No small potatoes
Idaho’s Panhandle offers sweet summer adventures
By Shelley Seale
If thoughts of Idaho conjure up images of plains and potatoes, think again. The northern panhandle region is home to towering mountains, glacial lakes and some of the most incredible outdoor family adventures you can imagine.
If you are planning a trip with your children this summer, the Idaho panhandle will keep everyone entertained, with gorgeous natural beauty and activities that all family members from five years old can do.
Just 30 miles east of Spokane, Coeur d’Alene is perched dramatically on the cobalt blue glacial lake of the same name. While it sounds like a French village, Coeur d’Alene is an all-American destination for outdoor fun.
Starting at Lake Coeur d’Alene, a playground for water lovers, your family can enjoy a sunset kayak or lake cruise, jet ski or parasail, or go on a guided eco-hike around Tubbs Hill, a 120-acre waterfront preserve.
Biking the Hiawatha
For one of the best bike rides in the country, head 45 miles east to the Montana border. There, the stunning Hiawatha Trail awaits. With 15 miles of easy downhill or flat-grade biking trails on the historic Olympian Hiawatha route, a railroad ran along here until the 1970s. The grade makes it doable for almost anyone; I saw five-year-olds pedaling alongside their parents or grandparents. High train trestles take you above the treetops, and 10 tunnels snake under mountains in one of the most breathtaking settings imaginable.
The very beginning of the trailhead is, in fact, the longest tunnel — Taft Tunnel, which burrows for 1.6 miles underneath the Idaho/Montana border. I have to admit, it was a little disconcerting and creepy at first to enter the tunnel; within a few dozen feet we were immersed in darkness, with the only sounds the dripping of water from the rock ceiling overhead and the splash of the tires through puddles below.
I was glad for the light on my handlebars that provided my only visibility, the other bikers I could occasionally hear behind or in front of me, and the sweater I had brought (the tunnels were chilly, even in August).
But the disorientation quickly turned to something like euphoria. The sensation of biking through the dank railroad tunnel was strangely peaceful, and a completely unique adventure like I had never experienced.
Emerging after nearly two miles into light felt victorious. There were many places along the rest of the trail where I simply had to stop and marvel at the nature before and below me, or read the many historic markers along the route that explained the history of the Hiawatha route and the railroad.
The Hiawatha Trail is operated by the Lookout Pass Ski Area and is open from late May through early October. You can rent bikes, helmets and bicycle racks at Lookout Pass, and when you complete the 15-mile trail, a shuttle will pick you up at the bottom to return you to your vehicle at the trailhead. For the really hard-core, you can ride up the trail.
All in all, this is a full day’s worth of adventure — don’t plan anything else afterward except a full dinner and perhaps a cold beer.
Silverwood Theme Park
Nature meets roller coaster at Idaho's Silverwood Theme Park. Photo courtesy of Silverwood Theme Park
From Coeur d’Alene, head north toward the town of Sandpoint. Along the way, Silverwood Theme Park provides a great all-day pit stop. Open all summer (and weekends in May and September), Silverwood also has a water park and is a very unique wilderness alternative to most amusement parks, right in the center of the pristine lakes and mountains.
This 220-acre Victorian attraction was founded by Gary Norton, an aviation enthusiast who started it as a hobby with the purchase of a 1915 steam train. This was followed by the construction of a three-mile train track and over the years, the additions of wooden roller coasters, two steel coasters, the water park, magic shows and more. It is now Idaho’s largest paid attraction.
Nestled at the base of the Selkirk Mountains in North Idaho’s Panhandle region, Sandpoint is an artistic haven with charming turn-of-the-century architecture, art walks, festivals and free summer concerts. Kayaking on the pristine Lake Pend Oreille is also a popular activity.
Schweitzer Mountain
A mountain biker basks in sunshine above Lake Colburn. Photo courtesy of Schweitzer Mountain Resort
Heading up Schweitzer Mountain from the town of Sandpoint you arrive at the unassuming village, Schweitzer Mountain Resort, which offers so many things to do in the summer that I almost forgot it was also a ski resort.
They don’t just change seasons here, they change gears into all new sports and activities. The Great Escape Quad chairlift whisks you to the 6,400-elevation summit, where you can take in amazing vistas that include three mountain ranges, Canada just 60 miles to the north, and three states — Idaho, Montana and Washington.
You can also hike to the top, if you’re feeling extra strapping. We chose to take the lift up and hike down the well-marked, easy to moderate trails. The trek down took about three hours as we took our time, pausing to admire the gorgeous views and pluck the in-season huckleberries from the vine along the way.
In addition to hiking trails, there are also separate mountain bike routes from the summit, and mountain biking is extremely popular here. There are over 20 miles of cross-country trails and 1,700 vertical feet of downhill trails, leading Schweitzer to host the NORBA national championships in 2006. The Mountain Activity Center can outfit you with bikes and gear, just as they do ski and snowboard equipment in the winter.
Trip Planning Resources:
Coeur d’Alene Visitors Center can help you plan your trip. http://coeurdalene.org/
Coeur d’Alene Resort offers an amazing location right over the water, with lakeview rooms and full resort destination services including shops, a full service spa and golf course with the world’s only floating green. http://coeurdalene.org/
Hiawatha Trail/Lookout Pass website gives all the information necessary to rent bikes and gear and conquer the great bicycle trail. www.skilookout.com/hiawatha/
The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce provides complete destination planning and a calendar of the numerous events at Sandpoint, Schweitzer and surrounding areas. http://visitsandpoint.info/
Silverwood Theme Park provides an entire day of family fun, from water slides to roller coasters. http://www.silverwoodthemepark.com/
Schweitzer Mountain Resort & Village consists of two lodges and vacation homes, surrounded by 2,900 acres of amazing terrain, sports, dining and shopping. http://www.schweitzer.com/
Idaho Tourism: www.visitidaho.org/
Shelley Seale biking the Hiawatha Trail
Shelley Seale is a regular contributor to Outdoors NW. She wrote the Beer Festival Guide in our May/June 2011 edition as well.
