AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Sherman Pass is Washington's highest mountain pass maintained year-round, cresting the Kettle River Range at 5,575 feet on State Route 20 deep inside Colville National Forest. Named for Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman, who crossed here in 1883, the pass is the dramatic centerpiece of the 40-mile Sherman Pass Scenic Byway connecting the small towns of Republic and Kettle Falls in northeast Washington.↗↗
The route winds through old-growth pine, fir, and western larch forests, past historic logging sites and Civilian Conservation Corps cabins, and through landscapes still marked by the devastating 1988 White Mountain Fire. In autumn, larches turn brilliant gold; in winter, the pass becomes a gateway to backcountry snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. On clear days, panoramic views stretch from Canada across the Columbia River Valley to the Okanogan Highlands.↗↗↗
The Scenic Byway
State Route 20 between Republic and Kettle Falls is one of Washington's most under-the-radar drives. The highway climbs steadily from the sagebrush plateaus of the Columbia River Basin into dense conifer forest before surmounting the pass itself, then drops through switchbacks toward the Colville River and Lake Roosevelt beyond. Allow at least an hour and a half to tour the full 40-mile stretch without stopping; set aside a day if you want to pull off at viewpoints, short trails, and interpretive sites along the way.
