Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge - Mill Butte

Eastern Washington

WTA helped Little Pend Oreille develop a trail for refuge visitors in the 40,200 acre Little Pend Oreille Wildlife Refuge 13 miles southeast of Colville. The loop trail starts at the Refuge headquarters and heads upward gaining 600 feet to the regional views from Mill Butte.

Approximately one-third of the route is on old road and rail beds through open ponderosa and lodge pole pine grasslands. Of interest along the way are large errata dropped by receding glaciers.

This is a great trail for a family adventure. Wildlife abounds, and the small creek and ponderosa forest provide plenty of distraction for little ones. The summit of Mill Butte is achievable via a short spur trail of just 0.13 miles. From the summit, the Kettle Range is visible, as are Calispell Peak, Old Dominion Mountain, and the Huckleberry Mountains.

Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge - Mill Butte

Map & Directions

Getting There

From Colville: From Main Street (Highway 395) in Colville, follow Third Avenue (Highway 20) for 6 miles (you will be traveling east toward Tiger, WA). There is a brown and white sign at the intersection of Main and Third labeled "Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge 13 miles." Just after passing White Mud Lake, make a right turn onto Artman-Gibson Road. The sign states the Refuge is 7 miles away. Travel 1.7 miles until reaching a 4-way intersection. Turn left onto Kitt-Narcisse Road and follow it for 2.2 miles where the road forks. Take the right fork onto Bear Creek Road and follow it for 3.3 miles. The Refuge Headquarters is a brown log building.From Spokane: Follow Highway 395 north. You can either drive all the way to Colville, or exit the highway in Arden (about 6 miles south of Colville). From Arden, make a right turn off the highway at Hall Road (just past a lumber mill on the left). At the stop sign, turn left onto the Old Arden Highway and travel a short distance. At the third right, turn onto Artman-Gibson Road and follow it for approximately 4 miles until reaching a 4-way intersection. Turn right onto Kitt-Narcisse Road and follow it for 2.2 miles where the road forks. Turn right onto Bear Creek Road and follow it for 3.3 miles. The Refuge Headquarters is a brown log building.