Hells Canyon

Hells Canyon




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White Bird Battlefield

Categories: Salmon River - Hells Canyon Region, National Park Sites, Historical Sites

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One of twenty-six sites of the Nez Perce National Historical Park in North Central Idaho.

The first battle of the Nez Perce War was fought at White Bird Battlefield on June 17, 1877. When soldiers arrived in the area, they fired upon the Nez Perce who were waving a white flag of peace, beginning the fight. Thirty-four soldiers were killed while the Nez Perce lost none.

The battlefield is about 15 miles south of Grangeville, Idaho, between U.S. Highway 95 and the old White Bird Grade, approximately 0.5 miles from the town of White Bird, Idaho.

The site is approximately 1,245 acres of sloping topography that retains much of the appearance it probably had in 1877. The surrounding land is used for agriculture. There are excellent views across the battlefield, with minor intrusions from ranch and residential structures and associated features such as roads and fences. There are archeological sites and a few abandoned homestead remnants.

There is an interpretive shelter on U.S. Highway 95 that overlooks the battlefield. Exhibit panels inside the shelter describe events leading up to the battle and the U.S. Army and Nez Perce perspectives of what happened. An interpretive trail leads visitors onto the battlefield from the road along White Bird Creek.


GPS Helper:

45.801952 -116.287132 153
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