The Lewis and Clark Trail on the Air is a special on-air event commemorating the historic Lewis and Clark Trail, which spans 4,900 miles across 16 states. The event includes the disembarkation from Camp Dubois and the Eastern Legacy of the expedition. It is sponsored by the Clark County Amateur Radio Club, with support and participation from clubs across all 16 states along the historic trail.
The event runs from June 6 through June 21, 2026 (with operations opening June 5 at 5:00 PM Pacific and closing June 21 at 5:00 PM Pacific). Stations will be active 24 hours a day for the full duration of the event.
To qualify, contact one club in each of the 16 states along the historic trail. Two bonus stations are available and may each be substituted for a missing state to reach the 16-state total. Accepted operating modes include SSB Phone, FM Phone, CW, and FT8/FT4 — any combination of modes counts toward working all 16 states and bonus stations. A schedule of planned operations for each activating station will be posted on the event website.
The on-air exchange for CW and Phone consists of callsign and state. FT8/FT4 uses the standard exchange: callsign, signal report, and grid square.
Certificates are available for two levels of participation. The Expedition Partner certificate is awarded to any station that works all 16 states, including up to two bonus station substitutions. The Trail Companion certificate is available to any station working between 1 and 15 states, with optional bonus stations counting toward the total. Certificates may be requested as an emailed PDF or as a printed copy shipped on high-quality paper — purchasers of the printed version will also receive the PDF. Certificates are available for purchase through the Certificates page until July 31, 2026. PDF certificates will be emailed beginning July 7, and printed certificates will be mailed on August 24.
Only the activating stations in each of the 16 states are required to submit logs. Hunting stations are not required to submit logs, though it is encouraged to upload your personal log to Logbook of the World or another logging platform. Be sure to request your certificate before the deadline listed on the Certificates page.
The Lewis and Clark Trail on the Air was first held in 2022. For more information, contact the event team at info@lctota.org.