Nez Perce National Historical Park

Address:39063 U.S. Highway 95
Spalding, Idaho
Tel: (208) 843-2261

Embrace the history and culture of the Nez Perce Native Americans! Nez Perce National Historical Park preserves and commemorates the Native American legacy through stories and artifacts brought to life in four different states!

The 38 sites of Nez Perce National Historical Park are scattered across Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Montana, proof of the Nimiipuu's (Nez Perce tribe) wide influence on the American continent. Visit sites throughout the area that commemorate the Nez Perce—you'll learn all about the Nimiipuu's interactions with explorers, missionaries, settlers, goldminers, farmers, fur traders, and soldiers, and you'll explore the general history of the tribe. Visitors should definitely stop by the museum at the Park Headquarters in Spalding, Idaho, where they'll be offered the opportunity to participate in ranger-led tours, view unique exhibits on the Nimiipuu Native Americans, and see movies on Nez Perce history and culture. There are walking trails and picnic facilities to enjoy and there are numerous recreational opportunities in the national forests that are within driving distance of most park sites. In fact, the Nez Perce National Historic Trail and a section of the well-known Lewis and Clark Trail are part of the Nez Perce National Historical Park—so bring your hiking shoes! Be sure to drop by the visitor's center, which has excellent displays of bead and leather work, bows and arrows, ceremonial clothing and even a reconstruction of a sweat lodge, as well as a famous collection of over 5,000 historic photographs. Nez Perce national Historical Park also maintains missions, forts, trading posts, an archeological dig, and interesting rock formation that tradition mandates as sacred to the Nez Perce.

The Nez Perce National Historical Park stretches out over hundreds of miles of the Nez Perce homeland, so plan to spend anywhere from an hour to a few days exploring the sites. Most of the sites are accessible via the interstates and local highways in the region. The Spalding Visitor Center is off U.S. Highway 95, 11 miles east of Lewison.