• Post Falls Dam

  • Photographed by Tom Holman

Sandpoint Idaho lies on the shores of Idaho's largest lake, 43-mile-long Lake Pend Oreille, and is surrounded by three major mountain ranges, the Selkirk, Cabinet and Bitterroot ranges. It is home to Schweitzer Mountain Resort, Idaho's largest ski resort. The opening of Schweitzer Mountain Resort in 1963 turned the area into a year-round tourism destination. The beauty of the surrounding Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains and Lake Pend Oreille has kept Sandpoint a tourist favorite for water sports, hunting, hiking, horseback riding, fishing and skiing and is on the International Selkirk Loop and two National Scenic Byways (Wild Horse Trail and Pend Oreille Scenic Byway).

Sandpoint was named the nation's "Most Beautiful Small Town" by Rand McNally and USA Today.

Sandpoint offers an array of fine shopping including the picturesque Cedar Street Bridge Public Market, spanning 400 feet across Sand Creek in downtown Sandpoint, the Cedar Street Bridge Public Market is heralded as the only marketplace on a bridge in the United States.

Sandpoint is alive and vibrant with year-round theatre performances, art events, fairs, movies, plays and festivals including the Festival at Sandpoint held the first 2 weeks in August. Visit the restored historic Panida Theater at 300 N. First Street. Summer activities include golfing, fishing, cruises, sea kayaking , swimming, mountain biking, hiking, boating or for something different visit the local winery.

Ice Cream Shops

Coeur d'Alene, Sandpoint named top mountain towns

North Idaho Resorts and Hotels

North Idaho Relocation Resources 

The Arts

Huckleberries

Festival at Sandpoint

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Regional Map of North IdahoBoundary County 

Bonner's Ferry is the essence of the road less traveled, with its majestic mountain vistas, quiet blue lakes and winding scenic routes.

Bonner County

Bayview
Cataldo
Coeur d'Alene

Post Falls
Rathdrum
Kootenai County offers everything from upscale resorts to remote camp sites, unique souvenirs to original art, picnics to premiere restaurants.


Benewah County (St. Joe)
Plummer
St. Maries
A boater's and fisherman's paradise. Clearwater streams and rivers wind through the densely forested mountainsides providing perfect places for a wide variety of "back-to-nature" activities.
Shoshone County (Silver Valley)
Nestled between the Coeur d'Alene Mountain and the Bitterroot Range, the Silver Valley boasts breathtaking scenery and historic charm.

North Central Idaho - Hells Canyon
We could try to explain what the Palouse looks like but it’s just one of those natural wonders you need to see for yourself to appreciate. The Palouse stretches through Eastern Washington and skims over the state line to Idaho.

 

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The town of Rathdrum is one of the oldest towns in the Idaho Panhandle, now one of the fastest growing in the state. The Northern Pacific laid its tracks through Rathdrum in 1881. It followed the trails used by the bands of Coeur d’Alenes and Spokanes who hunted and gathered in this area and further north. Fur traders and gold seekers also used the trail before the train came. In fact, it is said that historian and explorer, David Thompson, camped at the outlet of Lower Twin Lake.
This jail was built in 1892 while Rathdrum was the county seat in Kootenai County. It was the first sturdy brick jail and built around 8 cells, stacked 4 on 4 and made of riveted steel since welding was not yet in use. It also had room on the second floor for a county hospital and a place for the insane on their way to Blackfoot. In 1908 when the county seat was moved to Coeur d'Alene, the jail became the city hall and then the town library for many years. It was then used as a maintenance building, fell into disrepair and was given to the Historical Society. Don and Dorothy Jacklin saw the potential of the building and donated money to restore it in 2010. The Historical Society is working to fill the jail with displays as well as bring back the look and feel of the jail in several rooms.

Farmers Market

Bike | Bernard Peak Loop

Things to Do in North Idaho

 

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Priest Lake, Idaho lined with sandy beaches, surrounded by national and state forests, watched over by the majestic Selkirk Mountains, lies a 23,000 acre lake (72 miles of shoreline) surrounded by 523,000 acres of forested public lands. To say fish thrive in Priest Lake would be an understatement. Trophy fishing includes Mackinaw trout, Dolly Vardens, Cutthroat and Rainbow Trout.

This area provides year-round recreational opportunities including over 400 miles of groomed snowmobile trails for winter enjoyment. In the summer, take a swing at Priest Lake Golf Course. A number of lakeside resorts and campgrounds make this an ideal place to relax. For a peek at local life in the early 1900’s, visit Vinter Nelson Cabin, an original homestead & museum on Eightmile Island (via boat only).

Upper Priest Lake, designated as a Scenic Area in 1986, is managed as a roadless area and offers a unique opportunity for a serene wilderness boating and boat camping experience. The entire shoreline is owned by either the State of Idaho or the US Forest Service. Hiking enthusiasts will surely want to explore Tillicum Creek Path. North of the lake, (13 miles north of Nordman on Forest Road 302) at Roosevelt Grove don’t miss the grandeur of ancient cedar trees (ranging from 800 to 2,000 years old). One cedar tree even has an eclectic collection of shoes. There is also a path leading to Granite Falls, one of Idaho’s most spectacular water falls.

Visible from Priest Lake is Chimney Rock, a mass of granite jutting upwards, carved out by converging glaciers. It requires technical expertise to climb and rappelling knowledge to descend. So unless you are a skilled mountaineer, don’t attempt this climb except with your eyes, seeking out and admiring those who know what they are doing.

Take a short drive to Nordman and visit the Old Hagar Cabin. It dates back to the 1800's and the museum relocated the cabin a few years back.

Hiking

Priest Lake creates a hiker’s paradise where one can very easily escape to the solitude and beauty of Mother Nature. Each trail has its own unique characteristics that vary from deep, virgin cedar forests, to panoramic vistas of the Selkirk Mountains and the lake, to shoreline excursions that afford easy access to magnificent sandy beaches. Numerous close-in day hike trailheads, as well as trail routes that lead into the backcountry, are adjacent to resorts campgrounds and other lodging facilities. The Priest Lake Ranger District maintains a hiking trail system on the federal lands to the west, northwest, and along the west shorelines of both Priest Lake and Upper Priest Lake. The trails are well marked and free from most obstacles. A Priest Lake trails booklet is available free of charge at the Priest Lake Ranger District office.

The Priest Lake Area Office of the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) manages the state-owned lands to the east of Priest Lake. These state lands are managed exclusively as endowment lands to support the Idaho public school system. The trails on endowment lands are not maintained and travel may include negotiating downfalls and brush as well as using route finding skills. High clearance or 4X4 vehicles are recommended for accessing trailheads.

Hike | Chimney Rock - Mount Roothaan

Lakeview Mountain Trail #269

Old Hagar Cabin

Priest Lake State Park

More info: Priest Lake Chamber of Commerce

 

 

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