My favorite trail to bring my dog & family & friends for a good walk. I've hiked this trail in all…read more4 seasons, even in light hail. It's a little steep at the beginning of the trail so when it's icy, spikes on your shoes is helpful but doable without. The Fall is magical. But truly a gem. Parking is sometimes hard to come by on the weekend

Nice short lakefront trail along nicest lake in North Idaho…read more What it has going for it: - parking at trailhead - port-a-potty at trailhead - great views - can have your dog off-leash - access to beach when lake level is lower What it has going against it: - not much shade in certain parts of trail - can get windy - people who don't pick up after their dogs Nice trail that is about 3 miles round trip. Dog lovers will like this trail if your dog is well mannered. Plant some trees and develop the trail a little more with a real bathroom & water fountain at the trailhead and this can be a 4 star trail. Can see myself coming back here again.

Some places grab your soul from the moment you pull off the highway -- Kootenai Falls is exactly…read moreone of them. I rolled through here expecting a nice view, and got full-on nature theatre. The hike isn't brutal -- about half-a-mile from the road to the bridge or viewpoint, with picnic tables and restrooms at the lot. Enough challenge to feel good, not so much that it kills your afternoon. The trail that leads upstream to the main falls is short but dramatic: water rushing over rock terraces, multiple drops, including a 30-foot fall seen from the overlook. Downstream you cross that swinging bridge -- it creaks, it sways above the green Kootenai water, and it gives you a rush just standing there. Accessible but wild feeling: old railroad overpass, rocky descent sections, metal stairs, forest canopy, birds, moss -- all the good stuff. I went there in early summer; the river was high, mist in air, sun breaking through trees. The light hits the falls just right at golden hour -- reflections everywhere, water sparkle, shadows dancing. Ambience is pure Montana: no loud crowds, mostly locals, forest smells, river roar, the rustle of pine needles. Parking isn't fancy, but it's clean; restrooms are basic. Picnic area shaded, with enough space to sit, eat, soak it all in. Final take: 5 stars, no doubt. Probably one of those places I'll revisit again and again just to feel that rushing water, that bridge sway, that "whoa" moment when you turn the corner and see the falls looming. If you're in this part of Montana -- don't pass it by.

Kootenai falls and the suspension bridge are the perfect hike for everyone and I mean everyone!…read moreWhether you are not in the best of shape or you are traveling with kids or you have your dog with you, not only can you do this trail but you will thoroughly enjoy it. This is one of the best experiences I have had during my travels and I recommend it to everyone. We spent hours here enjoying the beauty of nature. The walk is gorgeous, The falls are gorgeous, the suspension bridge is fun and exciting! And when I say anyone can do this, the lady in front of was by herself with two children...she literally had a newborn baby strapped to her and was pushing a stroller for her toddler and they made it over the suspension bridge and all the way back up. The only caveat is that there are some steps which are definitely not dog friendly. They are kind of a twisted metal with spikes that is probably great for traction and melting snow, but would be very difficult on a dog's paw pads, so if you have a dog with you you will have to carry them down some stairs. However, we encountered multiple people with large dogs, so unless that's a problem for you, for some reason you can still do this hike with your large dog. Our dog is small so it was a breeze. Another thing you will see a lot of on this hike is smiling faces. This is a genuinely beautiful place where people are just really happy. I could not recommend this more highly and even if you're not super close, it is worth the drive.

I have renamed this favorite spot of mine Paranoia Falls. Lean closer and let me tell you the…read morestory of the time me and my sister decided to explore here... Upon researching a map of the area around Kingston Idaho I came upon some interesting waterfalls and decided to further investigate using Google. The photographs although very few were very pleasing and my interest was piqued when someone commented that there was a case behind one of the waterfalls thus the trip was born. I called up my sister and told Maggie that we were going to go on a trip to see some waterfalls so we packed our cameras and set up for this wonderful adventure. After a 50 minute drive down Route 90 we came upon Forest Road nine and proceeded to take that approximately 25 miles until we sold yet another tiny sign which we almost passed that said Shadow Falls. We proceeded up this treacherous array of mountain switchbacks so tiny that at times the tires touched the side of the cliff which was not protected by a guard rail. Clutching the dashboard with eyes wide with terror I watched her every move as we slowly climbed the steep grade and were greeted with logs across a river water was running across the logs so she had to go on it to get across and then the went skiing for about 10 feet and we landed on the other side of this treacherous muddy pass. Several heart pounding moments later we arrived at a vacant car pull off and it was beginning to get dark. A large mousse with a massive horns walked right by us and disappeared into the forest. We proceeded to walk up a path which was promised only 200 yards away and was greeted with waterfall number one the name was fern falls. We enjoyed this first waterfall thoroughly. There is a small foot bridge over it and I got to take many fabulous photographs. Then we proceeded to shadow falls which was promised to be nearby however we got maybe about 50 steps into the darkening forest and were stopped in our tracks by a low rumbling growl which seemed to be coming from all directions. Now here we were alone in the forest. The sounds of much larger mammals was present as we heard the ever growing presence of crackling underbrush and snapping forest floor twigs. It was then that we had a come to Jesus meeting about if we should continue up the hill and yes we did continue and were within eyeshot of shadow falls when all of a sudden a distinct growl not far from us came thundering from the trees and we were instantly paranoid. With no other human being inside and the sun setting unusually fast we tore off running down the hill after a failed test of the bear spray which I had a death grip on. My 250 pounds sister was so scared she blew right by me and like an Olympic runner left me in the dust the only thing I remember at that point was seeing her britches falling off of her and if you have ever dropped a pan of fresh baked bread and dropped it on the floor you will understand what I was now looking at!!!! With my heart pounding at least 180 bpm I caught up with her near the small dark parking spot and I recall slamming open the doors throwing in everything and the next thing I knew the jeep was in reverse. We were gone. Recommendation - do not go alone. Do not go in a small car with low clearance. Go early the sun sets very fast way up in that mountain. Take bear spray and possibly a baseball bat.

A beautiful set of falls with a great setting for family pictures. Go north from Prichard for 15…read moremiles on NFD Rd 208 the on a nice dirt rd travel 4 miles to a parking area for a short hike. The pictures do not do it justice.

Gold Hill Trailhead is a very well-maintained trailhead a little off the main drag going into…read moreSandpoint on the southern side of the lake. One of the best ways to see the lake is the drive to the trailhead along Bottle Bay Road. It's an incredible lake with houses hanging over the edge. Trailhead parking is a tad on the small side so I wouldn't attempt to drive there on a busy afternoon. There didn't appear to be much additional parking or road parking options unless people simply park on the road without any neighbor complaints. Another benefit to arriving early is hiking before all the noisy power boaters start racing across the lake. I have never asked any speed boat enthusiasts if they thought about the noise pollution they are bringing to pristine nature so they can race across the lake at 40 mph rather than 20 mph. Having been in multiple speed boats in my day, I see the appeal, but you are essentially telling everyone else on the lake, "Listen to this!" Even with this noise, I would still return to this trail. The trail is well maintained and is essentially a steady incline for at least two miles - this is where I turned around - with limited wide-angle views of the lake. The lake is visible through the trees, and I imagine has a great view at the top, but you will have to work for it if you want to see the entire lake. There was one experienced mountain biker on the trail while we were there. I would classify Gold Hill as essentially a hiking trail that can be done on a bike if you have a quality mountain bike and are very fit. There's tight turns and a lot of incline. The biker on the trail that day had a bell that would ring over regular intervals. This struck me as a genius idea to notify any bears and other hikers that you were blazing down towards them. The only con would be that, as the biker, after hearing ring number 785 for the day, "bing!" would you want to rip the bell off your bike and smash it with a rock?

A popular, easy-going trail with great views super-blue Lake Pend Oreille…read more There are only 1,200 ft of gain so you'll have plenty of time to stop and smell the wildflowers, or photograph bugs, or smooch your cutie, or...well, whatever it is you DO on easy trails. Great intro to hiking in Sandpoint.

We found this state park while driving to Canada. Excellent little campground with trails. The…read moretrail was easy not steep at all. Not gravely either. I am glad we found this place. Very few people were on site when we visited.

We stayed this last weekend at round lake with some friends and family. We rented three sites next…read moreto each other. As soon as we arrived the people in front of us quickly got stuck because of the boulders that are placed everywhere. The people that work there sat in the golf cart and proceeded to watch them for thirty minutes. My spouse had to help with 3 others to jiggle a boulder so they can gain an inch of room. The area where they ask you to put up tents on are white rock filled area next to our fire pit and picnic table. We were asked to not use the "ground" dirt to camp but did point out many tents using this. The rules are ridiculous, no hammocks , and if you are disabled and use a cane like I do good luck maneuvering around the unnecessary costly boulders that are not an improvement but a waste of cost. Never again will I or seventeen others visit again. Enjoy your boulders.

Visiting family here in ID & they took us to visit this wonderful state park. It's named after the…read moreadmiral who said, "Damn the torpedos. Full speed ahead!" during the Civil War. The former site of a Naval training station: Over 293,000 sailors received basic training here. Who would've thought a Naval training facility would be in Idaho? It was also used as a German POW camp during WW II. There are so many things to do here. Tour the Museum At The Brig, go hiking of one of many trails, camp at one of their numerous camp sites, play disc golf, bring a lunch & picnic along the shoreline of Lake Pend Oreille, the largest lake in ID. Fishing, sailing or boating. Visit the beautiful viewpoint at the end of South Rd. Shooting ranges or even a model airplane flying field! However, I must say their gift shops are somewhat lacking. Go for a day or a weekend, this park is just great.

Beautiful area! Lots fun areas to swim. It was bust but we were able to find space in the 2…read moredifferent swimming areas.

Not much in the way of food and lodging but nice camping/beach spot. Water is pretty cold. Nice…read morevolleyball net

Beautiful campground and huge sandy beach. Amazing creek winds through the trees with a wooden…read morefootbridge to cross. One of the biggest campgrounds on Priest Lake. It also fills up fast, so make a reservation.

For my first visit to the northern peninsula of Idaho, I decided to make a stop in the town of…read moreCoeur d'Alene. Coeur d'Alene has a charming downtown waterfront and it's here where you'll find this Tubbs Hill Trail. I believe hiking along Tubbs Hill represents the city of Coeur d'Alene well. It's an easy 2 mile round trip loop that oversees the harbor from a distance. Basically, it's a perfectly fine nature trail. There are 26 or 27 posted marker signs along the trail to guide you (including a halfway point). It's absolutely impossible to get lost, lol. To be specific on where Tubbs Hill Trail officially begins, you can find the starting point right next to the Rotary Harbor House (which looked like a relaxing spot to grab some fish tacos and catch views from the pier). Since the hike is a loop, if you begin by going off to the right hand side, there are spots along the way to descend down the rockside and go swimming in Lake Coeur d'Alene. I noticed a lot of people were relaxing and lounging out on the rocks while taking refreshing breaks in the water. If this sounds enticing, then remember to bring your bathing suit and a towel, lol. The first part of the hike offers panoramic lookouts of not only the boats docked beside the waterfront, but also the historical landmark - Hotel Coeur d'Alene. Eventually you wrap your way around in a circle getting to enjoy the great outdoors. It's a chance to breathe in fresh air from the lake without having to work hard. There's barely any incline/decline along the 2 mile path. It took me one hour to complete the hike. Lastly, parking can be difficult in downtown Coeur d'Alene. Independence Point is a popular area to park, but they do charge by the hour and every spot was occupied when I arrived in the middle of the day. I resorted to parking on a sidestreet next to the Coeur d'Alene shopping district. Though, cars on side streets are only permitted for 2 hour intervals at a time. Overall, Tubbs Hill Trail was a pleasant hiking activity. Pair it with maybe taking a cruise out on the lake or walking around the Boardwalk Marina (the "world's longest floating boardwalk" if you can believe) and you'll discover the best of what Coeur d'Alene has to offer.

Beautiful place to hike near the lake with plenty of scenic views and places to rest.read more

Love swimming here in the summer It's a five minute drive from my house and has beautiful views of…read morethe Green Monarch Mountains.

Not a big park. Has beach, boat launch, restrooms, picnic area. It's close to the road and the…read moretrain tracks. It has a good view of the lake.

I've been living in Troy for 5 years now and this place is special, well kept and peaceful. Unless…read moreyou're from Florida it would seem (the only 2 commentators to complain). Open your eyes Folks, God only made so much of this beauty.

This is one of my favorite places to go every summer. They have a few really nice sized picnic…read moretables so we always pack a lunch and enjoy it next to the creek before enjoying a hike through the cedars. The drive up is long and the road is narrow but their is a pretty good sized parking lot once you reach the top. The path seems to be very well maintained and it's an easy hike. I suggest going in the spring because all of the creeks are flowing strong and the sounds and smell mixed with the giant cedars is just amazing, but you should for sure come back in the summer as well while the creeks may not be flowing it is still stunning and people stack stones in the creek bed it really is a sight to see!