About Lewis and Clark Long Camp
Lewis and Clark Long Camp interprets an important pause in the Corps of Discovery's return journey. After wintering on the Pacific Coast, the expedition returned to Nez Perce country to recover horses left there the previous year. Deep snow still blocked the route across the Bitterroot Mountains, so the Corps remained near present-day Kamiah from May 14 to June 10, 1806, living among the Nez Perce while waiting for conditions to improve.
The stay gave expedition members additional time with the Nez Perce, whose assistance had been crucial after the Corps emerged from the mountains exhausted in 1805. The relationship included food, horses, geographic knowledge, and guides who later helped the expedition cross the mountains. The site therefore represents both the practical challenges of the return journey and the Corps' continuing dependence on Indigenous knowledge and hospitality.
The actual Long Camp location is approximately two miles downstream from the public viewpoint and is privately owned, so visitors cannot enter the historic campsite itself. Instead, a highway pullout on U.S. Highway 12 near Kamiah has interpretive signs explaining the encampment. The stop is modest, but it provides useful context for travelers following the Lewis and Clark and Nez Perce stories through the Clearwater River country.
