The Northwest Passage Scenic Byway

Upon first traveling US Highway 12 through Idaho, I knew I had found my favorite route between Montana and the Columbia River. Along this passageway, my family and I have enjoyed the vast wilderness which the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery traversed two hundred years before us. They had followed an ancient path called the Nez Perce Trail which was later renamed the Lolo Trail, named after a French Canadian trapper who later explored the area. Traveling a close parallel to this route, Hwy 12 crosses north-central Idaho from Lolo Pass on the east to the city of Lewiston on the west, and is known as the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway for the wonderful views of natural beauty that it offers. It follows the Clearwater River and the Lochsa River, making for a winding way, but much more delightful to the modern traveler than what Lewis and Clark encountered.


On our trips through this area, we traveled from Lewiston eastward, and enjoyed the change in terrain that takes place in just these 200 miles or so through Idaho and into Montana. The more arid area around Lewiston had large nearly treeless hills and high plains covered with prairie grasses which ripen to a golden brown in late summer. The valleys were wide with fields of wheat, barley and other crops - very similar to southeastern Washington. After crossing the Snake River on the Washington-Idaho border, we began following its tributary, the Clearwater River, continuing on Highway 12 into the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. The name Nez Perce means "Pierced Nose," and the Expedition journals note that the men indeed saw these Indians with ornaments attached to their noses. They found these natives to be friendly and helpful, even saving the Corps from starvation.


Highway 12 passes through the reservation just inside its northern and eastern borders, traveling through several small communities which offer many points of interest. Several ancient Nez Perce campsites have been rediscovered along the Clearwater, some of the artifacts found being 4,000-10,000 years old. Lewis and Clark had given peace medals with President Jefferson's likeness to chiefs in these camps, and two have been found over the years, one now located at the Nez Perce National Historical Park Museum in Spalding. The trees became more plentiful in this section, especially the evergreens, and the hills became larger, steeper and more rocky. Just a few miles upriver, next to Hwy 12, is the Canoe Camp of Lewis and Clark, the site of the huge Ponderosa pines from which they made dugout canoes on their trip downstream to the Pacific Ocean. Near this spot is where the North Fork of the Clearwater River joins the Middle and South Forks.

The explorers also camped near the present-day town of Orofino, where we've stopped overnight twice now, and wouldn't hesitate to do so again. With the name Orofino meaning "fine gold," we got a clue to the area's mining history, the location where gold was first found in Idaho being just east of there. Like Lewis and Clark, we also found the people here to be pleasant and helpful. We crossed the Clearwater to the main part of town and found a motel located up against a hill on the west side. The rates were very reasonable, the room was clean and we were only a block away from a great restaurant. After eating, we took a stroll around the main part of town and over to the east side, where we took a leisurely break at a picnic table near a rushing little stream.

Another Indian camp the Corps stayed in was near present Weippe, located 16 miles east of US 12 on State Highway 11. Weippe Prairie was one of the many marshy meadows where the Camas Lily grew abundantly, its edible root-bulbs a staple in the Nez Perce diet. Yet another campsite of the Corps is located at the City Park in the town of Kamiah. This is where they spent several weeks on the return trip, waiting for more snow to melt off the higher elevations of the trail. At the town of Kooskiah, the Clearwater River splits into the South Fork and the Middle Fork. We continued on US 12, following the Middle Fork out of the reservation and into the Clearwater National Forest. The valley narrowed a bit and we said goodbye to civilization as the meadows were replaced with an evergreen wilderness.


At the tiny town of Lowell, the Clearwater's Middle Fork splits into its two main tributaries, the Selway and Lochsa Rivers, the highway following the Lochsa. On their way west, the explorers actually left the Lolo Trail and wandered down to the banks of the Lochsa, but after several miles of finding the way too rough, they climbed back up to the trail a few miles to the north. The Lochsa River is one of my favorites - a bubbly, fast-moving stream, sometimes dotted with huge boulders, and with water clear enough to see the stone-strewn bottom from one side of the river to the other. This is also true of the Clearwater River, no doubt how it got its name, and one of the attributes that inspires my devotion to this route through Idaho.


In places along the road, rocky outcroppings seemed to hang over us, and the evergreens grew to the very edges of the road and river - endless stands of Ponderosa and Lodgepole Pine, Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, Spruce, Hemlock and Tamarack. Squeezed between the trees were several bushes, among them the Mountain Huckleberry, Honeysuckle, Hawthorn, Choke Cherry and Buckbrush. Any little space left on the forest floor and open areas were covered with native grasses and colorful wildflowers. To the south lie the Clearwater Mountains and Nez Perce National Forest, and to the east lies the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area. We were thankful for the numerous pull-outs for photo opportunities, and the rest area where we ate a peaceful picnic lunch. While this area is indeed a wilderness, there are several campgrounds just off the highway - Jerry Johnson, Wendover and Powell Ranger Station to name just a few. There are also numerous hiking trails originating on or very near Hwy 12, especially from the Lochsa Historic Ranger Station on up to Lolo Pass. Some of these connect with the old Lolo Trail where one can get a birds-eye view of the endless mountains the explorers describe in their journals.


Gradually, the highway climbed up toward Lolo Pass, and we sadly left the Lochsa behind. This mountain pass is one of about eight passes that straddle the Idaho-Montana state line, the Lolo Pass being one of the most centrally located. We were very impressed with the Lolo Pass Visitor Center and Rest Area, which had a large parking lot, very clean facilities, and offered much information on area plants, wildlife, scenery and history. We descended the pass, Hwy 12 taking us right by Lolo Hot Springs where the Corps of Discovery enjoyed hot mineral baths upon their return on June 29, 1806. They truly deserved their soak, having endured several accidents and misfortunes, especially during the trek through Lolo Trail. The previous September, they had begun their ascent not knowing what to expect, worriedly noting snow-covered Lolo Peak to the south. On this stretch, we too were offered a great view of Lolo Peak, which in early August still had snow near the top.

The east side of the Bitterroots is also covered with evergreens, as US Highway 12 passes through the Lolo National Forest. We enjoyed great views of the Bitterroot Valley and the Sapphire Mountains beyond. Soon Hwy 12 took us past the entrance to Travelers' Rest State Park where the Corps of Discovery camped as they prepared for their westward journey over the mountains, and where they again camped to rest upon their return. Looking back toward the west, the towering Bitterroot Mountains which gave the Corps such grief still look as rugged, and I marvel at the explorers' courage, tenacity and resourcefulness - their determination to succeed bringing them through this roughest portion of their journey and leading to the opening of the west for settlement. Now this stretch of ground that took them weeks to cover, we can drive through in less than a day ... but I'd recommend taking all the time available to explore the many wonders and sites along this beautiful drive.

The Official Site for the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway
Northwest Passage Scenic Byway

Visit the Nez Perce National Historical Park
Nez Perce National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)

Find places to visit along the Lewis and Clark Trail in Idaho
The Lewis and Clark Trail in Idaho

Get great online advice for planning a road trip
United States Forums - TripAdvisor

Read the best-selling biography of Meriwether Lewis
Undaunted Courage : Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West