Nez Perce National Historical Park

Nez Perce National Historical Park includes 38 separate locations spread across four states that tell the story of a Native American people through their lands, villages, and battle sites. The sites are scattered through forested and river valleys, each revealing a different chapter of the Nez Perce experience across the landscape.

These sites preserve evidence of the Nez Perce people living in the Pacific Northwest for centuries before European contact. The park system was established in 1965 to protect and interpret these locations and their role in shaping regional history.

The Nez Perce people held sacred gatherings and ceremonies at multiple locations throughout these lands, places that remain central to their identity and spiritual practices. Walking through the park, you can see how the landscape itself is inseparable from their way of life and storytelling traditions.

The main visitor center sits in Spalding, Idaho, offering exhibits and resources to help you understand the different sites across the park system. Since the locations spread across four states, planning which sites to visit ahead of time makes the most sense for your trip.

The Bear Paw Battlefield in Montana marks the site of a major turning point in Nez Perce history, where a prolonged conflict reached its conclusion in the fall of 1877. This quiet field remains one of the most moving locations in the entire park system.

Location: Idaho

Location: Washington

Location: Oregon

Location: Montana

Inception: May 15, 1965

Website: https://nps.gov/nepe

GPS coordinates: 46.44700,-116.82300

Latest update: December 6, 2025 16:03