Pioneer Historic Byway
Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge, ID

Visit the home of 163 species of bird and enjoy 19,000 acres of wildlife and wilderness. This shallow lake is surrounded by bogs, meadows, and marshes, making it the perfect home for waterfowl of all sorts. The Canada goose and sandhill crane especially like to stay here. Although the refuge closes during nesting times, Grays Lake is often a stop for wildlife viewing.

An excellent activity that allows a closer look at Grays Lake is a hike on Lander Trail. The trail passes through Grays Lake Valley to the southern end of Grays Lake. This trail was meant to be an alternative to the main Oregon Trail since it had better water and feeding grounds, but in 1858, travel by wagon was becoming less common and the trail was never heavily used.

Also found in the area is Caribou Mountain names for a colorful miner known as Cariboo Jack. The mountain was the site for several gold mining operations and Cariboo City was the location of a gold rush in 1870. The mountain towers over Grays Lake, providing a picturesque panorama.