There are few places in the Inland Northwest that pair wild mountain winter adventures and authentic small-town community and charm like the Republic, Washington, area in the northeast corner of the state. Only a 2.5-hour drive north from Spokane, the town itself is a place seemingly frozen in time (in the best of ways). With a population of around 1,000 and a stop-light free main drag through the historic downtown, the community is laid back with locally-owned small businesses including an excellent brewery (Republic Brewing), coffee shops and restaurants, and a couple of cool hotels. Any visit to Republic would be remiss without a stroll around town to explore the place and visit with friendly locals. And it makes an excellent base camp for getting out on the snowy mountain trails a short drive from town in every direction.
A great plan for a winter Republic trip is to schedule it around one of the community’s unique events, including the town’s Winterfest celebration with multiple creative events and contests on Saturday, January 11 or the Altai Skis Backcountry Ski and Hok Festival. Happening February 8 up at Boulder Pass in the Kettle Range, the Altai Skis event offers a chance to demo backcountry ski touring gear from Altai Skis and explore the local backcountry terrain with others. Planning your visit around one of these events lets you maximize engagement with like-minded out-of-towners and locals alike and adds so much to any adventure getaway.
2025 Republic Washington Winterfest
This year’s Republic Winterfest events happen on Saturday, January 11, 2025. Don’t miss this family- and leashed-dog-friendly community celebration with winter-themed events and competitions planned all in one of the Northwest’s coolest mountain towns. Spend the weekend exploring downtown Republic and enjoying indoor and outdoor Winterfest activities.
Grab a hot beverage from one of the local coffee shops or craft beer at the brewery or a bite to eat and stick around for these Winterfest activities and spectacles, including outhouse races, an epic tug of war in the streets, a parade through town, snow sculpturing, sasquatch calling, and plenty of kids’ activities and other festival fun. Find all of the event details for spectators and participants here.
Altai Skis Backcountry Ski and Hok Festival February 8
Based in the tiny nearby town of Curlew, Wash., situated at the foot of the Kettle Range mountains near the Canadian border 30 minutes northeast from Republic, local Altai Skis sponsors this annual gathering of ski touring enthusiasts in Ferry County that’s planned in 2025 for Saturday, Feb 8. Altai Skis sells backcountry skis that are inspired by the origins of skiing in the Altai Mountains of China, where they’ve been used as a tool for backcountry travel and hunting for millennia. And this festival that takes place at Boulder Pass in the Kettle Range mountains is a chance to try some of Altai’s gear on some relatively mellow backcountry slopes. Festival demos will include a chance to try the Hok from Altai Skis that’s popular with snowshoers and skiers looking to tour around any size hills or mountains. The event also typically includes group ski tours with others where you get the chance to explore the ski terrain and meet other backcountry skiers.
Winter Adventures Around Republic
Whatever your winter outdoor recreation passion is, the Republic area has you covered from snowshoeing, backcountry or Nordic skiing, snowmobiling, fat biking, or even hitting the slopes at one of two nearby community ski hills. Trails are a short drive from town, and the nearby Ferry County Rail Trail offers a flat, non-motorized pathway for everything from hiking or snowshoeing and cross-country skiing to fat biking depending on the snow conditions.
Backcountry or XC Ski, Snowshoe, Fat Bike or Ride the Lifts
There is an abundance of options to get out and explore the trails around the Republic area on skis, bikes, or snowshoes. The Ferry County Rail Trail is the close-to-town recreational crown jewel of the area. This 25-mile-long rail trail offers Nordic skiing, fat biking and snowshoeing when there’s enough snow on the ground or hiking and biking in low-snow periods. Up in the nearby Kettle Range mountains, two passes offer backcountry skiers and snowshoers with avalanche and backcountry awareness excellent options for exploring the forests and peaks of the Kettles. Another great option for skiers and snowboarders who like the small local ski hill experience is to spend a day at one of the two ski areas about an hour’s drive from Republic, the Sitzmark Ski Area northwest of town or Phoenix Mountain Ski Area just north of the border in BC.
Snowmobiling Near Republic
There are over 100 miles of groomed snowmobile trails in Ferry County that are a short drive from Republic. When the area gets a foot or more of snow, Washington State Parks typically grooms the trails. The Sno-Parks are great for family outings, and usually have ample parking lots with restrooms. Washington State Sno-Park Permits are required for parking and playing December 1st through March 31st. You can find maps and more information at the Washington Sno-Park site or at Newashingtontrails.com’s snowmobile trail page.
Planning Your Trip to Republic WA
 Check out our backcountry winter guide to the Republic area for specific trail and terrain suggestions. Because the high peaks of the Kettle Crest include some avalanche terrain, be aware of avalanche risks in the area and go prepared when exploring backcountry terrain on skis, splitboard, snowshoes, or snowmobile. Learn more about winter adventures in Republic and find lodging and other amenity info at the Republic Regional Visitors and Convention Bureau’s website.
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