A new Idaho state law, House Bill 93, has doubled day use and camping fees for all non-state residents at Idaho’s five busiest state parks, including Farragut, Priest Lake, and Round Lake State Parks in northern Idaho.

The other two state park “premium campgrounds” are Ponderosa near McCall, Idaho, and Henrys Lake in eastern Idaho, near Yellowstone National Park; however, day-use fees for these two parks are not impacted. Instead, day-use fees at Bear Lake and Hells Gate have increased. (For northern Idaho, only Heyburn State Park was not impacted.)

Non-Idaho residents will now pay $64 per RV hook-up site or $48 for tent/non-hookup site, per night, or $14 per vehicle for day use. According to a recent Idaho State Parks and Recreation press release, State Parks and Recreation Department Director Susan Buxton says, “The changes will keep Idaho competitive with surrounding states, which have similar surcharges for out-of-state guests.”

However, Idaho’s new premium rates are the most expensive in the Pacific Northwest.

Washington State Parks has one fee structure, regardless of state residency. Peak season camping rates are $27-37/per night, and the day-use fee for any park is $10 per motor vehicle (free to enter by bike or foot).

In Oregon, state park campsites cost $24-38 each, and the day-use vehicle fee is $5. Montana state parks charge $4-8 for day use and up to $34 per night of camping, with discounts for state residents.

How did House Bill 93 come about?

Representative Doug Okuniewicz—first-term Republican from Hayden, representing northern Kootenai County—proposed the bill. The “Idaho Press” reported that Okuniewicz’s personal frustration with not being able to reserve a campsite at Farragut State Park was the catalyst for his legislation.

According to a post on Okuniewicz’s official Facebook page, with the hashtag #IdahoFirst, next year he plans to introduce legislation that would raise fees for non-resident boats.

Conservative-leaning Idaho Freedom Foundation gave HB 93 a negative score. Foundation spokesperson Parrish Miller noted in a analysis report that “In the long run, if Idaho discourages out-of-state tourists, there could be negative consequences for companies that serve out-of-state tourists.”

Miller recommended that “a reservation system prioritizing Idahoans should be explored,” to increase access opportunities to Idaho residents when making campsite reservations.

Because summer campsite reservations at the five parks were already full before the law was passed, it won’t be fully known for a year whether Idaho residents will now find it easier to reserve campsites at these premium campgrounds, according to the state parks department.

However, the parks department anticipates that these new higher fees will generate an additional $1.4 million.

For more stories about recreation in Idaho, visit the OTO archives.

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Races in July at Farragut State Park will offer youth mountain bikers, ranging from 5^th grade and younger all the way up to high school, the opportunity to race with other kids from around the region.

The races include a three-night race series (July 7, 14, and 21) and a stand-alone race on the night of July 28. All races have wave starts every five minutes beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Tower’s Picnic Area at Farragut.

For the three-night race series, high school kids will complete two laps, junior high/middle school aged kids can choose from one or two laps, and grade school kids will have a yet-to-be-determined route length.

The July 28 event will serve as the Inland Northwest Youth MTB Championships with grades 11-12 and 9-10 completing two laps and grades 7-8 and 4-6 taking on one lap.

Series awards will be presented after all of the races at the July 28 event. Adult races for 18 and over are also happening each night so parents can race too.

Registration is open from 5-6 p.m. at each race. Entry fees include a barbecue dinner after the race and are $25 for 18+ or $5 for ages 17 and younger. Discounts are available at the first event for signing up for all four races. An Idaho State Parks Pass or day-use Farragut State Park Pass is also required.

Kids and parents who are interested in youth mountain bike racing should check out Kootenai Composite Mountain Bike Team in North Idaho (visit their Facebook page) or the Washington Cycling League in the Spokane area and eastern Washington.

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That’s because a new Idaho State law has doubled day use and camping fees for all non-state residents at Idaho’s five busiest state parks. In addition to Farragut, Priest Lake, and Round Lake, the other two “premium campgrounds” are at Ponderosa State Park near McCall, Idaho, and Henrys Lake State Park in eastern Idaho, near Yellowstone National Park. (An out-of-state MVEF was not applied for day-use at these other two state parks.)

Only one state park in northern Idaho, Heyburn State Park near Plummer, was not designated as a premium campground.

To stay at a designated premium campground, per-night rates for non-Idaho residents are now $48 for a basic site and $64 for a full-hookup site (electric/water for RV), with group site fees as high as $128. For all other state park campgrounds in Idaho, non-state residents must pay a $3 surcharge for campsites or $5 surcharge for a cabin or yurt rental, according to Idaho Parks and Recreation.

Idaho residents can still purchase an annual MVEF State Parks Passport for $10 per vehicle that provides unlimited day-use and boat launch access for all state parks.

Out-of-state residents can purchase an Idaho State Parks annual MVEF Pass for $80.

[Feature photo by Amy McCaffree // Beaver Bay Beach at Farragut State Park.]

For more recent OTO news stories, click here.

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Now that my kids are getting older, they are more willing to take a break from waterplay to explore park trails. And when we’re camping, it’s nice to take a morning hike (or paddle) and then head to the campground beach or dock when the sun is higher in the sky.

Also, older kids and teens need independent experiences, like venturing along a trail solo or with a friend. Nature inspires soul-searching, and anytime our kids can get more screen-free serenity and exercise, the better.

These are eight of our favorite regional lake parks that offer great hiking and swimming options for hot summer days. Please note that most parks prohibit dogs on the beach, so it’s best to leave your furry kid at home.

NORTH IDAHO

City Beach & Pend d’ Oreille Bay Trail (Sandpoint): Walk the flat 3-mile trail, out and back, which follows the shoreline of Lake Pend Oreille. City Beach has it all, with plenty of lakefront sand.

Farragut State Park (Athol): Beaver Bay Beach requires a steep downhill jaunt from the parking lot and restrooms, but once you arrive there’s plenty of lakefront, calm water, and trails to explore in the forest all around the bay. Trails are also accessible right from the parking lot.

Round Lake State Park (Sagle): An easy trail loops around the lake and the beach has two docks, paddle gear rentals, and a PFD loaner station.

Tubbs Hill (Coeur d’Alene): Hike the trail, which can be a bit rocky and rugged for little kids, but you don’t need to go far to find a small sandy beach spot for private playtime. Hike in with all of your stuff, but you’ll need to hike back to the trailhead to use a porta-potty. (Restroom available at nearby McEuen Park.) Other nearby swim settings are Sanders Beach or City Beach.

WASHINGTON

Bear Lake Regional Park (Chattaroy): Hike the trail around the lake. Trees and grass hug the shoreline, so there isn’t a beach—rather, there are cement steps down to the water, which starts at a depth of about three feet. However, there are some spaces between trees to access the water.

Fish Lake & Columbia Plateau Trail State Park (Cheney): Walk the paved trail and enjoy the calm lake, popular with locals for fishing, paddling, and beach play for kids. Park at Fish Lake Park and then walk up to the state park trailhead.

Liberty Lake Regional Park (Liberty Lake): The park has miles of trails to choose from and the day-use beach—though a smaller lakefront compared to other parks—has great sand, a dock and roped-off swim area, and plenty of lake for paddling. Spokane County Parks daily fee required.

Waterfront Park (Medical Lake): A popular park with a main parking lot that fills quickly, but the layout is sweet and lake water is spring-fed, so relatively warmer than larger lakes. Walk the paved Medical Lake Trail along the west shore.

This story was published in the Inland NW Family Outdoors Guide in the May-June 2021 issue.

For more swimming stories, visit the OTO archives.

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Each year we’re seeing more fat bikes plowing through the snow on trails here in the Inland Northwest, a trend that has also led to more trail grooming throughout the region. From Spokane to Sandpoint, there will be miles of packed trails to roll your over-sized, under-inflated bike tires on this winter if Mother Nature cooperates as expected. Here’s the latest fat bike trail grooming forecast for the winter.

Spokane

If you plan to ride any of the growing miles of groomed fat bike trails in the Spokane area this winter, thank Evergreen East volunteer Frank Benish, who owns his own groomer and spends countless hours advocating for and creating miles of groomed riding for fat bikers. To get it all done, Evergreen leases a groomer from Wheel Sport and Benish also owns his own Snowdog grooming machine that’s super speedy and creates groomed singletrack trails.

Riverside State Park was one of the first trail systems in the region to see trails specifically groomed for fat bikers, says Benish. “It’s been a real good partnership at Riverside and we’re looking to carry that on again this year.” Two winters ago, the park’s partnership with Evergreen turned into 11 miles of groomed fat bike trails, with an expansion to 20 miles last season. Benish says this year could be even better if we get good snow and stable cold temps. “We have permission to groom a larger area at Riverside, and if the forecast cooperates, we will expand beyond 20 miles of groomed trails this year.”

Benish also highlighted some new fat bike trails that are in the works for Mount Spokane State Park. “We got permission to clean up and groom some trails off of lower Kit Karson that make up the Hay Ridge Loop. It’s going to be kind of an advanced thing since it’s really steep going up and down.” Benish says the groomed loop will be around 6 miles roundtrip, with longer, more challenging rides possible by linking up to un-groomed trails. The route will be accessed from the parking area at the hairpin lot, also known as the lower Mount Kit Carson loop road trailhead. 

The 49 Degrees North Nordic Area will also feature fat biking on some excellent groomed trails this winter. Under certain conditions when the snow is firm enough to avoid tires damaging the smooth, groomed trails, says Benish, they also allow fat bikes on the Nordic trails. There are 4-5 miles of trails that make for a more intermediate-to-advanced loop.

Fat biking at Mt. Spokane State Park. // Photos: Frank Benish

North Idaho

In the greater Sandpoint area, there is an ever-expanding network of fat bike trails both groomed and user-packed to explore says owner Brian Anderson. Close to town, the Pend Oreille Pedalers will use their groomer once again to pack down trails for fat bikes in the Pine Street Woods, a fantastic public playground and natural area on the edge of Sandpoint that’s been preserved thanks to the Kaniksu Land Trust. Groomed fat bike trails here, with free access, will expand this year, weather cooperating, to include a few loops totaling around five miles.

Close to Sandpoint, the Western Pleasure Guest Ranch grooms approximately four miles of trails for xc and skate skiing as well as for fat bikes. A pass procured from the lodge is required. Farragut State Park south of Sandpoint grooms two loops with around 10 miles of fat bike riding. A state park pass is required.

Schweitzer Mountain Resort grooms approximately 32K of trails for cross-country, skate skiing, and fat biking. A pass is required, as is brushing up on the resort’s rules and responsibilities to keep bikes from damaging the groomed trails.

To the north, the Boundary County Bike and Pedestrian Trail Committee, known as “9B Trails,” has been preserving and developing a non-motorized trail system around Bonners Ferry that includes several trails that make for great winter riding. The non-profit group has recently gotten their hands on a groomer and, according to Anderson, plan to groom around 6-miles of the Section 16 Trails near Bonners Ferry.

The Priest Lake area will once again have miles of groomed trails open to fat bike riders thanks to Priest Lake Nordic. The non-profit group grooms several trail networks around the lake, including Hanna Flats, the Priest Lake Golf Course, Chipmunk Rapids, Rocky Point, Coolin Mountain, and Priest Lake State Park/Indian Creek. A park and ski permit is required and can be purchased at Hill’s Resort, The Tamrak (market/hardware store), or the Priest Lake State Park. More info at Idpr.idaho.gov.

Coeur d’Alene

Coeur d’Alene fatty riders also have some quality groomed options according to Trail Maniacs founder and avid rider Dave Dutro. “The Trail Maniacs Foundation will groom seven plus miles of trails on Canfield Mountain this year,” says Dutro. “These are what we call winter enduro trails,” he says, warning off those who may show up unprepared for the challenge. According to Dutro, that means these trails come with a difficult climb up (approximately four miles with 1,200 of elevation gain) followed by flowy single track down.

The prized route Dutro recommends starts at the road from Nettleton Gulch then on to the towers, down Trail D and eventually on to Trail 7 and Trail A, finishing down Cave Trail for a total of 8 miles. When you can get after these trails is a question for mother nature, says Dutro. “We start grooming once we have significant coverage at the bottom, in the 4-6” range.”

Palouse (Pullman/Moscow)

Down in the Palouse, MAMBA (Moscow Area Mountain Bike Association) has a groomer and should be doing some fat bike trail grooming on Moscow Mountain again this year. Keep tabs on their good deeds at Bikemoscow.org.

Fat Biking Resources

Looking to connect with other fat bike aficionados in the Spokane area? Reach out to SOFA, Spokane’s Original Fatbike Association on Facebook; It’s a private group that you need to request to be a part of before gaining access to trail and grooming reports, group ride announcements, and other regional fat biking news.

Originally published as “Fat Bike Fandom Spurs Growth in Trail Grooming” in the Nov.-Dec. 2020 double issue.

Trail grooming equipment. // Photos: Frank Benish

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Lake Coeur d’Alene and Priest Lake are both more accessible, while Lake Pend Oreille is surrounded mostly by national forest land, with Sandpoint’s City Beach as its major public access point. But only 26 miles south of Sandpoint and 20 miles north of Coeur d’Alene, you’ll find remote and tranquil ways to enjoy this ocean-like lake at Farragut State Park and the town of Bayview, both a short distance off U.S. 95 via Highway 54.

Farragut State Park

If you’ve never been to Farragut, there are two essential things to know.

First, it’s huge: 4,000 acres with six campgrounds and over 200 campsites (both serviced and standard), 10 rental cabins, and over 40 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Why so big? It was the site for the second largest U.S. Naval Recruit Training Facility during World War II.

Second, Farragut has devoted campers who return annually, which means advanced reservations (six months or more sometimes) can be necessary. Weekday openings, however, can be found more easily, especially for Monday through Wednesday two-night stays during July and August.

Located only seven miles and about a 10-minute drive from Silverwood Theme Park and Boulder Beach Water Park, Farragut attracts families from all over the Northwest and southern Canada.

For tent-camping families, Whitetail Campground has 60 standard sites and is kid-friendly throughout. The restrooms provide warm showers and access to a private family restroom, and there is also a playground. On weekends, Whitetail hosts interpretative programs. Farragut campgrounds’ paved, looped roads are great for biking, dog-walking and mingling with your fellow campers.

You may even find, if you have like-minded campsite neighbors, that all the parents sort of look out for one another’s children.

For accessing Lake Pend Oreille, an easy hiking trail from Whitetail leads to the lake shoreline, or you can drive or bike to Beaver Bay beach. The beach is located down a steep hill past the restrooms and showers. Beaver Bay’s roped-off swimming area is a mecca for people on stand up paddleboards and those floating on tubes or family-sized party rafts. Bringing along floatables is the best way to enjoy the chilly water with your children. Sand toys are also a good idea (pets aren’t allowed). There are no lifeguards, so be sure children are well-supervised and wearing PFDs.

First-time visitors should visit the Museum at the Brig, which provides an interesting look into Farragut’s naval history and the soldiers who lived and trained there. Check out the huge head statue nicknamed “Mack,” before heading inside. Other kid-friendly activities at Farragut include playing the nine-hole disc golf course (called “Little Black Bear”); picnicking at the Willow Day Use Area and hiking the nearby Lakeview Trail loop; and driving to the viewpoint at the end of the South Road to see more great views. For more info, visit the Idaho State Parks website.

Bayview, Idaho

Only a short drive from Farragut, Highway 54 leads you to the town of Bayview, where you’ll find B&Bs; RV parks, cottages and cabins for rent; and locally-owned places to eat, get ice cream or espresso drinks. There are a few marina resorts to choose from if you’d like to stay overnight close to the lake, and some offer watercraft, canoe and aluminum fishing boat rentals. Scenic Bay lives up to its name with a beautiful, stunning view of Lake Pend Oreille and the marinas of boats and floating homes, with the Panhandle National Forest on the lake’s distant eastern edge. You’ll also see the secured area for the U.S. Navy Acoustic Research Detachment, which conducts research and development for Navy submarines and sonar in the lake’s depths. Bayview Daze, the town’s annual old-fashioned Fourth of July celebration, includes a street market, street parade, lighted boat parade at dusk and a fireworks display at 10 p.m. More info: Bayviewidaho.org. (Amy Silbernagel McCaffree)//

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I know not everyone reads the Spokesman as closely as I do so I thought I would present this link about a large new outdoor competition to be held at Farragut State Park in North Idaho. The article says the event, to be called, Adventure Sports Week, will take place from June 5-14. Alison Boggs wrote the piece. You may recall that Boggs has written numerous outdoor pieces for SR in the past and also was one of the organizers behind the late lamented Skirts and Dirt women’s mountain bike event also at Farragut. The coolest thing about the event is that it will have an XTERRA off-road tri qualifying race. Click here to read our piece about local XTERRA athlete Brandyn Roark Gray from 2007.

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