| NetDescriptions | The historic Road to the Buffalo basically follows Montana Highway 200 through Sanders County with the exceptions of where it turns along Blue Slide Road and a loop northeast of Plains. From Plains it follows Montana Highway 28 turning southeast on Camas Creek Road south of Rainbow Lake. Through Camas Prairie it trends southward returning to the Flathead River upstream from Perma where it crosses to the south side of the river.
East of Sanders County the original route ran south following Montana Highway 93 down Evaro Hill and into the Missoula Valley where it connected with the travel route used by Meriwether Lewis on his return trip in 1806. On July 3rd, he and his party set out for the Missouri River following a route across the mountains his Nez Perce guides had told him about—Cokahlarishkit or river of the road to buffaloe. This was the Blackfoot River.
Similar to the Lewis and Clark signage visible to highway travelers, the Road to the Buffalo is designated by signs that display a symbol of a buffalo. Points of interest, many of which appear much like those David Thompson would have seen, are highlighted in this travel brochure. |