Nez Perce National Historic Trail

The Nez Perce bands of present day Idaho and Oregon were long known as friends of the whites. They had welcomed Lewis & Clark, fur trappers, and missionaries to their homeland in America’s beautiful Northwest.

Nevertheless, in 1877 they were forced to flee when they refused to sign over their treaty lands to gold-hungry whites. Pursued by the army, and forsaken by their former allies, the hapless bands headed toward Canada and safety. The 1,170 mile route signifies a tragic but representative part of the westward expansion movement.

This is the story of a peace-loving people who wanted only to live their lives as their ancestors had.

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