On US 12. Kooskia is known as North Central Idaho’s Gateway to the Wilderness. It was at Kooskia (Kooskooskia) that the Corps of Discovery came down the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River to the mouth of the South Fork of the Clearwater River. Here, they crossed the river into the Main current of the Clearwater. In their journals, the crossing is called the “Kooskooskia Crossing.” The Kooskia Crossing Kiosk is at the junction of Highway 12 and State Highway 13. Panels describe salmon and steelhead migration, the Nez Perce Indians, the Nez Perce War of 1877, and the Nez Perce Historical Park. In downtown Kooskia, a 70-foot mural on the side of the grocery store depicts the Lewis & Clark Expedition meeting with a group of Nez Perce. Continuing north on US 12 is The Heart of the Monster Monument, which is a key site in the Nez Perce culture.
41. Kooskia
