Pink House campground and Nez Perce battlefields

Leaving the  Missoula area and moving west into Idaho we made a  one-night stopover in the Wilderness Gateway campground, located on the Lochsa River (pronounced "Lock-saw").

The campground was practically empty, so we had a nice, quiet afternoon enjoying the dense forest around us. My goodness but this is good bear country! There were ripe salmon berries, service berries,

and other delectable items all through the campground.

This area is rich in history. The Nez Perce roamed this area for generations, and the Lewis and Clark Expedition traveled the Lolo Trail, which flows through the Lochsa Gorge.

There are historic signboards at pull-outs all along the highway, and when we stopped at the Lolo Pass Visitor's Center we were given a set of CD's with historic information to listen to along the road. Per instructions, we turned them in to another visitor center when we reached the next area. I took a little time to admire a quilt they center had hanging in a little room off to the side. It was a cooperative effort, constructed by several quilt guilds in the state.

One of the first historic stops along the highway featured this replica emplacement, used (unsuccessfully) by Army soldiers to protect themselves from Nez Perce bullets. It might have been a useful idea in different terrain. Here, the Indians simply climbed the hills on the opposite side of the canyon and fired down on the soldiers. The Nez Perce leader, Looking  Glass, thought the whole idea was rather amusing and dubbed them "soldier corrals". The whole endeavor was so ineffective that residents began calling the area "Fort Fizzle". It's still known by that name on maps today.


The Pink House campground, Orfino, Idaho, was our next stop, and home for five days. It was an accidental discovery, as we were actually headed to a place a few miles further on down the road. Steve spied the sign "Pink House Recreation Area" and pulled in to check it out, and we decided to stay!What a funny name for a  boating, fishing and camping area!

Though there's no pink house in site now, there once was. Charles and June McCollister lived here and she, being an artist decided the area needed some color, so they painted the house PINK. 

View of the Clearwater river from our site

Fishermen floating the river saw the pink house (and the shed painted to match) and began calling the nearby fishing hole "the Pink House Hole." It was so well known in the area that when the BLM established the recreation site, and the campground, the name Pink House was used.

The house was burned by vandals many years ago so there's no sign of it now, but the campground is wonderful. Jim, the host, keeps everything in tip-top shape shape, and knows the area well so he can offer tips on any services needed. We were lucky enough to arrive early so most spaces were empty and we grabbed #12, right on the river. We enjoyed the view, and the peace and quiet, so much that we stayed five days. That hasn't happened in awhile!

The dogs-on-leash rule is enforced, but there's a vacant lot adjacent to the campground, and river access out of the park boundaries, and Jim (the host) taught Shiner how to battle the rain-birds, so she had plenty of fun too!

It's a good location for exploring more of the Nez Pierce history. We took a day to drive the historic loop, east on hwy. 12 to the first stop on the loop, Canoe Camp, then dipping south to Grangeville, then back north on hwy 95 and then east, back to camp. This route includes not only Lewis and Clark related historic sites, but many of the locations so important in the Nez Perce War.

Another stop along the highway provides a dramatic overlook of the valley where the  Battle of White Bird took place.

White Bird battlefield

A little further on the loop drive, located on the banks of the Clearwater River south of Kamiah, you can see the Heart of the Monster. This formation is the legendary birthplace of the Nez Perce Tribe, where Coyote defeated a monster and, in turn, created the Nez Perce people.

Nearing the end of the loop is the  Nez Perce Historical Park Visitor's Center . The center has an amazing collection of artifacts - beaded clothing, weapons, jewelry, and other items. Displays and a short movie enhance a visitor's understanding of the tribe's history and struggles. We have actually been following the Nez Perce Historic Trail in reverse, as we started from the east, near the middle of the trail. The tribe lived here, in Idaho and Oregon, and when the conflict began, it was here the battles began, so the visitor's center marks the actual beginning of the events that led to the tribe's eventual banishment from their homelands. The remaining part of the Nez Perce Trail runs up through Yellowstone and Montana, s we'll visit those areas on another trip.

There are many layers of history here. Additional historic signboards along the way have information on more recent events in the area, including railroad development. The hillside are peppered with huge trestles and tunnels, all necessary to lay tracks in this hilly country.

Logging was also a major industry in the area. Many of the older pieces of equipment can still be seen, parked in empty fields, and some still in use. One afternoon we heard what we thought was an old steam driven locomotive in the afternoons, and it turned out it was a steam powered tractor! Charles McCollister's daughter helped him publish memories and photographs of the area's logging history before his death in 2011. A brief article about their project ran in a local paper.

Pink House Campground is a good location for regrouping before moving on either east or west. There are services close at hand in Orofino, including groceries, hardware and anything else one might need. We spent the last day doing just that - shopping for groceries, bits of hardware, hitting a couple of quilt shops (of course!) and catching up on household chores.

There are a few more photos in the album. 

We'll be continuing to creep west. No telling where we'll light next!