Northeast Washington Hikes


Northeast Washington Regional Map
Hikers are few and far between in the remote mountain ranges stretching north from the Columbia Basin to Canada and east from the Okanogan River to Idaho, often called the "forgotten corner" of the Inland Northwest. The three rounded and forested mountain ranges found here — the Okanogan Highlands, the Kettle River Range and the Selkirk Mountains — all have summits barely exceeding 7,000'. But what these mountains lack in height and alpine scenery, they more than make up for in biological diversity and a sense of remoteness and solitude. It's not uncommon to have trails entirely to oneself here, and camping sites are plentiful, even on the most popular summer weekends.

Considered western foothills of the Rockies, these ranges offer a diverse gradient of habitats. The Okanogan Highlands in the west, with less than 20 inches of rain per year, have open forests of ponderosa pine and expanses of sagebrush on dry southern slopes. In contrast, the Selkirk Mountains in the east, with over 60 inches of rain, feature moisture-laden forests of red cedar, hemlock, white pine and yew. In between, the Kettle River Range is a transition zone. Wildfire is also a dominant force on this landscape, creating successional forests of lodgepole pine and larch, but also open expanses that have never recovered. This diversity of habitats supports a remarkable array of fauna, from mule deer in the drier west to moose, mountain caribou and grizzly bears in the wetter east, with elk and bighorn sheep in transition zones between.

Download (PDF, 500 KB): Northeast Washington Regional Map

The Forest Service manages over 1,500 square miles of public land in this corner of Northeast Washington, but only about 65 square miles, or 4%, are formally protected as wilderness (the Salmo-Priest Wilderness in the Selkirks). In the unprotected areas, industrial-scale logging, including clear cutting, has been widespread from the 1950s to the 1990s. What's left today in the way of unspoiled wildlands are a collection of semi-primitive, non-motorized Roadless Areas (RAs), ranging from 5,000 to 30,000 acres, which are currently administered as "backcounty" by the USFS. Nearly all of these RAs are on remote mountain ridges and peaks, forming small islands of pristine habitat and natural landscape amid the heavily logged areas. The good news is that most of these RAs feature developed hiking trails, with trailheads accessible by long drives on the remnant logging roads.

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Hikes in the Okanogan Highlands

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Hikes in the Kettle River Range

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Hikes in the Selkirk Mountains

Northeast Washington Regional Map

Page last updated: 10/30/15