Lewis and Clark Back Country Byway

State: Idaho
Length: 39.0 mi / 62.8 km
Time to Allow: 3-4 hours to travel and explore this byway

Almost 200 years ago Meriwether Lewis and William Clark stood high on a ridge-line that divides the continental waters and began the discovery of the Pacific Northwest. Welcome to the homeland of Sacajawea.

Stands of fir and pine trees, high-mountain meadows and rolling, jade-colored hills look much the same today as when the famous explorers journeyed to the crest of Lemhi Pass in 1805.

As you travel the Lewis and Clark Back Country Byway, you'll experience spectacular vistas overlooking the homeland of the Native American Shoshone. Gaze westward from Lemhi Pass upon the immense Salmon River and Rocky and Lost River mountain ranges. The pine and fir forests, deep canyons, and rolling foothills look much the same today as when the Lewis and Clark Expedition crossed Lemhi Pass two centuries ago.

Stories

• 

  Explore the Lewis and Clark Back Country Byway

  Nov 18, 2008

  It’s easy to imagine the early explorers as you travel the Lewis and Clark Backcountry Byway. See the place where the Lewis and Clark expedition unfurled the United States flag for the first time west of the Rocky Mountains. While they might have lain claim to the Pacific Northwest for the young, expanding country, you can claim the Lewis and Clark Back Country byway your new favorite drive.