Pend Oreille River Paddle Tour

CHECK IT OUT

Distance: 12 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Paddling time: 5 hours or overnight

Season: March through December

Maps: U.S. Metaline, Metaline Falls, Boundary Dam, plus Colville National Forest map

Info: Boundary Dam Powerhouse, (509) 446-3083

PADDLING TRIP NOTES

Access: Put-in: From Newport, Wash., drive north on Highways 20 and 31 to Metaline, Wash. At north end of Metaline, turn east on Park Street, which winds down three blocks to City Park along Pend Oreille River. Camping, water, restrooms and boat ramp available.

Take out: From Metaline, drive 1/3 mile north on Highway 31 and turn west on Boundary Road toward Crawford State Park. Drive 10 miles and bear right at Y for last mile down to Boundary Dam campground and boat launch. (Left fork goes to Crawford State Park and worthwhile side trip for guided tour into Gardner Cave.)

Attractions: Once you negotiate 1/4 mile of churning eddies, Pend Oreille River gently ushers paddlers through canyon spiked with waterfalls, inlets and shallow caves. River quite wide here, but constricts through scenic “Z” created by towering rock cliffs. Tour highlighted by paddling to wet, windy base of 200-foot Pewee Falls. Several undeveloped camp sites available along route. Developed camping available at put-in and take-out. Some fishing for trout, bass, squawfish.

Hazards: Powerful eddies just downstream from Highway 31 bridge. Occasional powerboat traffic congestion at Z in canyon.

Comments: When doing car shuttle, stop at northeast end of Highway 31 Bridge near Metaline Falls, walk back out on bridge and scout eddies just downstream. Normally, they look worse than they are. But carelessness near hard eddylines could topple canoes.

Leave time to paddle into several inlets along way. Canoes and kayaks can poke back deep enough to hear tumbling waterfalls not obvious from main river.

However, most falls obvious. Falls cascade into river in same area from opposite sides of canyon early in trip.

Mining operation borders river near Metaline and Metaline Falls, but are high and out of sight for paddlers.

Towering gray ridge of rock marks Z of canyon. Listen for boat traffic before making sharp right turn. Paddlers can stay tight to rock on river right to avoid conflicts.

Boundary Dam regulated for power production by Seattle City Light. Full pool, 1,990 feet above sea level. It’s normal for summer pool level to fluctuate at least five feet a day at dam or up to one foot a day near Metaline. Occasionally, fluctuations will be more or less. In winter, fluctuations can be 15 feet a day.

Reservoir has little storage capacity, so operations are on daily basis. No major drawdowns for flood control. Expect faster flows during spring runoff.

Typically, pool at highest level at 6 a.m., gradually going down to power Seattle air conditioners. Lowest pool level of day usually around 10 p.m.

Levels above 1,988 feet obscure entry to nifty shallow caves on river right before Peewee Falls bay.

Peewee Falls can be approached closely, but not too closely. Indeed, falls create their own wind that seems to warn paddlers to stay away from the falling water. Kayakers, however, known to nose under falls in reduced flows of summer.

Stay river left when approaching take-out. Do not go beyond boat launch. Buoys mark danger area near gates of Boundary Dam.

Jet boat excursions through canyon operated by Box Canyon Resort, good info source, (509) 442-3728.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Map: Pend Oreille River Paddle Tour

The following fields overflowed: SUPCAT = COLUMN - Routes: Classic Trips in the Inland Northwest