So, mountain bikers and hikers have long known how totally outrageous North Idaho is for the sports for some time. But in 2005, when the NORBA National Championship was held at Schweitzer Mountain, the rest of the world found out our little secret. There are so many great runs and trails, it is hard to quantify. However, we will try to do just that in this web. So read on my young peddler or mountain stumper, and gain the energy of North Idaho trail knowledge. North Idaho Biking is where you'll find biking trails, bicycle stuff, fat-tire mountain biking, cycling, biking tours, bike rentals, the Route of the Hiawatha, the Centennial Trail, the Rails to Trails, and biking thru dark tunnels, high trestles and along and over beautiful rivers for miles and miles! Have fun and be safe. Take your bike or rent a bike.
Priest Lake is awesome – You can get permission to leave your car at Elkin's Resort. Go North toward Beaver Creek. Shoreline trail head is 8 miles of beautiful single track one way. When in doubt, go right (opposite coming south). It's faster to come back on single track than road. Bring your camera - views are awesome, and plan to take a dip at one of the secluded beaches along the way. This is also a fantastic area for snowmobiling during winter months.
Schweitzer Mountain – Schweitzer Mountain was home to the NORBA National Championship in 2005. A phenomenal ski resort during winter, you can hop the ski lift during summer and never hit all the trails in a week.
Lookout Pass in Wallace – Take I-90 from Coeur d'Alene to Exit at the ski area, ride the railroad grade into Montana, follow to Avery. Approx 26 miles and max 2% grade. Excellent family ride (bring water!). Lookout Ski Area has maps and info on miles of great rides in the area.
Silver Mountain – Ride the gondola up the mountain for miles of trails. Rough - not recommended for light duty bikes or hybrids. Check Silver Mountain for evening events all summer to end your day.
Sandpoint has had the Long Bridge as a bike path for many years; the 2-mile long level bike ride begins on one end at the Old Power House. Now the path includes four miles on the south end in Sagle flowing gentle hills following Highway 95. On the other side a second bicycle path begins at Larch and Fifth in Sandpoint, going two miles west to Dover. Like many bike and walking paths it was built on old railroad tracks. There is another ½ mile that extends from Larch to Boyer then west E. Mountain View Drive and then down to Sand Creek, where riders can cross the Popsicle Bridge over Sand Creek. This network of bike paths was developed by North Idaho Bikeways, a group that formed in 1994. Click to see a map of the trails.
Besides the ones mentioned above, there are many, many roads and trails for bikers and hikers in and around Sandpoint, Bonner County, and North Idaho. We are surrounded by state and national forestlands in the Selkirk, Cabinet and Bitterroot mountain ranges, and there is a secret trail not far from my house that I only divulge the location to my closest friends. Since I want to keep those two secret, here are a few good ones, but if you look just a bit you can find dozens more.
The Farragut State Park trail map shows 32 miles of marked singletrack. However, if you ride all the trails (marked and unmarked) your bike computer will indicate 54 miles if you try not to ride the same trail. Some of the single track runs along the shore of Lake Pend Oreille. Be sure and pick up a trail map at the park entrance to ensure you ride all the singletracks.
Farragut State Park: North Perimeter
Four miles east of US Hwy 95 between Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint, Idaho. This ride is an intro to an area of the park most folks never see; if you go off on to any of the splits, you'll find surprises and connections to all sorts of things. Farragut is also an old (World War II-era) naval base, and to this day, nearby Bayview harbors a naval research facility; there are ample opportunities for exploring and learning about the history of this unique area. There's swimming and overnight camping, too. The trail has 3.2 miles pavement, 4.3 miles forest road/doubletrack, and 3 miles singletrack.
Farragut State Park: Northside Loop
Four miles east of US Hwy 95 between Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint, Idaho. This ride is an intro to an area of the park most folks never see; if you go off on to any of the splits, you'll find surprises and connections to all sorts of things. Farragut is also an old (World War II-era) naval base, and to this day, nearby Bayview harbors a naval research facility; there are ample opportunities for exploring and learning about the history of this unique area. There's swimming and overnight camping, too. The trail has 3.2 miles pavement, 4.3 miles forest road/doubletrack, and 3 miles singletrack.
Green Bay: Mineral Point Loop – Cool, challenging singletrack follows the shoreline of Lake Pend Oreille for much of the ride. Located 12 miles southeast of Sandpoint. Tread: 2.7 miles of gravel road, 4.3 miles of singletrack. Basically an easy ride where you can start and finish at Garfield Bay along Lake Pend Oreille, with a swimming beach, marina and dining opportunities at the Captain’s Table, or a stop during the ride at the fine, undeveloped Green Bay cobblestone beach.
Gold Hill Trail – One of Sandpoint’s most popular trails, Gold Hill lies just east of Contest Point on Bottle Bay Road, south of Sandpoint. All of the items that are hazards (switchbacks, berry vines, punji stumps) also make this one of the finest, most pure mountain bike trails. The difficulty is sustained and technical, but not impossible. It's a real climb, but never a grunt, and it's predominately singletrack, almost completely in the forest. This is a ride to work at and to perfect, for most. It can also be connected to larger loops coming down Forest Road 2642 through Garfield or Green Bay. The trail has 8.4 miles singletrack and 3.4 miles forest road.
Schweitzer Mountain trails – As mentioned above, this was home to sanctioned regional and national mountain bike races, including the NORBA National race series, Schweitzer’s great trail system has something for every level of rider. There are brutal climbs and technical rock descents, like the exhilarating Butt Slide Rock and Moffit's Edge. Intermediate rides for mortals exist too, mixing woods, ridges and crumbling granite on swooping, leisurely rides. And on almost all rides, you’ll get those big, in-your-face views of Lake Pend Oreille and surrounding mountain ranges. Below are just a few ride options; check the trail map to see more. You’ll also be able to get more local knowledge and a hard-copy map once you arrive at the mountain village, which is 11 miles from Sandpoint.