Interesting Facts About The Lewis And Clark Northwest Passage Route

In 1803 , President Jefferson commissioned Lewis and Clark to find the Northwest Passage – the link between the Missouri River and the Columbia River through the unexplored Rocky Mountains. This 202-mile byway, stretching across northcentral Idaho, follows the explorers' route through the ancestral homeland of the Nez Perce people.

From the west , this beautiful route begins on U.S. 12 at Lewiston, and traverses the winding Clearwater River Canyon. It also passes through the Nez Perce National Historical Park areas of Spalding and Kamiah and the towns of Orofino and Kooskia. At Kamiah is the Heart of the Monster, a geologic formation and legendary Nez Perce site.

At Kooskia , the byway splits. One segment turns south on Idaho Highway 13 toward the Camas Prairie and the town of Grangeville. Another segment continues east on U.S. 12 along the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River and the Lochsa Wild and Scenic River -- through a magnificent wilderness culminating at the Lolo Pass Visitor Center.

Points of interest include:

• Lewis and Clark Discovery Center, Lewiston
• Nez Perce National Historical Park, Spalding
• Canoe Camp and Dworshak Dam, Orofino
• Long Camp/Riverfront Park and Heart of the Monster, Kamiah
• Kooskia Crossing/Welcome Center, Kooskia
• Eimers Park and Mammoth Exhibit, Grangeville
• Lolo Pass Visitor Center, at the Idaho-Montana border

Drive Along The Northwest Passage Scenic Byway

Reach extraordinary new heights of travel. Use the Top 10 Scenic Drives in the Northern Rockies to plan a trip on the Lewis and Clark Northwest Passage.