The Pend Oreille River Water Trail covers 70 miles of the Pend Oreille River. The Water Trail begins in Oldtown, ID, then follows the river north through Pend Oreille County, in Northeastern Washington, all the way up to Boundary Dam, just one mile shy of Southeastern British Columbia, Canada. And yes, we said north – the Pend Oreille River is one of a handful of major rivers in the U.S. that flows north … it seems that up in Pend Oreille County, even our river goes against the grain.
What is a Water Trail?
Water trails offer small boat recreationalists and paddlers the opportunity to travel a designated route along a river by providing access areas, environmental and historical points of interests, relaxing picnic stops, and overnight campsites. They educate on the environment, history, and culture of the area and promote resource stewardship. Water trails provide paddlers with relaxing outdoor recreation, fresh-air fitness, and family activities.
The Pend Oreille River & Pend Oreille River Valley
The Pend Oreille River is 130 miles long originating from Lake Pend Oreille in the Idaho Panhandle flowing northwesterly until it joins the Columbia River in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. The Pend Oreille River Valley, located in northeastern Washington, is home to abundant wildlife and offers natural, historical, cultural, and scenic points of interest including the Kalispel Indian Reservation, home to the Kalispel Tribe – the original paddlers of the Pend Oreille. In the early 1800s French-Canadian fur trappers were among the first non-indigenous people to visit the Pend Oreille River Valley. Settlers mined gold, lead, and zinc in the mid to late 1800s with logging emerging as the area’s major industry. Steamboats and the railroad played important historical roles in the economic development of the Pend Oreille River Valley