This is such a fun trail but wear the proper attire because as you start at the bottom and go to…read morethe top it gets cooler and cooler! We've gone up and been around snow before on this one and there's little tiny waterfall streams on the way as well. There's plenty of little lookout areas with benches and such to sit and take a break and lots of wild birds to see. Lots of people bring their dogs on this one which would be fun for them and I haven't experienced it being too crowded ever.

While I wasn't able to make it to the top due to lack of time, I was happy with the trail…read moreconditions and the views I was able to see. This trail is easy to access, near neighborhoods and the road to Schweitzer Ski Area. Views start pretty early but the elevation gain is steady. It will climb 2,000 feet from the trailhead, making it a challenge for those in the winter with their crampons and snow shoes, or a nice summer mornings' workout before it gets too hot. Lake Pend Oreille and the Cabinet Mountains are in full view on a clear day.

The formation of the Kootenai Falls was said to be due to a succession of phenomena. The underlying…read moreBelt Supergroup layer of crust was the result of the despoition of quartzites, mudstones, and shale from when the area was an ancient sea floor. Next, tectonic forces caused there to be a folding action where the crust compressed up against a different tectonic plate as they were headed in opposite directions. The Kootenai River exposed the hard rocks of this Belt Supergroup including the tectonic folds and faults that now resulted in the "steps" over which the river flowed. Such violent geologic forces ultimately would give rise to the rugged Rocky Mountains that dominated the Continental Divide. This would separate the ancient seas of the west and the Great Plains to the east. The Kootenai Falls bridge was initially built in 1937 to help the US Forest Service access forest fires on the other side of the Kootenai River, but a major flood destroyed it in 1948. The bridge was rebuilt in the 1950s, and with the creation of the Libby Dam, and was protected from flooding. This particular bridge I believe was rebuilt in 2019. The best thing about it? Not many people know it's there. Worth your time to visit.

I've been to the great Kootenai (Pronounced Coo-tah-knee) Falls and Swinging Bridge a few times and…read moreit's amazing every time! Pretty short and easy hike to both. If you're in Northwestern Montana you must come here and then take a trip to nearby Glacier National Park. Right next to where you park at the trailhead to Kootenai Falls, there a little shop that sells treats and wares called "Main Street Perk 2.0 at Kootenai Falls". We got some bottled water and Huckleberry ice cream. Don't miss out on the ice cream!

Beautiful hiking area. the Falls were awesome. This site is a gem only a short hike in to the Fallsread more

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.

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.

Beautiful scenery, great hiking trails, terrible roads. There are so many rough spots and pot holes…read morethat it takes away from the experience.

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.

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.

Do not visit Coeur d'Alene without taking a walk up Tubbs Hill, beautiful view. It's a very…read moreintermediate hike that's very doable for most visitors. Lace up your sneakers and enjoy your walk up Tubbs Hill; I highly recommend!

If you are new to the Coeur D'Alene area and are looking for a fun little hike that explores a…read moresmall portion of the lake's picturesque shoreline, I recommend visiting the Tubbs Hill Trailhead. There is parking either at McEuen Park or over by the Trailhead marker by Sanders Beach. Hiked during the week and it wasn't too crowded though some of the beach areas scattered along the way are not huge so you may want to get there earlier on weekends. The hike itself is fairly easy to moderate. The main trail is easy, however, if you go off path and down to the shoreline you just have to watch your step. Definitely not for walking around in flip flops.

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!