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Map of the Nez Perce National Historic Trail, which travels from Oregon through Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. The trail is shown in dark yellow, park areas in green, reservations in purple, roads in dark brown, and surrounding areas in off white.

Extended Description

This description will begin with the path of the trail and sites on and near it from west to east, following the journey of the Nez Perce, before identifying the purple-labeled reservations and some of the major roads.

Along the Historic Trail

The trail begins in Joseph, Oregon near the Old Chief Joseph Gravesite. It travels northeast through Hells Canyon National Recreation Area and Dug Bar before crossing into Idaho. There the trail passes Tolo Lake, Camas Prairie, White Bird Battlefield, which is labeled with a dark green callout box, Weis Rockshelter, and Cottonwood Skirmishes. Here the trail passes through the Nez Perce Indian Reservation and Clearwater Battlefield, Looking Glass Camp, Heart of the Monster, and Kamiah. Heart of the Monster is labeled with a callout box and lists the Asa Smith Mission, Lewis and Clark Long Camp, and McBeth House.

North of the trail and also in the reservation are the Canoe Camp and Spalding, both with green callout boxes. Spalding is the site of a Visitor Center, Ant and Yellowjacket, Coyote’s Fishnet, Northern Idaho Indian Agency, Lapwai Mission, Fort Lapwai, Craig Donation Land Claim, and Saint Joseph’s Mission.

The final leg in this part of Idaho includes Weippe Prairie, Pierce Courthouse, Musselshell Meadow, Lolo Trail, and Lolo Pass. The trail turns south just over the Montana line near Missoula to run alongside Bitterroot Valley before the Big Hole National Battlefield and Visitor Center, which is labeled with a callout box. The trail continues south back into Idaho to pass Camas Meadow Battle Sites before heading east into the upper corner of Wyoming, where it crosses Yellowstone National Park.

Now turning northeast, the trail reenters Montana and travels north through Billings, Canyon Creek, and Lewistown before ending at Bear Paw Battlefield, which is the last site labeled with a callout box.

Surrounding Areas

Starting in the northwest and working across the map to the right, the Nez Perce Cemetery, Nez Perce (Nespelem) Campsites, and Coulee Dam are in the Colville Indian Reservation, which neighbors Spokane Indian Reservation. Umatilla Indian Reservation is west of Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, and Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation is north of nearby Nez Perce Indian Reservation.

Continuing east are Flathead Indian Reservation, Glacier National Park, Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, and Crow Indian Reservation in Montana. Wind River Indian Reservation is in Wyoming in the bottom right corner of the map, and Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve is just west in Montana.

Interstate 90 travels across the entire map near its middle. Interstate 84 cuts across the lower left corner of the map in Oregon and Idaho. From left to right, north-south roads include US Routes 195, 95, 93, 15, and 870. Additional US routes and state routes make an intricate web across the map.

Legend

A legend in the lower right corner reads as follows:

Green circle for Authorized sites of Nez Perce National Historical Park and

Dark yellow line for Nez Perce National Historic Trail.

A scale below measures distances of 10, 50, and 100 kilometers and 10, 50, and 100 miles.