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Stretching 202 miles across north-central Idaho, the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway is Idaho’s longest scenic byway and one of only a select number of roads in the country designated an All-American Road. While it can be driven in about six hours, this remarkable route is best experienced over several days, allowing time to explore the landscapes, culture, and stories that unfold along the way.
Picture Courtesy of VisitIdaho.Org
Two centuries ago, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark followed these same rivers and ridgelines during the Lewis and Clark Expedition, searching for a water route to the Pacific. They carved canoes along the Clearwater River and relied on the knowledge of the Nimíipuu people to continue westward.
Picture Courtesy of VisitIdaho.Org
Today, travelers tracing U.S. Highway 12 from Lewiston east toward the Montana border witness landscapes that remain strikingly similar, with sparkling rivers, deep basalt canyons, and forested mountain slopes rising into wide western skiesThe byway begins near the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers in Lewiston and winds through small communities like Orofino and Kamiah, where history feels close at hand. At Canoe Camp near Orofino, members of the expedition constructed the dugout canoes that would carry them toward the Pacific. Near Kamiah, the Heart of theMonster tells a sacred Nimíipuu creation story tied deeply to this land.
Picture Courtesy of VisitIdaho.Org
This corridor is the ancestral homeland of the Nez Perce Tribe, whose cultural traditions and connection to the rivers and prairies stretch back thousands of years. Visitors can learn more at the Nez Perce National Historical Park Visitor Center, where exhibits preserve and interpret the enduring heritage of the Nimíipuu people.
Picture Courtesy of VisitIdaho.Org
Recreation is woven seamlessly into the experience. The Lochsa and Selway rivers draw whitewater enthusiasts from around the world, while hikers, anglers, and campers find solitude in national forests and along quiet riverbanks.
Come for the history, the culture, or the sweeping canyon views: the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway offers more than a drive, it offers a journey into a landscape where exploration, resilience, and wild beauty continue to flow together.
For more information go to: https://nsbfoundation.com/nb/northwest-passage-scenic-byway/