Cover photo courtesy of Visit Sandpoint
Let’s handle the first part of a Sandpoint road trip this way: If your starting point is say, Spokane, then your driving time to Sandpoint will be 80-90 minutes via I-90 east to Coeur d’Alene, then Highway 95 north to Sandpoint. Pretty easy. Once you grab lodging in town for a night or three, what remains are what we might call the mini road trips: Destinations for your activities of choice.
With that as prelude, here are the road trips within a road trip to Sandpoint, to some of the autumnal activities that locals prize themselves. We’re noting mileages based on a start from one of the several hotels in town, but there are also good lodging choices in adjacent Ponderay, on Schweitzer, or just across the Long Bridge from town. (Assess lodging choices at VisitSandpoint.com/Lodging.)
Lace up your boots. On the subject of hiking, the phrase “embarrassment of riches” comes to mind. There are more than 250 trails in the Cabinet and Selkirk mountains that surround town. Hikers can discover wonders on any of them, but here’s the one we’ll mention: Scotchman Peak (33 miles to trailhead, driving time 55 minutes). It’s 7.6 miles out-and-back with a hefty 3,717 feet of elevation gain, but the payoff at the peak is big views of Lake Pend Oreille and the Cabinet Mountains … plus a darn good chance to see mountain goats on top.
Hang at the beach. If the mere thought of 3,700 feet of vertical is exhausting, here’s a chill alternative. Sandpoint’s City Beach (0.1 mile… walk to it from your hotel!), on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille, is a terrific place to lounge on the sand; early-September days generally provide good swimming weather. To get out on the big lake, amble a few yards to the city docks and the Shawnodese, a classically-styled tour boat operated by Lake Pend Oreille Cruises through mid-September (when operations move to marinas in Hope, 16 miles/25 minutes). Also, right from City Beach there’s a terrific walk on the flat-and-easy Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail two miles north along the lakeshore. In October when the fall colors go off, the birch and cottonwood trees along the trail make an awesome display.
Bring your paddlecraft. For a sweet, well-protected SUP or kayak through September (before lake levels descend) launch right at City Beach and paddle up Sand Creek, under the iconic Cedar Street Bridge and north for a mile or more. For a far more ambitious paddle, drive to the Johnson Creek boater access outside Clark Fork (31 miles, 50 minutes) and explore the many protected routes within the estuary where the Clark Fork River enters Lake Pend Oreille.
Bring your mountain bike. It’s been only three years since the community forest opened at the Pine Street Woods (2-3 miles to your trailhead of choice; 10 minutes) but volunteers have developed more than 20 named MTB trails and loops for riders of all abilities. Meantime, Schweitzer (11 miles, 22 minutes) and the adjacent recreation district have more than 40 miles of trails with a range of challenges and stunning alpine views (when you dare look up).
Don’t forget the binoculars. The Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge (35 miles, 55 minutes) is on the Pacific Flyway, one of the continent’s great migratory waterfowl routes. In fall, the ducks, geese, swans and others are coming by the thousands to rest and feed in the refuge ponds. The migration peaks typically in early November. There are hiking trails, blinds and an auto tour route.
Giddyup. Did you know that one of the finest dude ranches in the West isn’t in Wyoming or Montana … but just outside Sandpoint? Western Pleasure Guest Ranch can be a destination unto itself, with fine lodging and dining at the ranch. Or, for a day trip (16 miles, 25 minutes) in October, you can arrange in advance for a two-hour guided trail ride for all abilities or riders.
Fun for swingers. That is, “swing” as in golf club. The standout course is The Idaho Club (9 miles, 16 minutes), an 18-hole championship course designed by Jack Nicklaus amid a glorious landscape of river, ponds and mountains. Adjacent to town for a fast set of tees is the eight-hole Elks Golf Course (1 mile). Three other courses within an hour’s driving time – Mirror Lake in Bonners Ferry, Priest Lake, and the Ranch Club in Priest River – offer fine swings too.
Get details, access info and map links, to these and other road trips via the “Play” button VisitSandpoint.com. And have a fine trip.
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