Journal entry · July 30, 1804
Council Bluffs, Iowa (first council site) — Patrick Gass: July 30, 1804
Patrick Gass · Council Bluffs, Iowa (first council site) · Thwaites Vol. Gass 1807 First Edition
The place today: Council Bluffs, Iowa (first council site)
out early, and the hunters met us with a deer. At 9 we
came to some timber land at the foot of a high bluff and en-
camped there in order to wait for the Indians. At the top of
the bluff is a large handsome prairie, and a large pond, or
small lake about two miles from camp on the south side of
the river. Two of our hunters went out and killed an animal,
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION 17
called a prarow, about the size of a ground hog and nearly of
the same colour. It has a head similar to that of a dog, short
legs and large claws on its fore feet; some of the claws are an
inch and an half long. Our hunters again went out, but did
not return this day.
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The NPS atlas for this night
right shore: L&C's Council Bluffs, NE
NPS campsite reconstruction (Bergantino) · Camp of July 30 to July 31, 1804
About 2.7 miles of travel mapped this day (NPS’s reconstruction of the course)
NPS sites within 5 miles of this camp
- Fort Atkinson (opens in a new tab) NPS High Potential Historic Site · National Historic Landmark · 0.1 mi
- Washington County Museum (opens in a new tab) Visitor center/museum · 0.9 mi
From the NPS Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Park Atlas, mirrored here on September 21, 2026. This copy is not authoritative; NPS remains the system of record. About the mirror
Terrain360 · the place today
Council Bluffs, Iowa (first council site) in 360°
10 frames across 1.6 mi of the route around this location
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