Lolo Pass Visitor Center

The Lolo Pass Visitor Center

"Lolo Pass Montana2" by D Guisinger is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Quick Facts

Location:

Kamiah, ID

MANAGED BY:

US Forest Service

Amenities

17 listed

Benches/Seating, Fire Extinguisher, First Aid Kit Available, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information, Information - Maps Available, Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present, Parking - Auto, Parking - Boat Trailer, Parking - Bus/RV, Permits Issued, Picnic Shelter/Pavilion, Restroom, Telephone, Toilet - Flush, Trailhead, Water - Bottle-Filling Station

Lewis and Clark NHT Visitor Centers and Museums

This map shows a range of features associated with the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, which commemorates the 1803-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition. The trail spans a large portion of the North American continent, from the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon. The trail is comprised of the historic route of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, an auto tour route, high potential historic sites (shown in black), visitor centers (shown in orange), and pivotal places (shown in green). These features can be selected on the map to reveal additional information. Also shown is a base map displaying state boundaries, cities, rivers, and highways. The map conveys how a significant area of the North American continent was traversed by the Lewis and Clark Expedition and indicates the many places where visitors can learn about their journey and experience the landscape through which they traveled.

The Lolo Pass Visitor Center is a historical landmark site on the Lewis and Clark Highway, bordering Montana and Idaho. It is located near the area where Meriwether Lewis and William Clark took eleven days in September of 1805 to traverse the grueling Lolo Pass through the Bitterroot Mountains. The dangerous terrain, harsh weather conditions, and near-starvation resulted in the most arduous portion of the entire expedition in which the men resorted to eating some of their own horses to survive. The visitor center is also located on the Nez Perce National Historic Trail, a path followed by a band of Nez Perce Indians while fleeing from the U.S. Calvary in 1877 to avoid being forced onto a reservation. 

At the visitor center, visitors will find information detailing Lewis and Clark's journey across the Bitterroot Mountains and the flight of the Nez Perce Indians, along with other historical, natural, and general information. As a major trailhead for cross-country skiing and snowmobiling, the center also has a warming hut for skiers and recreationists, a 24-hour restroom, a snowmobile parking log, and maps and information pertinent to winter visitors.

For more information or current Lolo Pass conditions, visit Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests - Lolo Pass Visitor Center (usda.gov) or call [phone].