Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
7. Camas Prairie
Heading north from White Bird, Rte. 95 traverses the lush Camas Prairie, a tapestry of
green and gold beneath bright blue skies. For centuries the Nez Perces came here each
spring to harvest the nutritious bulbs of the camas lily. No less generous today, the land
now produces bumper crops of alfalfa, peas, and wheat.
Grangeville, in the heart of the golden fields, is an agricultural center situated at an el-
evation of 3,300 feet, the highest—and wettest—point on the Camas. But farming hasn't
always been the area's main enterprise; during a gold boom in the late 1800s, the town
servedassupplydepotforthenearbyGospelMountainandBuffaloHumpminingdistricts.
The mines have long since closed down, and as in so many places in Idaho, the pro-
spectors of old have been replaced not only by farmers but also by backpackers, anglers,
andwhite-waterenthusiasts.Theadventurerscometosamplethevastpristinetractsofsur-
roundingcountryside, includingtheSelway-Bitterroot, GospelHump,FrankChurch-River
of No Return, and Hells Canyon wilderness areas. Together these tracts form an expanse
larger than the combined total areas of Connecticut and Rhode Island.
8. Nez Perce National Historical Park
Headquarters
Turningtothewest,thedrivegraduallydescendstowardLewiston.Asthemilesrollby,the
temperature as a general rule rises, and golden wheatfields yield to dry hills of tall grass.
Notable sights on the way include the trestle bridge at Lawyers Canyon and the wayside at
Cottonwood, site of several skirmishes between the Nez Perces and army troops.
Just past Cottonwood, the road enters the Nez Perce reservation and, some 40 miles
later, brings you to the headquarters of the Nez Perce National Historical Park. The visitor
center, located in the town of Spalding, looks out from its grassy hilltop to lazy Lapwai
Creek; it also provides an excellent introduction to the history and culture of the tribe.
9. Northwest Passage Scenic Byway
AshortwaypastSpalding,turneastonHwy.12forthestartofawindingascentbesidethe
Clearwater River. Lewis and Clark came this way in 1805, and relatively little has changed
since then. The towns along this stretch are small and far apart, resulting in a wild, un-
Search WWH ::




Custom Search