North Central

North Central Idaho covers the lower Snake-and-Clearwater country in the western half of the state, a wedge of canyon, river, and mountain terrain between the Camas Prairie and the Bitterroot Range. The Snake River runs along the western edge, the Salmon defines the southern limit, and the Clearwater drains the eastern half. Hells Canyon — the deepest river gorge in North America — opens immediately west. Nez Perce, Lewis, and Idaho counties cover the region. Lewiston, at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater, is the largest city and the only port in the state for Pacific shipping. Other anchors include Grangeville, Kamiah, Kooskia, Riggins, and Lapwai (the headquarters of the Nez Perce Tribe). The Nez Perce National Historical Park, the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, and the Lochsa River corridor along Highway 12 carry most of the public-land scenery. Most trips are river-and-history focused. Hells Canyon jet-boat trips out of Lewiston run year-round; the Lochsa and Selway draw fly fishers and rafters in summer; the Nez Perce Trail follows the 1877 retreat route through Idaho County; Heart of the Monster, Spalding Mission, and the White Bird Battlefield carry the deeper history.