HISTORY
Check out the Depot Museum and Visitors Welcome Center, Downtown Oroville. Besides permanent displays, each year they feature a different historical presentation.
Molson Tour: Take the 15 mile drive to the Ghost Town of Molson and visit the old 3 Story brick schoolhouse Museum, as well as the outdoor Museum that includes the original 1905 bank. Then return via 9 Mile Road which follows the old railroad bed and read the historical markers along the way. To see a pdf of the Molson Museum Flyer, CLICK HERE:
TAKE A HIKE:
The Similkameen Trail follows the old railroad bed from behind the Post Office to below the Enloe Dam, crossing over the river on the original railroad bridge.
The Pacific Northwest Trail goes right through downtown Oroville. This hiking trail starts in Montana and ends at the Pacific Ocean.
The Whistler Canyon Trail is located a few miles south of Oroville on the east side of Hwy 97, look for the sign. It takes you through Whistler Canyon and up the mountain. Beautiful, rugged terrain and wildlife will be seen.
Top Motorcycle Loop Routes Of The Okanogan/Okanagan
These routes are greatly enjoyed by motorcyclists but are very much a draw for bicyclists as well as passengers in cars and motor homes, and even travelers with trailers. Do top off your fuel tanks and bring bottled water as conveniences are refreshingly sparse!
Crossed by an international border, the northern end of Washington State’s Okanogan Valley and the southern end of Canada’s Okanagan Valley offer an abundance of natural attractions and man-made amenities, forming a single geographical region that we like to call the Okanogan (or Okanagan in Canada). Sparsely traveled, winding back roads, scenic vistas and a sprinkling of stops for food, fuel and libations make the Okanogan and Okanagan a biker’s dream. Wildlife in these parts includes a wide range of colorful bird species such as gold finches, blue birds, red-winged blackbirds and orioles plus several species of hummingbirds, and a variety of woodpeckers, hawks and owls. You may encounter whitetail and mule deer, bighorn sheep and less often, a wild turkey, elk or moose.
All roads along these suggested routes are two-lane, paved and maintained through riding season. Most have gravel shoulders and periodic turn-outs. Speed limits range from 15 mph (24 km/h) on curves to 50 mph (80 km/h) on straightaways. Trip times and distances are approximate. U.S. routes begin in Oroville and Canadian routes begin in Osoyoos. Should you wish to wander off the route, interesting detours are noted. Take ordinary rural riding precautions, such as looking out for small creatures darting across your path, fallen rock and, patches of rough road (usually marked). Depending on the season and temperatures, there may be icy patches in spots where narrow roads are lined with steep slopes.
US Routes
Many consider Washington’s Okanogan Highlands the state’s most beautiful region. Reached from the gateway towns of Oroville, Tonasket and Republic, these picturesque roads are a landscape of wide upland valleys with sunny meadows bracketed by stands of evergreens and punctuated by scenic lakes and rivers. Whatever season you travel to the Okanogan Highlands, the colors are brilliant; emerald in the spring, a patchwork during the growing season and set off by the golden tamaracks and aspens in autumn.
Canadian Routes
Without the aquamarine waters of a Florida or a blazing desert like Death Valley within its borders, for Canada, the southern environs of eastern British Colombia are as warm as it gets. It’s the country’s largest producer of cherries and peaches. Over the past two decades, a premium wine region with appellation designations has sprung up in this desert climate, turning it into a booming tourist magnet for Canadians, especially weekend vacationers from Vancouver, and increasingly international visitors. Because Lake Osoyoos is Canada’s warmest lake, the area has long been popular with families, but today, packed with boutique wineries, golf courses and a growing reputation for adventure sports, the southern Okanagan Valley is a vacation destination transformed. These routes through the region’s back roads continue the scenic and pristine landscape of Washington’s northern Okanogan.
