Some beaches just feel like home from the moment you step onto the sand. Sandpoint City Beach is…read moreexactly one of those. I've visited lakeshores all over the Pacific Northwest, but this spot holds a special place -- and it's earned 5 stars without question. I arrived mid-day, blue sky overhead, with just a backpack and swim trunks, hoping for a chill beach day. The water at Lake Pend Oreille is clear, calm in places, rippling in others. There's a dock to walk out on, and I spent a few minutes just standing there, watching the sunlight dance on water, mountains hugging the horizon. The beach layout is smart: a grassy strip shaded with trees, picnic tables, and a sandy stretch for people to lounge or launch paddleboards. There were families building sandcastles, someone quietly strumming a guitar under a tree, kids splashing near the shore. No chaos, no stress -- just blue water, bright sunshine, subtle laughter in the background. Amenities are solid: restrooms aren't fancy but clean, the parking lot's right there, and I noticed a snack shack off to the side (open seasonally). The trail by the lake's edge continues past the beach -- perfect for a short walk before or after your swim. I saw birds diving, sense of nature very present. What hit me most: the transition from sandy beach into deep lake is smooth and gradual, so swimming felt easy and enjoyable. At dusk, the sky turned soft pink and gold, reflections echoed on the water -- that moment made me pause and breathe deeper. Final take: 5 stars, no doubt. Sandpoint City Beach balances comfort and wildness. It's perfect for relaxing, for light adventure, or for simply watching the sunset until the stars come out. If you've got time, linger -- come back at golden hour.

Nice little city park / beach area along Lake Pend Orielle (if you don't know, don't even try to…read morepronounce it). Plenty of grass and sand for kids to play (if not for the fowl gifts), and small swimming areas with boundaries for safety. Very peaceful place for a stroll when we visited in September, but I'd imagine it gets busier during the warm summer months. The park has a snack shack, but it's apparently only open during the warmer months. Plenty of free parking. The only negative was there was swan/goose poop everywhere! Had to watch where you stepped almost everywhere, including the sidewalks and grass. That was a real negative while trying to enjoy the park and get some fresh air.

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.

My kid tripped and fell and cracked her ankle. Very unsafe. Please fix this. I am NOT recommending…read moremy friends to come. THANK YOU!

I ran across Mirabeau Meadows Park when a friend asked me to meet for a run here.  It turned out to…read morebe very quiet and scenic. Tip: Running right along the Spokane River, you'll find a paved path that's great for either walking or running :-) This park is a good place to head for if you want to go for a run, a walk, or just spend some quiet time strolling along the path along the river.  There's lots of free parking too.

Our family has been to Newport a dozen or so times, usually just passing through on a day road trip…read moreto Canada. We have also come to go to our friend church were he Pastor's, which was the case this time. We had our little Jack Russel Terrier in tote so needed to give him some exercise and a potty stop. This park has lots of room for playing fetch, exploring, and running your dog. I don't remember if it offered bags to pick up after your dog but we had our own. This park really has a lot to offer. It has a skate park, bleachers, a baseball diamond, a covered area, picnic tables. Please refer to the pictures.

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.

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.

Found this park to be beautiful. It has a playground,splash pad,baseball park, open field, and on…read morethe side a small dog park . The playground as a small rock wall , slide,monkey bars and multiple swings. I will say this park is built in a suburb neighborhood full of families so it can be crowded.

Not the biggest park but adequate for a few hours. lots of parking. There are several trees for…read moreshade, the bathrooms are clean and a covered area to eat lunch in the shade at picnic tables.

Great day park for hiking, Horseback riding Fat tire or Mountain biking. Nice spot for a romantic…read morepicnic. Beautiful nature scenery for photographs. Be aware wildlife sighting of blackbear and large mouse . If you're lucky you may stumble onto a moose horn. Parking and rest room at the entrance. ( remember what you pack in / pack out).

From the owner: Open from May 1st to September 20th. There are over 440 acres of hiking, mountain biking,…read moreEquestrian trails, cedar groves that are over 200 years old, 18 hole Disc Golf (basket course). All Par 3. While the men are off playing disc golf, the wife and kids can relax at the campsite.

Was great I recommend it. It was snowing a little an it wasn't many dogs but it's safe and clean…read more Love it

The best dog park in Northern Idaho by far!…read more What it has going for it: - large and small dog areas - dog drinking fountain in each area (human drinking fountain in large dog area) - great fencing, entry areas & gates - plenty of seating - lights so you can take your dog when it gets dark - plenty of parking right next to dog park - canopy in both runs - some obstacles in large dog run - poop bags provided - concrete walkway (no mud when it rains or during snow melt) - pea gravel ground cover (no mud when it rains or during snow melt) - bathrooms for humans right next door - vet across the street (in case of an emergency) What it has going against it: - it could use more shade The town of Ponderay did a great job with this dog park. It hits every mark that makes a dog park...great. If you check out my the reviews I have done been to over 175 dog parks through out the years, so I have seen the worst and some really great ones. This dog park is easily in my top 10 of all the dog parks I have been to. Kudos to Ponderay for doing it right (better late than never), now it is up to its citizens that use it, to keep it great.

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.