Sherman Pass: Republic to Kettle Falls
43 miles of State Route 20 between Republic and Kettle Falls, crossing Sherman Pass (5,575 ft) — Washington's highest maintained mountain pass and the only one of the state's major passes kept open year-round. Part of a designated National Forest Scenic Byway through the Colville National Forest.
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Unlike Washington's other major passes, Sherman Pass is maintained and kept open all year, though winter driving conditions (ice, snow) still apply. Check current conditions before a winter trip regardless. Check current access · Reviewed 2026-09-23
Planning the drive
Sherman Pass is the odd one out among Washington's major mountain crossings: at 5,508 ft measured (5,575 ft is the pass's own documented elevation), it's the highest maintained pass in the state, yet it's also the one kept open year-round rather than gated for winter. 54 bends over 43 miles at a 1.2 per mile density makes this a remote, moderate-traffic crossing through the Colville National Forest rather than a technical destination road. National Scenic Byway Foundation: Sherman Pass Scenic Byway
Being plowed rather than gated doesn't mean winter driving here is casual — this is still a 5,500 ft mountain pass, and ice and snow conditions apply on the same days lower-elevation Washington roads are clear. Check current conditions before a winter or shoulder-season trip.
Roads to connect
- North Cascades Highway · SR 20The same SR 20, much further west across the higher-traffic North Cascades crossing.
Driving notes updated .
Road shape
- Length
- 43.3 mi
- Bends
- 54
- Switchbacks
- 8
- Bends per mile
- 1.2
- Turning per mile
- 134°
- Curviest rank
- 143of 160
Measured from the OpenStreetMap centreline at a 20 m sampling step — road shape only, not a safety or speed judgement. How bends are counted.
Elevation
- Total climb
- 8,728ft
- Climb per mile
- 202ft
- Highest point
- 5,508ft
- Steepest grade
- 6.4%
Sampled every 100 m from USGS 10 m elevation data, a public-domain federal dataset. Total climb counts vertical change in both directions, so it does not depend on which way you drive. How elevation is measured.
Speed limits
Varies
Unverified
Check posted signs along the road.
No reliable posted limit was found for this selected section. Follow current signs.
Posted signs always govern. How speed evidence is handled.
Sources
Difficulty 1/3 (Relaxed) is our editorial rating of width, bends and sightlines; “Medium speed” describes character, not a target speed. Full method. Identified from:
- National Scenic Byway Foundation: Sherman Pass Scenic Byway
- Wikipedia: Sherman Pass (Washington)
- OpenStreetMap road data (26 ways in this trace)
Reviewed 2026-09-23. The trace shows selected road sections, not a navigation route.
Roads nearby
Distances are approximate straight lines between road centers, not driving distances or direct connections.