The Best Outdoor Activities in North-Central Idaho
The Lewis-Clark Valley offers endless opportunities to be outside — in fact, that’s the preferred activity for most folks who visit or call the area home. Jet boat tours run the Snake River past ancient Nez Perce petroglyphs and bighorn sheep. White sand beaches line the Washington and Idaho banks. In Moscow, stroll the gardens of a college arboretum or tackle nearly 60 miles of trails on Moscow Mountain. There’s always more to do — so stay longer than you think.
Views from a Snake River jet boat excursion. Courtesy of Lauren Mowery
Buffalo Eddy Petroglyphs
Best for: Ancient rock art and a river beach day
Location: South of Lewiston on Snake River Road
Price: Free
North Stars:
Hundreds of distinct images pecked into the basalt banks of the Snake River, created by early Nez Perce people up to 4,500 years ago. Some petroglyphs are only visible by boat — several local tour operators pass by on their Hells Canyon excursions — but the site is also accessible by car via scenic Snake River Road. Bring a towel and a swimsuit: white sand river beaches dot the drive back toward Lewiston.
Buffalo Eddy Petroglyphs Courtesy of Lauren Mowery.
University of Idaho Arboretum & Botanical Garden
Best for: A peaceful green escape on the edge of campus
Location: Moscow
Price: Free
North Stars:
A 63-acre living museum just south of the University of Idaho campus, the Arboretum has been built entirely through donations since its first trees were planted in 1982. A 1.4-mile gravel loop winds through pollinator gardens, xeriscaped beds, and American, European, and Asian flora, with benches along the way and views stretching to the Blue Mountains of Oregon. Students and locals pack picnics and settle into the shade between the ponds. Park at the south end barn.
Arobretum in Moscow. Courtesy of Lauren Mowery.
Moscow Mountain Trails (MAMBA)
Best for: Hiking and mountain biking close to town
Location: Moscow Mountain, outside Moscow
Price: Free
North Stars:
More than 60 miles of non-motorized trails wind through the cedar and Douglas fir forests of Moscow Mountain, built and maintained entirely by MAMBA volunteers on privately owned land for over 25 years. Designed primarily for mountain biking, the network also welcomes hikers, runners, and Nordic skiers, with routes ranging from gentle beginner loops to technical singletrack. Spring meadows bloom with camas and balsamroot; year-round, keep an eye out for moose, elk, and red-tailed hawks. Paradise Point offers some of the best views on the mountain.
Fat Bikes Explorin Trails. Courtesy of (MAMBA)
Snake River Adventures
Best for: Half-day jet boat into Hells Canyon
Location: Lewiston
Price: $$$
North Stars:
North America’s deepest gorge, deeper than the Grand Canyon, Hells Canyon is best experienced by jet boat, the vessel this region helped pioneer. A half-day tour with Snake River Adventures covers geology, wildlife, and layers of history in one run: ancient Nez Perce fishing grounds, Lewis and Clark crossings, ill-fated mining operations, and the reintroduction of bighorn sheep after ranching nearly wiped them out. Look for rafters emerging from five-day float trips.
Rafters finishing a float trip on the Snake River. Courtesy of Lauren Mowery.
Beamers Hells Canyon Tours, unWINEd Wine Tasting Cruise
Best for: Wine tasting in the canyon
Location: Clarkston
Price: $$$
North Stars:
A 4-hour jet boat ride 34 miles upriver delivers you to Beamers’ private Heller Bar Lodge, where hosts pour Lewis-Clark Valley AVA wines to the backdrop of soaring canyon walls. For nibbles accompanying your five wines, expect charcuterie, Mediterranean mezze, fresh fruit, and dessert bites. Seasonal dates run May through August; book early as tours sell out. Beamers also runs full and half-day canyon tours, and guided fishing charters for steelhead, sturgeon, and bass.
