Sandpoint is a great, historic railroading town, with fantastic scenery on short or long trips within the Pacific Northwest. The Burlington Northern, Montana Rail Link, and Spokane International rail systems all converge to create "The Funnel," an amazingly active rail crossroads with more than 40 trains a day traveling through. Rail buffs come from around the world to see the many trains traveling through. We are home to the award-winning Pend d’Oreille Winery, and North Idaho and Eastern Washington have many wineries, and Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint have no fewer than twelve wine bars. The area is filled with world-famous artists, galleries, antique stores, and shopping. We have great restaurants, including Sushi, Tapas, and eclectic as well as traditional fare that satisfies every taste.  As the saying goes, "Where do you find the best restaurants in Spokane? Sandpoint!" There are several wildlife refuges, national parks, nature preserves, and state parks within short driving distance. We also have some of the finest hunting and fishing in the nation. There are dams, horseback riding, sleigh rides, camping and hiking. We have the International Selkirk Loop, a 280-mile driving loop through two countries (U.S. and Canada) and two states (Idaho and Washington) considered to be one of the best drives in the country. Finally there are so many events that they are too many to mention. The historic Panida Theater has many of them, but others are city or county-wide such as our Madcap Mardi Gras during our Winter Carnival celebration and two Oktoberfests. To see a full Calendar of Events, click the link on the left. In short, North Idaho is a jewel, with Sandpoint and Coeur d'Alene sparkling bright. Come visit us and see why so many that do never leave.

Here is a little more about what the Sandpoint Area Offers

One of America's truly unique places,  sheltered by the Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains, the climate is further tempered by prodigious Lake Pend Oreille, offering amenities normally found only in much larger and so-called more sophisticated towns.

The sheltering didn't end there. First the artists and hippies came, such as Ed Kienholz, and the few knew the beauty and outstanding lifestyle, they kept the secret close to the vest. However, Sandpoint's charms have recently been discovered by the outside world. Outside Magazine recently named Sandpoint one of America's Top Dream Towns, calling us  “The cool northwest's hot property”, while Sunset Magazine calls it “The Best Small Town in the West”. Read on and learn grasshoppers. Oh, did I mention we have awful big grasshoppers?

Skiing and Winter Sports

While many resort towns have great summers, or fantastic ski seasons, we have a true four-season climate, and Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort is minutes from downtown. So it is small wonder Sandpoint is a fantastic place for the winter sports enthusiast. But the spring and fall brings mountain biking, hiking, hunting, and festivals. The summer has boaters, fishing, sailing, waterskiing, jet boating, etc., etc., etc.

Food and Drink

Where can you find a town of this size with two wine bars, two Starbucks, and a Sushi Restaurant? We have several health food stores and cafes, and many, many good restaurants. In fact, according to the article in Outside Magazine, a standing joke in Spokane — a city of almost 200,000 about 75 miles to the southwest — goes something like this: “Where’s the best place to eat in Spokane? In Sandpoint”. While this might have started as a marketing ad we put out some twenty years ago, it may well be true. As the host of the radio show - Gourmet to Go, and a former local restaurant owner, I have a little insight on the subject. I worked with Emeril Legasse at Commander's Palace in New Orleans for three years, and I guarantee that we have some good fixin's here.

The Festival at Sandpoint

Harking back to a more relaxed era, the Festival at Sandpoint has been providing an unequaled out door concert experience since 1983. The individual acts are quite varied, so there’s something for any taste, and the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. Seating is “on-the-grass” and concert goers are welcome to bring their own picnic baskets, blankets, and chairs. For out-of-town visitors for whom preparing a gourmet picnic might be difficult, local restaurants provide a fantastic array of food, beer, and wine.

The Arts

This is one area where we truly excel. We now have almost five hundred artists in our midst. Over the years, the Sandpoint area’s tranquil beauty has attracted these hundreds of artists. Beginning with the now-iconic regional photographer Ross Hall in the 1930's, the tradition continues with the Pend Oreille Arts Council and the Artist’s Studio Tours, as well as a healthy number of Art Galleries.

Golf

The Sandpoint area has no fewer than six golf courses. The Elks Club Golf Course is right on the outskirts of town, while the famous Hidden Lakes course, which was one of the best courses in the Pacific Northwest, is just a few scenic miles to the east. It has now been bought by Jack Nicklaus and renamed The Idaho Club, and while their company has dozens of courses, Jack himself has designed only a handful. This is one of 'em. Of course, rumors continue that the Ruen property will be bought by Arnold Palmer, but don't hold your breath. The new Stoneridge Golf Course is in nearby Spirit Lake, and Settlement Golf Community is being developed overlooking the Pend Oreille River twenty minutes from Sandpoint in Priest River. Still, golfin' is good in the neighborhood.

Fishing & Hunting

While most of the country and much of Idaho call our region “the Panhandle,” we typically think of ourselves as simply North Idaho. As you can tell from our Lakes Guide and Rivers Guide, we have almost 140 lakes, plus over 2,000 miles of rivers and streams. The largest lake, Lake Pend Oreille, has 111 miles of coastline and over 86,000 acres, and many other lakes – Hayden, Coeur d’Alene, Twin Lakes, Priest Lake, and Lake Cocolalla – are very large. We also have dozens of much smaller lakes – 1-2 acres  –  and everything in between. Many people associate Minnesota as the land of lakes for the U. S., but our Idaho Panhandle has the greatest concentration of lakes in all the western states, giving us the water sports and fishing haven we all enjoy.

Lake Pend Oreille is the nation’s fifth deepest lake (1,158 feet at its deepest), and boasts over 100 miles of scenic shoreline. Its also a world class fishery, with the world record for a rainbow trout, a 37 pound giant caught by Wes Hamlet in 1947. For a real treat, try a fishing charter on the lake where 25# rainbow trout are a regular occurrence. Of course, on a lake this fantastic, there has to be more than one good charter service!

While the state of Idaho has more wilderness acreage than any other state, the Idaho Panhandle has more game, and better hunting than any other region of Idaho. With so many acres in the wild, no other state in the lower 48 has as much big game hunting variety and quality as Idaho. Idaho is sparsely populated with huge areas of forests, canyons, and mountain wildernesses. Idaho seasons generally run from 20-65 days. Hunter congestion remains rare. An amazing amount of land remains in the hands of the federal and state governments: 21,621,000 acres of the state’s total acreage remains forested. The Federal Government holds 65.2% of all land, with estimates of 78 percent of all of Idaho belonging either to state or federal forests, etc. Hunting is perhaps the best in the lower 48.

The Literary Scene

Sandpoint has been the home of a diverse collection of writers over the years — ranging from Marilynne Robinson, who recently won the Pulitzer Prize for her book Gilead, and Sandy Compton, who writes local color stories, to Peter Fenton, who writes about subjects such as Tibetan Medicine. A recent addition to the scene is the “Open Mic” at one of Sandpoint’s newer restaurants, The Downtown Crossing. If literature is your thing, you’ll definitely be interested in this article from Sandpoint Magazine.

Click here to learn more about the Skinny on Sandpoint
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Museums

Bonner & Boundary Counties

• Bonner County Historical Society Museum - 611 S Ella Ave, Sandpoint 263-2344 www.bonnercountyhistory.org
• Keyser House Museum - Priest River Museum & Timber Educational Center 301 Montgomery St, Priest River 448-2721
• Vintage Wheel Museum - 218 Cedar St in Sandpoint exhibits antique cars, horse drawn vehicles, steam engines and logging equipment.
• Priest Lake Museum - 38 W Lakeshore Dr, Priest River 443-3191 www.priestlake.org
• Boundary County Museum - 7229 Main St, Bonners Ferry 267-7720 (seasonal)
• Vinther-Nelson Cabin & Museum
  Priest Lake, Eight Mile Island

Kootenai County

• Fort Sherman Museum - exhibits depict life at the fort and smokejumper cabin. North Idaho College, Coeur d'Alene 664-3448
• Museum of North Idaho - features steamboats, lumber and Native Americans. 115 Northwest Blvd, Coeur d'Alene 664-3448 www.museumni.org 
• Post Falls Historical Society Museum - 109 E 4th Ave, Post Falls 773-4681
• Brig Museum at Farragut State Park - 13550 E Hwy 54, Athol 683-2425
• Crane Historical Society Museum - 201 Coeur d'Alene Ave, Harrison 689-3111

Silver Valley

• Crystal Gold Mine - 51931 Silver Valley Rd, Kellogg 783-4653 www.goldmine-idaho.com 
• Mullan Museum - 229 Earl Street, Mullan 744-1100
• Old Mission State Park - One mile E of Cataldo off I-90 682-3814 Cataldo Mission of The Sacred Heart at Old Mission Park is the oldest standing building in Idaho. www.idahoparks.org/parks/oldmission.html 
• Northern Pacific Railroad Depot Museum - 219 6th Street, Wallace 752-0111
• Oasis Bordello Museum - was originally a hotel & saloon - became a brothel in 1985. 605 Cedar Street, Wallace 753-0801
• The Portal Museum - McKinley Ave, Kellogg 659-2722
• Staff House Museum - 820 Mckinley 786-4141 in Kellogg displays the history of Bunker Hill Mine.
• Sierra Silver Mine Tour - 420 5th Street, Wallace 752-5151 www.silverminetour.org 
• Silver Capital Arts Mining & Mineral Museum - 610 Bank St, Wallace 556-7081
• Spragpole Museum - 6353 Prichard Creek Rd, Murray 682-3901 www.silver-valley.com/sprag_pole 
• Shoshone County Mining & Smelting Museum - 820 McKinley Ave, Kellogg www.staffhousemuseum.com  786-4141
• Wallace Corner Gifts & Museum - 525 Cedar Street, Wallace 753-6141
• Wallace District Mining Museum - has memorabilia from early hard rock mining. 509 Bank Street, Wallace 556-1592
• Wardner Memorabilia Museum - 525 Main, Wardner 786-2641

Benewah County

• Hughes House Museum - 538 Main Ave, St Maries 245-3563 www.stmarieschamber.org/hughes

Other Areas

• Historic Hughs House
  538 Main St., St. Maries 245-1501
• Northern Pacific Depot Railroad Museum
  219 6th St. Wallace 752-0111
• The Oasis Bordello Museum
  605 Cedar, Wallace (was originally a hotel & saloon - became a brothel in 1985.)
• Staff House Museum
  820 McKinley (208) 786-4141 in Kellogg displays the history of Bunker Hill Mine.
• Wallace District Mining Museum
  509 Bank (208) 556-1592 in Wallace has memorabilia from early hard rock mining.

The Skinny on Sandpoint

So, now that Sandpoint, North Idaho, Schweitzer Ski Resort, and Lake Pend Oreille have got your attention, you want to know the inside story. In the last few years we have had literally dozens of articles, television shows, news reports, etc., that have touted our area as the paradise of the West. Sure, we have some of the same issues that most communities our size have to tackle, but the good far outpaces the bad. Tourism and traffic has grown, but that has grown our business base, and it still only takes minutes to get anywhere. Crime is so low that many never lock their doors. Charity and neighborly help abound more here than most of the rest of the country, businesses keep moving here, and in spite of small town politics and the occasional Peyton Place episode, good karma tends to ameliorate the bad and make us remember just how lucky we are here in North Idaho. Besides, it's amazing how attitudes can change while driving across the Long Bridge. Read the rest of the Story...

Sandpoint City Beach from the air

 

Festival at Sandpoint has
gained international acclaim

 

The Cedar Street Bridge has become
an icon of downtown Sandpoint Shopping

 

Schweitzer Mountain has become one of
the West's Premier Ski Resorts

 

Nice article about Sandpoint in Via Magazine - Taken from the National Geographic Adventure magazine public forum written on June 9, 2005 11:21 AM:
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Great Article about Sandpoint published by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the Canadian International Development Agency
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Drive the Selkirk Loop - Article in Highbeam.com from Sunset Magazine 5/1/2001 (driving through British Columbia, Idaho and Washington)
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Idaho's lovely land of lakes - Article in Highbeam.com from Sunset Magazine 9/1/2000 (natural beauty and tourism)
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Pretty city seeks a makeover - From the Spokane Journal
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What Nicole Bianchi wrote after visiting North Idaho - nicckyb@yahoo.com - CLARK FORK, IDAHO. My fiancé and I visited the northern panhandle of Idaho for the first time this Spring. While cruising along the scenic byway between Sandpoint and Clark Fork we were memorized and knew it was the place we would be. I can say that our experience in Clark Fork was truly life changing. We met such great people and formed very strong friendships. This was truly the best part of our trip and has had a lasting impression on us, profoundly. If you ever go, Scotchman Peaks is a must see – look up the meaning of Breathtaking in the dictionary, and this is it. I was so moved by our experience that I wrote a poem and designed a website to document our trip. http://www.gordonholmes.com/
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Camp Grounds Near Sandpoint

Beyond Hope Resort
Open: Open from May 15 through Oct 1
# Sites: 85
1267 Peninsula Rd
Hope, ID 83836 (208) 264-5251

Blue Lake Camp & RV Park
BONNERS FERRY, Idaho
Open: Open from Apr 1 through Sep 30
# Sites: 73
Blue Lake RV Park Inc
Highway 95 S Bonners Ferry
Bonners Ferry ID 83805 (208) 267-2029

Farragut State Park
Open: Open all year
# Sites: 108
Athol, Idaho

Fox Farm RV Resort
Open: Open from Memorial Day through Sep 30
# Sites: 13
3160 Dufort Rd
Sagle ID 83860 (208) 263-8896

Idaho Country Resorts
Open: Open from Apr 1 through Nov 1
# Sites: 178
141 Idaho Country Road
Hope, Idaho 83836 (208) 264-5505
(800) 307-3050

Idaho Panhandle National Forests (Luby Bay Campground)
Open: Open from May 20 through Oct 1
# Sites: 52
Nordman, Idaho

Idaho Panhandle National Forests (Sam Owen Campground)
Open: Open from May 1 through Oct 1
# Sites: 80
Hope Peninsula, Idaho

Island View RV Resort
Open: Open from May 1 through Oct 1
# Sites: 66
1767 Peninsula Road
Hope, Idaho 83836 (208) 264-5509

Priest Lake State Park (Indian Creek Camping Unit)
Open: Open all year
# Sites: 93
Coolin, Idaho

Riley Creek Recreation Area (Corps of Engineers - Albeni Falls Dam)
Open: Open from May 11 through Sep 29
# Sites: 68
Riley Creek
2376 E Hwy 2
Oldtown ID 83822-9243

Round Lake State Park
Open: Open all year
# Sites: 53
Sandpoint, Idaho (208) 263-3489
(866) 634-3246

Sandy Beach Resort
Open: Open from May 1 through Nov 1
# Sites: 85
4405 Loop Rd
Cocolalla ID 83813 (208) 263-4328

Silver Beach Resort
Open: Open from May 1 through Oct 1
# Sites: 46
PO Box 38
Spirit Lake Idaho 83869 (208) 623-4842

Silverwood RV Park
ATHOL, Idaho
Open: Open from May 1 through Oct 31
# Sites: 126
Hwy 95 in North Idaho
Athol, ID (208) 683-3400

Springy Point Recreation Area
Open: Open from May 11 through Oct 14
# Sites: 40
Lakeshore Drive
Sandpoint, Idaho

Travel America Parks
SANDPOINT, Idaho
Open: Open all year
# Sites: 82
From jct US 95 and US 2: Go 6 mi S on US 95. Entrance on right. (208) 263-6522

Trestle Creek RV Park
Open: Open all year
# Sites: 11
560 Highway 200
Hope, ID - 83836-9730 (208) 264-5894

Twin Rivers Canyon Resort
Open: Open from Apr 1 through Oct 31
# Sites: 64
Moyie Springs, ID 83845
(888) 258-5952
(208) 267-5932

 Schweitzer Village

 Historic Panida Theatre

Bonner General Hospital

Bonner Healing Garden

The author of this website is Gary Lirette.
Thanks for visiting.