When the state of Iowa comes to mind, one could be forgiven to think that the topography of the entire state is flat plains from end to end — but a visit to the Lewis and Clark Monument in Council Bluffs disproves that thought, as it is also a scenic overlook.
Lewis and Clark Monument in Council Bluffs in Iowa
The entrance to the site of 35 acres at Rainbow Point atop a ridge of the Loess Hills — which run along much of the western edge of Iowa — is nothing fancy; and it is located on an equally unassuming road which does not seem like it goes anywhere.
Engraved on the outside of one part of the monument is “A memorial to the Lewis and Clark Expedition erected by the Colonial Dames of America in the state of Iowa” in November of 1935; while another part of the monument states that “Beneath the bluffs on the Missouri, Lewis and Clark held parley with the Otoe and Missouri Indians and named the locality Council Bluffs.”
A flagpole is located inside of the monument between the two curved walls. The view of the photograph above is facing east towards the parking lot…
…but the views in the opposite direction are significantly more interesting. Big Lake, Big Lake Park, and the interchange of Interstate 29 and North 16 Street into downtown Council Bluffs are seen towards the southwest.
After being first named Traders Point and then Kanesville, the “town was renamed Council Bluffs after a site approximately 20 miles to its north where the Lewis and Clark Expedition members had sat in council with the Otoe Tribe on bluffs near the Missouri River”, according to the official Internet web site of the city itself.
The skyline of the city of Omaha — along with the Missouri River, Eppley Airfield, and Interstate 29 — can easily be seen when facing due west from the scenic overlook at Lewis and Clark Monument.
A closer view of downtown Omaha shows the buildings of the skyline in greater detail. The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge can be seen in the lower right part of the photograph above.
Eppley Airfield can easily be seen to the northwest from the scenic overlook — including the runways and taxiways in their entirety. The main terminal of the airport is in the center of the photograph…
…and at the time this photograph was taken, three airplanes of Southwest Airlines and one airplane of United Airlines were at their gates at the main terminal. Spotting airplanes is a bonus activity which can be done here.
Trains looked almost like toys when facing almost due south from the scenic overlook.
Final Boarding Call
The Lewis and Clark Monument in Council Bluffs is one of dozens of sites of interest along the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, which winds through 16 states and approximately 4,900 miles between Pennsylvania and Washington. The trail follows the historic outbound and inbound routes of the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1803 through 1806 from Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania to the Pacific Ocean by Meriwether Lewis and his close friend William Clark.
I definitely enjoyed the views.
Lewis & Clark Monument and Scenic Overlook
19962 Monument Road
Council Bluffs, Iowa 51503
United States
712-256-2577 or 712-890-5291 or 712-328-4650
Visiting hours are from 6:00 in the morning through 10:00 in the evening, seven days per week.
Free parking for vehicles is available. Give yourself approximately 15 minutes to drive to this site from downtown Omaha.
No admission is charged. Hiking trails, mountain biking trails, picnic areas, benches and seating, public toilets, historical and interpretive information and exhibits, and a plaza with an overlook are all available; so depending on what you want to do, you can spend a few minutes or several hours at this site.
Visiting the Lewis and Clark Monument in Council Bluffs is one of several interesting things to do in the greater Omaha metropolitan area.
All photographs ©2023 by Brian Cohen.
