Photo: Fishing for steelhead on the Grande Ronde River requires concentration, something easily lost in this surreal landscape. Photo courtesy Drew Winterer.

The finest meal, according to Lewis, is a steelhead trout fried in bear's grease. While the grease may be difficult to come by, steelhead are still swimming in the western rivers where Lewis found them.

Of all the game fish that call the Lewis and Clark Trail home, the steelhead is one of the most awe-inspiring. First, steelhead grow big. The steelhead in the Columbia drainage average 6-25 pounds, with 30-pound fish possible. Second, they fight like hell. When they jump, you feel the sea in them. Known for spectacular acrobatics and vicious runs, steelhead trout send pulses racing. Third, these are some of the most beautiful wild fish in the world. Part freshwater fish, part saltwater fish, the steelhead represent Northwest fishing at its finest. One fantastic spot to chase these fish is the Grande Ronde River.

While the Corps of Discovery did not have time to explore the many twists of the Grande Ronde River, do not make this same mistake. This wild river offers easy access into a unique world. The lower river has carved a marvelous canyon out of a high plateau of basalt flows, resulting in a crazy crooked riverbed twisting through a surreal landscape. Roads cannot follow the river for long here, due to the immense canyon walls and the dramatic turns.