiowa

Lewis and Clark spent the winter close to the Clat

Lewis and Clark spent the winter close to the Clatsop Village that was located on the site of Fort Stevens State Park - located at the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon on Point Adams.

When Europeans first arrived in the area, it was the site of a large Clatsop settlement, and William Clark noted eight large houses on the site when they sailed past in 1805. The name of the landmark itself was coined on May 18, 1792, when Captain Robert Gray, a merchant mariner, sailed into the mouth of the Columbia River. He chose the name in honor of the then president of the United States, John Adams.

Point Adams later became part of Fort Stevens, a Civil War-era military fort established in 1863. The original earthen fort was built to keep British and Confederate gunboats from entering the mouth of the Columbia River. It was named after Union Army General Isaac I. Stevens, who also served as the first territorial governor of Washington state.

After World War II, Fort Stevens was considered obsolete, and it was turned over to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for use as a headquarters in 1947. Then, in 1975, the site was officially designed as a state park after being leased to Oregon State Parks.

Today, visitors can visit the historic Fort Stevens and Point Adams visitor center and museum, take tours through the old earthen fort and artillery gun batteries, or take advantage of all the wildlife opportunities like fishing.

There are several camping options available as well. All campsites are ADA accessible and come equipped with a picnic table and grill. Yurts and cabins are also available for rent. Restrooms, showers, a playground, and a dump station are on site.

https://www.lewisandclark.travel/listing/fort-stevens-state-park/

#lewisandclark #history #adventure #travel #Oregon #fortstevensstatepark

Happy New Year, Everyone! January 1, 1806 “A n

Happy New Year, Everyone!

January 1, 1806

“A new year at Fort Clatsop

To bring in the new year at Fort Clatsop, the enlisted men fire a volley to awaken the captains. Lewis resumes writing his journal and imagines New Year’s Day in 1807 when everyone will be home. Clark inventories ship captains that visit the area, and Sgt. Gass is surprised by the number of active insects this time of year.

‘…our repast of this day tho’ better than that of Christmass, consisted principally in the anticipation of the 1st day of January 1807, when in the bosom of our friends we hope to participate in the mirth and hilarity of the day, and when the zest given by the recollection of the present, we shall completely, both mentally and corporally, enjoy the repast which the hand of civilization has prepared for us.’
—Meriwether Lewis”

https://lewis-clark.org/day-by-day/1-jan-1806/

Photo Credit: "Snow on Fort Clatsop by Robert Potts"

Our new APP is now available! Check it out if you

Our new APP is now available! Check it out if you haven’t yet to bring the adventure and magic of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail on your mobile device. Scan the QR code here or find it on your app store.