Clark Fork, Idaho

Clark Fork sits on the edge of the Clark Fork River delta, where the river empties into Lake Pend Oreille. The countryside in this area was sculpted by repeated massive flows of glacial ice and glacial meltwaters over the course of the last Ice Age. The Salish tribes were the first folks in the area to leave evidence of their occupation. By the time when Lewis & Clark came through (1806), most Native Americans in the area were members of the Flathead tribe.

In 1881, a transcontinental railroad line was being built across northern Idaho. That's when the town of Clark Fork was first established at the crossing of the Clark Fork River. Until a bridge was built over the river in 1916, all non-rail traffic was using a ferry to cross the river.

These days, local life in Clark Fork seems to be centered around serving the tourists who come to explore Lake Pend Oreille and the vast forests and waterways in the area. Most traffic enters town via the Pend Oreille Scenic Byway, traveling between Sandpoint to the west and the Montana border at the top of the Bitterroot Mountains to the east.