Gold Rush Historic Byway
The Gold Rush of 1860 started it all for the State of Idaho. From the ferry crossing at Greer on the Clearwater River, to the prairies of Fraser and Weippe, and onto the Gold Fields of Pierce, history and culture abound in the beauty of this valley, prairie and forested mountain region.

First we must give you the visitor and traveler a brief history of this area, known as the Clearwater Region of North Central Idaho. On September 28, 1860 Captain E.D. Pierce and ten other hardy men including Wilbur Basset (Bassett is the man credited with finding the first gold) camped where what is now the junction of Canal Creek and Orofino Creek, this area is also known as Canal Gulch. And on October 2, 1860 the first gold was found in Idaho, from 1860 to 1867 estimates are that 3.5 million dollars in Placer Gold was removed from the Pierce area. In today's money hat would be about 87 million dollars. The winter of 1860 and 1861 Captain Pierce traveled to the Territorial Legislature in Olympia Washington to charter a wagon road from Walla Walla Washington to the gold fields of Pierce. Pierce was the start of the first transportation route for the State of Idaho.

In June 1861 Pierce was named the county seat for Shoshone County, and on September 2, 1861 the first elected officials met in Pierce. By June 1862 Idaho's first government building, the Pierce Courthouse, was chartered and by August 1862 construction was completed, this was the starting point for law and order if Idaho. But Pierce was not the site of the first white man to come to this area. Weippe has that honor, near this historic town on the Oyaip (Weippe) Prairie, Lewis and Clark first met the Nez Perce Indians on September 20, 1805.

On March 3, 1863, the Idaho Territory was created, with Lewiston as the capital...but that's another story.

This byway starts at the junctions of US Highway 12 and State Highway 11 in the Clearwater River canyon at the community of Greer. Starting at Greer, which was a ferry station for crossing the Clearwater River for the hungry gold prospector, the highway climbs 2500 feet over an 8-mile route. Along this segment of the byway there are several roadside viewing points to view the beauty of the Clearwater River and the valley below. Along this route of sheer rock and Douglas fir trees one may see many different wildlife from whitetail deer to a nesting pair of American Bald Eagles. After leaving the Greer Valley below, one expects to see more of the same landscape. But on cresting the top of the Greer grade, the hilltop opens to beautiful rolling fields of grains and grasses, this area was created centuries ago from volcanic action and is now the Fraser farming community, where one can see different stages of grain and grass growth waiting for harvest time. This area is also excellent for viewing wild life and scenic viewing of the forested foothills. Stop at Fraser Park and take a break from the drive, have a picnic lunch or maybe a game of baseball. Then travel on to historic Weippe, where the Nez Perce Indians fed the starving Lewis and Clark Expedition. State Historical Site #261 is located at Milepost 17.430, there is a roadside viewing area along this route. View this beautiful prairie when it's in bloom and see wildflowers and Camas. The Nez Perce Indians came to this area to dig Camas root. As you leave the Weippe Prairie you'll notice a change in scenery from open areas to more forested surroundings, you're coming into the Pierce district. At milepost 27.420 is State Historical Site #307, the Chinese Hanging Tree where there is a roadside viewing area and historical sign. Continuing on we come to State Historical Site #156, the site of Oro Fino City. This is located at milepost 28.570 and there is a pullout with a historical sign.

At Milepost 28.697 is French Mountain Road, which is US Forest Service Road #250, and provides access to the Clearwater National Forest, which many camping and fishing areas abound along this route.

Welcome to historic Pierce - plan on spending some time here as there's lots to see. While visiting you may want to view the Chinese Cemetery just one block off Main Street. Stop at the Pierce City Library, which is home for many of the mining and logging historical artifacts from the area. Courtyard Park is located on Main Street and is the home of the Bradbury Logging Museum and State Historical Site #346 - The Pierce Courthouse. Also on Main Street is State Historical Site #153, Canal Gulch - where gold was first discovered in Idaho.

At Milepost 42.540 you have reached the end of the Gold Rush Historic Byway and State Highway 11. But beginning at this point is US Forest Service Road #247, which takes you to the North Fork of the Clearwater River and many camping, hiking, fishing and other recreational adventures.

Clearwater National Forest
The Clearwater National Forest includes some of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, the second largest wilderness area in the continental United States. Highway 12 follows the Lochsa Wild and Scenic River, a favorite of kayak and raft enthusiasts. Lolo Pass Visitor's Center and the Lochsa Historical Ranger Station, halfway between Powell and Kooskia on Highway 12, are open Memorial Day weekend through September 30 of each year. Don't miss the Lolo Motorway, a road built in the 1930's along an Indian and trapper route. Lewis and Clark followed part of this same route as they explored the West. Hikers can explore some 1,700 miles of developed trails in the Clearwater National Forest.

Lewiston, Idaho
At the confluence of the Clearwater River and Snake River, Lewiston is where Lewis and Clark camped in 1805 and again in 1806. For a while, Lewiston was Idaho's territorial capital. At present, it is the county seat of Nez Perce County. Today the city is an inland seaport where ships are loaded for the 465 mile trip down the Snake and Columbia Rivers to the Pacific Ocean. Lewiston is also a popular small cruise ship destination. Clarkston, Washington is across the river from Lewiston.

Highway 12
Running east to west through North Central Idaho, Highway 12 intersects Highway 95 at Lewiston. To the east are Orofino, Kamiah and Kooskia. From here to the Montana border, Highway 12 follows the Lochsa River, a designated Wild and Scenic River, entering Montana at the 5233-foot Lolo Pass Summit, where the USFS operates the Lolo Pass Visitor Information Center.

Clearwater River
The Clearwater is a river in west central Idaho which joins the Snake River at Lewiston. It has three main branches. the North Clearwater rises near the boundary between the Clearwater National Forest and the St. Joe National Forest. It is dammed to create Dworshak Reservoir, a major center for recreation. The Main Clearwater branches into the Middle Fork and the South Fork at Kooskia. The Middle Fork becomes a designated Wild and Scenic River, which splits into two sections: the Lochsa Wild and Scenic River and the Selway River. The South Fork doesn't amount to much.