Although lacking in views, this three-mile loop surprises with a pleasant walk along Meadow Creek, its beaver dams, and lush cedar forest. Alas, the 600-year-old white pine rotted and was cut down in 1999.
Category: National Recreation Trail
Widow and Lookout Mountains
This trail moves along the divide between the Marble Creek drainage (St. Joe) and the Little North Fork Clearwater drainage (Clearwater), with views of several lakes and ponds on the Clearwater side. Lookout Mountain, as the name implies a former lookout tower site, offers fantastic views into Clearwater country as well as as westwards towards Grandmother and Grandfather mountains. Portions of the trail are in the Grandmother Wilderness Study Area (BLM).
Suicide Point (Hells Canyon)
With preciously little snowfall, Hells Canyon makes for an ideal early spring hike, if you can make it across Pittsburg Saddle (no snow in early April). Besides splendid river views and early-blooming flowers, there is plenty of history (homesteading and mining) on display, besides the occasional rattlesnake.
Grandmother and Grandfather Mountain
The Marble Creek drainage has seen some serious logging activity in the past, but looking at a sheer endless sea of trees from the top of Grandmother Mountain, that is now difficult to imagine. Views aside, mid-summer wildflowers and August huckleberries are sure to make this one of your favorite hikes as well!
Lemonade Peak Loop
The Big Creek area makes for good early-summer hiking, with the main obstacles out of the way: No more snow, no swollen creeks, and no oppressive heat. Given the length and elevation gain, the summer solstice is the perfect day as long as the weather cooperates. Prepare to be dazzled by 360-degree views from Lemonade Peak, a plethora of wildflowers, and some impressive dam-engineering courtesy of Papa Beaver.
East Fork Big Creek Loop
Once covered by huge stands of white pine, the Big Creek drainage was targeted by miners and loggers in the late 19th century. The 1910 Great Burn wreaked havoc, however, downing precious stands of giant pines and burning what was left, including more than two dozen firefighters who were temporarily interred on Cemetery Ridge. Today, much of the drainage is covered by brush, which attracts elk and wolves, though the pine and fir stands are improving. Much of the trail system is National Recreation Trail.
Priest Lake Lakeshore Trail
The Lakeshore Trail is the northernmost section of a trail stretching along virtually the entirety of Priest Lake’s western shore. Most of the lakeshore land in this section is publicly owned and thus the trail hugs the lake closely and offers numerous opportunities for camping.
Maiden Rock
Maiden Rock is a bare granite knob overlooking Lake Pend Oreille. The trail meanders downhill for 2 miles through dense cedar forest alongside Maiden Creek. It terminates at a pebble-strewn beach with expansive views of the rock outcropping, across the water and south along Little Blacktail Mountain towards Evans Landing, a similar boat camping site.
Coeur d’Alene River Loop
The Coeur d’Alene River National Recreation Trail (#20) is easily one of the nicest hikes in the Coeur d’Alene Mountains. It follows the playfully-meandering North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River for about 15 miles through coniferous forest and conveniently connects to area trails to create this 26 mile loop.
Chipmunk Rapids Loop
The Chipmunk Rapids National Recreation Trail’s gentle grade makes for an ideal cross-country skiing loop during the winter months. It is inviting for a hike even in summer, particularly the sections along Kaniksu Marsh and the Priest River. To top it off, we added a short bushwhacking excursion to Mission Falls on the Upper West Branch of the Priest River.
Independence Creek to Faset Peak Loop
The Independence Creek National Recreation Trail uses an old wagon trail roadbed that connected loggers and miners in the Coeur d’Alene Mountains to Lake Pend Oreille in the olden days. The loop starts at the eastern trailhead and hugs the creek closely to Ermine Ridge, where it hops onto that ridge and climbs to Faset Peak, site of a former fire-lookout tower. For the return trip the path drops down along the southwestern flank of Faset, riding a ridge separating the Declaration Creek and Surprise Creek draws. It reunites with Independence Creek on the approach to Snowbird Meadows and follows the creek all the way back to the trailhead.
English Point Loop
English Point is a small enclave of National Forest land on the west side of Hayden Lake. As such, it is surrounded by residential housing and offers over five miles of hiking trails close to the city of Hayden. Though somewhat lacking in either a spectacular destination or interesting sights along the way, the trail is a pleasant walk in the woods close to the city. It is a National Recreation Trail.
Upper Independence Creek
Once a wagon trail linking mining and logging camps to Lake Pend Oreille, Independence Creek National Recreation Trail #22 drops from Weber Saddle to its namesake creek and follows it closely through pristine forest and flower-rich meadows. Little evidence is left of the 1910 Great Burn, which turned much of the region into smoke and ashes. Today’s trail is shaded by Douglas fir and pine, clear water is waiting to be scooped up, and wildlife abounds, including whitetailed deer, elk, black bear, moose, cougars, and a plethora of birds.
Mount Coeur d’Alene Loop
Combining the Caribou Ridge National Recreation Trail with forest service trails 227, 257, and 258, this hike forms a loop of just under 20 miles. While views are limited, the hike is pleasant all around, well-maintained, and offers a rewarding combination of scenery, altitude, vegetation, and wildlife.
Chilco Mountains
The Chilco Mountains offer incredible all-around views of Lake Pend Oreille and the Purcell Mountains to the north, the Rathdrum Prairie and the Selkirk range to the west, Hayden Lake to the south, and the bluish haze of the Coeur d’Alene and Cabinet Mountains to the east.
Mineral Ridge Loop
A popular 3-to-4-mile loop hike offering breathtaking views of Lake Coeur d’Alene.