The Keelboat at Lewis and Clark State Park in Iowa

A keelboat and two pirogues were used for the voyage down the Ohio River, down the Mississippi River to the confluence with the Missouri River, and then up the Missouri to the Mandan Villages in present-day North Dakota. The pirogues were flat-bottom paddle boats, while the much larger keelboat could be could be propelled by four methods: rowing, sailing, pushing and pulling. Such vessels were used in the early 1800s to transport cargo over inland waterways.

A full-sized replica of the keelboat used by the Corps of Discovery is featured at Lewis and Clark State Park, located near near Onawa, Iowa, and you are allowed to baord it and climb around.

A prime attraction at Lewis and Clark State Park is the 250 acres of Blue Lake, an "oxbow lake" formed from waters cut off from the main current of the Missouri River. There's a fine beach for sunbathing and swimming, and two boat ramps are available for access to the lake, with no restrictions placed on motor size. There are 112 campsites along the lakeshore, 100 with standard electrical hookups and 12 with full hook-up.

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21914 Park Loop
Onawa, IA 51040
712-423-2829

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Lewis and Clark State Park

Find more things to do and places to stay in Iowa and Nebraska
The Lewis and Clark Trail Today: Reaching the Historical Platte River