USFS · Idaho

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest

National Forest managed by the U.S. Forest Service in Idaho.

National Forest4.1 million acresUSFSID52 campgrounds within 10 mi130 Forest Service sites1,353 trails
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗
2 fires
active
Rx Barnyard Units Nfrd (prescribed burn) · 41 mi from the center · 41 acres
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Forest
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateIdaho
Size4.1 million acres
Forest Service code0117, region 01
Center point46.20° N, 115.37° W
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 9)

Boundary map

6 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 4.91 inches of precipitation, 13.3 inches of snowFebruary: 3.72 inches of precipitation, 6.8 inches of snowMarch: 4.32 inches of precipitation, 2.7 inches of snowApril: 4.05 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowMay: 3.59 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 3.67 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.88 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.86 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.62 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 3.13 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 5.15 inches of precipitation, 3.0 inches of snowDecember: 4.70 inches of precipitation, 17.0 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 31.4°F averageFebruary: 35.1°F averageMarch: 41.7°F averageApril: 48.7°F averageMay: 57.2°F averageJune: 63.3°F averageJuly: 71.7°F averageAugust: 70.6°F averageSeptember: 61.3°F averageOctober: 49.1°F averageNovember: 37.9°F averageDecember: 31.2°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Fenn RS, 11 miles from the center point at 1,560 feet, station USC00103143 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 41 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 43 inches a year on the same inches scale. The station sits about 2,800 feet lower than the center point, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

34 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 18 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · Inside
Apgar Campground
First-comeID
FS · Inside
Boyd Creek Campground
First-come5 sites
FS · Inside
CCC Campground
First-come3 sites
FS · Inside
Castle Creek Campground
First-comeID
FS · Inside
Elk Creek Campground
Reservable13 sites
FS · Inside
Fish Creek Group Use
Reservable1 site
FS · Inside
Five Mile Campground
First-comeID
FS · Inside
French Gulch Campground
First-comeID
Show 4 more

40 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 130

The Forest Service lists 130 recreation sites in this forest, among them 66 campgrounds, 24 trailheads, 11 beachcombings, 9 visitor centers. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Show all 60

The 60 closest to the center point are listed; 70 more are on the Forest Service site.

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Trails

Every trail on Trailhead Atlas →

The Forest Service trail layer records 1,353 named trails in this forest, 5,198 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.

TrailMiles
Grangeville-Salmon Snow Trail ↗52.9
Lolo Trail Road ↗52.7
Eagle Mountain ↗43
Selway River Trail ↗38.4
Boundary ↗36.4
Lewis and Clark ↗35
Pot Mountain Ridge ↗32.6
Big Rock ↗32
Parachute Hill - Granite Pass ↗31.3
Stateline ↗31

Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.

All 1,353 trails in Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest on Trailhead Atlas ↗

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-11-01
  • Prescribed
    Rx Barnyard Units Nfrd

    41 mi from the center point · 41 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx Doc Denny - Srrd

    41 mi from the center point · 20 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Historical Park · 2 mi
Nez Perce National Historical Park
National Register listings within 15 miles · 170 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Guidebooks for Idaho

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest?

4.1 million acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest in?

Idaho.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest?

Dispersed camping is allowed on most national forest land outside developed sites. Check the forest page for closures. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest?

A point inside the boundary is at 46.201° N, 115.369° W. Nez Perce National Historical Park is 2 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

Is there a fire near Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest right now?

2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx Barnyard Units Nfrd at 41 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

Which national parks are near Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest?

Nez Perce National Historical Park (2 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest?

The National Register has 170 listings within 15 miles, including Elk City Wagon Road-Vicory Gulch--Smith Grade Segment and Gold Point Mill.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage and code: the Forest Service Enterprise Data Warehouse.
  • States and territories: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons and coarse outlines of the territories and outlying islands. A place is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area. A boundary that touches no outline is listed under the nearest one.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, matched by forest code.
  • Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched by forest code.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.