The Idaho Panhandle National Forests was assembled from the Coeur d’Alene, Kaniksu and St. Joe National Forests. The area includes portions of Idaho’s most scenic mountain ranges — the Selkirk, Cabinet, Coeur d’Alene and Bitterroot Mountains, as well as the wild and scenic St. Joe River. The big waters of Pend Oreille, Coeur d’Alene and Priest Lakes, set against lush evergreen mountains, make up Idaho’s northern region. When the glaciers of the last great ice age melted, they left a wonderland of lakes, mountains, rivers and fertile valleys. The Idaho Panhandle National Forests comprise about 2.5 million acres of public lands which lie within “the panhandle” of northern Idaho and extend into eastern Washington and western Montana
The Idaho Panhandle National Forests are an aggregation of the Coeur d’Alene and portions of the Kaniksu and St. Joe National Forests. There are eight local points of contact including the Supervisor’s Office, six district offices and the Coeur d’Alene Tree Nursery. The Forest is within nine counties in three states: Boundary, Bonner, Benewah, Kootenai, Shoshone, Latah and Clearwater Counties in Idaho; Lincoln County in Montana; and Pend Oreille County in Washington.
Some 300 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the forest is in the east-central part of the Columbia Plateau, between the Cascade Mountains to the west and the Bitteroot Mountains to the east.
Recreation
The Idaho Panhandle National Forests offer a wide variety of year round recreation opportunities. Summer offers camping, fishing, rafting, boating, sailing, canoeing, hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, mountain biking. In winter, there are hundreds of miles of groomed trails beckoning nordic skiers and snowmobilers. Alpine skiers find runs for beginners and experts alike at the many regional ski resorts.
Traveler Facts
Contact Information
Idaho Panhandle National Forests
3815 Schreiber Way
Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815-8363
Phone: 208-765-7223
Fax: 208-765-7307
Weather/Climate
The weather in the Idaho Panhandle National Forests varies tremendously with location and elevation. Summers tend to bring clear days, with afternoon thunderstorms possible. Daytime highs are normally warm to moderate, with relatively cool to cold nights, depending on elevation. Winter can bring cold temperatures with heavy snows, especially at the high elevations. Sunny days are common between winter storms.
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