The Great Outdoors

National Forests

Coeur d'Alene National Forest

  • Surrounds Lake Coeur d’Alene
  • Features extensive trail systems for hiking and biking
  • Offers prime fishing in numerous mountain lakes
  • Home to Canfield Mountain Trail System
  • Popular for winter recreation and snowmobiling

Kaniksu National Forest

  • Spans from North Idaho into Washington and Montana
  • Features Priest Lake and Upper Priest Lake
  • Home to world-record Mackinaw trout fishing
  • Offers 400+ miles of groomed snowmobile trails
  • Popular for hiking, camping, and wildlife viewing

St. Joe National Forest

  • Home to the “Shadowy St. Joe” wild and scenic river
  • Features blue-ribbon cutthroat trout fishing
  • Nationally recognized for elk herds
  • Offers extensive roadless and primitive areas
  • Multiple campgrounds along the river

Mountains

Cabinet Mountains

  • Features 85 mountain lakes with fishing opportunities
  • Offers 30 well-maintained hiking trails
  • Home to wolves, mountain goats, and grizzly bears
  • Popular for winter recreation and snow camping
  • Elevation reaches 8,738 feet at Snowshoe Peak

Purcell Mountains

  • Spans six large drainages to Columbia River system
  • Offers extensive backcountry skiing opportunities
  • Popular for hunting and fishing
  • Provides backpack camping adventures

Bitterroot Range

  • Forms the Idaho-Montana border
  • Features numerous alpine lakes and waterfalls
  • Offers extensive snowmobiling, hiking, and backpacking opportunities
  • Popular for fly fishing and wildlife viewing
  • Offers scenic drives and wildlife viewing

Lakes

Lake Coeur d'Alene

  • 26 miles long with 135 miles of shoreline
  • Notable beaches: City Beach, Sanders Beach, Tubbs Hill
  • Premier boating, fishing, and water sports
  • Winter eagle watching at Wolf Lodge Bay
  • Year-round fishing for chinook salmon, bass, and pike

Lake Pend Oreille

  • Idaho’s largest lake: 43 miles long, 111 miles of shoreline
  • Depth of 1,158 feet – one of America’s deepest
  • Popular spots: Farragut State Park, City Beach, Garfield Bay
  • World-class fishing for kamloops and mackinaw
  • Extensive hiking and camping opportunities

Priest Lake

  • 23,000 acres of crystal-clear water
  • 70 miles of pristine shoreline
  • Activities include boating, fishing, camping
  • Renowned for trophy-size Mackinaw fishing
  • Access to 400 miles of groomed snowmobile trails in winter

Hayden Lake

  • 3,800 acres with 40 miles of shoreline
  • Notable beach: Honeysuckle Beach
  • Features full-service marina and public boat launches
  • Popular for water skiing and wakeboarding
  • Surrounded by Bitterroot Mountain Range

Spirit Lake

  • Highest elevation of panhandle lakes at 2,400 feet
  • 12 miles of shoreline
  • One of only two sealed-bottom lakes in the world
  • Popular for boating, fishing, and swimming
  • Winter activities include ice fishing

River

Coeur d'Alene River

  • Branches into North Fork and South Fork
  • Premier fly fishing for westslope cutthroat trout
  • Features Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes cycling path
  • Popular for kayaking and whitewater rafting
  • Multiple campgrounds along shoreline

St. Joe River

  • Known as the “Shadowy St. Joe”
  • 140 miles long – highest navigable river in world
  • Designated Wild and Scenic River above Avery
  • Premier blue-ribbon trout stream
  • Popular for whitewater rafting and fishing

Priest River

  • Flows from Priest Lake to Pend Oreille River
  • Whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling
  • Excellent for canoeing and kayaking
  • Known for brown and cutthroat trout fishing
  • Multiple campgrounds and recreation sites

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