Basics
- Length:
- 42.5 miles (68 km)
- Time:
- Allow 2.5 hours round trip
Description
Rich in scenery, history, and wildlife, the route along Idaho 11begins in Greer at the junction of US 12 with an easy climb up theGreer Grade, providing a breathtaking, panoramic view of theClearwater Valley. At the crest of the mountain lie the beautifulrolling fields of grains and grasses cultivated by local farmers.Just down the road is the historic town of Weippe, not far fromwhere members of the Nez Perce Tribe met and fed starving membersof Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery in 1805.
Minutes later, the scenery changes again, as the vast fieldstransform into a lush forest thick with wildlife. Nestled among thetrees is the town of Pierce, where early pioneers discovered goldin Idaho for the first time. It also boasts the state's inauguralgovernment building, the old Shoshone County Courthouse.
Other attractions include a logging museum, the city library'sartifact collection from the adventures of Chinese miners in thearea, and five more historical sites featured along the byway.
Twelve miles north of Pierce is the village of Headquarters,marking the end of the Gold Rush Historic Byway and the beginningof the area's other "gold mine" - the majestic and seemingly endless Clearwater National Forest.
