Lewis and Clark Route

Lewis and Clark Route. . The Lolo Trail winds its way along ridges of the Bitterroot Mountains from the Weippe Prairie in Idaho to the Bitterroot Valley at Lolo Montana. This ancient travel route had served as a “Land Bridge” for a continental trade system used by generations of early travelers. , Called “Khusahna Ishkit” (Buffalo Trail) by the Nez Perce, it linked the Columbia River Basin tribes and the Northern Indians for thousands of years. , In 1805 Lewis and Clark nearly starved crossing these mountains during the westward leg of their voyage of discovery. , About 750 people (or one-third of the Nez Perce tribe) abandoned their cattle at their Joseph Plains homeland, packed what personal possessions they could on 2,000 horses and followed the Nee-Me-Poo Trail eastward in their 1877 flight from the U.S. Army. , Today, you can follow this route along National Forest Road 500. Interpretive signs, trails, and brochures will help you find many significant points of this ancient route. Because it is a single land dirt road without services, it is not recommended for most recreational vehicles. Please visit a National Forest office for more information.