 | | Lewis and Clark Trail State Park covers 37 acres with 1,333 feet of freshwater shoreline on the Touchet River. The park offers 30 standard campsites, 50 picnic sites, a large kitchen shelter, one small kitchen shelter, a trailer dump, a group camp site with a 50-person capacity, a 1.0 mile interpretive trail, one small interpretive display shelter, a .75 mile bird watching trail, a small shop, and an amphitheater for campfire programs. Activities at the park include bird watching, camping, fishing, hiking, picnicking, sledding and base camping for big game and bird hunting. Fishing for rainbow and brown trout is excellent. Tubing and wading are popular activities. Washington's climate varies with each region. The Cascades split the state and alter weather patterns. Lewis and Clark Trail State Park, located east of the mountains, receives significantly less rainfall than regions west of the mountains with an average annual precipitation of twelve inches. Average summer temperatures are 94 degrees maximum and 50 degrees minimum. Because central Washington is landlocked and subject to winter winds, winter temperatures are much colder than those in western Washington. The park is located on the historic Nez Perce trail that extends from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. Remnants of the trail can be observed near the park. The explorers Lewis & Clark (for whom the park is named) passed through the property in 1806 and commented on the unusual character of the vegetation. The park was originally homesteaded by the Bateman family in 1864 and was the site for neighboring farmers' post-harvest picnics and games. Homesteading began in the region in 1859. Some of the original homestead sites still remain. Woolly mammoth fossils have been found near the park. The woolly mammoth fossil is the official fossil of Washington state. In 1996, catastrophic flooding occurred, laying down a million cubic feet of sediment in the park. Two additional major floods happened within the year. Periodic flooding is characteristic of riparian (river-related) terrain, and gives the park its distinctive character. The day-use-area restroom was constructed in 1934 from 10,000 stones acquired from the Touchet River. The day-use-area kitchen shelter was also built in the 1930s and exhibits features of that period. |
| |  | | | Facilities: Lewis and Clark Trail State Park provides restrooms and campsites. Reservations: Reservations are not accepted for Lewis and Clark Trail State Park. Best Time To Visit: Lewis and Clark Trail State Park is open during the summer from 6:30 a.m. to dusk. Winter hours are from 8 a.m. to dusk. The park is open year-round for camping and day use. The day-use area is available for overnight camping in winter. Fees: No fees are charged. Accessibility: Handicap accessibility is provided. Rules: Check-in time starts at 2:30 p.m. Check-out time is 1 p.m. Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Directions: To reach Lewis and Clark Trail State Park from Walla Walla start out going northeast on W Alder St toward S 4th Ave. for 0.1 miles. Turn left onto S 2nd Ave. for 0.4 miles. Merge onto US-12 E via the ramp on the left for 20.8 miles. Turn right onto US-12. Continue to follow US-12 for 4.3 miles. Turn left for 0.1 miles. Turn right for 0.1 miles. End at Lewis and Clark Trail State Park. | | |
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| | | | Address | | Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission | | 7150 Cleanwater Lane | | P.O. Box 42650 | | Olympia, Washington 98504 |
| | | Phone | | General: (360) 902-8844 | |
| | | | | Website | | Email |
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