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NORTH IDAHO WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A GETAWAYGETAWAY | OFFICIAL IDAHO STATE TRAVEL GUIDE TRAVEL | OFFICIAL STATE IDAHO 104 Lake Coeur d’Alene We’re pretty sure you won’t believe how many amazing places and adventures are packed into the northern section of Idaho, known by the locals as “The Pan- handle.” Tap into the history of the region with a mining tour, strap on your hiking boots to explore the wilderness, or grab a paddle and hit the water. Let’s start with the water. There’s a lot: mountain lakes framed by jagged crests and historic Western downtowns; big, meandering, full-of-trout rivers; and lazy streams where moose slurp mossy grasses. Most of the region’s water-based recreation and resorts are centered around our three biggest gems: Lake Coeur d’Alene, Lake Pend Oreille, and Priest Lake. Head to Coeur d’Alene for nonstop swimming and boating, shopping, and golfing; to Sandpoint for a low-key art and outdoors scene; or to the Priest Lake area for a more serene experience. Explore North Idaho’s colorful past—the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, miners, loggers, and even Jesuit missionaries all have tales to tell, and they’ll unfold in places like Wallace, where every downtown building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Two spectacular bike trails await you here: a family-friendly ride through tunnels and atop train trestles on the Route of the Hiawatha, and 72 miles in the historic Silver Valley and alongside lakes and rivers on the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. For more about north Idaho, go to visitidaho.org/north Follow Visit Idaho on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and other social media channels. visitidaho.org | 105 #VisitIdaho NORTH IDAHO ‹ FIND YOUR YONDER Schweitzer Mountain Resort BONNERS FERRY PRIEST LAKE/PRIEST RIVER Bonners Ferry is about as “north If your soul is pining for a pristine get- Idaho” as it gets. Just a few miles from away, head to the rugged, uncrowded the Canadian border, this little town shores of Priest Lake. Lovingly called sprang up around a river crossing for “Idaho’s Crown Jewel,” Priest Lake will gold prospectors in the late 1800s. take your breath away. Its 80 miles It’s nestled between three mountain of shoreline are largely undeveloped, ranges, the sweeping Kootenai offering quiet sandy beaches, forested River runs through downtown, and trails, wildlife, and the dramatic ridges the surrounding valley is a swath of of the Selkirk Mountains. Fish, hike, farmland so pretty you’ll wish you knew or spend long summer days on the how to grow something just so you water; local outfitters rent kayaks and could live here. Downtown still has that canoes. You can make one of the many Western Pleasure Guest Ranch authentic Western feel: evergreens and waterfront resorts your home base, foothills backing up to quaint shops, an or just stop in to dine lakeside for art gallery, and a pub that brews with views you won’t soon forget. In winter, locally grown hops. Also downtown cross-country ski or tackle incredible is the Kootenai River Inn Casino; the snowmobile terrain up to 7,000 feet, Kootenai Tribe runs this spot, as well and cheer on competitors at the as a sturgeon hatchery just west of popular Vintage Snowmobile Races. At town. If you’re here to be outside, get the nearby town of Priest River, nosh to it! There’s plenty to do and see—300 and grab coffee or something a bit miles of trails, moose-spotting at the more bubbly at the Beardmore Bistro & Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, Wine Bar. scenic views along the International Selkirk Loop, and waterfalls tumbling just about everywhere. | OFFICIAL IDAHO STATE TRAVEL GUIDE TRAVEL | OFFICIAL STATE IDAHO 106 Follow Visit Idaho on all your favorite social media channels. #VisitIdaho Priest Lake SANDPOINT Treat the kids to a day of riding, splashing, and squealing with pure joy Top 10 Dream Towns, Idaho’s Hippest at Silverwood Theme Park and Boulder Mountain Town, No. 1 Ski Town—just Beach Water Park, just a few miles a few names Sandpoint’s been called north. Coeur d’Alene winters are known lately by the likes of Sunset, Men’s for prime powder, so find your bliss Journal, and Rand McNally. This small at any of the three nearby resorts— town’s got something special. For Schweitzer Mountain, Silver Mountain, starters, it’s perched right on the shores and Lookout Pass. Bring the family to Silverwood Theme Park of Lake Pend Oreille, with mountains see the Coeur d’Alene Holiday Light and forests in literally every direction. Show, a wonderland of over 1.5 million Then there’s Main Street, one of Idaho’s lights and the largest on-the-water most picturesque historic districts, with holiday light display in America. eclectic art galleries, boutiques, and eateries—plus a farmers market and If you’re here for a special occasion, art walks all summer long. Be sure to make a reservation at Beverly’s in try the fresh seafood at Trinity at City the Coeur d’Alene Resort, known for Beach, which also serves up a sparkling its fresh seasonal cuisine and large view of the lake. There’s plenty to do in selection of Northwest wines. Locals Sandpoint—urban and off-road cycling; will point you to Hudson’s Hamburgers, horseback riding; fishing Lake Pend a longtime fixture here, for a truly Oreille for the giant Kamloops trout; old-fashioned burger. boating, swimming, and camping; or just “roughing it” at a lakeside lodge. POST FALLS In winter, head to the powdery hills at Often called “Idaho’s River City,” Schweitzer Mountain Resort, 2,900 Post Falls gets its name from Frederick acres of wide-open space for skiing, Post, who secured a treaty with the tubing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. Coeur d’Alene Tribe to build a sawmill on the banks of the Spokane River. A COEUR D’ALENE pictograph memorializing the purchase Spending time in this city, on the is carved into a granite cliff in Treaty shores of one of the country’s prettiest Rock Park. There’s sun and fun at lakes, means waterskiing and building Q’emiln Park, with a beach and boat sand castles, roaming in and out of art launch, trails offering rocky river views, galleries, and sipping wine at sunset. and numerous climbing and bouldering Silver Mountain Resort Lake Coeur d’Alene is the major draw, spots. Meander over to Templin’s with almost 110 miles of shoreline and Marina for barbecues and beach volleyball or for pontoon boat, kayak, Lake Pend Oreille crystal blue waters perfect for swim- ming, sailing, jet-skiing, and relaxed and paddleboard rentals. Post Falls cruising tours. Soak it all in from above is just 10 minutes from Coeur d’Alene, with a parasailing adventure or sea- so it’s an easy day trip destination or plane tour. You’ll catch amazing views a convenient home base for all of and see osprey diving for their dinners your adventures. when you hike Tubbs Hill peninsula or pedal along the North Idaho Centennial Trail. REGIONAL INFO ‹ LARGEST CITY COEUR D’ALENE Population: 50,285 ‹ REGIONAL CLIMATE Summer Average High: 79° Winter Average High: 37° Annual Precipitation: 26" ‹ ELEVATION Highest: 8,643' (Needles Peak) Lowest: 1,746' (Kootenai River) Priest Lake State Park Moyie River REGIONAL MAP 1 NORTH IDAHO 95 International Selkirk ‹ ENJOY OUR ROADSIDE DISTRACTIONS Loop & Wild Horse Trail A Scenic Byway Upper Priest Lake Priest Lake Bonners Priest Lake Ferry 2 Priest Lake 95 State Park 57 A Pend Oreille Scenic Byway ‹ EXPLORE PARKS! B IDAHO Panhandle Historic Sandpoint Hope Rivers Passage ‹ Coeur d’Alene Parkway State Park Scenic Byway ‹ Farragut State Park C 2 ‹ Heyburn State Park Round Lake Priest Lake Pend State Park Oreille ‹ McCroskey State Park River 41 95 ‹ Coeur d’Alene’s Old Mission State Park Spirit Lake ‹ Priest Lake State Park Farragut ‹ Round Lake State Park Athol State Park Rathdrum ‹ Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes State Park Coeur d’Alene Trail of the Post Falls Coeur Parkway Coeur d'Alenes Spokane State Park State Park SCENIC DRIVES d’Alene Coeur Prichard d’Alene’s Murray Rest Area Old Mission State Park ‹ International Selkirk Loop 90 C A Lake Coeur 97 & Wild Horse Trail Scenic Byway d’Alene Lake Coeur d’Alene Mullan 888-823-2626 Scenic Byway Cataldo Kellogg D ‹ Pend Oreille Scenic Byway Wallace B B 800-800-2106 Harrison Lookout Pass 90 Worley ‹ Panhandle Historic Rivers Passage C 800-800-2106 5 St Maries ‹ Lake Coeur d’Alene Scenic Byway Plummer D 877-782-9232 Heyburn 3 E St. Joe River 60 State Park ‹ St. Joe River Scenic Byway St. Joe River E Scenic Byway 208-245-3563 McCroskey F State Park White Pine ‹ White Pine Scenic Byway Scenic Byway F 208-245-3563 95 For additional information, 6 3 go to visitidaho.org/things-to-do/ state-parks-byways SKI AREAS A ‹ Schweitzer Mountain Resort schweitzer.com B ‹ Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area skilookout.com C ‹ Silver Mountain Ski, Golf & | OFFICIAL IDAHO STATE TRAVEL GUIDE TRAVEL | OFFICIAL STATE IDAHO Water Park Resort 108 silvermt.com skiidaho.us Lake Coeur d’Alene Moyie River SILVER VALLEY/ ST. MARIES 1 WALLACE/KELLOGG This sleepy lumber town along the Lake 95 Coeur d’Alene Scenic Byway is one of International Selkirk ‹ ENJOY OUR ROADSIDE DISTRACTIONS Wallace hit it big in 1882, when gold Loop & Wild Horse Trail A those best-kept secrets among serious Scenic Byway and silver were found in this tiny mountain town.