Explore Other Recreation Opportunities
Skiing, snowshoeing, and winter wildlife watching
Winter in northeast Washington
brings with it cold
temperatures and
deep snowpacks,
and unique wildlifeviewing, skiing and
snowshoeing opportunities. In autumn,
Snowshoeing in the Kettles. © Leif Jakobsen
migratory birds stop
at low-elevation wetlands on their way to warmer climates and often
winter along the Columbia River. Mammals such as white-tailed deer,
mule deer, and bighorn sheep make their way to lower elevations
when snow buries their high-elevation forage. And even if wildlife
prove elusive, you can easily spot their tracks in the snow, which provides added interest to any skiing or snowshoeing adventure.
These are a few of the most popular winter
recreational and wildlife watching opportunities in northeast Washington:
Spruce grouse. © Paul Bannick
Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife
Refuge near Colville offers a readily accessible, serene winter setting for viewing
white-tailed deer, moose, grouse, owls, and
other wildlife from skis or snowshoes.
Sullivan Lake near Metaline Falls is a
beautiful, wild winter landscape that offers wildlife watchers with binoculars the opportunity to spy bighorn sheep precariously perched on
the slopes of Hall Mountain east of Sullivan Lake.
The Washington Trails Association has rated Sherman Pass in the
Kettle Range one of the state's premier snowshoeing destinations.
Most winter weekends, the Sno-Park at the pass is packed with
Wildlife Viewing & Recreation Guide
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