Points of Interest in Clearwater County

   Lolo Trail – When the Clearwater was Indian country, one of the passages over the Bitterroot Range to buffalo hunting areas to the east was through the current Clearwater National Forest. It has come to be known as the Lolo Trail. It was over this general route that Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce Tribe led about 700 of his people and 2,000 horses with the U.S. Cavalry in pursuit. In the early 1800’s this was the route which Captain Meriwether Lewis and Captain William Clark traveled in reaching the Pacific Ocean. Permits are required to travel the central portion of this high mountain trail during the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial years but there are several sites “where Lewis and Clark slept” that can be accessed without permits. Contact the Forest Service for further information.

   Dworshak Dam and Reservoir is located on the North Fork of the Clearwater River near Ahsahka. Tours of the dam are available daily and interesting videos are there for the watching. The reservoir is a major recreational site offering fishing, boating, camping and just plain fun.

   Elk Creek Falls is among the most scenic in the northwest, with a setting that includes a deeply dissected gorge, numerous cascades with natural pools and impressive vistas. The falls are located three miles south of Elk River off Idaho State Highway 8.

   Emerald Creek Garnet Area – Idaho and India are the two places in the world where Star Garnets are found. To reach the fields from Orofino take the scenic route across Dworshak Lake Dent Bridge to Elk River, Highway 8 to Bovill then Highway 3 to Clarkia. About halfway between Clarkia and Fernwood proceed southeast on Road 447 to the parking area. Administered by the U.S. forest Service, the area is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Permits for digging are issued on site.

   Cedar Grove – The Cedar Grove at Morris Creek is a 90-acre grove of 400-500 year old western red cedar trees. The grove is located north and west of Elk River where specific directions can be obtained.

   Giant Western Red Cedar – The Upper Basin north of Elk River is the home of the Idaho Champion Western Red Cedar tree. The site can be reached by following forest Road #382 north from Elk River.

   Musselshell Meadows near Weippe is the site of the last active gathering spot of wild camas for Indian people of Idaho. This is also an excellent bird watching location in the spring. Stop in Weippe and ask directions.

   Weitas Guard Station is a remote cabin that can be reached by a single-lane road in the summertime when it is dry. There are rustic log buildings that preserve the early days of the Forest Service. The Weitas Creek Trail #20 passes close by the station. It is still used by Forest Service work crews. This is definitely a back-country trip and if you are unfamiliar with the area stop by a Forest Service office and pick up a map.

   Moose City – At the time of the gold rush of the early 1860’s, gold was discovered on Moose and Independence Creeks. Moose City is said to have had several businesses and a population of at least 200 for three years. By the early 1880’s the town had been virtually abandoned. Today it is almost impossible to tell a town once stood on the site a sign marks the spot but that’s about all you’ll see of Moose City. But the trip and the opportunity to view the country the miners labored in is worth the trip. The location can be reached by following Forest Road 250 out of Pierce or Weippe and then on Forest Road 255 which is also the route to Superior, Montana. Ask directions or use your map, have plenty of gas and pack a lunch.

   Beaver Creek Flume is along the road from headquarters to the North Fork of the Clearwater. You can see remnants of an extensive flume system that brought logs from the slopes down the Beaver Creek drainage to the North Fork. It served its purpose from 1930 to 1944 when truck access to the timber became possible. The logs were moved down the North Fork and main Clearwater each year in a huge log drive to the mill at Lewiston.

   Isabella Landing – Just down river from the North Fork Clearwater bridge below Beaver Creek is the spot where logs were decked awaiting the annual log drive. Even after the flume system shut down, trucks brought logs to this point. The last log drive down the Clearwater was in 1971.