Adventure Travel Photography Blog
For my first hike in Eureka, Montana, I decided on Bluebird Lake via the Highline Trail in the Kootenai National Forest. As with many of the hikes in Idaho that I completed the last few weeks, the 7-mile roundtrip to Bluebird Lake is also a two for one experience, with Paradise Lake being on the way. It’s a good thing, especially since the drive on both paved and rocky roads through the Ten Lakes Scenic Area is very long. At least I spotted a doe with two babies along the way!
HAPPY HIKING!
A year ago, May, I spent 3 weeks in Idaho…mostly the bottom half of it. This July, I made it to the top half of Idaho, and spent another 3 weeks exploring. I didn’t pull out the French fries and ketchup costume for the state sign challenge, because I figure I only need to do that once, but the state sign in Idaho is easy to find!
This time while in Idaho, I visited Stanley, Wallace and Bonners Ferry. I had briefly visited Stanley (which is really central Idaho) over 11 years ago on my year long road trip around the USA, and I visited Coeur d’Alene last fall for a weekend, but beyond that I haven’t spent much time in this part of the state.
FIND OUT MORE!
Bonners Ferry is located in the northern most county of the Idaho Panhandle. With a population of 2,500, it is the county seat of Boundary County, the only county in the USA to border two states and a foreign country.
Bonners Ferry is named after Edwin Bonner who established a ferry across the Kootenai River during the late 1800s gold rush.
Today Bonners Ferry is a gateway to the Selkirk Mountains and the surrounding wilderness and is home to the largest hops fields in the world.
EXPLORE!
After my visit to Wallace, which was absolutely amazing, I continued north to Bonners Ferry. Bonners Ferry is about 30 minutes from Sandpoint and 1.5 hours from Coeur d’Alene, both popular Idaho resort towns. It is also rather close to the Canadian border, and sometimes my phone plan thought we were in Canada.
As always, when I visit small towns, my dog Annie and I check out the local trails. Bonners Ferry has many to offer. Below are a few trails in Bonners Ferry we hiked:
HAPPY HIKING!
The City of Wallace in Idaho’s panhandle might be one of the most interesting small towns I have ever visited. I later read; it is rated the Best Small Town in Idaho by Discoverer.
The City of Wallace was founded in 1886 (sort of) by Colonel R Wallace, a civil war veteran. I say sort of because Wallace and Richard Lockey bought Sioux half-breed scrip from a bank to purchase an 80-acre townsite. The scrip entitles the owner to claim unoccupied and unsurveyed public lands. Wallace filed an application to secure the townsite with the General Land Office, but the GLO denied it due to the scrip being reported as lost.
EXPLORE!
The Route of the Hiawatha was once known as one of the most scenic railways in the country. It has now been converted to rails to trails. USA Today ranks the Route of the Hiawatha in the top ten rails to trails and it is on the Rails to Trails Conservancy’s Hall of Fame list.
The trail begins on the western edge of Montana and crosses the border into Idaho. There is a sign which marks the state lines inside the first tunnel, for which it is famous. The 1.66 mile Taft Tunnel is dark, cold, and wet! The Route of the Hiawatha also travels along 7 trestles and through an additional 8 tunnels while featuring views of the Bitterroots.
While the trail passes through the National Forest, it is not free to ride, as it is operated by a private company. Tickets may be purchased at Lookout Pass Ski Area, online, or at the recommended starting trailhead a few miles up the road at the East Portal. National Parks passes do not apply.
PEDAL AWAY!
The City of Wallace is a historic mining town nestled in the Silver Valley. It is engulfed in history and surrounded by the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. As a result, it is a very interesting place to visit and affords visitors many hiking options.
Below are a few hikes near Wallace I found:
HAPPY HIKING!
Stanley, Idaho is a small town of 100 or so residents that balloons to thousands in the summertime. Stanley is located in the Sawtooth Valley surrounded by 1,000 miles of wilderness. In fact, the Sawtooth National Recreation Area is the largest recreation area in the United States! Consequently, there is a substantial amount of outdoor things to do in Stanley.
EXPLORE!
The last time I visited Stanley, Idaho was eleven years ago. I had hoped to visit last year during my three weeks in Idaho, but I was too early as it was still snowing. Considering I should have named my blog, Chasing 70 Degrees, snow is not in my future if I can help it.
Anyway, I finally arrived and spent several days camping and hiking in Stanley and and caught up with a few relatives.
HAPPY HIKING!
The Fourth of July Lake Trail is located in the Sawtooth National Forest 25 miles southeast of Stanley, Idaho. It is a little bit farther from Stanley as compared to Sawtooth Lake and hikes around Redfish Lake and Stanley Lake.
As a result, I saved if for the end of my visit, especially since it requires driving 10 miles on a dirt road. Upon reaching the road which led into a burned forest, I thought to myself, “what have I done?” Fortunately, the forest along the Fourth of July Lake Trail was mostly spared and only the drive went through charred threes.
HAPPY HIKING!