Thirteenmile Creek Canyon hike
Come enjoy a hike on Thirteenmile Creek Canyon, it has the lowest light pollution possible in the continental United States, making the silvery splatter of the Milky Way appears brighter than ever.
Round Trip: 8 miles
Elevation gain: 1200 feet
Difficulty: (3/5) Moderate
Trailhead: On SR 21, twelve miles south of Republic at the Colville National Forest - Colville Indian Reservation border
The Thrirteenmile Trail ventures 16.5 miles through some of the loneliest and most spectacular country in the Columbia Highlands. Traversing terrain encompassing rugged ridges, sprawling alpine meadows, and a steep-walled canyon, the Thirteenmile Trail takes adventurous hikers into a little-explored and little-known region of the Kettle River Range. Bit it is not necessary to hike this challenging trail in its entirety to experience the beauty and remoteness of this region.
The first few miles of trail pass through a narrow canyon flanked by towering granite walls and graced with stately groves of giant old-growth ponderosa pines near the San
Poil River. In springtime a carpet of wildflowers and plant life underrepresented elsewhere in Washington, such as
cottonwood trees, brightens the canyon's floor, while eagles and hawks ride thermals looking for bounty. Cougars make themselves at home in the canyon, and chances are good of spotting a black bear and plenty of mule deer. Thirteenmile also harbors 12,000 acres of lynx habitat and many acres of
wolverine and American marten habitat.
After about 2.5 miles the trail climbs out of the canyon, reaching a forest service road in four miles. The trail continues for twelve more miles, skirting the summit of Thirteenmile Mountain and crossing the high saddle between Fire and Seventeenmile mountains.
With the lowest light pollution possible in the continental United States, the silvery splatter of the Milky Way appears brighter than ever, making a remote hike on Thirteenmile’s revered 16-mile trail a rare wilderness experience.
