Today

The Lolo Motorway provides breath-taking views in every direction, and allows modern explorers to escape the rush of daily life. One can imagine a time with no paved roads, but quiet trails winding their way through thick, lodgepole forests, open Ponderosa stands, and lush, green meadows. Along the motorway, you can hear the soft trickle of mountain streams, songs of mountain birds, and gaze in wonder at this vast, wild landscape.

Location

The Lolo Trail in Idaho is located along Forest Roads 100 and 500. Forest Road 500, known as The Lolo Motorway, is a primitive, winding road built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Access to the Lolo Motorway in the Powell area is via FS Road 569 (Parachute Hill Road), and in the Wilderness Gateway area via FS Road 107 (Saddle Camp Road). Access to Forest Road 100 in the Kamiah area is at the junction of U.S. Highway 12 and the Kamiah bridge over the Clearwater River.

Management

Management of the trails and treads and the Lolo Trail National Historic Landmark on the Clearwater National Forest is an ongoing process; a long list of involved groups and related legislation guides management decisions, which are dynamically developed with advice and input from dozens of sources.

There is long and diverse history along this route, beginning with foot travel and later horse travel by Indian tribes, Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery (1805-06), construction of the Bird Truax Trail (1866), the Nez Perce War (1877), heavy Forest Service use (1900-1930s), extensive wildfires (1910-1930s), widespread sheep grazing with sheep driveways, (1920s-1940s) construction of the Lolo Motorway (1930s), tremendous migrating elk populations and related hunting pressure (1940s - 1980s) timber harvest on the east and west ends (1940s-present), and National Historic Trails (1980s-present).

The Trail Treads and National Historic Trails within the Lolo Trail Corridor are managed and maintained in a variety of ways for a variety of purposes related to recreation, historical preservation, and cultural significance. The Clearwater National Forest is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Lolo Trail National Historic Landmark, and the Department of the Interior (through the National Park Service) has oversight responsibility. The Clearwater consults with and works closely with the Nez Perce National Historical Park. The Clearwater and the National Park Service jointly participate in the monitoring program. The evolution of the trails on the Clearwater National Forest -- and their management -- are marked by eras of contrasting uses and different users.

Where Are The Trails?

There has been much interest among history buffs over the years on precise locations of the old trails. Quite a few "tread tracers" have attempted to identify precise locations of the historic trails. Today people often ask, "Which one is the trail that Chief Joseph followed in 1877?" Or "Where exactly did Lewis & Clark travel?" Forest Service staff asked those same questions while contemplating the locations for designation of the national historic trails. Answering those questions will keep historians, researchers, and "tread tracers" busy -- and probably disagreeing -- for a long time. It is impossible to identify and designate with precision every section of each one of the trails -- for a variety of reasons:

• The trails overlap in many areas
• Some sections of trail tread have been obliterated by other uses, e.g. sheep drives
• Some sections -- e.g. the Lolo Motorway -- have been overlaid by roads
• Many sections of trail were "naturally" adjusted
• Some sections of trail were intentionally adjusted
• Sections that had no use for many years may have disappeared

Many trail enthusiasts believe that the "original" Lewis & Clark Trail still exists -- and that they know exactly where that trail is. While there are certainly segments of historic trail that still exist, it is virtually impossible to conclusively identify the precise trail that Lewis and Clark took. At the heart of this debate are a number of questions -- are they talking about where Clark walked, where Lewis walked, where they both walked, or where the main party walked? Even with answers to those questions, though, it would be impossible to conclusively prove identification of a stretch of trail that was used for just a few minutes in 200 years ago. There are literally hundreds of stretches of trail tread throughout the Lolo Trail National Historic Landmark; which if any of them is "The Real Trail"?

Are The Trail SIgns Located Where The Trail Really Is?

During the 1990s the Clearwater National Forest began providing a maintained trail along the historic route. Decisions on locations for signs along the trail were based on the "corridor view," meaning that we focus on maintaining and restoring the original character of the route. The debate, however, over one section of tread versus another section of tread and which might be "the real tread" will continue for years to come.

Lolo Trail Tread