The history of the Clearwater region has been shaped by the Nez Perce Indians, the journey of Lewis and Clark and the glitter of gold. Today, almost two-million acres of forested recreation lands lie along the Clearwater and its tributaries. The sweeping woodlands are the home of elk, deer, moose, black bear, mountain goats, mountain lion and a few rare wolves. Anglers have their choice of four species of trout, as well as bass, Kokanee and steelhead. Quiet campsites are just minutes apart on the leisurely roads that wind through Clearwater country. In Orofino, the early days of river log drives and remote lumber camps are recorded at the Clearwater County Museum. The woodsmen's traditions are celebrated each September with logging contests and other activities at Orofino Lumberjack Days.

Orofino is known as the "Steelhead Capital of the World" and Dworshak National Fish Hatchery, the world's largest steelhead facility, is a short side trip on Highway 7. A self-guided walk leads through the hatchery, illustrating the modern technology of fish breeding. 

Seven-hundred-foot Dworshak Dam is the third highest dam in the U.S.A.. and is ranked as the fifteenth highest in the world. The visitor center atop the dam features displays that explain the dam's construction and hydroelectric function. Tours are offered during the summer months. The blue waters of Dworshak Reservoir extend more than fifty miles behind the dam. Along the shoreline, you can enjoy your privacy at secluded boat-access campsites, where the only onlookers are often bald eagles soaring high above. Other developed campgrounds and boating facilities located on roads from Dworshak Dam, Cavandish, Orofino, Elk River and Headquarters give you a wide selection of spots to choose from. 

A few miles west of Orofino on U.S. 12 is an historical sign that marks the spot where Lewis and Clark camped to search for canoe timber in 1805. They buried their saddles, left their horses with the Indians and continued their expedition by boat. 

As you leave Orofino, head north toward Pierce and Headquarters on the Grangemont Road and look for the unique cedar log overpass at the small community of Konkolville. Near the junction with Highway 11, you can see the slopes of Mt. Baldy, a powdery winter playground for skiers. Headquarters has been a company logging town since the horse logging days of the 1920's. From Headquarters, go north on Beaver Creek Road (Forest Road 247) toward the North Fork of the Clearwater. A nearby side road leads to Bertha Hill, site of America's first fire lookout. The tall wooden roost erected in 1902 has since been replaced by a modern tower. Back on the main road, you can see remnants of the old Beaver Creek Flume. There was a lot of activity here in the 1930's when millions of logs floated to the sawmill. 

The North Fork of the Clearwater originates in the melting snows of the Bitterroot Mountains. The road closely follows its timbered banks up river for many miles past clear, deep pools and sparkling white water. A nearby trail leads downstream along a roadless section of the river to Dworshak Reservoir. Just north of here, wilderness lakes and high rocky peaks beckon hikers and horseback riders to the Mallard Larkins Pioneer Area. One of the best access trails begins at a trailhead on Isabella Creek Road and passes through cedars that are centuries old. Herds of mountain goats are a common sight on the rugged Black Mountain Trail, an alternate route to Mallard Larkins. 

Up river, past the Canyon Ranger Station, you arrive at Bungalow Junction. Here you have the option of continuing your journey upriver or turning south toward the town of Pierce. If you choose the river route, be sure you have plenty of gas. The route takes you to the Kelly Forks Ranger Station, at the confluence of Kelly Creek and the North Fork. Kelly Creek is renowned as one of America's finest flyfishing streams. Catch-and-release regulations are very successful in preserving pristine fishing for large native trout. You can reach the best fishing areas by trail beyond the end of Kelly Creek Road. At Kelly Forks, the main road continues up the North Fork through steep and rocky Black Canyon. Massive snowslides often block the lower section of this road until midsummer. 

For the return to civilization, backtrack to Bungalow, then stay on Forest Road 250 to the junction with Highway 11 near the town of Pierce. The first gold in Idaho was discovered at Pierce in 1860. Dredge piles along nearby streams are evidence of the early mining days and today, gold panning is still popular. The Pierce Courthouse, Idaho's oldest government building, was built in 1862 so miners could register their claims. The Pierce Ranger Station has information about overnight rental of Forest Service fire lookouts. Since aircraft are now used for fire surveillance, many lookouts are no longer used. With top-of the-world views, these lookouts are a truly unique vacation experience. 

Lewis and Clark's historic encounter in 1805 with the Nez Perce Indians occurred on the Weippe Prairie, not far from the present townsite of Weippe. Each July, the towns of Weippe and Pierce join to celebrate their historic origins with the Weippe Rodeo and Pierce 1860 Days. Mussellshell Meadows, fifteen miles east, is a Nez Perce camas area where tribal members still gather in the late summer to dig the nutritious bulbs. 

The Lewis and Clark Grove, just south of Mussellshell, is a stately stand of cedars that were already hundreds of years old when the famous explorers passed by. From this point, you can follow in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark on the rugged Lewis and Clark Trail Road. This Forest Service road traces the expedition's route across Idaho from the Weippe Prairie to the Montana border. 

From Weippe continue west on Highway 11. The rolling tableland of the Weippe Prairie soon gives way to the spectacular Greer Grade, descending into the deep Clearwater Canyon. The return to Orofino is a ten-mile drive west on U.S. 12.