"We encamped at the city of the rocks, a noted place from the granite rocks rising abruptly out of the ground, " wrote James Wilkins in 1849. "They are in a romantic valley clustered together, which gives them the appearance of a city.
A sea of lava flows with scattered islands of cinder cones and sagebrush describes this "weird and scenic landscape" known as Craters of the Moon.
For thousands of years the valleys, prairies, mountains, and plateaus of the inland northwest have been home to the Nimiipuu or Nez Perce people. Explore these places. Learn their stories. Treat them with care.
Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1909, is one of the nation's oldest refuges. Located southwest of Boise, Idaho, the refuge includes the Lake Lowell sector (10, 588 acres) and the Snake River Islands sector (about 800 acres).
Visitors who take the time to walk through this approximately 4, 000-year-old lava flow can learn how it was created and how plants and animals have managed to adapt to this harsh environment. Interpretive signs are located along the trails.
The sparkling waters of Lake Coeurd'Alene, considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, offer many different kinds of outdoor recreational activities year-round in a setting of exceptional scenic beauty.
Albeni Falls Dam sits on the Pend Oreille River. Behind the dam, the waters of the Pend Oreille stretch 65 miles through a glacially carved valley that separates three mountain ranges.