Drive Washington's "Forgotten Corner" -- Pend Oreille Scenic Byway Has Much To Offer
Location: Route 31 North of Tiger, WA
Features: Scenic Views, Wildlife, Museums, Historic Landmarks
Pass Required: None
Adventure Report
Scenic views all along the 23-mile drive
Wildlife viewing, camping, and other recreation
Gardner Cave, a series of 500-million-year-old caverns
Pend Oreille Scenic Byway offers great recreation opportunities all year round! In the winter, a thick blanket of snow makes for great snowmobiling.
If you are looking for a new Washington adventure that you may not have considered before, you may want to check out the Pend Oreille Scenic Byway, also known as Washington’s “forgotten corner.” The byway consists of 23 miles of scenic views and historical landmarks along Highway 31 through Colville National Forest, running north out of Tiger, WA. This stunning and tranquil part of the state is defined by land shaped by ancient glacial activity, with rivers and lakes that wind around the base of the majestic Selkirk mountains. The byway is stunning all year round, with lush views in the spring and summer, with spectacular colors in the fall, and a blanket of snow in the winter that is great for looking at or snowmobiling on—every time of year offers a unique way to experience the natural beauty of the area. If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of some of the abundant wildlife in the area. Woodland caribou, grey wolves, grizzly bears, and bald eagles have all been reported.
There are numerous attractions along the byway that make the trip a great choice for those who want to step out of the car and do some sightseeing and recreation rather than just enjoying the views from the open road. There are several gorgeous lakes to visit nearby, including Sullivan Lake, Mill Pond, Lake Gillette, Lake Thomas, and Lake Leo. There are many campsites at all these locations if you are looking for an extended getaway during the warmer months.
Gardner Cave, first discovered in 1899, was originally used to store moonshine by a prohibition era bootlegger.
Even if the road-view natural features alone aren’t enough to make the trip to Washington’s “forgotten corner,” there are several historical sites and tourist attractions that make the area even more special. One of the most notable of these attractions is Gardner Cave, a 500-million-year-old geological wonder. A tour will reveal a whole network of interconnected cave systems, supposedly discovered in 1899 by a local bootlegger named Ed Gardner, who claimed to have discovered the cave in 1899 when the earth beneath him and his horse collapsed. He stored his moonshine in the cave because it had a constant temperature of 39 degrees Fahrenheit. According to one account, Mr. Gardner lost his deed to the cave and adjacent lands to William Crawford, for which the surrounding park is named, in a game of poker. In 1921, Mr. Crawford deeded the 40 acres of land with the cave on it to Washington State Parks.
The scenic byway also offers many other worthwhile features, such as Box Canyon Dam, Boundary Dam, Cutter Theater & Museum, Mill Pond Flume Historic Site, Abercrombie-Hooknose Viewpoint, and the Tiger Historical Museum. If you are ever in the area, be sure to check it all out!
