Northern Idaho Love: Schweitzer Mountain and Sandpoint, Sandpoint, Idaho

In the northern Idaho panhandle is a beautiful lake called Lake Pend Oreille. On its shore is the city of Sandpoint, and on a mountain overlooking the lake, you’ll find Schweitzer Mountain. My husband and I just experienced two magical days there, and I’m going to share what made it so memorable.

I imagine you could enjoy a visit any time of the year; our visit took place in early August. It was a little warmer than normal in northern Idaho, but that just made finding shade, fresh lake water, a swimming pool, or mountain breezes all the better. But I’m getting a little ahead of myself!

Our two-day visit to this area actually started just outside of Sandpoint at Farragut State Park. Why? This was where we would get our first glimpse of Lake Pend Oreille. It’s also a state park with a story behind it. In 1942, it was a naval training facility. In fact, because of the deep waters of the lake (1150 ft deep and the 5th deepest lake in the US), it was used for submarine training. Some of the military buildings remain. In fact, the old military brig is now a very interesting museum and tribute to this area’s contribution to World War II. Eventually, these 4000 acres became Idaho’s largest state park, Farragut State Park. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).