Lolo Trail National Historic Landmark

Created: November 18, 2009

Revised: November 7, 2024

The Southern Nez Perces Trail was used by members of the Nez Perce Indian Tribes to travel from the Clearwater River valley at Kooskia, Idaho to the southern part of the Bitterroot Valley in Montana. This is the main Trail which is called the Tinkham-Nicholson route in the reports. The trail also gave access to the Salmon River via the North fork of the Salmon. This branch is called the Parker Branch. This branch was seldom used because the Nez Perces were enemies with the Lemhi Shoshoni of the Lehmi Valley of Idaho. This research relied on the maps and journals of the following people: Samuel Parker 1835, Captain Randolph B. Marcy 1849, A. W. Tinkham 1853, Lloyd Magruder 1863, and G. B. Nicholson 1866. There are no written records of the use of the trail by the Nez Perce, Salish (Flathead), and Lemhi Shoshoni, before 1835. However, we do know from scattered, and brief, accounts, the entire trail was being used by the Nez Perce and the eastern ends of the two branches were being used by the Salish and Shoshoni. The trails associated with the Southern Nez Perces route were hiked, and documented using precision GPS, by Steve F. Russell. The research maps and GPS waypoint databases reflect this effort., which began in the summer of 2004 and were completed in the summer of 2012.
Volume I, Monograph (PDF) This volume features	Volume II, Topographic Trail Maps (PDF) This volume features
Volume III, Selected Photos (PDF) This volume features	Archive Photos (JPG) This volume is an HTML file that gives links to 860 photos taken while doing research on the Southern Nez Perces Trail. Photo subjects include trail tread, creeks, rivers, springs, signage, landmarks, and the author at various locations. (This may not be a complete set of all photos)
GPS Waypoint Data - Trail Tread (1) .csv link (2) .xls link These data sets can be accessed by any text-oriented word processor or by MS Excell	GPS Waypoint Data (.csv & .xls) - Campsites & Landmarks (1) .csv link (2) .xls link These data sets can be accessed by any text-oriented word processor or by MS Excell