Sherman Pass Scenic Byway is a 43 mile long road through the Kettle Mountain Range, passing over Sherman Pass which, at 5,575 feet, is Washington’s highest maintained pass. When gold was discovered at Republic, the only supply routes available were from the Okanagan and Columbia rivers, to the west and east respectively. From the Columbia, this was the route followed by supply wagons in order to get to Republic. Originally a rough (very rough) mountain trail, the route was slowly upgraded and improved, until being paved in the 1950s. It was named for Civil War general William T. Sherman, who passed through in 1883, and it remains the major east-west corridor in the region. Also known as State Highway 20, the byway officially runs from Kettle Falls in the east to Republic in the west.
Below is text from the historical signs at the summit.
Sherman Pass Scenic Byway
The Sherman Pass Scenic Byway remains an important passage, connecting people and places through time. The Byway crosses the Kettle River Range and follows routes used by wildlife and people. For centuries, Native Americans traveled well-established trails over the mountains to take advantage of seasonal abundance. Trappers, loggers, homesteaders and others used the same paths and built roads to [traverse] the mountains.
Sherman Pass Scenic Byway takes you on a 35-mile journey over the Kettle River Range.
Here, you are at the summit of Washington State's highest year-round drivable mountain pass at 5,575 feet in elevation.
Sherman Pass has served as an important place of crossing through time, from footpaths and wagon trains to the roads of today. Regardless of the era, crossing the divide presented a challenge. Today, bicyclists surmount the slope in the summer, and snow plows work diligently to clear the pass for motorists in the winter.
You've topped Sherman Pass. From here, head downhill: west to Republic or east to Kettle Falls.
Traveling with the Seasons
For generations, Native Americans journeyed across the divide from winter homes on the San Poil and Okanagon rivers to fertile fishing grounds on the Columbia River. Families traveled on foot and later by horse, following many well-known routes over the mountain. They used an intimate knowledge of the land and its resources to follow the seasonal availability of fish, game and plants.
In the 19th century, fur trappers used many of the Native American trails to cross the divide. Military expeditions and an ever increasing number of settlers soon followed. Today, the Sherman Pass Scenic Byway follows many of the routes used by the people of this place for generations.
Profile in Passing
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The Indigenous people camped along Sherman Pass from time immemorial on their travels to Kettle Falls for salmon fishing. Though salmon sustained Native people, these mountains provided abundant game, gathering areas for roots, berries and medicines. Salmon no longer returns, however Native people continue the salmon ceremonies, hunt and gather in their ancestral places of these mountains."
—Reflections of a Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Elder