About this place
This is a 36-mile loop drive through beautiful, historic country. It follows the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail and the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail.
The views over the Lemhi Valley and the mountains around it are some of the finest in America.
The mountains, the evergreen forests, the high desert canyons and the grassy foothills have hardly changed. They look much as they did when the Lewis and Clark Expedition came through in 1805.
Take it slowly. Stop for walking, fishing, mountain biking and a look around.
The drive gains and loses 4,000 feet, so expect some steep grades.
Lemhi Pass is known for its wildflowers in spring and summer.
Captain Lewis collected three plant species new to science here: mountain maple, common snowberry and Lewis’s monkey flower.
You might see elk, mule deer, whitetail deer, black bear, moose, pronghorn antelope, coyotes and plenty of smaller mammals.
Early morning and evening are the times to look, especially where forest meets meadow.
By late September the days are shorter and cooler, and the aspens, cottonwoods, willows and shrubs turn red, yellow and gold.
Do not miss Agency Creek in October.
The facts
- Cost
- Free to camp
- Type
- Open area. Camp anywhere within it
- Managed by
- Bureau of Land Management
Getting there
Directions for the Idaho stretch are on the National Park Service page.
Coordinates 46.488333, -116.7525
Open in Google Maps Agency page
What is near here
There is another spot of ours within reach, and some better-known places further out.
- Nez Perce National Historical Park Directions
- Dworshak Dam Directions
- Nez Perce National Historic Trail Directions
- Tolo Lake Directions
- Steptoe Butte Directions
Every distance on this page is the driving distance. A short distance can still take a long time. The road may be closed for the season, covered in snow, or washed out. Many of these roads are dirt. Plan your route before you leave home. Out here there is often no phone signal to look it up on the way.
Nearest town and supplies
- Lapwai, ID Directions
Lapwai is big enough that you’d normally expect fuel and somewhere to buy food. Nobody from here has been to check, so don’t count on it if you’re running low.
Have you been here?
Fees and access change, and the records do not always keep up. If you have been, tell us what you found.
Thank you, that is recorded. It helps the next person.
Add road notes for this site
The thing we cannot get from any government record is what the drive in is actually like. If you have done it, this is the most useful thing you can leave behind. We read everything before it appears, and we print a first name with it if you give one.
Thank you. A person will read it before it goes on the page.
Where this information comes from
The description on this page is ours. The facts in it, and the fee and facility details below it, come from the Bureau of Land Management’s own records, read in August 2026.