Nez Perce National Historical Park, National historical park across Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, United States
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 park's name comes from the Nez Percé, a name given by French trappers referring to nose ornaments once worn by some people. At the Heart of the Monster site near Kamiah, a creation story tells of Coyote defeating a monster and scattering its parts to create the different peoples. The annual camas harvest at Camas Prairie remains a traditional gathering.
The park headquarters and main visitor center with museum are at Spalding, Idaho, east of Lewiston, on the Clearwater River. The 38 sites lie across Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington; 26 are on or near the Nez Perce Indian Reservation and can be toured in one day. The others are far apart, so choose sites before setting out.
The park's 38 sites are the most decentralized unit of the National Park Service, and 26 of them lie on or near the Nez Perce Indian Reservation in Idaho, close enough to tour in a single day. The remaining twelve sit in Montana, Oregon and Washington.
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