Republic, Washington
Working Town
Republic, WA has one main thoroughfare, historic Clark Avenue, no traffic lights (not even a blinking yellow light), and a population of 1,069. In addition to a number of businesses and services, Republic hosts the county courthouse, a hospital, a medical clinic, a full-service grocery store, three motels and inns (Northern Inn, Prospector Inn, and the Klondike Motel), and three gas stations. It is home to several popular restaurants and bars, as well as an destination-worthy brewery that is featured on the Inland Northwest Ale Trail Web site.
Things to Do
Fossil hunters travel to Republic to explore Stonerose’s famous fossil beds, which received world-wide attention from the National Geographic Society. Tourists also use Republic as their base of operations for dirt-track auto racing, motorcycle touring, hiking, bird watching, hunting, fishing, and winter sports.
The area near Republic is dotted with many smaller and accessible trout fishing lakes and rivers, and the town has an easy eight-mile drive to Curlew Lake. The narrow, seven-mile-long Curlew Lake is home to beautiful Curlew Lake State Park (featured in Sunset Magazine), and three charming lake-front resorts. The lake attracts families across the Northwest, who visit annually to enjoy water sports and excellent bass, trout, and tiger muskie fishing. It is also home to numbers of nesting and migratory birds that pass through on their spring and fall migrations.
There are numerous easily accessed driving destinations in the areas around Republic, where travelers can enjoy a picnic, observe wildlife, take scenic photos (e.g., the Republic cemetery) and kick back and relax under a clear, blue sky. Best known Republic events include Prospector’s Days and the Ferry County Fair when you can ride their antique carousel.
Off the Beaten Path
A 120 mile drive east to Spokane and 62 miles to Omak, Republic is located on the middle, western edge of Ferry County, WA, in the foothills of the Kettle Mountain Range. Ferry County sits along the north-central edge of Washington State, and shares its northern border (and three border crossings) with British Columbia, CA. Founded during the gold rush of the late 1800s and early 1900s, Republic sits at an elevation of 2500 ft (762 m) and is nestled on a hillside overlooking the San Poil River Valley.
