| Clearwater National Forest | |
|---|---|
 Lochsa River Canyon | |
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| Location | Idaho,United States |
| Nearest city | Orofino, ID |
| Coordinates | 46°33′4″N115°9′37″W / 46.55111°N 115.16028°W /46.55111; -115.16028 |
| Area | 2,612,000 acres (10,570 km2) |
| Established | July 1, 1908[1] |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
| Website | Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests |
Clearwater National Forest with headquarters on the Nez Perce Reservation atKamiah is located inNorth Central Idaho in the northwesternUnited States. Theforest is bounded on the east by the state ofMontana, on the north by theIdaho Panhandle National Forest, and on the south and west by theNez Perce National Forest and Palouse Prairie.
The North Fork of the Clearwater and the Lochsa rivers provide miles of tumbling white water interspersed with quiet pools for migratory and resident fish. The mountains provide a habitat forraccoon,elk,moose,black bear, two species offox,bald eagle,marten,white-tailed andmule deer,coyote,wolf packs,cougar,boreal owl,river otter,muskrat,beaver,pika,fisher,mink, andmountain goat.
In 2012, Clearwater National Forest andNez Perce National Forest were administratively combined asNez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, with headquarters inKamiah, Idaho.[2]
The forest is 2 million acres (8,100 km2) and contains mountains and river drainage areas. TheLochsa andClearwater Rivers flow through the forest region. Portions of theSelway-Bitterroot Wilderness are also located in the forest. In descending order of land area the forest is located inIdaho,Clearwater, andShoshone counties. Forest Service headquarters are located inKamiah, Idaho. There are localranger district offices inKooskia, Powell (near Lolo, Montana, on the Idaho/Montana state line),Orofino, andPotlatch.[3] The North Fork Ranger Station & Visitor Center in Orofino is your one-stop-shop for information about the Clearwater and Nez Perce National Forests, as well as Dworshak Dam Visitor Center and Dworshak Reservoir, popular recreation sites just nine miles northwest of Orofino.
The Clearwater National Forest is home to the well-known Jerry Johnson Hot Springs and the smaller Weir Creek Hot Springs. Both springs are accessible via trails from U.S. Highway 12 and are popular tourist attractions, drawing visitors from Idaho and western Montana.
Lewis and Clark travelled through the region in their journey westward in 1805–1804. Upon reachingLolo Pass at the eastern edge of the forest on September 15, 1805,William Clark was quoted as saying,
From this mountain I could observe high rugged mountains in every direction as far as I could see.
The Clearwater National Forest was established on July 1, 1908, with 2,687,860 acres (10,877.4 km2) from parts ofCoeur d'Alene National Forest andBitterroot National Forest. On October 31, 1934, part ofSelway National Forest was added.[4]
A small part of theSelway-Bitterroot Wilderness lies within Clearwater National Forest, although the largest portion of the wilderness lies in either the neighboringNez Perce National Forest,Bitterroot National Forest, orLolo National Forest.
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