Don’t be fooled by this northeast Washington State byway’s short length—it’s long on natural beauty and fascinating history. Step off the road and the din of modern life becomes muted by ebullient waterfalls and vast forests of pine, larch and fir. Dig for fossils, live on a houseboat for a weekend or enjoy the simple pleasure of walking alone in the forests of the Kettle Mountain Range. You’ll also discover a historic camp built by Roosevelt’s CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) and a log flume once used to float timber down to the foothills for transport to market.
The Sherman Pass-Crystal Falls Scenic Byway begins near the town of Republic on SR-20 and runs east across Sherman Pass—Washington’s highest maintained pass at 5,575-feet—through Colville National Forest to the town of Kettle Falls on Lake Roosevelt and continues to Colville, the Pend Oreille Wildlife Refuge and Crystal Falls.
This is a historic route used by Native Americans on their way to fish and by wagon trains, the byway is named for Civil War general William T. Sherman, who passed through in 1883. The path was paved in the 1950s and continues to serve as the area’s primary year-round east-west connector.
Key points of interest:
- Log Flume Heritage Site – The Log Flume Heritage Site where remnants of the old log flume still stand and a trail leads down to Sherman Creek. The Sherman Creek Campground sits nearby. The site provides a snapshot of logging history with several interpretive displays along a minle-long,winding, wheelchair-accessible trails.
- Republic, Wa – With its deep blue skies, scenic mountains, and friendly folks, Republic provides travelers with an attractive and convenient starting point to discover Ferry County.