The Corps’ survival depended on the help they received from the Nee-Me-Poo people they formed a bond of friendship. At Kooskia today’s travelers can choose to go south on ID 13 to see The Heart of the Monster Monument, a Nez Perce National Historical Park marking the site of an important Nez Perce creation story.
Continuing north on US 12 is Kamiah which features the Kamiah Valley Museum and the Lewis and Clark Long Camp where the Corps stopped for over a month in 1806 during their return journey waiting for the snow to melt to cross the Lolo Trail.
Visitors can take a detour off US 12 and follow Idaho’s Gold Rush Scenic Byway on ID 11 to see Weippe Prairie where on September 30, 1805, Lewis and Clark first met the Nez Perce. The nearby Weippe Discovery Center shares the story of their meeting.
North on US 12 is Orofino and the Clearwater Historical Museum featuring displays and artifacts related to the Nez Perce and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Just outside of town is the site of The Corps’ fall 1805 Canoe Camp where they rested and learned from the Nez Perce how to carve out the canoes they would need for their westward journey to the Pacific Ocean.
Following US 12 to the west is Spalding, home of The Nez Perce National Historical Park Visitor Center that displays and preserves the history and culture of the Nez Perce (Nimiipuu) Nation with an outstanding collection of clothing, tools, weapons and ceremonial objects. There is also an outdoor interpretive trail with the history of the 1877 war and flight of the Nez Perce.