Find Trails, Fall Colors and Mountain Town Adventures in Northeast Washington
Cover photo courtesy of Aaron Theisen
As summer crowds fade and larches begin to brighten the mountains of the nearby Colville National Forest in gold, the small town of Republic, Wash., is an even more idyllic place to visit. Tucked in Ferry County along Highway 20, this historic mining town of about 1,000 residents, Republic, still has no traffic lights, just a walkable strip of locally owned shops, including a bakery, a natural foods co-op, coffee shops and a local craft brewery with an outdoor patio. Close-to-town hiking and biking trails, lake and river fishing spots, scenic fall-color drives and a world-famous fossil site on the edge of downtown mean anyone who loves the outdoors can plan their own ideal fall weekend trip.
Fall for the Views on a Hike Near Republic
Hiking near Republic ranges from easy rail-trail strolls to longer or more challenging day hikes. South of town on Highway 21, the Thirteen Mile Trail winds through a canyon with old-growth ponderosa pine and dramatic rock outcroppings. Trail conditions typically deteriorate the farther you go on this out-and-back hike.
Near Sherman Pass on Highway 20, the Columbia Mountain loop hike climbs around 6 miles, topping out at a restored fire lookout with sweeping views of the Kettle Range and, if you time your hike around mid-October, a golden larch display. More ambitious hikers can head south at Sherman Pass along the Sherman Peak Loop and take the detour out to Snow Peak and the Snow Peak Cabin.
For something shorter, the Swan Lake Trail, a short drive south of Republic on Highway 21 and then up Forest Road 53, loops 2.5 easy miles around a mountain lake that’s been known for loon sightings.
Ride the Rails, Republic Style
The Ferry County Rail Trail, a 25-mile converted railroad grade with a compacted crushed-rock surface, is the region’s top ride. From Kiwanis Park near town, pedal along Curlew Lake, crossing a 770-foot trestle at the lake’s north end while watching for osprey and other wetland birds; Herron Creek is another access point. In town, the paved-and-gravel Golden Tiger Pathway is a 5.5-mile multi-use trail that starts on the edge of Republic, leading all the way to the Ferry County Rail Trail, making it easy to string together a loop that starts and ends in town using the trails and back roads. Road cyclists can extend the mileage on the area’s quiet highway shoulders along Highway 21 and Highway 20.
Backcountry Mountain Biking at Its Best on the Kettle Crest
The Republic area sports some of the Northwest’s top mountain bike trails in the Kettle Range to the east. Fit riders ready for some climbing and rocky, technical sections, along with plenty of downhill reward, can choose from over a dozen backcountry singletrack routes along the Kettle Crest. The remote area with few visitors demands self-sufficiency, and the trails are generally not beginner friendly. Classics include the Sherman Peak Loop and the 14-mile Jungle Hill Loop, both accessed at or near Sherman Pass, the highest maintained pass in Washington.
Hesse Mountain Park, a new mountain bike skills park on Highway 20/21 east of town, is a great place to warm up and build on your riding skills. It has beginner-friendly progression features (A-frames, a whale tail, skinnies and a teeter-totter), jump lines and a Stryder course for little riders, plus a more advanced downhill line with a wall ride. A connector path links the park directly to the Golden Tiger Pathway and Ferry County Rail Trail, making it accessible by bike from Republic.
Dig Deep Back in Time at Stonerose Fossil Site
No fall trip to Republic is complete without a stop at the Stonerose Interpretive Center and Eocene Fossil Site right in Republic. For $18 (adults) or $7 (youth)—kids 4 and under are free—visitors can rent rock-splitting equipment and dig for 50-million-year-old fossils, commonly turning up ancient leaves, twigs and occasionally early rose species preserved in shale. The dig site keeps 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. fall hours, Wednesday through Sunday, before closing for the season after October 31. The Interpretive Center & Gift Store remains open year-round Tuesday through Sunday.
Chasing Larch Gold on a Sherman Pass Road Trip
The Sherman Pass Scenic Byway (Highway 20, roughly 40 miles one-way to Kettle Falls from Republic) is Northeast Washington’s premier fall drive, climbing to 5,575 feet at Sherman Pass, the highest maintained mountain pass in the state. Stop for a quick hike up the Columbia Mountain Trail. Or hike the short, paved White Mountain Fire Overlook Interpretive Trail, the 10-minute Sherman Overlook Scenic Trail or the half-mile Log Flume Interpretive Site. For a longer drive, loop 90-plus miles via Sherman Pass, Highway 395 north, Boulder Creek Road over Deer Creek Summit to Curlew and back on Highway 21, tracing larch-gold stretches of the 1.1-million-acre Colville National Forest.
Fall Fishing on the Kettle River, Curlew Lake and Beyond
Cooling water wakes up the fishing around Republic. On Curlew Lake, a short drive northeast of town, largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing picks up as vegetation dies back and baitfish become easier targets, alongside year-round opportunities for rainbow trout, kokanee and perch. Curlew Lake State Park has a public dock, campground and boat launch. The Kettle River itself holds hard-fighting wild redband trout, with September and October among the best months for fishing as flows drop and dry-fly fishing turns on. Smaller mountain lakes reward the fall angler, too: Swan Lake south of town and Trout Lake east of Sherman Pass, both host rainbow trout fisheries.
With so many fall adventures within an easy drive or ride of downtown, Republic makes an ideal basecamp for exploring this wild, quieter corner of Northeast Washington. Find lodging options, places to eat, maps, events and more trip-planning information at RepublicWA.com.
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