RVers who explore the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway not only have a chance to explore some of Idaho’s most beautiful scenery, but they can literally trace the route that Meriwether Lewis and William Clark took as they tried to find a river route to the Pacific. Lewis and Clark began their expedition in 1804, just one year after the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the United States, extending U.S. territory as far west as Montana and Idaho.
Visiting areas that Americans had yet to explore, Lewis and Clark not only mapped out the true course of the upper Missouri River and its major tributaries, but they discovered that the so called “Northwest Passage” didn’t exist.
“They forever destroyed the dream of a Northwest Passage, but proved the success of overland travel to the Pacific,” the National Park Service writes in its historical account of the Lewis and Clark expedition. RV enthusiasts can trace Lewis and Clark’s route through northern Idaho using the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway, a 202-mile roadway that crosses through wild and scenic river areas in north central Idaho. The byway includes U.S. Route 12 between 5,235-foot Lolo Pass, where Lewis and Clark crossed the Bitterroot Mountains at the Idaho/Montana border, and runs westward through the towns of Lowell, Kooskia, Orofino and Lewiston, on the Washington border.
"The byway owes its scenic beauty to the pristine mountainous watersheds of three nationally designated Wild & Scenic Rivers – the Lochsa, Selway, and Middle Fork Clearwater,” Friends of the Clearwater writes on its website, adding, “At Kooskia, the Middle Fork joins the South Fork to create the main Clearwater, which meets the Snake River at Lewiston.
“The Selway River, with 100 of its 121 miles flowing through protected wilderness, is the longest stretch of virgin river in the United States,” Friends of the Clearwater continues, noting that the Selway and Lochsa Rivers are world-class whitewater rafting and kayaking rivers.
Several river rafting outfitters provide tours in this area, including Hells Canyon Raft, Row Adventures, and Selway River Adventures. The byway also entices hikers, hunters, horseback riders, birders, picnickers, campers, fishers, and skiers. Historic attractions along the byway include:
- Canoe Camp near Orofino: Canoe Camp is the place where Lewis and Clark’s expedition team or “Corps of Discovery” worked with the Nez Perce people to carve the canoes, which took the Corps to the Pacific Ocean in 1805.
- "Heart of the Monster" near Kooskia: This is a 53-acre historical site, preserved as part of Nez Perce National Historical Park, which is sacred to the Nez Perce people. According to the nimíipuu (Nez Perce) creation story, Iceye’ye (a coyote) killed a large monster along the Clearwater River near present day Kamiah, Idaho, thus creating different tribes in the region, including the nimíipuu. A rock formation in the area is said to represent the “heart of the monster” described in the legend. It is sacred to the nimíipuu people.
- Hells Gate State Park in Lewiston: This park was once the site of a Nez Perce Native American village. A campground is located inside the park. “Little is left of the village, but depressions south of the campground are the remnants of pit houses used for years by the Nez Perce as they fished for lamprey near Asotin Creek,” the park notes on its website. The park is home to the Lewis and Clark Discovery Center, a two-acre outdoor interpretive plaza on the banks of the Snake River with sculptures by artist Rip Caswell. Attractions at the center include a 32-minute movie titled, “From the mountains to the sea: Lewis and Clark in Idaho,” interpretive displays and a gift shop. Park activities include steelhead fishing, picnicking, and bike riding on the Clearwater and Snake River Trail. Jet boat rides up the Snake River in one of North America’s deepest canyons are also available.
- Lolo Pass Visitor Center: Located atop Lolo Pass near the Idaho-Montana state line, this center offers interpretive displays the describe Lewis and Clark’s journey. The center also houses a small bookstore. Many visitors hike the 1.25-mile Glade Creek loop trail, which is located nearby.
- Nez Perce National Historic Park in Lapwai: This park helps preserve some of the ancient places of historical significance to the Nez Perce people, who provided assistance to Lewis and Clark during their expedition. Several different historic sites are preserved by the park in different locations near the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway. Campgrounds near the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway include:
