"From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever." 
Chief Joseph, & the Flight of the Nez Percé
plus a one-day tour of the Battle of the Little Bighorn
Tour Dates: August 22 to September 1, 2026, with historian Neil Mangum
We'll follow the Nez Percé National Historic Trail from Spokane, Washington to Great Falls, Montana, through some of the most beautiful landscapes of the American West, including their route through Yellowstone Park



Forced to abandon hopes for a peaceful move to the Lapwai Reservation, the Nez Percé chiefs saw flight to Canada as their last promise for peace. The flight of the Nez Percé began on June 15, 1877. Led by Chiefs Joseph, Looking Glass, White Bird, Ollokot, Lean Elk, and others, a band of 800 men, women and children moved northeast, hoping to seek safety with their Crow allies. Only 250 were warriors — the rest were women, children, elderly, and sick. On June 17 U.S. army and volunteer soldiers approached a Nez Percé camp on Whitebird Creek in western Idaho. When a party of six warriors bearing a flag of truce approached the soldiers, one of the volunteers fired at them, thus precipitating the Nez Perce War of 1877.

After defeating the cavalry force at the Battle of White Bird Canyon, the flight intensified and more than a dozen more battles and skirmishes would be fought in the next several months. Fighting the army all along the trail, the number of Nez Perce was severely reduced. Just 40 miles from Canada they were trapped at Snake Creek at the base of the Bears Paw Mountains in Montana by the U.S. Army. After a five-day fight, the remaining 431 members of the tribe were beaten and Chief Joseph surrendered on October 5, 1877    

[Excerpted from Legends of America]

Itinerary

AUGUST 22 (Saturday): check in to our Spokane airport hotel. That evening, we'll gather in the hotel conference room for meeting and greet (pizza provided) and to hear an orientation talk by our guide, Neil Mangum
AUGUST 23 (Sunday): board the van for long our journey. Stops on this day will include the monuments for the battles of Spokane Plains, and Four Lakes (from the Coeur d'Alene War of 1858, the second phase of the Yakima War), the Qualchan Hanging Site on Latah Creek, Treaty Site, and the Steptoe Battlefield. Lunch in Lewiston, Idaho. After lunch stops: Nez Percé National Historical Park, and Fort Lapwai. Overnight accommodations in Lewiston, Idaho.
AUGUST 24 (Monday): Stops include: the Battle of Cottonwood (Nez Percé National Historical Park), the Rains (Raines) Massacre, Foster Grave, Brave 17 marker, Nez Percé camp at Tolo Lake, the Battle of White Bird Canyon, Clearwater Battlefield. Overnight accommodations in Orofino, Idaho.
AUGUST 25 (Tuesday): Stops include Nez Percé at Weippe Prairie, Nez Percé Origin—Coyote vs. Monster, the Attack on Looking Glass Camp, Kooskia, Lolo Pass and Packer Meadow, and Fort Fizzle. Overnight accommodations in Lolo, Montana.
AUGUST 26 (Wednesday): this day we'll travel up the Bitterroot Valley, Stevensville, Corvallis, Ross Hole, Big Hole Battlefield, Bannack State Park. Overnight accommodations in Dillon, Montana.
AUGUST 27 (Thursday): first stop, grave of Samuel Glass, frontier soldier, then off to the Camas Meadows Battlefield, Henry's Lake, Nez Percé on the Madison River. Overnight accommodations: Old Faithful Lodge.
AUGUST 28 (Friday): this day is dedicated to touring Yellowstone Park, with stops at the Norris Geyser Basin, Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower-Roosevelt. Overnight accommodations in Cody, Wyoming
AUGUST 29 (Saturday): first stop, Buffalo Bill Center of the West museums, Canyon Creek Battlefield, overnight in Hardin, Montana. 
AUGUST 30 (Sunday): tour Little Bighorn Battlefield: Reno's approach and Valley Fight, and all stops on the battlefield proper. Lunch at the Custer Battlefield Trading Post & Cafe (Indian tacos! including in your registration); depart battlefield at 2:00 p.m. Overnight accommodations in Lewistown, Montana. 
AUGUST 31 (Monday): Reed and Bowles Trading Post in Lewistown. 
September 1 (Tuesday): Cow Creek Crossing of the Missouri River, Blaine County Museum, Bear Paw Battlefield, Fort Benton. Travel to Great Falls. Overnight accommodations in Great Falls, Montana (if you are flying out of Great Falls on September 1st, the final hotel night will not be added to your registration). 

Registration (pricing will be posted by April 1, 2025)

CLICK the button above to reserve your seat on our luxury 15-passenger Sprinter Van with a $500 deposit (fully refundable until 45 days before the tour (July 1, 2026). We expect the van to fill up relatively quickly. (If demand is overwhelming, we'll consider upgrading to a small motor coach.)
​Included in your registration: 11 nights lodging in clean, comfortable hotels, opening night pizza/beer/wine reception, and a seat on our luxury Sprinter van. Also included: maps packet and study material, entrance fees to all museums or other pay sites (including Yellowstone National Park), all tours, professional coordination and assistance by your on-board tour host, and personal engagement with our expert guide throughout the trip. Snacks and bottled water will be provided on the  motor coach. Most breakfasts will be provided by the hotels, lunches and dinner are "on your own," except for Indian Tacos at the Custer Battlefield Trading Post and Cafe (that lunch is included). 
The tour operator will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Nez Perce Tribe Cultural Resource Program. 
This (1994) video takes you on the 1,170-mile journey taken by the Nez Perce tribe in 1877. Pursued by the United States Army, 750 Nez Perce men, women, and children made a heroic yet futile flight seeking freedom and peace far from their homeland. The program highlights the need to preserve and interpret this landscape of history. [U.S. Forest Service]