| The Clearwater National Forest is nestled on the west side of the Bitterroot Mountains in north central Idaho. The forest stretches from the high mountains in the east to the fertile Palouse prairie to the west. Elevations here range from 1,600 to almost 9,000 feet. Much of the landscape is deep-forested canyons interspersed with high rugged ridges.Several major tributaries to the Columbia River flow through the forest including the North Fork of the Clearwater, the Lochsa, the Potlatch and the Palouse rivers. The Clearwater River runs through deep canyons, dramatic "slashes" cut through the mountain. The North Fork of the Clearwater and the Lochsa rivers provide miles of tumbling whitewater interspersed with quiet pools for migratory and resident fish.The wildlife habitat of these mountains provides for large herds of elk, moose, and other big game. The ridges between the deep canyons have provided travel corridors across the mountains for centuries of mankind, including Nezperce Indians and in 1805-1806, the Lewis and Clark expedition. Today the main travel route is US Highway 12 following the dramatic canyon of the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River and its tributary, the Lochsa River.An extensive summer trail system crisscrosses the Clearwater National Forest. There are approximately 1,600 miles of maintained trails on the forest. All of the trails are open to hikers and horseback riders. Many are available for mountain bikes and motorcycles though only a few are wide enough to permit ATV travel.The Clearwater National Forest also has several trails that have been designated as National Recreation Trails. These trails provide access to popular attractions, like Elk Creek Falls. There are also two National Historic Trails within the Clearwater National Forest: The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail and the Nee Me Poo (Nezperce) National Historic Trail.In the winter, some 340 miles of roads and trails are marked and groomed for snowmobiles. An additional 40 miles of snow trails are marked but not groomed. For cross-country skiers, there are 92 miles of marked ski trails, some of which are periodically groomed. |
|
