America's Scenic Byways

Pend Oreille Valley Scenic Byway

50 miles - 3-5 hours to enjoy this byway

The Pend Oreille Valley Scenic Byway follows the Pend Oreille River from Newport, Washington north to Tiger along Highway 20. The name Pend Oreille is said to have come from a French trapper's description of the dangling earring pendants worn by a local Indian tribe. The route travels through beautiful river valleys and goes by the small communities of Usk and Cusick. This sparsely populated roadway offers several accesses to the river as well as access to an off-road ATV Park north of Cusick and recreational access for hiking and fishing into the Colville National Forest from both the west side of the roadway as well as from the LeClerc Road on the east side of the river.

Remnants of a bygone era can still be seen as evidenced by the river pilings still standing as a reminder of the log boom holding areas that supplied the Diamond Match Companies Mill at Cusick. Vast forests of western White Pine were harvested to supply this mill at the turn of the century.