Hey guys! We just returned from a Two Nation Vacation!

Actually, it was a short road trip, but Rand McNally selected it in 2009 as one of the five “Best of the Roads.” Sunset Magazine named it “The West’s Best Scenic Drive” and it was designated an “All American Road” by the U.S. Department of Transportation. “What is IT?” you ask.

It is The International Selkirk Loop!

(And it’s in my backyard.)

This 280-mile international scenic byway winds around the Selkirk Mountains through northwest Washington, the Idaho panhandle and southern British Columbia, Canada following lakes and rivers, passing through valleys and forests, historic pioneer settlements, old mining towns and artist enclaves.

We found the Selkirk Loop to be a truly beautiful drive – with towering rugged mountains, some still snow-peaked in early June, roadside waterfalls and swathes of wild lupine in dazzling shades of pink and purple. At times we felt we could be in Alaska or Switzerland!

Download the Selkirk Loop app for your phone and pick up a paper map and booklet at any of the Visitors Centers on the route.

Day One: From Spokane we drove to the twin towns of Newport, Washington and Oldtown, Idaho and visited the riverside campsite where our family were camping before following the Pend Oreille River to Sandpoint, Idaho where we stayed one night.

Declared to be a “Most Beautiful Small Town,” the “West’s Best Small Town” and one of the “Top 10 Great Outdoor Towns” as well as “a sporting paradise,” Sandpoint, Idaho has a huge reputation to maintain. We agree – it’s a town with less than 8000 residents, flat and walkable, with many good eateries. Surrounded by mountains, it is situated on beautiful Lake Pend Oreille (pronounced PON-duh-ray) which according to Wikipedia is the second-largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River – 43 miles long and up to six miles wide with a depth of 1150 feet making it America’s fifth deepest.

Since it is only 76 miles from our home in Spokane we would definitely like to visit Sandpoint again.

Day Two: We stopped in Bonners Ferry, and continued north to the Porthill, Idaho border crossing into Canada.

We were surprised to discover at Creston a hugely agricultural valley tucked between the Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains.

Day Three: We retraced our steps to Balfour, stopped at Kokanee Creek Park to learn about the life-cycle of the land-locked Kokanee salmon and continued to Nelson which is called “the Number 1 small arts town in Canada.”

South of Nelson we opted to take the “Rivers, Dams and Mines Super Side Trip” and drove to Castlegar at the confluence of the Columbia and Kootenay rivers.

The town of Trail, British Columbia has a rich mining history that continues to this day; it is home to Teck Cominco, the world’s largest zinc and lead smelter.

South of Salmo, we once again met up with the Pend Oreille River and we crossed at the Nelway, B.C. border into the U.S. Pay attention to the operating hours of the different border crossings. Some are open 24 hours, but the Nelway crossing is only open until 4:00 p.m.

We continued through Metaline Falls, Ione and Tiger. The drive south through the Colville National Forest was long and a bit monotonous as it had been a long day, we needed coffee and were anxious to get home.

We really pushed to do this in 3 days. Additional time would be highly recommended in order to hike and visit some of the beaches, caves, parks and museums along the route.

Cost of Travel: $467 for 3 days and 2 nights = $155.66 per day (not including fuel for 430 miles.)

• Cedar Street Hotel & Suites, Sandpoint, Idaho, booked on Booking.com $164.69 included breakfast, hot tub and outdoor pool.
• Ainsworth Hot Springs Hotel, $192.55 USD, booked directly, including use of the hot springs pools. Entry to the pools is available for a fee without a hotel stay. Presently in Canada we benefitted from a strong US Dollar.
• Food: $109 for two dinners and 3 coffee stops. We stopped to picnic each day with our ice chest cache of fruit, nuts, cheese, salami, ham, crackers and chocolate bars.

My photos don’t capture the majesty of the scenery. Sometimes the vistas were just too huge to capture and sometimes there weren’t any pullouts to safely stop for photos.

Driving the Selkirk Loop will create a yearning for more! More of the Northern Rockies – more of the Canadian and United States National Parks. Take my word and see it for yourself!

LINK to the Selkirk Loop website for more info, Itineraries and maps.

Had you heard of The Selkirk Loop previously? Have you traveled it? Where are you traveling this summer of 2024? I’d love it if you would leave a comment below.

Thanks for reading!

• Interested in additional local posts?
• Washington Rocks – another Columbia River post.
• Where Were You When the Mountain Blew?
• Portland and Beyond