In 1998, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center was built on the south shore, near Giant Springs State Park. At the time it was designed, the facility was purposely oriented toward the undeveloped portion of the Wilhelm property, with large sweeping windows offering an impressive view of the Missouri River and the north shore. Acquisition of the Wilhelm parcels not only preserves the view from the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, but also preserves a largely untouched portion of the Lewis and Clark Trail; an area which both mystified and plagued the Corps of Discovery during their month-long stay in the area.

The former Wilhelm home site, subsequently purchased by Sanders, lies directly across the Missouri River from Giant Springs State Park, and can also be seen from the Interpretive Center. Acquiring the Sanders parcel allows for demolition of the home, thereby restoring the view shed for both Giant Springs State Park and the Interpretive Center.

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Both sides of the Missouri River, from Black Eagle Falls downstream to the Sulphur Spring  -- approximately 18 miles – remain largely in an developed natural state – just as it was when the Lewis and Clark Expedition traversed the area 200 years ago.

Virtually all of the north bank of the river is protected by conservation and trail easements, guaranteeing that the land will remain undeveloped indefinitely. The Wilhelm and Sanders properties were the only exceptions to that. With both tracts of land up for sale in 2006, these key properties were at serious risk of being sold and developed.  Because of its urgency, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center Foundation committed to purchase the Wilhelm parcel in 2006, and has been raising the funds for that project, totaling $280,000. In 2007, the Foundation committed to purchase the Sanders property, with total project costs of $385,000.

Great Falls' Rivers Edge Trail has expanded significantly along the Missouri River throughout the 1990s. Much of the early trail development began in an abandoned railway on the south shore, which today has largely been completed. Attention in recent years has focused on the north shore of the river, where the trail ends at Black Eagle Island. The Wilhelm and Sanders parcels will provide access to a critical pathway, providing a connection to the planned Lewis and Clark Heritage Greenway trail, all the way to the Sulphur Spring Trail. These two properties have been the only privately-held properties left on the north shore.

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