Year-round Paradise: Northern Idaho's Priest Lake

By Sally O'Neal

Far north in the panhandle of Idaho lies a 23,000-acre lake of unsurpassed beauty and recreational opportunities. The scenery and variety of activities at Priest Lake have earned it the nickname of "Idaho's Crown Jewel."

Grandeur of evening sky over the lake.

Boating
Boating enthusiasts of all sorts flock to Priest Lake in the summer months to enjoy waterskiing, wakeboarding and pleasure cruising. Personal watercraft are welcome, too, -- there's plenty of room for everyone, on this relatively isolated body of water that's over 4 miles wide at its widest point and nearly 20 miles long. If you prefer boating life in the slow lane, kayakers and canoeists will enjoy the 1,300-acre Upper Lake, where tow-behind activities are prohibited, and the 2.5-mile Thorofare, the no-wake connector between the two lakes.

Hiking And Climbing
Whether you want to stroll along the family-friendly paths in the Roosevelt Grove, marveling at the 12-foot-diameter cedars, or tackle the rugged ascent to Chimney Rock, there is truly a hiking trail or a rock climbing route for every taste and ability at Priest Lake. Lakeside trails of varying lengths offer amazing views of the lake and its flora and fauna under canopies of old-growth timber.

Giant bracket fungus.

Bird, Wildlife
And Plant Viewing
Birdwatchers will be delighted with the wide array of species that make the Priest Lake area their year-round or seasonal home. Even if you don't know the difference between a wood duck and a redhead, a martin or a jay, you can delight in the droves of hummingbirds present or the majesty of the bald eagles, osprey and great blue heron. Larger fauna present include elk, moose and caribou; wolves; mountain sheep and goats; big cats including cougars and bobcats; and grizzly and black bears. Deer, raccoons, rabbits, beaver, and otters are also frequently sighted. Wildflowers are abundant in the spring and summer. Mushroomers come to Priest Lake in droves for the seasonal delights of morels, puffballs and other delicacies.

Fishing And Hunting, Too
The predominate species in Priest Lake is the Mackinaw (lake) trout. Trophy-sized specimens are not uncommon -- the Idaho record-sized Mack was caught here in 1971, weighing in at a whopping 57.5 pounds! In order to protect bull trout and cutthroat, fishing in Upper Priest Lake and Upper Priest River is catch-and-release only. Fishing is also popular in numerous streams in the immediate area.

Hunters can pursue deer, bear, game birds, and even cougar and moose under the guidelines of Idaho Fish and Game. For more information on fishing and hunting regulations, see their website at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/hunts/.

Winter Sports
Snowmobiling is well-established and well-supported around Priest Lake. Over 400 miles of groomed trails and a winter tourism infrastructure support the region's passion for this sport.

Sunrise and lakeside fire pit.

Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing on both groomed and ungroomed routes is available around the lake. The Priest Lake Golf Course is groomed for Nordic skiing. Snowshoe trails are maintained at Indian Creek Campground area and Rocky Point. Backcountry (ungroomed) trails at Coolin Mountain are delineated by GPS and afford sweeping lake views.

Getting There
You won't just "stumble across" Priest Lake -- it's not "on the way" to anywhere. The nearest metropolitan area is Spokane, Wash., which is about 90 minutes away. Wherever you're coming from, you need to find your way to the town of Priest River, Idaho, on U.S. Highway 2. In Priest River, find the one-and-only stoplight in town and turn north onto Idaho State Highway 57. The amenities of the lake begin in 20 or so miles. Private pilots can arrive by float plane -- there's plenty of water and several of the resorts have dock tie-ups and other facilities -- or take advantage of one of the two grass airstrips, the 4,600-foot Priest Lake USFS Airport maintained by the U.S. Forest Service on the west side of the lake or the 3,100-foot Cavanaugh Bay Airport at the south end.

Sally O'Neal is a Pacific Northwest native who writes weekly about the Great Outdoors for sportsmansguide.com. She has enjoyed boating, hiking, fishing, golfing, and mushrooming at Priest Lake in the summer and fall and is looking forward to exploring winter sports there.

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