The Battlefield

Hike the trails here not just for their history, but for the quiet beauty of this lush meadow flanked by mountains and a swift stream.

The visitor center (406/689-3155, www.nps.gov/biho [1], 9 a.m.–6 p.m. daily Memorial Day–Labor Day, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. the rest of the year, free) provides audiovisual displays that explain the background of the Nez Percé [2] flight and the Big Hole battle [3]. Exhibits include artifacts of the battle and items from the daily life of the early settlers and the Indian tribes who fought here in 1877.

An extensive network of self-guided hiking trails links the sites of the battle. From the parking lot, a 1.5-mile trail leads to the site of the Nez Percé camp; a shorter trail leads to the siege area. Here, for devotees of military strategy, interpretive signs chart the development of the battle in great detail. A somewhat steeper hike leads to the site of the howitzer captured by the Nez Percé, where there are great views over the battlefield and the Big Hole Valley [4].

For hiking of a different magnitude, the Nee-Me-Poo Historic Trail (www.fs.fed.us/npnht [5]) passes through the Big Hole Battlefield. This 1,200-mile trail follows the route of the Nez Percé from Oregon to the Bears Paw Mountains, where the army finally apprehended the fleeing tribe.