Lewis and Clark Monument Park

The Lewis and Clark Monument Scenic Overlook in Council Bluffs was dedicated in 1936 honoring the 1804 expedition of Lewis and Clark and their historic meeting with Otoe and Missouri Tribesmen. The monument depicts an image of the meeting and has text stating “Beneath the bluffs on the Missouri, Lewis and Clark held parley with the Otoe and Missouri Indians and named the locality Council Bluffs.”

Located in the Loess Hills of southwest Iowa, the site gives visitors the opportunity to take in stunning views of the Missouri River, Council Bluffs, and the Omaha skyline. The overlook is also home to a popular mountain bike trail which can also be used for hiking. Restrooms and a picnic area are open seasonally.

The park has a small observation deck and two large commemorative stone markers, quarried from the Folsom Quarry in Vermont and created by sculptor Harry E. Stinson and architect George L. Horner. The images and text on the markers explain Lewis and Clark’s meeting with local Oto and Missouri Indians.  (The actual site of the meeting took place on the west side of the Missouri about 10 miles north of Omaha near today’s Fort Calhoun, Nebraska.)