Natural Attractions

Within close proximity of the Blue Moose Cabins is:

all containing numerous camp grounds, lakes, rivers or scenic vistas.

With dozens of Lakes and miles of green forests this region is a mecca for the outdoorsman and his family ... Photo opportunities are everywhere for the camera buff ...

The local regional area offers visitors outstanding opportunities for a wide variety of natural and scenic attractions providing ample opportunity to relax, ride or walk in awe.

There is a variety of game including deer, bear, cougar, partridge, pheasant and other game birds. The river and many lakes are a natural habitat for osprey, geese, duck, crane, heron and the eagle. Bald eagles, a threatened species in Washington and endangered in other parts of the country, are common in the Lake Roosevelt area. They may be seen in the area throughout the year, but your chances of seeing an eagle are better during the winter months when the lake is at it's fullest.

Pend Orielle National Wildlife Refuge

Named for the river that flows through its northern expanse, the Little Pend Orielle National Wildlife Refuge is located about 13 mile southeast of Colvile. Situated on the west slope of the Selkirk Mountain range, it is the only mountainous mixed-conifer forest in the continuous US. The 40,198 acres range in elevation from 1,800 feet on the western lowlands to 5,600 on the eastern boundary. The land was established in 1939 as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The refuge strives to a secure home for fish and wildlife, an archive of historic landscapes, and a place for people to enjoy the wildlife heritage of the region. The Refuge enhances 'quality of life' in the area by offering opportunities for wildlife observation, fishing, hunting, photography, environmental education and interpretation.

 

The Refuge is home to several species of large mammals (black bear, cougar, moose) who may feel threatened by human presence. Be alert and aware of your surroundings. We are the guests. Be prepared for varied weather and terrain. Do not venture off roads without good maps and a compass. Slow down, wildlife viewing requires patience and quiet. Best viewing is typically dawn and dusk, especially during summer months.
For more information - http://www.fws.gov/littlependoreille/

Salmo-Priest Wilderness Area

Tucked among the Selkirk Mountains the 'U'-shaped Salmo-priest Wilderness Area extends its borders along those of Idaho and British Columbia. it's 30,100 acres of wilderness in the northeast corner of the Colville National Forest. It includes old growth cedar and hemlock forest and treeless alpine ridges. It's home to grizzly bear and caribou and provides excellent hiking opportunities. The most prominent features are two very long ridges, generally running wouthwest to northeast, connected near their northern ends by a ridge crowned by the 6,828 foot Salmo Mountain. The eastern ridge stands lower, more wooded, more rounded off and more accessible than the steep sided, rocky crested western ridge.

Below the ridge top of this well-watered Wilderness (50+ inches annually) you'll find the largest growth of virgin forest left in eastern Washington: western red cedar, western hemlock, douglas fir grand fir, larch. The forest houses mule deer, and white tailed deer, elk, black bears, cougars, bobcats, badgers, pine martens, lynx, bighorn sheep and moose. though rarely sighted, threatened and endangered species including woodland caribou, grizzly bear and gray wolves also roam through the region. Winter snows may blanket the ground until early July at higher elevations.

Stonerose Fossil Site

Stonerose is the name of a fossil site, a place where impressions of plants, insects, and fish that lived millions of years ago can be found in shale. These fossils are the result of events that happened long before there were people to observe them. The organisms found at Stonerose lived nearly 50 million years ago, in a time known as the Eocene Epoch.

By the time the Stonerose fossils were laid down, the great age of the dinosaurs was long past. The giant reptiles had been extinct for fifteen million years. The Pacific Northwest was very different from the region we know today. The Cascade Mountains were not there to block the flow of warm, moist air from the Pacific, so the climate was warmer and wetter than today's. The ancestors of our familiar temperate-forest trees intermingled with broadleaved trees, which are now native to the southeastern states and to plants that today grow only in the Far East.

Some of the plants/animals found at Stonerose are now extinct; all we will ever see of them are fossils. The ecologically successful plants have left many descendants that are still recognizable all around us.
For more information - http://www.stonerosefossil.org/