Pend Oreille Pathfinder Loop

Pend Oreille County Park has over 7 miles of dirt trails in an old growth forest setting. This hike outlines the largest loop possible in the park. The route follows three of the named trail sections: Pathfinder, Big Sky Loop and Orion's Path. There are a number of shorter loops as well as out-and-back hike options. The park map has an intuitive route system where each intersection is numbered. If you lose your way, hike until you encounter a trail intersection with a numbered marker to find your location on the park trail map. There is a pdf version of the map available on the Pend Oreille County website, and a photo of the map is also included here. Approximate locations of the numbered intersections have been added as waypoints for convenience. Each trail section has a creative name that adds charm to the park. Names include Big Sky Loop, Pathfinder, Veronica's Prom, Pentstemon Point, Arrowleaf Ridge, Ginger's End, Powerline, Ladyslipper, Firetrail and Orion's Path. This full loop takes in most of the best views in the park. Most of the trail is heavily forested, so there are not many open, panoramic views. This is a good place to come on a hot day because there is very little sun exposure. Many trails are very overgrown, which can lead to mild frustration. Trust the map and push through the short sections of head-to-toe thickets to continue. There are a few true dead ends in the trail system, so be aware of where those occur. In addition to trails indicated on the park map, there are at least two other significant sections not mapped. You will know the unofficial trails by their lack of numeric markers at the intersections. The best place to park is at the day use area. It is located at the first right turn after the park entrance. There is no fee, but donations boxes are on site.