Lewiston Hill (also known as the “Clearwater Escarpment”) is a large sloping hill north of the confluence of the Clearwater and Snake Rivers in Idaho. From the hill you have views of the Snake River Valley and especially of the twin cities of Lewiston, Idaho and Clarkston, Washington.
The current multi-lane highway descending from Washington’s Palouse farming region into the Snake River valley was opened in 1977, but was not the first road constructed in the region. Before that, a popular drive was the “Old Spiral Highway” which which climbed 2,000 vertical feet (610 m) . It was a very twisty road (64 curves) that was opened in 1917. You can see parts of the old road from the pullouts on Lewiston Hill and I guess it’s still drive-able.
(Part of the Old Spiral Highway is in the foreground, with Lewiston to the left and Clarkston to the right of the Snake River)
The newer multi-lane grade of U.S. Route 95 ascending the slope to the north of Lewiston was constructed from 1975 to 1977. It’s a a straighter and steeper descent and is approximately seven miles (11 km) in length.
The 1950s rock and roll hit by Charlie Ryan, “Hot Rod Lincoln”, tells of an actual race on that hill. The lyrics were changed to say San Pedro or The Grapevine in later versions, but the Ryan claimed his tune was inspired by the Old Spiral Highway on Lewiston Hill.
(View to the east)
Hell’s Canyon, the deepest gorge in North America is located about 40 miles further downstream from here. I hope see that Canyon sometime in the next few years, either by jet boat or by raft.
