Glassy blue lake water backed by dark cedar-and-hemlock forest rising to a granite Selkirk peak at first light, the Idaho Panhandle, illustrative render in the series style
Trekkr Trail Journal · No. 024 · Idaho Panhandle

Priest Lake& the Selkirks — The Complete Field Guide

The narrow neck of Idaho holds three of its biggest lakes — Coeur d'Alene, Pend Oreille and Priest — cradled in old cedar-and-hemlock forest under one sharp granite spine, the Selkirk Crest. You can paddle glassy water in the morning, stand under 600-to-2,000-year-old cedars at midday, and camp beneath alpine granite at night. This issue is about water at every elevation, and how to reach it honestly — what's open when, which roads are rough, and what we could not confirm.

Idaho · USA Priest Lake Lake Pend Oreille · Sandpoint Coeur d'Alene The Selkirk Crest
3Of Idaho's largest lakes in one region
1.66 miThe pitch-black Taft Tunnel on the Hiawatha
Jul–OctThe Selkirk alpine season
2,000Years — the oldest cedars at Roosevelt Grove
Conditions verified 19 July 2026 · A short alpine season, snow-gated rail-trails, and big cold lakes · This block goes stale — the links don't

The season, not the closure, is what governs this trip

The rest of this journal is evergreen; this box is not. Everything below is dated to the day we checked it, and the most perishable items here — the Hiawatha shuttle dates, the alpine snow, the rough forest roads, one Corps campground's status — change faster than any printed guide. Trust the live sources, not our date stamp.

  • The Route of the Hiawatha is shuttle-gated — roughly late May to mid-SeptemberThe 15-mile rail-trail is snow-gated and depends on its shuttle. The 2025 season ran shuttles daily 23 May – 21 September; 2026 is advertised at about 22 May – 20 September, 8:30am–5pm. Lights are mandatory — the 1.66-mile St. Paul Pass (Taft) Tunnel is pitch black and cold — and a trail pass is required. Dates and rates shift year to year; confirm on ridethehiawatha.com before you drive to the East Portal (§05).
  • The Selkirk alpine lakes run roughly July to OctoberRoman Nose, Beehive and Harrison Lake all sit above 7,000 ft under granite peaks. Snow lingers on north aspects into July, the access roads (Pack River, Deep Creek / FS 402) are rough and often need 4WD or high clearance, and parts of the area carry a motorized closure roughly 1 April – 15 November. Don't send a low-clearance vehicle up the last miles without a fresh road check (§04).
  • Springy Point (Corps) was closed for 2025 — its 2026 status is unconfirmedThe Army Corps of Engineers campground at Springy Point on Lake Pend Oreille was closed for the 2025 season for staffing reasons. We could not confirm whether it reopens in 2026, so it is not in our data set and not in the camping table (§07). If you were counting on it, verify with the Corps' Albeni Falls project before you rely on it.
  • These are big, deep, cold lakes — respect the boating weatherPend Oreille is Idaho's largest and deepest lake and Priest is nearly 19 miles long; both can go from glass to whitecaps in an afternoon. Paddle early and stick to sheltered bays (Owens Bay at Sam Owen, Garfield Bay, the Indian Creek shore on Priest), and treat the open water as something that turns fast. The Thoroughfare paddle to Upper Priest is a morning objective for exactly this reason (§02).
  • Idaho state parks charge a Motor Vehicle Entrance Fee on top of the site feePriest Lake, Farragut and Round Lake are Idaho state parks: expect an MVEF (roughly $7/vehicle — verify) in addition to the nightly camping fee. Indian Creek, the Farragut campgrounds and Round Lake stay open year-round with water off in winter; most other units are seasonal. Nightly fees below are largely secondary and flagged — confirm on the booking page (§07).
Live sources · Route of the Hiawatha — schedule & shuttle · Idaho Panhandle National Forests — alerts & roads · Idaho Parks & Recreation · Recreation.gov reservations
In an emergency, 911. This box was true at press and will not stay true — the sources above are the truth on the day you travel.
01 / THE HOOK

Big water, deep forest, one granite spine

Most people picture Idaho as sagebrush and river canyons. The Panhandle is the opposite: it's the wettest, greenest, most lake-heavy corner of the state, where inland-maritime forest grows cedars the size of grain silos and the only true alpine is a single sawtooth range. The whole region reads as one idea — water at every elevation — and once you see it that way, the trip plans itself.

A layered North Idaho landscape: a broad blue lake in the foreground, dense conifer forest in the middle, and a granite ridgeline catching light behind, illustrative render in the series style
Water at every elevation. From the 1,150-ft trench of Lake Pend Oreille up to the glacial tarns of the Selkirk Crest — knitted together by two of the best rail-trails in the United States.

The three big lakes

Lake Pend Oreille is Idaho's largest and deepest — a glacial trench roughly 1,150 ft deep — with Sandpoint and Schweitzer on its north shore. Priest Lake (~19 mi long) and its roadless upper twin sit under the Selkirks. Lake Coeur d'Alene anchors the south, ringed by shoreline trails and rail-trail.

The one alpine range

The Selkirk Crest is the only true alpine in the Panhandle: granite, subalpine larch, mountain goats, and the last grizzly and mountain-caribou recovery country in the lower 48. Its lakes and the spire of Chimney Rock are the region's high objectives — and its climbing is real, not metaphorical (§04).

The forest showpiece

This is old-growth cedar country. Settlers Grove and the Roosevelt Grove of Ancient Cedars hold trees up to 12 ft in diameter and as much as 2,000 years old — sub-mile walks that put you under something older than most cathedrals (§06).

Three cautions worth carrying from the first mile This is beautiful, benign-looking country with three specific edges. Chimney Rock is not a hike — the summit is technical climbing only (§04). This is grizzly and black-bear country in the Selkirks and the cedar forests; bear boxes are provided at some alpine lakes, but food discipline is on you. And the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes runs over a capped mining-contamination corridor — legacy heavy metals are in the off-trail soils, so stay on the pavement and wash up (§05). None of it should stop you; all of it should shape how you move.
02 / PRIEST LAKE

The Thoroughfare, and a paddle to a roadless lake

Priest Lake is the quiet marquee of the Panhandle: nearly nineteen miles of cold, clear water under the Selkirks, with sandy state-park beaches on the east shore and a signature paddle that ends somewhere no road reaches. It is the reason many people come, and it rewards an early start.

A canoe crossing a narrow, glassy forest channel between two lakes with cedar banks and granite peaks beyond, the Thoroughfare to Upper Priest Lake, illustrative render in the series style
The Thoroughfare. A roughly 2-mile navigable channel joins Priest Lake to roadless Upper Priest Lake — the classic flatwater canoe, kayak and SUP objective of the region. Go early: afternoon wind builds on the main lake.

Paddle up to Upper Priest Lake

From the north end of Priest Lake, you paddle the ~2-mile Thoroughfare into Upper Priest Lake (48.78492, -116.88899), a smaller lake with no road access, ringed by cedar forest. It's premier flatwater — canoe, kayak or SUP — but the water is cold and the main lake's afternoon wind is the hazard. Go in the morning and get back before the wind builds.

The closest put-ins are the north-end national-forest campgrounds — Beaver Creek and Reeder Bay (§07). Motorized restrictions apply on the upper lake in places; check current rules.

Flatwater · morning objectiveCold, clear, wind-prone by afternoon

The east-shore beach base

Priest Lake State Park – Indian Creek Unit (48.61131, -116.83132), ~12 mi north of Coolin, is a sandy family swim beach with a boat launch and paddling access — the natural springboard for the north lake and the Thoroughfare. Cold, clear water; the same afternoon-wind rule applies.

Rentals on the lake: Elkins Resort and Lake Escapes (Nordman), Priest Lake Marina and Crown Jewel Rentals (Coolin) — canoes, kayaks, SUPs and powerboats (§08).

⚠️ Upper Priest coordinate is a medium-confidence OSM/Nominatim value; the paddle's season and any fees were not pinned to a primary page — verify.

A slender granite tower rising from a forested Selkirk ridge against a hard blue sky, Chimney Rock, illustrative render in the series style

Chimney Rock — the view, not the summit

Chimney Rock is the 7,124-ft granite tower on the Selkirk Crest — "the lightning rod of North Idaho," visible across Priest Lake. It's the photo that sells the region. But be clear: this is not a walk-up. Even the easiest line — the West Face, graded II 5.3 — is technical rock climbing that needs a rope and the skills to use it.

For hikers, treat it as a viewpoint and photo objective reached via the Selkirk Crest approaches near Mount Roothaan, and treat the summit as climbers-only. Grizzly and black-bear country; the alpine is snow-bound into July.

⚠️ The 48.62, -116.70 coordinate is a coarse 2-decimal Wikipedia value (low confidence) — a summit location, not a trailhead.

03 / PEND OREILLE & SANDPOINT

Idaho's deepest lake, a mountain town, and a lift to the ridge

Lake Pend Oreille is the giant of the region — the largest and deepest lake in Idaho, a glacial trench over a thousand feet deep — and Sandpoint sits on its north shore with Schweitzer's ski runs rising straight behind town. In summer, the lake is for careful paddling in sheltered bays and the mountain is a lift-served ridge of views and bike trails.

A vast deep-blue mountain lake seen from a forested ridge, a small town on the far shore and higher peaks beyond, Lake Pend Oreille from Schweitzer, illustrative render in the series style
Lake Pend Oreille. Idaho's largest and deepest lake — roughly 1,150 ft to the bottom. Huge and cold; it can get rough fast, so sheltered bays are the safe paddling.

Schweitzer in summer

The 6,400-ft resort peak (~11 mi NW of Sandpoint) runs summer operations roughly late June to Labor Day. Ride the scenic Great Escape Quad to the summit for Lake Pend Oreille and Selkirk views, then choose from 20+ mi of hiking and 40+ mi of lift and cross-country mountain-bike trails (e-bikes on designated trails). Rentals and guiding are on-site.

⚠️ Scenic-lift and bike-park ticket prices vary — verify on schweitzer.com. Summer dates shift year to year.

Paddling Pend Oreille — safely

This is a big, deep lake that can turn rough in an afternoon. The safe paddling is the sheltered bays — Owens Bay at Sam Owen, Garfield Bay, and Sandpoint's City Beach — not the open water. Rentals in Sandpoint: Action Water Sports (20+ years on the lake, plus a Hope location) and A Day on the Lake, which delivers (§08).

East of town, the Pend Oreille Scenic Byway (Hwy 200) hugs the north shore through the historic village of Hope (48.2481, -116.3031) — pullouts, island views, and access to the east-shore bays and Sam Owen.

04 / THE SELKIRK CREST

Granite tarns, a July-to-October window, and rough roads

If the lakes are the easy half of this region, the Selkirks are the earned half. Three alpine lakes sit in granite basins under 7,000-plus-foot peaks, and each rewards you with clear water, larch and a real chance at goats — after a rough drive and a snow-dependent season. This is where the Panhandle turns into a mountain trip.

A clear alpine tarn in a granite amphitheatre with scattered larch and a rocky peak above, the Selkirk Crest, illustrative render in the series style
The Selkirk alpine. Granite amphitheatres holding cold tarns under peaks like Roman Nose, Harrison and Chimney Rock — snow-bound into July, and reached by rough, high-clearance roads.
Alpine objectiveDistanceGainEffortThe catch
Roman Nose Lakes~4 mi RT to lakes~760 ft ⚠️ Moderate Three tarns under 7,260-ft Roman Nose. Short accessible option to the lakes; scramble to the peak for full Crest views. ~1.5 hr NW of Sandpoint via Deep Creek / FS 402 (rough)
Beehive Lakes~7.2 mi RT~2,040 ft Hard Steep climb into a granite basin at ~6,460 ft. Trailhead off Pack River Rd — 4WD advised for the final approach; watch for cairns on the upper granite
Harrison Lake (#217)~2.5 mi one way~1,450 ft Moderate Granite-amphitheatre lake under 7,292-ft Harrison Peak. Backcountry campsites + bear box at the lake; motorized closure Apr 1–Nov 15. Last ~10 mi of Pack River Rd is rough
Chimney RockClimbers-only summit Technical 🔴 Not a hike. 7,124-ft tower; easiest line West Face II 5.3. A viewpoint/photo objective for hikers via approaches near Mount Roothaan (§02)

Distances and gains are from published trail data (Inland NW Routes, Stuck in North Idaho, IPNF trailhead pages) and are medium-confidence; the Roman Nose figures in particular vary by source and route, so we mark the gain ⚠️. Coordinates: Roman Nose ~48.628, -116.593; Beehive 48.64925, -116.62364; Harrison 48.66594, -116.62722.

🔴 The alpine reality — read this before you drive the last miles All three high routes are snow-bound into early July, the access roads (Pack River, Snow Creek, Deep Creek / FS 402) are rough, often 4WD or high-clearance, and snow-gated in the off-season, and parts of the range carry a motorized closure roughly 1 April – 15 November. This is grizzly and black-bear country — Harrison Lake provides a bear box, so use it; carry your own food storage everywhere else. Check current Idaho Panhandle National Forest road and fire status before you commit a vehicle to the final approach, because turning a low-clearance rig around on a rough forest road is its own small emergency.
05 / THE RAIL-TRAILS

The Hiawatha's tunnels and 73 paved miles along the water

The Panhandle holds two of the best rail-trails in the country, and they're opposite experiences. One is a gravity-fed descent through a mile-plus tunnel and over sky-high trestles, gated by season and served by a shuttle. The other is 73 flat, paved miles you can pick up anywhere and ride as far as you like. Both are logistics puzzles worth solving.

Cyclists riding out of a dark rail tunnel onto a high curving trestle above a forested valley, the Route of the Hiawatha, illustrative render in the series style
The Route of the Hiawatha. 15 miles of former Milwaukee Road railbed — 10 tunnels, 7 high trestles — beginning in the pitch-black, cold 1.66-mile St. Paul Pass (Taft) Tunnel. Lights mandatory.

Route of the Hiawatha — the logistics

A 15-mile, mostly-downhill railbed with 10 tunnels and 7 high trestles, starting through the 1.66-mile Taft Tunnel. A paid shuttle carries you from the bottom (Pearson) back up to the East Portal so the whole ride is downhill.

  • Lights are mandatory — the Taft Tunnel is pitch black and cold; an 800-lumen light is the standard
  • Trail pass required; the shuttle is included free with a pass on weekends/holidays
  • East Portal (Taft) trailhead is in Montana — I-90 Exit 5, then ~2 mi up FR 506 (Rainy Creek Rd); ~4,150 ft
  • Bike, e-bike, helmet and light rentals at Lookout Pass (I-90 Exit 0) and in Kellogg (§08)

⚠️ 2026 dates advertised ~22 May – 20 Sept, 8:30am–5pm; 2025 shuttle ~$16 adult / $12 child weekdays. Treat both as prior-year/advertised — verify on ridethehiawatha.com.

Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes — 73 paved miles

A 73-mile fully paved rail-trail from Plummer (west) to Mullan (east), running the Silver Valley, the Coeur d'Alene River chain lakes and the south shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene — 20 trailheads, 20 waysides, flat and family-friendly. The prettiest stretch is the lateral-lakes run around Harrison (waterfront trailhead, 47.4543, -116.7860). Managed by Idaho Parks & Recreation.

🔴 Stay on the pavement. The trail is built over a capped mining-contamination corridor created with the Coeur d'Alene Tribe — off-trail soils carry legacy heavy metals, so don't dig in bank soils, and wash up after. Shuttles and rentals via The Cycle Haus (Kellogg) and Excelsior Cycle (§08).

06 / THE ANCIENT CEDARS

Two groves, and trees older than most nations

The Panhandle's inland-maritime climate grows western red cedar to a scale you don't expect this far from the coast. Two protected groves let you walk among the oldest of them on short, gentle interpretive loops — the kind of stop that resets a trip, reachable at the end of a rough forest road.

A sub-mile boardwalk winding between massive ancient cedar trunks in deep green old-growth forest, illustrative render in the series style
Old-growth cedar. Trees to 12 ft in diameter and as much as 2,000 years old — reached by short interpretive loops at the end of forest roads that are rough but worth it.

Settlers Grove of Ancient Cedars

The only old-growth cedar botanical area in the Coeur d'Alene River district (established 1970), near Murray/Prichard. A sub-mile interpretive loop among cedars up to 7 ft in diameter and 600+ years old (trailhead 47.7094, -115.8267). Easy walking once you're there.

Access via FH9 to Eagle, then FR152/FR805 — rough forest roads. CdA River Ranger District 208-769-3000. Season not pinned to a primary page — verify.

Roosevelt Grove & Granite Falls

800-to-2,000-year-old cedars up to 12 ft in diameter, paired with the two-tier Granite Falls, near the Idaho–Washington line north of Priest Lake. A short spur reaches the lower falls; a ~1-mile loop climbs to vista points and the upper grove. About 13 mi N of Nordman on FR 302 (the extension of Hwy 57).

⚠️ The ~48.767, -117.065 coordinate is derived from published DMS and is approximate (low confidence) — verify on site. FR 302 is snow-gated/unmaintained in winter.

07 / THE CAMPING STRATEGY

State parks, the national forest, the Corps — pick your base

There is no single hub campground here; the region is a string of lakes, so where you camp decides which lake you get. Think in three tiers — Idaho state parks, Idaho Panhandle National Forest sites, and an Army Corps park — plus one full-hookup private option in Coeur d'Alene. Most nightly fees below are secondary or unreconciled, and every Idaho state park adds a vehicle entrance fee on top.

A camp among tall cedars on a lakeshore at dusk, a rig and awning with still water and a dark ridge beyond, Idaho Panhandle campsite, illustrative render in the series style
The Panhandle's beds. From sandy state-park beaches on Priest Lake to shaded cedar loops on the national forest and a full-hookup RV park on the Spokane River — one for every kind of rig.

Idaho state parks — the reliable, year-round core

CampgroundWhereSitesHookupsSeasonFee (verify) + MVEF
Priest Lake SP — Indian CreekEast shore, Priest Lake93 (+6 cabins)water/electric/sewer (some)Year-round (water off winter)$12 std / $16 W-E / $18 full ⚠️
Priest Lake SP — LionheadNorth end, Priest Lake47NoneMay 1 – Sept 30$9 std ⚠️
Priest Lake SP — Dickensheet4 mi S of Coolin, Priest River11 primitiveNoneMay 1 – Sept 30primitive fee ⚠️ · no drinking water
Farragut SP — WhitetailS tip, Lake Pend Oreille~61 ⚠️NoneYear-round~$27/night ⚠️
Farragut SP — SnowberryS tip, Lake Pend Oreille44water, electricYear-round~$37/night W-E ⚠️
Round Lake SPNear Sagle (rigs to ~24 ft)51 (35 std / 16 W-E)water, electricReserve May 19 – Sept 4; FCFS year-round$21 std / $29 W-E

All Idaho state parks add a Motor Vehicle Entrance Fee (~$7/vehicle — verify) on top of the nightly fee. Booking via parksandrecreation.idaho.gov. Fee and site-count figures marked ⚠️ are secondary and should be confirmed at booking.

National forest, Corps & private — the rest of the string

CampgroundOperatorOnSitesHookupsNotes / fee (verify)
Reeder BayUSFS (IPNF)Priest Lake (E shore)24NoneThoroughfare paddle put-in; shaded cedar/fir. Season & fee ⚠️
Beaver CreekUSFS (IPNF)Priest Lake (NW shore)~42NoneClosest put-in for the Thoroughfare; a group site to 35. Fee ⚠️
Luby BayUSFS (IPNF)Priest Lake (W shore)—NoneUpper/lower loops; lower Luby has waterfront sites. Fee ⚠️
OutletUSFS (IPNF)Priest Lake (SW shore)—NoneAt the Priest River headwaters; Selkirk views. Fee ⚠️
Sam OwenUSFS (IPNF)Lake Pend Oreille (E)82NoneOwens Bay swim beach; accessible Sam Owen trail. ~$20–$22/night ⚠️ · mid-May–late Sept
Bell BayUSFS (IPNF)Lake Coeur d'Alene (SE)16 (+group)NoneN of Harrison; shoreline trail, day-use docks, swimming. Fee ⚠️
HoneysuckleUSFS (IPNF)Coeur d'Alene River7NoneSmall, fills fast; hand-pump well, vault toilets. ~$20–$24/night
Riley CreekArmy Corps (Albeni Falls)Pend Oreille River, Laclede67water, electricLargest Albeni Falls site; boat ramp, showers, dump. $24/night · May–Sept
Blackwell Island RV ParkPrivateSpokane R. / Lake CdA182Full140+ pull-throughs, 20/30/50 amp, dump, beach, near downtown CdA. Rates ⚠️
🔴 Springy Point (Corps) — not in this table, and here's why The Army Corps of Engineers campground at Springy Point on Lake Pend Oreille was closed for the entire 2025 season due to limited staffing. We could not confirm whether it reopens for 2026, so we deliberately left it out of the data set rather than list a campground you might drive to and find gated. If it's on your plan, verify directly with the Corps' Albeni Falls project before you rely on it. The Riley Creek option above is the reliable Corps campground on this water in the meantime.
Practical read for a rig For Priest Lake paddling, base at Beaver Creek or Reeder Bay (the Thoroughfare put-ins) or Indian Creek's beach. For Pend Oreille and the Selkirks, Farragut's Snowberry (water/electric, year-round) or Sam Owen put you closest, with Round Lake a quiet fallback near Sandpoint. For the rail-trails and Coeur d'Alene, Bell Bay and Honeysuckle sit near the Trail of the CdA, and Blackwell Island is the only full-hookup option in the cluster if you need to plug in. Note the size limits: Round Lake takes rigs only to ~24 ft, and several NF loops are small — check the booking page before you tow anything long up a forest road.
08 / RENTALS & OUTFITTERS

Where to rent a boat, a board, or a bike

You don't have to haul your own hull or a set of tunnel lights. Every lake has paddle and boat rentals, and both rail-trails have shops that rent bikes and run shuttles. These are directory listings compiled from each business's public website — most are unclaimed, so contact details are withheld until the owner claims them; confirm hours and rates directly before you count on anything.

Priest Lake — paddle & boat

  • Elkins Resort (Nordman) — canoe, kayak, SUP + powerboats; a paddle base for the north lake
  • Priest Lake Marina (Coolin) — daily/weekly boat & kayak rentals, June–September
  • Crown Jewel Rentals (Coolin) — ski boats, pontoons, waverunners
  • Lake Escapes (Nordman) — boats for the Priest Lake area, with delivery

Pend Oreille & Coeur d'Alene

  • Action Water Sports (Sandpoint + Hope) — boats, jet skis, kayaks, SUPs, lessons
  • A Day on the Lake (Sandpoint) — ski boats, pontoons, Sea-Doos, SUPs, with delivery
  • ROW Adventures (Coeur d'Alene) — guided/self-guided kayak, SUP, rafting, biking, fly fishing
  • Kayak Coeur d'Alene & Coeur d'Alene Adventures — kayak & SUP rentals on Lake CdA

The rail-trails — bikes & shuttles

  • Lookout Pass Ski & Rec (I-90 Exit 0) — Hiawatha basecamp: bike, e-bike, helmet & light rentals, trail passes, food
  • The Cycle Haus (Kellogg) — bike/e-bike rentals, 800-lumen lights, shuttles for the Hiawatha & Trail of the CdA
  • Excelsior Cycle (Kellogg) — bike rentals near both trails; repairs
How to read these listings Each of these is an unclaimed directory listing compiled from the business's own public website — phone numbers, emails and addresses are withheld until the owner claims the listing. That means we're pointing you at who exists and what they rent, not guaranteeing a price, an opening date or a phone that rings. Confirm directly before you build a day around a rental — especially the Hiawatha bike-and-light packages, which sell out on busy weekends, and the Priest Lake paddle rentals, which are seasonal.
09 / SEASONS, WATER & SAFETY

Cold water, bears, rough roads, and one contaminated corridor

The Panhandle's hazards aren't dramatic, they're specific — and most of them come down to the same thing that makes it beautiful: big cold water, a short mountain season, and a lot of remote forest road. Here's the honest safety picture, so nothing about the place catches you out.

The seasons, lake by lake

  • Lakes & beaches: June–September; the sheltered bays warm to the mid-60s–low-70s °F by late summer
  • Selkirk alpine: roughly July–October; snow lingers on north aspects into July, roads rough
  • Route of the Hiawatha: ~late May–late September, shuttle-gated and snow-dependent
  • Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes: paved and rideable spring–fall; snow-covered in winter
  • State-park camping: Indian Creek, the Farragut sites and Round Lake are year-round (water off in winter); most others May–September

The four edges to respect

  • 🔴 Big cold lakes. Pend Oreille and Priest turn rough fast; paddle early, wear flotation, stick to sheltered bays
  • 🔴 Bears. Grizzly and black bear in the Selkirks and cedar country; use the Harrison Lake bear box and store food everywhere
  • 🔴 Legacy mining contamination along the Coeur d'Alene River / Trail of the CdA — stay on pavement, don't dig in bank soils, wash up
  • Rough access roads. Pack River, Snow Creek, Reeder Bay, FR 302/805 are rough, often 4WD, and snow-gated — verify before committing a vehicle
Cold water · bearsStay on the pavementVerify forest-road status
Chimney Rock, one more time — because people try it It is the region's most photogenic summit and it is not a hiking objective. The easiest route is graded II 5.3 — technical rock climbing. If you're not a roped climber, enjoy it as a viewpoint from the Selkirk Crest approaches and leave the tower to people with the gear and skills. A scramble attempt on that granite in bear country, far from any signal, is exactly the kind of decision this guide exists to talk you out of.
10 / QUICK ANSWERS

Asked at every Panhandle trailhead

Can you paddle to Upper Priest Lake, and how hard is it?
Yes — it's the marquee flatwater paddle of the Panhandle. From the north end of Priest Lake you paddle the ~2-mile Thoroughfare into roadless Upper Priest Lake, a smaller lake ringed by cedar forest. The water is cold and clear, and the move is to go early — afternoon wind builds fast on the main lake and can turn an easy morning into a hard slog back. The closest put-ins are the north-end national-forest campgrounds, Beaver Creek and Reeder Bay. Motorized restrictions apply on the upper lake in places, so check current rules. Rentals are on the lake at Elkins Resort, Priest Lake Marina, Crown Jewel Rentals and Lake Escapes — unclaimed directory listings, so confirm hours and rates directly.
When is the Route of the Hiawatha open, and what do I need?
It's a 15-mile former railbed with 10 tunnels and 7 high trestles, starting through the pitch-black, cold 1.66-mile Taft Tunnel. It's snow-gated and shuttle-supported: 2025 ran shuttles daily 23 May – 21 Sept, and 2026 is advertised at about 22 May – 20 Sept, 8:30am–5pm — verify current dates. Lights are mandatory, a trail pass is required, and a paid shuttle carries you from the bottom back up so the whole ride is downhill. The 2025 shuttle rate was ~$16 adult / $12 child on weekdays (free with a pass on weekends/holidays) — treat as prior-year. Rentals at Lookout Pass (I-90 Exit 0) and in Kellogg (The Cycle Haus, Excelsior Cycle). The East Portal trailhead is in Montana at I-90 Exit 5, then ~2 mi up FR 506.
Is Chimney Rock a hike?
No. Chimney Rock is a 7,124-ft granite tower on the Selkirk Crest — visible across Priest Lake — but it's a climbers' landmark, not a walk-up. Even the easiest line, the West Face at II 5.3, is technical rock climbing needing a rope and the skills to use it. For hikers it's a viewpoint and photo objective reached via the Selkirk Crest approaches near Mount Roothaan; treat the summit itself as climbers-only. The whole range is grizzly and black-bear country, the access is rough and high-clearance, and the alpine is snow-bound into July.
When are the Selkirk alpine lakes accessible?
Roughly July through October. The high routes — Roman Nose, Beehive and Harrison Lake (#217) — sit under granite peaks above 7,000 ft, and snow lingers on north aspects into July. The access roads (Pack River, Deep Creek / FS 402) are rough, often need 4WD or high clearance, and are snow-gated off-season; parts of the area carry a motorized closure ~April 1–November 15. Harrison Lake has backcountry campsites and a bear box at the lake. Go prepared for cold water, bears and a rough drive, and check current road status before committing a low-clearance vehicle to the last miles.
Where should I camp?
Three tiers. State parks: Priest Lake SP (Indian Creek, Lionhead, Dickensheet units), Farragut SP at the south tip of Pend Oreille (Whitetail, Snowberry), and Round Lake SP near Sagle — Idaho state parks add a Motor Vehicle Entrance Fee, and Indian Creek, the Farragut sites and Round Lake stay open year-round (water off in winter). National forest: Priest Lake ring (Reeder Bay, Luby Bay, Beaver Creek, Outlet), Sam Owen on Pend Oreille, Bell Bay on Lake CdA, and small Honeysuckle on the CdA River — mostly reservable on Recreation.gov, summer season. Plus the Corps' Riley Creek near Laclede and the full-hookup private Blackwell Island RV Park in CdA. One caution: Springy Point (Corps) was closed for 2025 and its 2026 status is unconfirmed — verify before relying on it. Most nightly fees are secondary and flagged "verify."
Is the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes safe to ride with kids?
Yes — it's 73 flat, fully paved miles, one of the most family-friendly rail-trails anywhere, with 20 trailheads so you can ride any short section. The one real rule is stay on the pavement: the trail was built over a capped mining-contamination corridor with the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, and off-trail soils carry legacy heavy metals — so don't picnic in bank dirt, don't dig, and wash up after. The prettiest, most kid-friendly stretch is the lateral-lakes run around Harrison. Shuttles and rentals via The Cycle Haus (Kellogg) and Excelsior Cycle.
11 / WHAT WE COULD NOT CONFIRM

The honest gaps, all in one place

Every guide has these. Most don't print them. This is the consolidated list of what we could not stand up, what we deliberately withheld, and where the softer numbers come from — because on a trip with this much rough forest road and cold water, a confident wrong number costs more than an admitted gap.

Things we deliberately did NOT state as fact — and why No firm 2026 Hiawatha dates or rates. We print the advertised ~22 May – 20 Sept window and the 2025 shuttle rates, flagged as prior-year — the schedule page is the authority. No confident Chimney Rock trailhead. The coordinate we hold is a coarse 2-decimal summit value; we send hikers to the viewpoint, not a route. No Roosevelt Grove precise location. Its coordinate is derived from published DMS and is approximate — verify on site. No Springy Point listing. It was closed for 2025 and its 2026 status is unconfirmed, so it's out of the data set entirely. Most campground nightly fees are secondary/unreconciled and marked "verify"; Idaho state-park MVEF is an estimate. No invented alpine gains — where trail data disagrees (Roman Nose especially) we flag it rather than pick a number.
Why this section exists Anyone can write a guide that sounds certain. The hard part is knowing which of your numbers are real — and for a region this spread out, with rough forest roads and season-dependent access, a surprising number are soft: a shuttle schedule that moves each year, a grove coordinate derived from old survey data, a campground the Corps may or may not reopen. The "verify" is the product. If you're at a rough junction with no signal, "the Forest Service road status is the authority — check it before you commit the vehicle" is a usable instruction. A confident wrong number is not.
🔒

The printable field guide

Everything above, condensed into a print-ready PDF built for the glovebox — for a region where the cell dies on the forest roads, the alpine season is short, and the best paddle ends somewhere no road reaches. The Thoroughfare paddle to roadless Upper Priest, the Hiawatha's tunnel-and-trestle logistics, the three Selkirk alpine lakes and their rough-road catches, the two ancient-cedar groves, the full camping strategy across state parks, national forest and the Corps, the paddle and bike rentals, and the honest list of what nobody could confirm — on paper that works where the signal doesn't.

The Thoroughfare paddle Hiawatha & Trail of the CdA logistics The Selkirk alpine lakes Ancient cedars The camping strategy Rentals & outfitters Cold water, bears & rough roads
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Trail Journal No. 024

Go farther. Camp lighter.
Leave it better.

Every Trekkr Trail Journal is built like this one: custom logistics, honest trail beta, the camping and access detail, kit lists and the local knowledge that turns a good trip into the one your crew talks about for years — including, always, a plain list of what we could not confirm. New destinations drop all season long, from the BC corridors to the Oregon Cascades to the Idaho Panhandle.

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