Washington state does not have much in the way of secret towns. Most places, like the bustling and metropolitan Seattle, which is the busiest city in America during Labor Day, are well-known destinations highly frequented by tourists. Yet, tucked away into the far, northeastern corner of the state, the exceptionally tiny town of Metaline Falls is the one place in all of Washington that could be classified as a “secret” town.
With a year-round population below 300 residents, Metaline Falls is a far cry from artsy, western Washington cities like White Salmon in the Columbia River Gorge. As a former mining hub, Metaline Falls was once a busy community filled with commerce. Today, thanks to the surrounding Selkirk Mountains (a part of the Rockies) and Pend Oreille River, the town is an outdoor paradise filled with waterfalls, river walks, and lush state parks. It is also surrounded by the scenic Selkirk Mountains, which are a branch of the Rockies.
Owing to its remoteness — it’s a mere 16 miles from the Canadian border — Metaline Falls can be a bit of a hike to access. If you are only able to catch a flight into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Metaline Falls will be a six hour drive northwest. If, however, you can get into Spokane International Airport, then the town is only a shorter two-hour drive away. Arriving at the dramatic landscape of Metaline Falls will help in understanding why this tiny town sees over a million visitors per year.
It’s easy to access superb waterfalls and trails from Metaline Falls
Metaline Falls is defined by the wilderness surrounding it. Part of the Colville National Forest — which, at over a million acres, is on a similar scale to the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness in neighboring Idaho — Metaline Falls offers up some of the most pristine Northwestern landscape available for people to see. However, unlike its neighboring Goliath of a wilderness area, all of the natural beauty in Metaline Falls, especially its waterfalls, are incredibly easy to access.
Sweet Creek Rest Area, which is a little ways south of Downtown Metaline Falls on Route 31, is arguably the most accessible waterfall in the entire state of Washington. The large parking lot leads to two wheelchair accessible trails that lead to upper and lower views of the Sweet Creek Falls, which cascade gently over the rocky cliffs and into a babbling pool. For a longer, more challenging hike, take the Colville National Forest Halliday #522 trail, which is 4.2 miles long and connects to several other trails within the park. This is a great place to keep an eye out for local birds and wildlife.
Those looking for something a tad more adventurous should head to nearby Crawford State Park and walk through Gardner Cave. As the third-longest limestone cave in the state, Gardner Cave is fully explorable and filled with unique stone structures. Keep in mind, however, that reservations are required in order to tour the cave.
Explore the Pend Oreille River
