Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Sandpoint, Idaho

Get ready for an unforgettable adventure on Contest Mountain where the rugged beauty of Kaniksu National Forest meets breathtaking views of Lake Pend Oreille. This scenic route winds through dense forest and crosses into private…
Learn more about Contest Mountain- 2642

Please keep in mind this is private property and is only accessible by attending the Panhandle Overland rally and is accessible one weekend a year. So please be respectful of this private property for the…
Learn more about Panhandle Overland Rally Welcome Trail

Please keep in mind this is private property and is only accessible by attending the Panhandle Overland rally and is accessible one weekend a year. So please be respectful of this private property for the…
Learn more about Panhandle Overland Rally Scenic Loop

Great summer trail with an easy forest service road that you can do in 2WD. A little creek runs next to the trail and lots of pine trees. If you go in the winter be…
Learn more about Happy Fork

Prepare for a relaxed journey on Mineral Point (532), a short and easy trail nestled in Kaniksu National Forest. The trail's first mile passes through private property, so please be respectful and remain on the…
Learn more about Mineral Point - 532

This popular trail is a mostly graded washboard and potholes and is generally wide enough for oncoming to pass. There are ample pullouts in the narrower sections. The trail twists and turns through dense forest…
Learn more about Trestle Creek Trail

You will need to air down before the trail. There is a staging area at the beginning of this trail. In the Summer and Fall, this is an easy smooth Forest Service Road for a…
Learn more about LM 2697

This is an easy scenic route that can give you access to the 3 Sisters. The loop is very easy with any type of vehicle circling back to town on FS 297. There are great…
Learn more about 3 Sisters

Strong Creek OHV route is a moderately used, forested, shale and dirt surface OHV route from East Hope, Idaho to near the top of Round Top Mountain in the Kaniksu National Forest. The route was…
Learn more about Strong Creek OHV Route

This is a very scenic route out of Bayview. There are breathtaking views of the town and Lake Pend Oreille. The road starts as an easy fairly smooth road but after a couple of miles,…
Learn more about Cape Horn Mountain

Discover the allure of sheep-grade trail, a gravel road ascending a gentle hillside to unveil breathtaking views of Priest Lake. At the summit stands a rustic lookout tower, offering panoramic vistas of the pristine lake,…
Learn more about Sundance Mountain

The trail starts down a residential dirt road for about 3 miles. Be prepared as in the winter it will only be plowed for the 3 miles. You will drive along Priest River for most…
Learn more about Gleason McAbee 334

This is the main thoroughfare through the Pack River area of the Kaniksu National Forest. The road is chip-sealed, well maintained, and can be traversed with the family sedan. The attraction is the scenery. The…
Learn more about Pack River Cruise

The Auxor Mine Route is USFS #489 and is a moderately trafficked leisurely mountain drive route that takes you from Lightning Creek, USFS #419 west in the Cabinet Mountains to the crest above East Hope,…
Learn more about Auxor Mine Route

This long slog runs from the valley below up the grade into the mountains. There are great views around many corners of the surrounding hills and the Clark Fork River. It leads up over plenty…
Learn more about Johnson/Lakeview

This narrow trail spurs off the main road and twists and turns its way to the cliff's edge. There are some rocky sections and quite a few rutted-out sections. Here and there are small pullouts…
Learn more about Johnson's Vista Trail

This route crosses over Mt HooDoo (elevation 5,119') from Blanchard to Priest River via National Forest Road 2550. The views up here are incredible on a clear day. Mt. Hoodoo is a popular spot for…
Learn more about NF-2550 (HooDoo)

West Gold is a more challenging and much rougher route to Lakeview but the views are worth it. Shortly after the start, there is a spur that takes you to the top of Bernard Peak.…
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This popular out and back trail leads to the retired fire lookout tower at lunch peak. On a clear day, the views are outstanding. There are a few tighter switchbacks, but generally, it's an easy…
Learn more about Lunch Peak

This is a dirt road with small ruts and occasional deep ruts, clear width for large vehicles, and many off-shoot narrow trails for ATVs or dirt bikes.
Learn more about Johnson/Lakeview Rd. #278

This is a comfortably accessible dirt road suitable for 2WD vehicles. Near the trail's outset, you'll find a brief hike leading to Snow Falls, where you can witness two impressive waterfalls. As you continue along…
Learn more about Roman Nose Lake/Snow Creek

This wide easy trail travels right along the banks of the stunning Clark Fork River. You'll pass fields of hay and tons of spectacular bridges and waterways. A pit toilet double boat load is in…
Learn more about Johnson Creek

This is a two-way Forest Service Road. Great way to get to other trails fast or back to the highway. Lots of pine trees and mountain views. In the wintertime, this trail can be icy…
Learn more about Quartz Creek 416

Black Mountain is USFS road #274 and includes the road Twenty-mile Leonia which is USFS road #408;it is a moderately used gravel road in the Kaniksu National Forest near Naples, Idaho. The route has a…
Learn more about Black Mountain

This narrow, bumpy out and back trail heads into the hills and gets narrower and narrower the further you go. There aren't a lot of spots to camp, but there are plenty of opportunities to…
Learn more about Derr Point

This well-graded road will continue North from Horse Haven Airfield (a World War II training site). You will find plenty of disbursed camping in this area. The grade is easy, but with years of heavy…
Learn more about North Chilco Road

This trail just starts out of the Bunco parking lot which is large enough for trailers. The trail start working up the mountain right away. It's an easy two-way dirt road Great view of the…
Learn more about Faset Peak

This is a well-traveled and nice graded road. It's mostly wide enough for two rigs to pass without stopping until you get closer to the end, where there are ample pullouts. It's primarily a well-maintained…
Learn more about Lightning Creek

This connector trail links the upper ridge trail network to the trails below. There are plenty of tight turns and switchbacks. The occasional offshoot leads to a locked gate or a decent place to dispersed…
Learn more about Ruen Run

Crooked Ridge is a mostly maintained forest service road. As of September 2024, the trail is primarily dirt and gravel that has been grated in areas. There are some small sections where runoffs have created…
Learn more about Crooked Ridge - FS 258