Z Canyon- a river reveals its story

The Pend Oreille River has spent thousands of years carving its way through mountains shaped by glaciers and Ice Age floods, creating one of Northeast Washington’s most dramatic river corridors. Known as Z Canyon, this remarkable stretch of river, located about midway between Metaline Falls and Boundary Dam, has long remained largely out of sight.

For generations, the heart of the canyon was known primarily to Indigenous peoples, boaters navigating the river, and those who worked these rugged mountains. Steep canyon walls and dense forests kept much of the landscape hidden from roads and highways, even when travelers were only a few miles away.

Today, a handful of carefully placed overlooks, trails, and river access points invite visitors to experience views that were once reserved for those on the water. The result is something rare: a place that feels both newly accessible and wonderfully wild.

Begin in Metaline Falls

Metaline Falls is the natural starting point for a Z Canyon experience. The historic town reflects the mining and timber heritage that shaped this corner of Washington, while the Pend Oreille River continues to define the landscape around it.

One of the newest ways to experience that landscape is Portage Park. Two overlooks in the park itself now provide beautiful views of the river, including perspectives that were once known mostly to paddlers traveling through this section of canyon.

Portage Park also tells an important part of the river’s story. Depending on water levels and seasonal conditions, this stretch of the Pend Oreille can include rapids, swift currents, and powerful eddies that challenge paddlers. The park was created to help kayakers and canoeists safely portage around this section before continuing their journey.

It is also a reminder that the Pend Oreille River flows north, an unusual characteristic that adds to the river’s distinctive identity.

Views that few people once saw

For many years, much of Z Canyon could only be appreciated from the water. That has begun to change with the addition of two scenic overlooks north of Metaline Falls.

Riverside Canyon Scenic Overlook

The Riverside Canyon Scenic Overlook offers sweeping views into the canyon carved by the Pend Oreille River. From the overlook, visitors can finally see a landscape that was previously hidden from nearly everyone except those traveling by boat.

Peewee Falls Scenic Overlook

Peewee Falls Scenic Overlook provides another remarkable perspective. From the viewing platform, visitors look across the river to watch Peewee Falls cascade more than 200 feet from the opposite canyon wall.

The falls themselves remain across the river, but the overlook makes this dramatic view accessible to almost anyone.

Salmo Passage Trail

Connecting the two overlooks is the Salmo Passage Trail (słqqax̣s č̓ čax̣íwłkʷ). The trail follows the canyon rim, offering a series of views that until recently were rarely seen by anyone not traveling the river itself.

Named by the Kalispel Tribe, the trail adds an important cultural layer to the experience while connecting visitors more directly to the landscape.

It is also the first trail in the Colville National Forest designated to allow e-bikes, creating new opportunities for people to explore this extraordinary corridor.

Boundary Dam Vista House

Continue north to the Boundary Dam Vista House, where panoramic views and interpretive exhibits help tell the story of the river, the canyon, and the engineering that harnesses its power.

The Vista House is reached on the east side of the river, and is separate from access to Boundary Dam, located on the west side of the river.

The river remains the best way

While the overlooks reveal the Pend Oreille River from above, the river itself still provides the most immersive way to experience it.

Boaters can launch from Metaline Park Boat Launch or from Forebay Campground on the west side of the river below Boundary Dam. From there, paddlers and boaters can explore the river corridor and discover the quiet character that has long defined this place.

South of Forebay Campground, several boat-in campsites offer peaceful overnight stays that can only be reached by water.

These campsites provide one of the most memorable ways to experience the canyon: arriving by boat, camping beside the river, and waking to the sounds of water, forest, and wildlife.

Paddlers should be prepared for changing river conditions. Depending on the season and water levels, rapids, swift currents, and eddies can make some sections challenging.

Explore the surrounding forest

The landscapes surrounding Z Canyon are just as rewarding as the river itself.

The Colville National Forest offers miles of hiking and mountain biking opportunities through forests shaped by glaciers, rivers, and time. Nearby routes provide additional ways to explore the region. The Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail enters into Washington State from the east in this area, and the Pend Oreille River Water Trail has mapped out all of the public spots to access the river.

Wildlife is abundant, with opportunities to spot bald eagles, osprey, deer, elk, black bears, and many other species that thrive in this richly forested ecosystem.

A landscape shaped by ice, water, and history

Long before roads, dams, or mining towns appeared, this landscape was home to Indigenous peoples who traveled the Pend Oreille River for trade, fishing, and seasonal gathering. Their connection to these lands continues today, and the Kalispel Tribe remains an important steward of the region’s cultural and natural heritage.

The canyon itself tells an even older story. Glaciers once moved through these mountains, and Ice Age floods helped shape the valleys and river corridors that visitors see today. Over thousands of years, the north-flowing Pend Oreille River continued carving through the landscape, creating the dramatic cliffs, coves, and canyon walls that define Z Canyon.

Wonderfully wild, still worth discovering slowly

Z Canyon is not a place that reveals itself all at once.

Instead, visitors gather the story piece by piece: from Portage Park, from the scenic overlooks, along the Salmo Passage Trail, from the Vista House, and from the river itself.

Each stop offers another glimpse of a landscape that was once seen by very few people. Whether viewed from above, explored by trail, or experienced from the water, Z Canyon rewards those who slow down, look closely, and let the river reveal its story.