On a Friday afternoon in mid-July, three old high school friends and I arrived on the shore of Priest Lake in north Idaho. Puffy white clouds speckled the blue sky, and a warm, steady breeze rippled the water from the south. The breeze was crucial because hitched behind my Subaru was a bright red, 12-foot plywood sailboat named Empress of Pullman.

All the gear and supplies we’d need for two nights of beach camping at Upper Priest Lake were stowed beneath the foredeck. It was a perfect Inland Northwest summer day, the beginning of a long-anticipated weekend.

Upper Priest Lake is one of the true gems of the Northwest’s inland waters. Tucked into the top of Idaho’s panhandle, just 14 miles from the Canadian border, it’s one of those rare places that is accessible only by trail or boat.

Even more rare, its shores are entirely free of private development. You’ll find no resorts or multi-million-dollar vacation homes, only a few primitive campgrounds maintained by the U.S. Forest Service.

Paddling, sailing, or motoring up the 2 ½ mile-long thoroughfare that connects to the main lake feels like traveling back through time. Emerging into Upper Priest, the view seems similar to what visitors would have seen hundreds—even thousands—of years ago: unbroken stands of evergreen trees covering rolling hills, cool clear water, and serene, secluded beaches.

This trip felt imbued with a particular anxiety and importance because it was the summer of 2020. The pandemic was still in its first wave. Since March, we’d all been learning about social distancing, wiping down surfaces, disinfecting grocery bags, and turning T-shirts into face masks.

And, of course, we’d been staying indoors. Watching spring turn to summer without getting outside to enjoy our region’s natural beauty felt like a special kind of torture. They’d even closed Washington’s state parks!

My friends and I hadn’t made the decision to gather lightly. Spending two hours together in a car—even with the windows down—felt dangerous. But we figured we’d be outside all weekend. Plus, we were all young and healthy and had a low probability of developing serious illness if we did get sick. So we risked it.

Two friends drove in from Hood River and Leavenworth. The four of us met up in Spokane, packed our gear, and made the two-hour drive to Priest Lake.

History of A Classic: the Empress of Pullman

Empress of Pullman, the boat my friends and I would sail for the weekend, was literally built for Inland Northwest Lakes. Designed in 1959 by William H. Short, the Empress is a San Francisco Pelican.

Short’s intention was an easy-to-build, trailerable, family sailboat that could stand up to the San Francisco Bay’s notoriously gusty conditions.

In 1963, Fred and Don Smith, two boatbuilding brothers from Samish Island, Wash., read an article about the Pelican in Rudder magazine. The flat-bottomed, lightweight plywood design seemed like it might be perfect for sailing and beach-hopping in the San Juan Islands in northwest Washington. The brothers ordered plans from William Short and built one for themselves.

Around the same time, a WSU professor named Bob Littlewood was searching for a small sailboat he could pull behind his car to lakes in the Inland Northwest. The Pelican fit the bill. At just 12 feet long, it’s compact enough to be stored on its trailer in a single-car garage, yet it’s roomy enough to carry a family and a weekend’s worth of camping gear.

Bob ordered one from the fledgling Smith’s Boat Shop, and when it was completed in 1965, the Smith brothers personally delivered it to Bob’s home in Pullman, Wash. Bob christened his new boat with the name, Empress of Pullman.

The Smith brothers went on to build hundreds of Pelicans and the design became a true northwest classic. Frequent Pelican races and gatherings were held in the San Juan islands, which continue to this day.

For the next 50 years, Bob owned the Empress and enjoyed sailing on inland lakes with his family, including his daughter, Paula.

Finding the Empress

In 2015, I was twenty-seven years old and living in Seattle. A few years earlier, I’d sold the Newport 28 sailboat that I’d lived aboard for two years, and I was longing for a way to get back on the water.

Like so many Northwest sailors, I was attracted to the Pelican. My first job out of college had been at the Center for Wooden Boats, a maritime heritage nonprofit that maintains and rents a fleet of Pelicans at their satellite location on Camano Island. I’d fallen in love with the Pelican’s quirkiness and versatility.

One day, I saw a post in a neighborhood Facebook group advertising a “free sailboat.” The person didn’t give many details. All she knew was that it was something called a “pelican” and it belonged to her neighbor, a woman named Paula Littlewood. I responded to the post immediately and made plans to meet Paula that same day.

It was Paula who told me the origin story of the Empress of Pullman. Her father, then in his eighties, could no longer use the boat. It had been sitting under a tarp in her Seattle driveway for a couple of years. The trailer’s frame was covered in rust and its tires had gone flat and fallen off their rims.

It was time, Paula explained, for the boat to go to someone who could give her new life. That’s how I became the Empress of Pullman’s second owner.

New adventures For the Empress

Over the next few months, I revived the Empress, replacing sections of wood that had begun to rot, giving her a fresh red coat of paint, and returning her sails and rigging to working order.

That fall, my wife and I moved to Spokane to attend graduate school at Eastern Washington University. We brought the Empress of Pullman with us, back to the waters of her origin.

All this history traveled with me as I pushed the Empress of Pullman off the rocky boat launch at Priest Lake’s Beaver Creek Campground. I climbed aboard, hoisted the mainsail, then the jib, and the summer’s warm wind propelled us across the lake toward the mouth of the Thoroughfare.

That weekend, my friends and I reveled in the time together, newly precious after months of isolation. We mulled the uncertainty of the world: the pandemic, the protests for racial justice erupting in cities across the country. We gave thanks for our families’ health and safety. We cooked fresh cornmeal cakes, sizzling with oil in a cast iron skillet over an open fire. We laughed until our sides ached, and tears ran down our cheeks. We lay on our backs on the beach and watched the stars blink to light before retiring to our tents.

Meeting The Boatbuilder

Later that same summer, my wife and I took the Pelican back across Washington State for a few days of sailing in the San Juan Islands. In part, it was a celebration of our fifth wedding anniversary for which we’d planned a trip to Europe that had been cancelled by the pandemic.

We launched in Anacortes, Wash., and sailed north, to a spot on the far end of Cypress Island called Pelican Beach—so named for the fleet of boats that so often sailed over from Samish Island to camp or picnic there.

As we approached, we saw another Pelican on the beach. Its owner helped us haul the Empress onto land and asked whether we knew Fred Smith.

“No,” I said, “but I know he built our boat.”

The man’s face broke into a grin. “Well, stick around,” he said. “Fred will be here tomorrow to celebrate his 92nd birthday.”

Sure enough, the next afternoon, 92-year-old Fred Smith arrived at the helm of a Pelican, along with eight other Pelicans he’d built, all captained by friends. When I told Fred my story, he was interested to see our boat. He remembered building the Empress of Pullman for Bob Littlewood 55 years earlier and pointed out several details (“mistakes,” he called them) which had changed in his designs over the years.

“I wasn’t born a boat builder.” Fred said with a twinkle in his eye. “I got better after 50 years or so.”           

Empress of Pullman Lives On

There’s one final chapter in the Empress of Pullman’s story. Last fall, my wife and I made the decision to buy a slightly larger boat. Something a little more comfortable that requires less maintenance. We settled on a Catalina 22, a fiberglass classic.

Once again, it was time for the Empress of Pullman to find a new home. Given her pedigree, I struggled with the idea of selling her to a complete stranger. So instead of doing so, I contacted the Center for Wooden Boats and inquired whether I could donate the boat for use in their rental fleet.

On Memorial Day weekend, I drove the Empress over Snoqualmie pass one last time and delivered her to the Center for Wooden Boats, where I hope she’ll be enjoyed by Northwest sailors for many years to come.

Originally published as “Sailing an Inland Empress: The Story of a Class Northwest Sailboat” in the July-August 2022 print issue.

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Here are five of the best lakeside campgrounds due to their family-friendly beaches and easy access for watersports recreation, including paddling, boating, and fishing — plus lots of reservable campsites.

Sam Owen at Lake Pend Oreille

Large campground, with four loops, located on a peninsula south of Hope, Idaho, along the east side of Lake Pend Oreille.

Amenities: boat launch, dock, day-use area and beach, sand volleyball court, paddle gear rentals, and dog-friendly beach.

One of the best Inland NW lakeside campgrounds: Sam Owen Campground has a big beach for hanging out all day for paddling and swimming. // Photo: Amy McCaffree

National Forest Campgrounds on west Side of Priest Lake

10 U.S. National Forest campgrounds at Priest and Upper Priest lakes, including boat-in island campgrounds.

Amenities: Shoreline trails for hiking and mountain biking; boat launches; and Luby, Osprey, and Outlet campgrounds are within MTB/hiking distance to Hill’s Resort. (See “5 Adventures on Priest Lake’s Western Shores” for more recreation ideas.)

Paddling and camping at Priest Lake, Idaho: Views from Outlet Campground, both from the campsite and on the water. // Photos: Amy McCaffree

Heyburn State Park

Heyburn State Park, near Plummer, Idaho, includes three campgrounds on Chatcolet and Benewah Lakes, south of Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Amenities: Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, Rocky Point beach and boat launch, rental cabins, Plummer Point day-use area and dog-friendly beach, MTB and hiking trails, ranger station and visitor center near Hawley’s Landing.

Heyburn State Park includes Hawley’s Landing Campground (left) and Rocky Point marina and day-use beach (right). / Photos: Amy McCaffree

Round Lake State Park

Round Lake State Park is a paddling and fishing paradise in Sagle, Idaho. The lake is annually stocked with trout by Idaho Fish & Game, and no combustion-motor boats are allowed.

Amenities: two docks, large swimming area, ranger station and visitor center, paddle gear rentals, and MTB/hiking trail around lake.

Round Lake State Park: Small, quiet lake with docks, boat launch, and swimming beach. // Photos courtesy of Robin Lewis.

Fort Spokane at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area

Fort Spokane Campground is one of many National Park Service campgrounds within Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area at the 130-mile-long lake—a power-boating and fishing mecca. Fort Spokane is the campground closest to Spokane, located at confluence with the Spokane River.

Amenities: boat launch and trailer parking, fish cleaning station, sandy boat-in beaches along lake and river, and Fort Spokane Visitor Center and Museum.

Boat launch at Fort Spokane where the Spokane River flows into Lake Roosevelt (left); Powerboat and tubing fun on Lake Roosevelt. // Photos: Amy McCaffree

Find more stories about lake recreation and adventure destinations in the Lake Guide archives.

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1. Visit Upper Priest Lake.

Paddle the 3.5-mile Thorofare to Upper Priest Lake, accessible at the north end of Priest Lake. For the shortest paddle, start from Beaver Creek Day-Use Area. Or hike to Upper Priest via Navigation Trail. You can camp overnight at a rustic national forest campground.

2. Earn your meal, drinks, or treats.

From Luby Bay Campground, you can paddle the shoreline or bike or hike the Beach Trail south to Hill’s Resort. Or start paddling or biking from Outlet Bay Campground and head north to Hill’s. You can also boat from anywhere along the lake and park at the resort docks for a day-use visit.

Known for their creative, family-friendly foods, dine on their deck to enjoy huckleberry delights. During the morning, you can order huckleberry pancakes—just one of many options from the breakfast menu. For summer 2021, Hill’s also has new casual dining and George’s Dining Room dinner menus. You can also get a milkshake, lemonade, or even margarita made with local wild huckleberries.

3. Golf on the lake.

Hill’s Resort also owns the 18-hole Priest Lake Golf Course, located only minutes away. You arrive by boat to the resort docks and drive a reserved “street legal” golf cart to the course. Rent or bring your own clubs.

4. Explore local history.

The Priest Lake Museum is also nearby. Learn the local cultural and natural history, and view the featured exhibit, “Fool’s Gold: Mining at Priest Lake,” which includes an outdoor exhibit area along a short path to view large artifacts. Free admission; more details at priestlakemuseum.org.

5. Paddle to an Island.

For those with advanced canoeing or kayaking skills, you can depart from the Kalispell Boat Launch (at Kalispel Bay) and paddle to Kalispel Island—the largest among seven islands. Head to the Idaho Panhandle National Forest day-use beach or stay at one of the 52 campsites located around Kalispel Island.

Bartoo Island is also within paddling distance from Priest’s western shore. Located closer to Luby Bay, it has a day-use area and 25 camp sites.

Find more information at fs.usda.gov. Reserve a campsite or take your chances with a handful of first-come sites on each island.

For more stories about Priest Lake, visit the OTO archives.

Learn about other lake destinations and recreation in the 2021 Inland Northwest Lake Guide.

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From boating, paddling, and adventurous watersports to serene recreation, family activities, and ways to chill and relax, OTO writers share their ideas.

Here are 31 ways to enjoy, explore, & find summer fun at Inland Northwest lakes.

Click link to read the corresponding story.

1. Do yoga on a paddleboard
2. Go bikepack fishing
3. Ride the Columbia Plateau Trail to a channeled scabland lake
4. Open Water Lake Swimming
5. Boat-in Happy Hour on Lake Coeur d’Alene at Harrison
6. Meet the Pirate of Sandpoint’s City Beach & take a ride on a pirate ship
7. Visit Priest Lake
8. Wildlife Spotting
9. Lake Kayaking with Kids
10. Wing foiling
11. Surfing at Lake Chelan
12. Visit Lake Pend Oreille
13. Boat-in camping *
14. Hang out on a beach
15. Explore local history *
16. Take an e-bike tour of Lake Chelan **
17. Paddleboard tour around Lake Chelan **
18. Hike or bike for views **
19. Paraglide above and over Lake Chelan **
20. Take a wine-tasting tour **
21. Go mountain biking on a lakeside trail *
22. Hike along a lake shore *
23. Paddle or hike to Upper Priest Lake *
24. Go Fishing ^
25. Find a Campsite ^
26. Rent Lake Toys ^
27. Go sailing and ride the wind ^
28. Take a Cruise ^
29. Hunt for Treasure ^
30. Watch the Fireworks ^
31. Play on an Island ^ & paddle to get there *

*5 Adventures on Priest Lake’s Western Shore

**5 Ways to Experience Lake Chelan

^ 8 Adventures on Lake Pend Oreille

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The picture accompanying this story is my grandmother, then Amanda Algaier, not yet Bleck. She is canoeing on Priest Lake, circa 1917. Or it could be Loon Lake, and probably is. Which lake is less important than my grandparents starting a family tradition of spending summers at Priest Lake and Hill’s Resort, beginning in the year of my birth, 1958. Each summer brought the Seattle Blecks and Tacoma Johnsons together. For all of us, it was always The Lake, a definite article and proper noun that needed no explaining.  

Unlike E. B. White, from whom I stole the title, watching my son Tobias at The Lake, whether in my mind’s eye or on the beach, my groin feels no chills of death. Rather, Priest Lake stories breathe their own life. He listens rapt as his uncle Rob and I tell of taking a boat with our cousin Marty, not even in our teens, to camp on Papoose Island, unsupervised.  

He is struck by the stories of feral children, now his aunts and uncles, rabidly chasing a sow and her cub through the resort, his grandmother chasing with a broom, swinging it wildly, perhaps thinking she might sweep some sense into us. He is wistful about being the youngest by too many years, never having slept on the beach with his cousins, never waking to the sound of breeze-blown waves lapping against the shore in the otherwise still dawn, taking the sounds, as I did, for footsteps—bear of course. He never ate pancakes loaded with huckleberries picked by his grandmother from along the shore trail on an early morning walk.  

Tobias never had a chance to creep into any of the many abandoned mines that were still exposed around the lake during our childhood, although we never went far when we did. He never made trips to the dump to watch the bears scavenge as dusk fell. We longed for them to rummage through the trash behind the cabin, the closer the better, the thrill immeasurable. No one said a fed bear is a dead bear. Our stories brought this and more alive for him and kept it alive for us. 

In 2008, we celebrated our 50th anniversary at The Lake with the whole family.  Everyone. A few years later my aunt passed and her ashes were scattered in Luby Bay, becoming one with The Lake. In 2017, following the death of my father, our visit occurred shortly after his funeral when we were still raw with the loss. Despite the beaches, the bay, the lake, and the extended family, those extended trips began to seem no longer worth it.  

Two weeks in the 1960s became a week in the 1970s became a few days for some, a long weekend for others, and finally a day trip from Spokane for me. One sister bought a cabin near Coolin. Another found a vacation rental. My siblings and cousins are the last direct links to that woman in the canoe. After five generations, will there be a sixth?

Bradley Bleck last wrote about keeping backyard chickens last summer for Out There. He’s longing for Phase 3 when he can join his Badlands Cycling Club mates out on the road again.  

The post Once More to The Lake appeared first on Out There Venture.

In 1946, after serving in World War II, George’s love for Priest compelled him to buy a small fishing resort (then called Ferris Resort), while still in his 20s. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to learn all he could about running a resort.

George married Lois in March 1954, and together they expanded the business and resort property as they raised three children—daughter Teri and two sons, Craig and Scott.

“Dad had a good vision of what people would like and my mom was very creative, and had an artistic flair,” says Teri, who has been running the resort for over 30 years now along with her brothers.

“You have to love what you’re doing to do it as long as we’ve been here. My mom and dad didn’t know we’d all get along and make it. And it’s been really fun. We’ve had a lot of longtime customers who’ve seen us grow up, [and say it] still has the family feel that they love about Hill’s Resort.” 

The resort is equally owned by Teri and her brothers, with Craig working as general manager and living on-site with his wife, Missy, and Scott managing the restaurant, which specializes in homemade family recipes. Teri oversees all the resort’s special events, including weddings. 

Today, Hill’s Resort has 52 cabins and can accommodate up to 400 people. Most busy from May to October, cabins are available on a walk-up basis, even during the first two weeks of July. “It makes me feel like we have a resort and not just a business when someone can walk-up our road and ask for a room,” says Teri.

From mid-July through the first two weeks of August, the resort welcomes many families returning for their annual vacations. Its remote location (and lack of reliable cell service) “forces people to become a family again, to go biking, hiking, fishing together and enjoy nightly bonfires,” says Teri. “On a clear night our sky is full of stars.”

Whether staying at the resort or visiting from a nearby campground for a meal or ice cream treat, everyone is welcome at the resort.

“You experience a calming, peaceful feeling here. We’re not at all crowded, like Coeur d’Alene, and are much more casual here than at other lakes,” says Teri, noticeable pride in her voice. “Priest Lake is the lake without a city—we’re a destination location.” 

Originally published as “Lake People: The Hill Family of Priest Lake” in the July 2019 print issue for the Lake Guide special section.

Find more stories about Priest Lake in the OTO archives.

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Priest has a wild, primitive feeling that harkens back to simpler times. It can be hard to find the same kind of experience at other more developed lakes that you can still have amongst the mountains, trees, big skies, rustic resorts, pristine campgrounds, meandering trails and friendly people at Priest. There are a remarkable number of recreation opportunities surrounding North Idaho’s 19-mile-long aquatic jewel. Whether you’re camping or calling it home in a resort cabin, paddling the thoroughfare, carving glassy turns behind a ski boat, hiking the high peaks, swimming off a secluded beach, backpacking the upper lake, or biking under giant cedars along the upper river, with so many options, the Priest Lake experience is what you choose to make it. You don’t need to travel far to get a taste of the local lake culture down on the water or slip away for some sweet, serene solitude on a backcountry trail. We think Priest is just about perfect and hope you find some inspiration here to get out and explore some of the best Priest Lake has to offer. (Derrick Knowles)

Classic Priest Lake Trails

(By Aaron Theisen)

With its long, level shoreline, Priest Lake boasts some of the best easy lake-side hiking in the region, the sorts of trails tailor-made for post-s’more strolls. Sitting in the crook of the Selkirk Crest, it’s also a base for some of the region’s toughest hikes, with trails that require serious bushwhacking and boulder-hopping skills. Here are a few favorites.

Upper Priest Lake / Navigation Trail: Surrounded by wilderness-quality woods and separated from the main lake by the shallow Thorofare, Upper Priest Lake offers a quiet backcountry escape from the summer throngs. The Upper Priest – Navigation Trail offers the quickest and easiest access to the upper lake and makes a fine introduction to backpacking. From the Beaver Creek Campground, the trail wanders through sun-dappled forest. Western red cedar, hemlock, and the increasingly rare white pine tower overhead; beargrass and delicate, ground-hugging pipsissewa decorate the forest floor. At one mile, the trail crosses sunny Armstrong Meadows before ducking back into the trees. About 2.75 miles in, Plowboy campground offers a small handful of secluded, high-demand tent sites right on the sand. Past Plowboy, the trail follows the shoreline another 2.75 miles to Navigation Campground and more choice picnic or overnight spots. As might be expected, a relatively short hike on nearly level tread to some of the region’s best tent sites means you’ll likely have company. Just plan on getting an early start on peak summer weekends to grab your favorite stretch of sand, or, better yet, go mid-week.

Getting There: From Priest River, Idaho, drive north on SR 57 for 36 miles to Nordman. Turn right on the paved road that heads to Reeder Bay. Follow this road, which becomes Forest Road 2512, for 12 miles to the Beaver Creek Campground. Turn into the campground entrance, bear left and follow signs to the trailhead.

Lakeshore Trail: A nearly level shoreline stroll on tread wide enough to push a jogging stroller, the Lakeshore National Recreation Trail wanders nearly eight miles along the quiet and mostly undeveloped northwestern shore of Priest Lake. The tree cover makes the lakeshore trail a great hike on rainy days; it’s also ideal in the sweltering summer heat, with ample shade and a beach always within easy reach. From the trail’s northern terminus at Beaver Creek Campground, a good base from which to do this and the Upper Priest – Navigation Trail, the trail heads south through cool forest. A cottonwood and cedar canopy frames views of the granite spires of the Selkirk Crest to the east. At less than a mile, aptly named Tule Bay offers several large campsites along its reed-covered shore. At two miles, the wide mouth of Bottle Bay and its beach of smooth, lake-scrubbed rocks make for a fine destination, with picnic tables, a pit toilet and large tent sites.

Those interested in a longer walk can continue south along the heavily forested shore of Distillery Bay another five miles to the trail’s southern terminus; numerous secluded coves and beaches invite hikers to pick their favorite for a shore lunch or snooze.

Getting there: Follow directions to the Beaver Creek Campground and boat launch for the Upper Priest Lake/Navigation Trail hike.

Hunt Lake Trail: If the shoreline trails of Priest and Upper Priest Lakes epitomize low-effort ambles, where the miles seem to roll away under your feet, Hunt Lake is the opposite, each step earned by careful calculation. This hike, in Idaho Department of Lands forest on the Selkirk Crest east of Priest Lake, is only a mile each way, but the distance is deceiving. A token 10 feet or so of boot-worn tread in subalpine forest immediately gives way to a hop across a broad granite scree field. Cairns and daubs of paint mark the way. Strong ankles are a must, but the elevation gain is modest. The views are great, and, should you care to take your eyes from the next step, excellent views of Priest Lake some 3,000 feet below and the granite pinnacle of Gunsight Peak just to the north will greet you.

Expect to take an hour to reach pretty Hunt Lake, which sits in a boulder- and brush-choked basin. Hardy hikers use the lake as a base for a cross-country scramble up and through the well-defined notch to the east of the basin into Fault Lake. Incidentally, Idaho Department of Lands forest roads have a rough reputation, and the last couple miles of the drive to the trailhead are as bad as they come; it’s hard to say whether you or your car’s joints will get the most pounding, but the trek is worth the wear on both.

Getting there: From Priest River, Idaho, drive north on SR 57 for 22 miles. Turn right on Dickensheet Road and drive 5.3 miles to Coolin. Turn right on Cavanaugh Bay / East Shore Road and continue 7 miles to Forest Road 24. Turn right and follow FR 24 for 4 miles to a junction; bear right and drive 1.2 miles to a second junction. Bear left and continue 1 mile to a Y-junction; bear left (uphill) on FR 243 and continue 3.5 miles to the trailhead. Note: the last 2 miles of FR 243 are steep and heavily waterbarred; drivers in low-clearance vehicles may wish to walk this last section of road.

Chimney Rock

(By Jon Jonckers)

Chimney Rock is arguably the most complet rock climbing adventure in the area. Any way you cut it, climbers face a stiff approach hike (even further without a high-clearance vehicle), and you spend most of the day above 7,000 feet on the Selkirk Crest. Even the easiest routes require two or three full rope-lengths of climbing to stand atop the remote granite spire and sign the summit register. Almost perfectly, this North Idaho climbing rite brings out all the best elements of rock climbing – camaraderie, challenge, and perseverance tied to one of the most picturesque landmarks in the Priest Lake region. Not ready to rope up and climb to the top? There are many picturesque places around the lake to view and photograph this iconic Priest Lake landmark.

The Tyee II Shipwreck

(By Jon Jonckers)

The Tyee II shipwreck remains one of the most intriguing icons at Priest Lake. Located at the northern tip of the lake, right next to the boat launch at Mosquito Bay/Lionhead Campground, the 82-foot wreck is submerged in about four feet of water. Originally it was a steamship used for towing logs in the 1940s, but once the logging roads expanded to the north end of the lake the ship became obsolete. The tug was stripped of all its metal and set on fire to be scuttled, as was the custom and usual fate of unwanted vessels in that era. Yet, before it actually sank, the boat drifted into the shallow water of Mosquito Bay, where it rests to this day.

Paddling the Thorofare

(By Jon Jonckers)

The Thorofare channel connects Priest Lake with Upper Priest Lake, and it’s a perennial favorite paddling adventure for canoers, sea kayakers, and, more recently, stand up paddleboarders. Near sunup and sundown, wildlife visit the area for water and food, and the fishing can be really good. The Thorofare also receives a lot of traffic from motorboats, particularly during the summer weekends, so keep an eye out for other boats. Provided everyone adheres to the 5 mph, no-wake speed limit, you shouldn’t have any problem paddling. But, from time to time, there are a few motorboat scofflaws that ruin it for everyone else. If possible, steer clear of the Thorofare at peak season, and try to enjoy it in the middle of the week or in the fall. For a complete in-depth summary of the Thorofare, visit the Out There Monthly archives: Outtheremonthly.com/paddling-upper-priest-lake-as-easy-as-1-2-3.

Getting there: Head to the far north end of the lake if you launch your kayak, canoe or SUP from one of the north-end resorts or campgrounds or follow directions to the Beaver Creek Campground and boat launch for the Upper Priest Lake/Navigation Trail hike.

Into the Wild: Fly-fishing in the Priest Lake Basin 

(By Brad Naccarato)

While Priest Lake boasts a world-class mackinaw trout fishery, there are several small-to-medium sized streams and lakes surrounding it which offer their own unique fishing experience. If big fish, big water and big boats are your nirvana, then the deep, cold waters of Priest Lake will keep you happy. But if you’re looking for a more remote, fly-fishing experience, the waters surrounding the lake can provide plenty of action.

Priest Lake is sandwiched between two rivers, the Upper Priest River that feeds the upper lake and the Lower Priest River the drains the main lake. The Upper Priest is a “Wild & Scenic” river. The upper river is strictly a catch-and-release, native trout fishery, holding both cutthroat and bull trout. The lower river is a little more diverse holding small populations of rainbow and brook trout.

There are dozens of small streams that feed both the lake and the two rivers. You’ll want to be sure and check the regulations here as a handful are protected as spawning habitat for native cutthroat trout. If you’d like to harvest a few fish, many of these streams hold healthy populations of brook trout, which the Idaho Fish and Game have encouraged anglers to harvest as their over-abundance in some streams has negatively impacted some of the native fish populations. Two of the more popular feeder streams are Soldier Creek at the south end of the lake and Granite Creek on the northside.

For a more remote experience, there are several small, high-mountain lakes in the mountains above the lake that are accessible by hiking trails from the lake’s eastern shore. Most of these lakes are drop-stocked with cutthroat trout due to the fact that many cannot sustain year-round fish populations at high altitude. While most of these fish are small, they’re very eager and willing to rise to any well-presented fly, making it a perfect place for novice anglers to hone their skills. Two of the more popular lakes are Hunt Lake and Two-Mouth Lake.

Whatever stream or lake you choose, always check the local fish and game regulations for the most up-to-date information, and always be aware of the species you are targeting (it is illegal to target or harvest native bull trout). Priest Lake offers a grand scale of fly-fishing opportunities, making it all the more important that anglers respect the regulations and learn to be good stewards. Doing so will help to ensure the future of this one-of-a-kind place.

Priest Lake Resort Scene

(By Brad Naccarato)

The resort scene at Priest Lake is an integral piece of the whole lake experience. While the lake itself offers nearly endless recreational activities by day, the lake’s legendary resorts and marinas, somewhat evenly spaced along the lake, come to life in the evenings with world-class cuisine, huckleberry-themed cocktails and live music. These resorts, for the most part, are rustic in nature, but don’t let that fool you. Most are nationally recognized, and a few have even achieved top awards by travel magazines and websites. Each resort has its own unique traditions, signature entrees and drinks and rich family history of ownership. In addition to restaurants, bars and small stores, you can also arrange cabin rentals and other overnight accommodation options, boat rentals and other recreational rentals depending on the different resort offerings.

Starting at the south end of the lake, Cavanaugh’s Resort is located in the heart of Cavanaugh Bay on Priest Lake’s eastern shore. Under new ownership, Cavanaugh’s has recently undergone some major renovations and is now offering perhaps the most up-to-date, contemporary style of accommodations on the water. It also offers a complete lunch and dinner menu, served either inside or outside on their new spacious dining deck right on the water. More info: Cavbay.com.

Moving slightly north to the mouth of Cavanagh Bay, you’ll find Blue Diamond Marina & Resort. Blue Diamond is a smaller resort, but it is full-scale, offering deep-water boat moorage, boat rentals, condo-style accommodations, and a restaurant that opens daily at 6 p.m., serving up Mediterranean cuisine. The afternoon wine bar features Northwest wines and locally brewed beers and ales served on the deck overlooking Cavanaugh Bay. More info: Bluediamondmarina.com.

Travelling across the lake to the western shoreline is one of the lake’s most well-known resorts, Hill’s Resort. Also one of the largest resorts on the lake, Hill’s has a large assortment of both rustic cabin and condo-style accommodations. Offering a full-scale marina for boaters, Hill’s also boasts a large rental fleet of bikes, wakeboards and skis, kayaks, SUPs and motorboats. Hill’s is probably best known for its award-winning dinner entrees, not to be outdone by its one-of-kind huckleberry pie. During the peak season of July and August, the resort is bustling with activity. Many of the families who book their week-long vacations here have made it a family tradition that spans many generations. More info: Hillsresort.com.

Reeder Bay, on the western shoreline, is home to Elkins Resort, one of the longest running resorts on the Lake. Elkins is a large resort that offers boat moorage, a rental shop full of water toys, a full bar and restaurant menu, and 32 charming lakefront cabins. Made of giant hand-hewn logs, the main lodge, built in the 1930s, is still the centerpiece of the resort. Recently named one of “Sunset Magazine’s” top-10 lakeside resorts in the West, Elkins has always had a solid reputation for providing some of lake’s tastiest cuisine in a comfortable, family-friendly environment. The lake and Selkirk Mountain views from Elkin’s front lawn are stunning (and look even better when accompanied by their famous huckleberry daiquiris). More info: Elkinsresort.com.

The Essence of Priest Lake

(By Brad Naccarato)

Most people in the Inland Northwest have some sort of relationship with Priest Lake. Whether it’s a family cabin, an annual camping trip, or a memorable week spent on the lake years ago, “the Lake” just has a way of getting into your soul and never letting go. North Idaho features a large number of lakes, each unique in their own way, but there is an essence to Priest that seems to set it apart.

That “essence” is culture. Priest has a very unique culture that is largely a result of the families who have shaped its existence over the last century. Most of the bigger lakes in Idaho have a large number of permanent residents due to their proximity to larger cities and towns, but Priest is, for the most part, undeveloped with a large majority of its inhabitants either camping, using family cabins or staying at resorts. This creates the wonderful, laid-back, escapist culture that seems to embody everything about Priest.

Much of the lake is undeveloped thanks to the fact that very little of the surrounding land is privately owned. The State of Idaho and the Forest Service govern most of the waterfront. This rare set of circumstances has limited development, promoted the use of recreational residences and has kept much of the lake’s shoreline looking as untouched as it was 100 years ago.

Virtually anyone who spends time at Priest develops a deep connection to the land. Most of the summer inhabitants are second, third or even fourth generation “lakers” whose fondest memories have occurred on its beaches, trails, islands and on the resorts’ dance floors. There’s a complete relaxation mode that permeates the minute you see the lake and grab that first huckleberry daiquiri. It’s not uncommon to hear “hey I’m on lake time today.” Flip flops are practically required and Buffett’s “Margaritaville” is always playing somewhere.

Priest’s culture is also influenced by the absurd abundance of recreation that is so readily available. Boating, fly-fishing, kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, SUP – it’s all there, and, in some cases, better than anywhere else. Most “lakers” go hard from sun-up to sun-down, playing all day on the lake and in the mountains, eating amazing resort food at sunset, and then gathering around a beach fire that night to recount their adventures.

An outdoorsperson’s fantasy come-to-life, Priest lacks for nothing; it’s a place where the beauty of an alpine environment meets a vibrant culture, surrounded by folks who are passionate about the lake’s resources. In other words, it’s perfect.

Priest Lake Marathon, 50k, half marathon, & 25k (Sept. 26)

What better way to experience Priest Lake than on an all-dirt run through the Panhandle National Forest? Enjoy the scenery of a trail race, but on drivable dirt forest road with full course support. “It’s one of the only events with a pre-race meeting that talks about the dangers of moose,” says Race Director Ken Eldore. Run along the lakeshore through groves of lush forest, huge old-growth cedar trees and big views of the Selkirk Mountains (and keep an eye out for wildlife!). More info: Priestlakerace.com. (OTM)

The post The Best of Priest Lake: Hikes, Resorts, Paddling, Fishing, and More appeared first on Out There Venture.

Still, despite overuse and abuse, Upper Priest Lake remains a beautiful and worthwhile paddle destination, probably one of the premier lakes of this sort in the Northwest. Let’s hope that, in the next decades, this statement can retain some semblance of truth.
1. BACKGROUND AND FACTS

In 1846, missionary Father Desmet originally named this body of water Lake Roothan after the controversial Jesuit Jan Roothan of Amersterdam; about twenty years later, Captain John Mullan changed the name to Kaniksu, which probably means “black robe,” referring, of course, to the garb of the Jesuit missionaries. Over the next fifty years, the name was simplified to Priest Lake, probably in reference to the long-standing history of the Jesuits in the area, as well as the mission on Kallispell bay that dates back to the 1840s and the time of Desmet.

The lake is one of the largest in Northern Idaho (third behind Pend Oreille and Couer d’alene); it is about 19 miles long and 4.4 miles wide; its deepest spot is about 370 feet. The inlet at the north end of the lake marks the beginning of a channel called the Thorofare that connects the main body of water with Upper Priest Lake, a 3.5 mile long body of water that is part of the Upper Priest Lake Scenic Area—a designation given in 1968 that provides some protection for the area.

Dolly Varden, Lake and Cutthroat trout all inhabit these waters (although the Thorofare is closed to fishing, and you should check regulations on the lakes and tributaries); black and grizzly bear, cougar, elk, moose, deer and other mammals inhabit the lush terrain. Mushrooms abound (including morels). In fall, huckleberries can be plucked from their squat bushes. Rock climbing, hiking, backpacking, kayaking and, most importantly for our purposes, canoeing are all viable activities in the area.
2. THE PADDLE

If you’re thinking about making this trip before mid-June, then call before you go (208-443-2512); the Priest Lake ranger district can give you information about the strength of the current in The Thorofare—only the most experienced of paddlers should attempt this trip before the end of late spring/early summer snowmelt. Run-off makes the usually negligible current quite strong and submerged hazards and debris are possibilities before the water and channel have stabilized. To be safe, call the rangers to get an accurate estimation of such challenges.

After the drive to the lake, you need to decide your launching point. There are two possibilities. Both have minor drawbacks. First, you can park at the main paddle launch onto the beach near Beaver Creek Campground on the northwest corner of the main lake. The beach here is nice and offers a nice place for a swim; the view of the Selkirk crest to the east is splendid.

If you’ve gotten a late start driving to the lake, then Beaver Creek campground is a serviceable (if busy) option for a place to pitch a tent, roast some marshmallows, and get a good night’s sleep. In order to use this launch to get to the Thorofare and Upper Priest Lake, though, you have to paddle across about a half mile of Priest Lake; on some days, this is no problem, the clear and smooth water will make for a magical start to the journey. However, if the wind is strong from either the south or the north—and especially from the south—then you might be navigating over huge waves that could, if your boat is laden with gear for an overnight stay at the upper lake, create challenges and potential danger.

Be prudent; the main lake is long and the wind can create a hazard. Look for the sandy opening at the west end of the jetty where you can slip-slide a quick portage and avoid paddling all the way to the end of the structure. Remember, you’ll have to paddle this corner of the lake on your way out unless, of course, it’s so violently windy that humping the canoe up the portage and walking to retrieve your car is a safer option (do this if the wind is brutal!). Regardless, once you’re in the Thorofare, the paddle up to the lake is mildly laborious (there is a downstream current, of course), but the clear water (where you might see huge pike minnows and other fish darting about), overhanging trees and the peaceful scenery will make for a calming float (***probably—more on this later).

If you elect to park your car and use the portage launch to start your paddle, then you’ll be faced with, well, a portage: it’s only a quarter of a mile, but, when you factor in gear—paddles and PFDs and tents and sleeping bags and coolers and etc., etc.—it’s usually quite a challenge to make it down to the launch in one trip. Factor in that a quarter of a mile feels like three miles when you’re carrying a canoe; take your time, allow for a few trips up and down the gentle hillside. Canoe carts can help, but the trail is bumpy and demands careful attention. The portage launch is about a half mile upstream from the jetty protecting the Thorofare’s entrance into the main lake. It’s a great option on windy days.

The towering trees on both sides of the channel create a watery tunnel about thirty yards across. Varying in depth, the channel is relatively shallow (creating a challenge for some of the larger boats that try to chug, chug up from the main lake—an obstacle that doesn’t seem to discourage them). Mosquitoes thrive here early in the season—in fact, early in the summer, this whole trip is one for which you need either strong repellant or a staunch resistance to the pesky bugs. I have seen deer, moose, osprey, heron, eagles and a swimming black bear in this short stretch of water; caribou may or may not haunt about the area; grizzlies are certainly around. The slow paddle to the upper lake can offer a glimpse of wildlife both common and rare to the area; the entire Upper Priest Lake Scenic Area is a rich and relatively intact eco-system rife with diversity. Of course, it helps to paddle along quietly, and it helps if loud motorboats aren’t blaring party music and breaking the five mile-per-hour speed limit (***which happens quite a bit—more on this later).

After the 45-minute or so paddle to Upper Priest Lake, you can have a picnic, enjoy the scenery, fish, swim, hike on the trails that surround the lake, and then head for home toward the end of the day, or, you can decide to utilize one of the four developed and numerous undeveloped camping sites that literally surround the lake.

The first one, Geisengers, is literally right at the mouth of the Thorofare. It’s a pleasant spot that witnesses a lot of traffic (it’s a first bathroom stop for some), and you should plan on picking up some trash if you stay here and know that every boat and kayak that journeys to the lake will pass within fifty yards of your camp. Does that sound like a buzzkill? Well, it is, but this campground also boasts the best sunset of the four campgrounds.
Farther up the eastern side of the lake, Trapper Creek, there is a very popular site where this small creek enters the lake. I have to admit that I’ve never camped at this site; every single time that I’ve paddled to the lake (from June until September), it’s been occupied by a host of speed boats; I have, though, hiked by it while staying at another campground, and I think that this site might exemplify the problem with unchecked motorized usage. Let me explain.

Just before Memorial Day weekend—say, the Thursday before—have you ever seen a large pick-up truck loaded with “camping gear” rushing out to “reserve” a spot at a popular campground? The bed of the truck is trussed with a propane grill or two, six or eight lawn chairs, a half a dozen tarps, nine bicycles, three dog kennels, fifteen sleeping bags, a wheelbarrow or two, a half a cord of wood, two chainsaws, a boom box (or two), a gas powered generator, six Coleman lanterns, four coolers, two propane stoves, and at least eight plastic storage bins containing at least half of everything on sale at the White Elephant store’s outdoor section. Well, the camps at Trapper Creek seem to adhere to that same Memorial Day Weekend principle: they are mini-boat cities. Usually there are two to three large motorboats beached or anchored just off the shore. Six to eight tents create a village where friends have obviously planned to stake claim and gather for several days.

Is there anything wrong with this? Well, I’m not going to pass judgment on the aesthetics of different people’s idea of camping, but that this tent city has been staked in the middle of a fairly sensitive eco-system is troubling at best. Every single time that I’ve walked by this campsite, I have encountered mounds of unburied toilet paper and human feces. Perhaps there is no causal connection between the tent city phenomenon and the human waste; perhaps there is (***as you may have guessed, more on this later).

The other two developed campgrounds on the west side of the lake are Plowboy and Navigation. Navigation, the site to the extreme northwest, is set back a bit from the lake in the woods; it is near a pleasant stream (Deadman Creek) and affords a good view of the outlet where Upper Priest River flows into the lake—a place that larger mammals often frequent. Plowboy—named after the peak just to the west of the lake—is at the southwest corner of the lake. It receives a bit more foot traffic than the other sites (trail 291 connects it to Beaver Creek Campground on the main lake, which can be a great option for a group of four that only have one boat; two people can hike in on the trail; two can paddle up the Thorofare—and they can all switch roles on the way out). Plowboy has a couple of nice beaches; both of these western shore sites have the luxury of early morning sun on those crisp autumn days.

Besides these developed sites that feature fire rings, picnic benches and pit toilets, as well as bear boxes in which to store food, there are numerous undeveloped sites around the lake. Rules prescribe that these sites are to be 100 feet from the lake; they rarely are, although there are a couple of nice areas on the eastern shore about half way up the lake where campers seem to have taken the distance into account. Undoubtedly, crowding has created the “overflow” need for these sites. If you do use one of them (and I’d urge you to try to use an already worn site if you’re forced to because the developed campgrounds are full), then please try to practice “Leave No More Trace” practices. At least leave the areas better than how you found them. The best dynamic, though, would be to use the developed sites, which, leads us to:
3. ***THE MORE ON THIS LATER:
IMPRESSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

I first made the paddle to the Upper Priest Lake about ten years ago; on that first trip, my family and I encountered two other paddlers and saw less than ten motor boats, more than half of them small fishing boats with tiny outboard motors. I know that others who had the privilege of paddling up The Thorofare in the 70s and 80s can recount trips even more blessed with solitude, resplendent with wildlife sightings. In the ten years since my first Upper Priest Lake trip, I have hiked and paddled in many times; without fail, every single time that I’ve gone has been an emotionally mixed experience. Let me try to explain why.

Because everyone “goes to the lake,” the Priest and Upper Priest Scenic Area receive a great deal of impact. On weekdays, I have encountered more than thirty boats traversing the Thorofare, several of them obviously oblivious to the 5 mph, no wake, speed limit. On weekends (a time that I try to avoid), the number might be over a hundred. Old timers remark on how erosion from the boat traffic has substantially widened the Thorofare, radically changing the fishery and the navigability of the channels. I have seen skiers, tubers and wake boarders skim across the surface of the upper lake; I have picked up (literally) a complete trash bag full of litter and human waste (while burying many other piles), gathered a dozen or more beer cans and bottles (some broken); I have found cast-off fishing rods, soiled underwear, lost swimsuits and forgotten shoes.

And yet, in spite of this horrific overuse, I would still recommend this place—for the beauty, yes; for the possibility (however slim) of solitude, sure; for the chance at wildlife viewing, undoubtedly. On late summer afternoons, I have whimsically decided to head up there, packed the car, made the drive, paddled up the Thorofare and loafed and leaned on a lakeshore with a stunning mountain view. What a blessing. Besides the pleasurable aspects of this paddle, though, I’d recommend Upper Priest Lake as a canoeing destination to other enthusiasts so that they can see the importance of protecting this unique area of the world.

I am doubtful that environmentalist and conservation efforts will ever succeed in transforming Upper Priest Lake into a non-motorized haven. Although this saddens me and may ultimately spell ruination for the area—some might contend that it already has—I believe that people can shift toward more responsible usage. Whether this is a naïve attitude or not, those of us who still want to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere that the area can provide (if you walk a hundred yards into the woods, you’ll quickly forget the jet skis and pleasure cruisers that might be marauding the lake) must take on some of responsibility about these efforts: clean up any debris that you find at the campsites and report any boats violating the rules of the Thorofare and lake.

These may seem like minor efforts, but barring a radical reversal in legislative practice in the area, these minor efforts may be the only recourse to protect a historically important and scenically stunning part of our region.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS
From Spokane, drive north on Highway 2 to Newport; cross the Idaho border (stop at the boat check point) and continue to Priest River, Idaho. Turn north on Highway 57 to Nordman. Turn right on Forest Road 1339; follow the signs to Beaver Creek Campground. Follow the signs to either the boat launch area or the trailhead for the Navigation trailhead parking if you elect to use the portage. Driving time: about 2.5 hours.

By Todd Marshall

The post Paddling Upper Priest Lake As Easy As 1, 2, 3,*** appeared first on Out There Venture.

Does it seem like I’m always asking people to do stuff on this blog? Well here another one. Please make your voice heard in support of non-motorized recreation. This comes courtesy of the the Pend Oreille Pedalers:

Pedalers,

Please take a moment on Sunday as the rain pours to complete a survey on the Priest Lake trails.

Information about the Priest Lake Sub-Area and the Bonner County Master
Trails Plan is now available on “As the Lake Churns”
http://www.PriestLaker.com). From the website, you are able to go to the online Priest Lake Area survey

Please follow the link to the survey. It’s only a handful of questions. You need to tell them that SINGLETRACK mountain bike trails are the MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL! in the Priest Lake area.

There will be a bunch of ATV and snowmobile types from Spokane who are going to write in about big, wide, doubletrack motorized trails being necessary. WE NEED TO BURY THEM WITH OUR RESPONSES.

PRIEST LAKE TRAILS FOR MOUNTAIN BIKERS IS OUR MOTTO!

Thanks for your help

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