Few National Scenic Byways anywhere include more than one country – making the International Selkirk Loop that encircles the spectacular Selkirk Mountains in Washington, Idaho, and British Columbia so special. It’s North America’s only multi-national scenic drive and voted “The West’s Best Scenic Drive” by Sunset Magazine.
Much of the route follows lakes and rivers – Sullivan Lake, Priest Lake, Pend Orielle Lake, and more – that served as transportation routes in frontier times. The 280-mile drive passes through National Forests, National Wildlife Refuges, Wildlife Management Area, and Provincial Parks which hosts the largest diversity of wildlife in the lower 48 states; more than 50 mammal species and 265 bird species.
Today, in this vast uncrowded outdoor playground, there are hundreds of miles of hiking, biking, horseback riding, and snowmobile trails, cliffs for rock climbing, hidden places for geo-caching, great places for fly fishing, ice fishing, boating, water skiing, windsurfing, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, diving, and rafting.
As you travel the scenic byway, delight in sparkling waterfalls, snowcapped craggy peaks, densely forested hillsides, narrow river canyons, and broad valleys. In fall, as the colors change to blanket the mountains in spectacular hues, you can spot Canadian geese on their journey south through the Pacific Flyway.
Really enjoying the whole drive will take three days or more. Leave time to relax and explore.