Experience the Nez Perce Trail

Leadore and Island Park, Idaho, to Yellowstone National Park, Montana TM Experience the Nez Perce Trail 1 Forest M Forest National A Gallatin National Red Rock R Lemhi D E To Salmon 324 I S I V R Bannock PassCaribou / Targhee O N 2 To Dillon 191 Leadore Idaho to Yellowstone 287 15 R E 28 D 87 R 29 O C Dell K R Red Rock Lakes National I V Junction E Leadore R Wildlife Refuge LIMA RESERVOIR RED ROCK LAKES HENRY’S Targhee Snowline LAKE West Lima Pass Yellowstone Nez Perce Route Monida 509 B Montana E C E N Lakeview S Red Rock A Monida T E TA I N US Army Route N N I A M O U N V L Pass E Pass 15 R 20 Interstate Freeway Wyoming C E R E E C K A M K 93 U.S. Highway Gilmore W A E S E Montana C A2 Summit Humphrey A C R R Idaho M C State Road: Paved / Unpaved A S E Frontier Idaho C R E G E N Soldier E K I Mainstream Route K Grave R P Island Park Alternative Mainstream Route S M Idmon Camas Adventurous Route (Seasonal) E Dry Spencer ISLAND PARK D Meadows RESERVOIR O I l C Creek Battlefield Auto Tour Stop d I M N Station o E Yellowstone National Park L r O m 28 D a G E Town n B C I R R R E C E o K A2 Rental Cabin For further information H K a Hole in E d on federal recreation C E Campground R the Rock R facilities visit C E S www.recreation.gov E A K M or call toll free A 22 Dubois C 20 1-877-444-6777. R Birch Creek E I V R Maps in this brochure are for general orientation only and ’ S R Y are not to scale. Please use a US Forest Service, National 0 5 10 20 30 Miles H E N Park Service or other detailed topographic map for 15 Ashton accurate and specific information. To Idaho Falls Camas To Idaho Falls T D Adventurous and Rugged Routes inquire locally. andRuggedRoutesinquire Adventurous conditioninformationon road For routes. on major condition reports road for Call511 journey. on your embarking conditionsbefore androad Check weather communicate through. cell phonecoverage.Designateacontactpersonathometo Routesmaynothave Tour Auto Many locationsalongall ahead. plan so roads, dirt or gravel on often are They route. an alternativeforthoseseekingthemostauthentichistoric Adventurous andRuggedRoutesare all typesofvehicles. Routestaysonall-weatherroadspassablefor Tour Auto Tour Route.EachMainstream Auto marking theofficial As youtravelthishistorictrail,willseehighwaysigns local visitorcentersalongtheroute. available atForestServiceofficesandotherFederal eight availabletours(completelistonpage31). Montana Yellowstone, West Idaho,to Leadore, trails androutes. encompassing4,161milesofroads, designated corridor includesa The NPNHT of north-centralMontana. totheplains ofeasternOregon Valley Wallowa the from 1,170miles (NPNHT)stretches Trail National Historic his segment of the Nez Perce National Historic Trail from Trail his segmentoftheNezPerceNationalHistoric esignated by Congress in 1986, the entire Nez Perce NezPerce in1986,theentire esignated byCongress Forest N N National A EZ T I P O E N R A C L H E I Caribou / Targhee S T O N R E I E C - M T R E A - P I O L O TM National Historic Trail (Nee-Me-Poo) The NezPerce Forest National Deerlodge Beaverhead These are isoneof Forest 3 3 Salmon / Challis National Experience the Nez Perce Trail TM How do I get there? Adventurous Traveler (Not recommended for motor homes or vehicles towing trailers; You may begin this Auto Tour at one of two locations, usually passable from July to October.) Leadore, Idaho or Snowline, Montana. If you followed Auto Tour 4 you may have chosen to follow the Nez Perce Adventurous Travelers will have the option of following route over Bannock Pass to Leadore or the Military route the route of the events of the summer of 1877 more to Snowline Road along Interstate 15. closely. This route is mostly on gravel roads with some paved sections, and is closed during the winter months. Leadore, ID: Located in central Idaho near the Montana Inquire locally for road conditions. border, Leadore is about 46 miles southeast of Salmon, ID, on Beginning at Spencer, Idaho, the Adventurous Travelers Idaho State Highway 28. From Idaho Falls, ID, take Interstate follow the Idmon Road to Idmon, Idaho, and then follow 15 North for 23.6 miles to Idaho State Highway 33. Turn west Idaho County Road A2 to Idaho State Highway 20. There onto Idaho State Highway 33 and continue for 15 miles to they rejoin the Mainstream Traveler for the remainder of Idaho State Highway 28. Continue for 75 miles to Leadore, ID. this Auto Tour. There are no gas stations between Spencer Snowline, MT: Located on Interstate 15, present day and Idaho State Highway 20 so Adventurous Travelers Snowline, MT is nothing more than Exit 9, 5.6 miles south of should make sure to have a full tank of gas before leaving Lima, MT. From Idaho Falls, take Interstate 15 north for 86.3 Spencer, Idaho. miles to Exit 9, Snowline, MT. An alternate Adventure Route which follows the course taken by Lieutenant Bacon in an effort to cut off the Nez Mainstream Traveler Perce, is detailed on page 18. While this route is not a part (Passable for all types of vehicles.) of the official trail, it takes the traveler through thethrough For most travelers this will be the appropriate route. the picturesque Centennial Valley and rejoins the official The roads are generally paved and won’t pose a challenge trail at Henry’s Lake for typical cars, campers with trailers, and RVs. From Leadore, Idaho, the Mainstream Traveler will follow Idaho State Route 28 southeast through the Birch Creek Valley to Idaho State Highway 22. Continuing east on Idaho State Highway 22 to Dubois, Idaho, the Mainstream Traveler can take Clark County Road A2 east and join the Adventurous Route to Henry’s Lake at Idmon, Idaho. If you prefer to stay on paved roads or are traveling in winter months, when this Adventurous Route is closed, there is a fully paved alternative route. Details for the Alternative Mainstream Route are on Page 21. From Henry’s Lake the Mainstream Traveler will follow U.S. Highway 20 east to West Yellowstone, Montana, and the conclusion of this Auto Tour. 4 5 Prelude to the Flight of the Nez Perce The Chase Begins Prior to 1855 the Nez Perce (or, in their language, Rather than risk conflict by continuing to resist relocation, Niimíipuu, meaning “the people” or “we the people”) the “non-treaty” Nez Perce gathered their livestock and homeland extended throughout much of north- belongings and began a painful and difficult journey to the central Idaho, northeastern Oregon and southeastern new reservation. Washington. Tension mounted as whites moved West On June 14, 1877, the Nez Perce bands reached a familiar and settled in the Nez Perce territory. In that same camas-gathering site at Tolo Lake near Grangeville, Idaho. year, the United States government made a treaty that established an approximately 7,500,000-acre Nez That night several young warriors, angered by past Perce Indian Reservation encompassing most of their atrocities and injustices at the hands of white settlers, traditional homeland. set out to avenge their people. Their raid left a number of local settlers dead. The Nez Perce decided to flee and However, the discovery of gold on Nez Perce land thus embarked upon a four-month journey with General triggered an influx of more settlers and fueled more Howard in full pursuit. conflicts. A new treaty in 1863 shrank the reservation to one-tenth its original size. Some bands of Nez Perce This Auto Tour describes the sad and difficult journey of the refused to sign the treaty and became known as the “non- Nez Perce as they fled from the U.S. Army under General treaty” Nez Perce. Howard’s command, following a surprise attack on their The government, responding to pressure from settlers, called on the military to force the “non-treaty” Nez Perce Camas Plant onto the new reservation in Idaho Territory. General Oliver Otis Howard, a Civil War veteran, was to carry out the task. The camas (Qém’es) bulb, a staple food of the Nez Perce, is more nutritious From June to October of 1877, Hinmatóowyalahtq’it than a potato. It is gathered with a (Chief Joseph), Hototo (Lean Elk), ’Elelímyete’qenin’ digging stick, then roasted, baked, (Chief Looking Glass), ’álok’at (Chief Ollikut - Frog), broiled, steamed or dried. Chief Peo peo Hix hiix (White Bird) and others led between 750 - 800 Nez Perce men, women and children along with approximately 2,000 horses over 1,170 camp along the Big Hole River. Carrying their dying and mountainous miles to what they hoped would be safety wounded with them, the Nez Perce traveled southward with their friends to the east. through a vast and rugged landscape of wind-swept, The 1877 Flight of the Nez Perce from their homelands sagebrush plains and high mountain valleys from Leadore, while being pursued by U.S. Army, General Howard Idaho, to West Yellowstone, Montana. and Colonels Samual Davis Sturgis, John Gibbon and Nelson Appleton Miles is one of the most fascinating and sorrowful events in Western U.S. history. 6 7 The 1877 Flight of the Nez Perce symbolizes the dramatic collision of cultures which continues to shape America and its people. A native people were forced to flee their homelands in a futile attempt to avoid war and save their traditional ways. — AS YOU TRAVEL THE TRAIL— European immigrants found themselves fighting neighbors who had been their friends for many years.

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