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Nez Perce National Historical ParkGetting Around the Park - A view of Highway 12
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Nez Perce National Historical Park
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Nez Perce National Historical Park is big - - thirty-eight sites in four states that encompasses 11,000 years of history.  If you only have a few hours or a few days, you can learn about a people and places who have called this home since the beginning of time.

 

What can I do in a couple of hours . . . .

  • Come and visit the park visitor center at the Spalding site. See the park film, "Nez Perce: Portrait of a People", tour the exhibit, and see the historical area.

What can I do in a day . . . .

  • Take the Idaho loop via Hwy 12 and 95. There are many sites to visit. Some are pullouts with signs, others are places to visit and walk like the Whitebird battlefield, the Heart of the Monster, and Canoe Camp.
  • From Lewiston, the Wallowa Valley is just a few hours a way. On the way is an overlook at Joseph Canyon, close to the traditional birth site of Chief Joseph. Near the town of Joseph is the cemetery where Chief Joseph's father is buried.

What can I do in a couple of days . . . .

  • Drive east over Highway 12 to Montana and follow the route of the Nez Perce National Historic Trail and the battlefields of the 1877 conflict. There is a visitor center at Big Hole with a film and walking trails.
  • Other sites in Montana include Camas Meadows, Yellowstone National Park, Canyon Creek, and the Bear Paw battlefield.
 Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
Explore the Lewis and Clark Trail
link to the trail web site
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 Nez Perce National Historical Trail
Explore the Nez Perce Trail
link to the trail web site
more...
Camas field in bloom at Packer Meadows at Lolo Pass.  

Did You Know?
Camas, a relative of the lily family, has been gathered by the Nez Perce for generations. The bulbs are rich in protein and are still prepared and blessed according to traditional practices.

Last Updated: April 01, 2009 at 15:54 EST