TOUR 2 
The Moscow Loop 
 
NOTE: WE WILL BE ADDING GRAPHICS, PHOTOS AND HOTLINKS FOR INFORMATION. 

The scenic highways of this tour take you through the fertile farmlands of the Palouse Prairie and the timbered foothills of the Clearwater National Forest. Known as the Dry Pea and Lentil Capital of the Nation, the Palouse is also a major supplier of wheat. When Moscow was settled in the 1870's, farmers called the surrounding prairie "Hog Haven" because the lush growth of camas bulbs was a favorite food of their hogs. The new community was then called Paradise Valley, which some people felt was more appropriate, but finally, in 1875 the settlers, who were not Russian, named their town Moscow because it was an uncommon yet distinctive name. Today, Moscow, Idaho, is the largest of the 10 Moscow's in the United States. 

Legend states that the Appaloosa, famous horse of the Nez Perce Indians, derived its name from early settlers who called it "a palousey." The history of the Appaloosa, from the Nez Perce era to the present, is traced at the National Headquarters and Museum of the Appaloosa Horse Club just west of Moscow. 

In 1889 the territorial legislature selected Moscow as the site for the University of Idaho and provided $15,000 for its establishment. More than twelve-thousand students now attend the University of Idaho. The university houses an interesting array of exhibits including displays of fossils and minerals, as well as the Northwest Mammal Gallery, with the lifetime big game trophies of the famous outdoor writer, Jack O'Connor. For sports fans, the University of Idaho Vandals compete in the Big Sky Conference. 

Moscow's early residents left many historic buildings within walking distance of downtown. The 1886 McConnell Mansion, built by Idaho's first governor, has been restored to its original Victorian era and is open for tours. Idaho's smallest winery, the Camas Winery, is located in Moscow. Look in local stores for their Hog Heaven Red, a blend of Clearwater Valley cherries and grapes. The spirit of fun continues throughout the year in Moscow, with events to suit everyone's interests. These include Mardi Gras in February, the Lionel Hampton\Cheveron Jazz Festival in early March, the U of I Western Classic Rodeo in late March, the Renaissance Fair in early May and open-air concerts throughout the summer. The Moscow Chamber of Commerce will be happy to give you more information. 

As you leave Moscow, go north on U.S. 95 to the junction of Highway 6, then turn east toward Potlatch, a town built by the Potlatch Lumber Company in the 1920's. Many of its buildings have been nominated for the National Register of Historic Places. The highway continues along the meandering Palouse River through the small towns of Princeton and Harvard then turns north through forests of pine and cedar. You'll see signs for Laird Park, a Forest Service campground on the Palouse River with a swimming beach, picnic sites and the Sand Mountain hiking trail. Further on you'll enter the White Pine Scenic Route, a six mile corridor through majestic stands of white pine. One of the World's largest white pines stands a short distance away at the Giant White Pine Campground. This four-hundred-year-old tree is six feet in diameter and 188 feet high. 

The North-South Ski Bowl, on the high Palouse Divide, is a small downhill skiing area with the added attraction of groomed cross-country trails. The lodge is open on weekends with soothing hot tubs for after-ski relaxation. In the summer, a dirt road leads past the ski area to the Bald Mountain Fire Lookout where you can enjoy spectacular views in all directions. 

Continue north on Highway 6 to the junction of Highway 3, then go south toward the town of Clarkia. If digging for buried treasure sounds appealing, then the Emerald Creek Garnet Area is your kind of place. The digging area is maintained by the Forest Service and is one of only two deposits in the entire world where brilliant four and six star garnets are found. The other is in India. Garnets of varying quality are abundant and Moscow's Louise Darby, a registered outfitter, offers guided digs as well as professional gem cutting. It's and exciting adventure to dig the red gems, then have them cut and set into personal jewelry. 

South of Clarkia the highway enters a region that was a shallow lake twenty million years ago. One of the richest fossil beds in the Northwest was uncovered here in the 1970's during construction of a motorcycle race track. Now known as the Fossil Bowl Race Track. Motorcycle races are held here throughout the spring and summer. You may be able to find fossils of fish, insects and planes that lived in the ancient lake. 

Continue south to Bovill. Turn east on Highway 8 toward the town of Elk River. Elk Creek Falls, a series of sparkling cascades that plunge almost three-hundred feet into a beautiful forest gorge. Elk Creek and nearby Elk Creek Reservoir are favorite spots for rainbow and brook trout. To the south, Dworshak Reservoir offers good fishing for trout and Kokanee. In winter, Elk River is a popular starting point for many miles of snowmobile and cross-country ski trails. The Elk River Valley is also an important elk winter range. Herds of animals often pass near the edge of town. 

Leaving Elk River, backtrack on Highway 8 going west one-quarter mile past Bovill. Turn north on Moose Creek Road to explore Moose Creek Reservoir, a beautiful spot for picnicking and trout fishing, 

A few miles further west on Highway 8 is the town of Deary, which was founded in 1908 as a stop on the Washington, Idaho and Montana Railroad. Potato Hill, a volcanic mound north of town, rises a thousand feet above the surrounding landscape. 

Your next stop is Troy, which was originally known as Huffs Gulch. John Vollmer changed the name to Vollmer in the 1890's when he took advantage of the farming depression and foreclosed on many nearby farms.  Vollmer died in 1917 and is buried in Normal Hill Cemetery next to his daughter Evangeline, who died in 1881 *.  Residents rebelled against his name and accepted a Greek worker's suggestion that the name be changed to Troy, "in honor of the most illustrious city in the world." Several turn-of-the-century buildings are still standing in Troy. 

As you approach Moscow, you can take a side trip on Paradise Ridge Drive. From here you can see panoramic views of the Palouse and the mountain ranges beyond. 

* Thanks to Steven Branting of the Lewiston Independent School District for correcting the historic accuracy of the city of Troy's name changes

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