First Timers to Idaho
Nov 3rd, 2019, 06:07 AM
#21
Have a look at this map and the places on it - https://goo.gl/maps/pAhFEZxJG2vY4gnL8
Starting at Spokane airport, this would take you south past Steptoe Butte to the Palouse town of Dayton. Dayton has a very attractive downtown area, and a terrific old-world hotel, the Weinhard. The countryside around Dayton is lovely and a good introduction to the Palouse.
The route would then follow US 12 through the Palouse (the town of Pomeroy is also very nice) and into Idaho at Lewiston. You'd then cross Idaho on this marvelous highway, ending just over the Montana state line.
You'd then head south toward Sun Valley, back across to Boise, then back north toward Coeur d'Alene and Spokane. On the way back, you could stop at the other iconic Palouse overlook at Kamiak Butte, a short detour off US 95.
This would give you a terrific selection of landscapes; highly recommended.
Starting at Spokane airport, this would take you south past Steptoe Butte to the Palouse town of Dayton. Dayton has a very attractive downtown area, and a terrific old-world hotel, the Weinhard. The countryside around Dayton is lovely and a good introduction to the Palouse.
The route would then follow US 12 through the Palouse (the town of Pomeroy is also very nice) and into Idaho at Lewiston. You'd then cross Idaho on this marvelous highway, ending just over the Montana state line.
You'd then head south toward Sun Valley, back across to Boise, then back north toward Coeur d'Alene and Spokane. On the way back, you could stop at the other iconic Palouse overlook at Kamiak Butte, a short detour off US 95.
This would give you a terrific selection of landscapes; highly recommended.
Mar 3rd, 2020, 06:28 AM
#22
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Again, thanks for everyone's help. This is the route I have come up with for a first trip to Idaho, hoping we are not trying to cover too much in a week's time; this will be the first part of June.
1st Day: Fly into Spokane - head to Palouse area. Gardyloo - glad to hear about Dayton/Pomeroy area; staying in Clarkston which will be close to Hells Canyon boat tour
2nd Day: Boat trip into Hells Canyon; stay again in Clarkston
3rd Day: Drive to Boise for one or two nites; i.e. not sure if it will be too much to drive the next day, from Boise, to Craters of the Moon and then stay in Hailey, to INCLUDE Shoshone Falls area. Not sure what else there is to see, scenic-wise, in the Twin Falls area (and the town itself). Looks like at least 6 or more hours of driving (which is why I chose Hailey) which is plenty for us in a day. Otherwise, need reco of what town to stay in before heading to Craters of the Moon, up to Sawtooth area.
4th or 5th Day: Drive to Missoula
5th or 6th Day: Drive to Coeur d'Alene and possibly Sandpoint (but stay in Coeur d'Alene)
6th or 7th Day: Drive back to Spokane overnite before returning home the next day
Our main goal is the most scenic areas and fun towns to walk around in. Also not sure what we shouldn't miss driving up and through the Sawtooth Mountains. Any other help always appreciated.
1st Day: Fly into Spokane - head to Palouse area. Gardyloo - glad to hear about Dayton/Pomeroy area; staying in Clarkston which will be close to Hells Canyon boat tour
2nd Day: Boat trip into Hells Canyon; stay again in Clarkston
3rd Day: Drive to Boise for one or two nites; i.e. not sure if it will be too much to drive the next day, from Boise, to Craters of the Moon and then stay in Hailey, to INCLUDE Shoshone Falls area. Not sure what else there is to see, scenic-wise, in the Twin Falls area (and the town itself). Looks like at least 6 or more hours of driving (which is why I chose Hailey) which is plenty for us in a day. Otherwise, need reco of what town to stay in before heading to Craters of the Moon, up to Sawtooth area.
4th or 5th Day: Drive to Missoula
5th or 6th Day: Drive to Coeur d'Alene and possibly Sandpoint (but stay in Coeur d'Alene)
6th or 7th Day: Drive back to Spokane overnite before returning home the next day
Our main goal is the most scenic areas and fun towns to walk around in. Also not sure what we shouldn't miss driving up and through the Sawtooth Mountains. Any other help always appreciated.
Mar 3rd, 2020, 10:36 AM
#26
Great - I was about to advise you to start a new thread of your own instead of hijacking TravelinVic's LOL
Not totally clear about your days 3 & 4 (or maybe day 5) plan. But I think the stay in Missoula is just to get you part way to Coeur dAlene - right? If so, Whitefish and W. Glacier won't be much help. Not sure how/where is better than Missoula but it will be a long drive.
Mar 3rd, 2020, 10:51 AM
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Thanks Janisj. I mentioned only a possible daily timeline in case we only stay one nite in Boise, and then perhaps stay in Twin Falls area. The next day onward to Craters, and Sawtooth area. You are correct about Missoula - just trying to work our way toward the Northeast to Coeur/possibly Sandpoint and Spokane. Good to know about the Idaho Falls area.
Mar 3rd, 2020, 02:43 PM
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There isn't much in Twin Falls and it's not worth a detour south just to go north again so I'd skip Shoshone Falls. From Boise I'd head to the Sawtooth area (I'd stay in Ketchum over Hailey). No reason to go to Idaho Falls either if you're trying to get up to Coeur d'Alene. Stop at Galena Summit. There are several lakes just off of 75 that you can drive to. Stanley Baking is very good if you want to pick up something to eat. It will be a long day up to Missoula.
Mar 4th, 2020, 09:24 PM
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Yes to the Sawtooth Mountains
Yes to Galena Summit
Yes to Stanley (which is occasionally the coldest place in the lower 48 )
And if you're going to/near Missoula and then driving west... study up at glaciallakemissoula.org to learn about the ancient floods which carved the Columbia Gorge while moving much of the eastern Washington topsoil into western Oregon in the process. You can stand in Missoula and look up on the valley walls to see horizontal lines representing the water levels of the ancient lake during different ice ages.
Yes to Galena Summit
Yes to Stanley (which is occasionally the coldest place in the lower 48 )
And if you're going to/near Missoula and then driving west... study up at glaciallakemissoula.org to learn about the ancient floods which carved the Columbia Gorge while moving much of the eastern Washington topsoil into western Oregon in the process. You can stand in Missoula and look up on the valley walls to see horizontal lines representing the water levels of the ancient lake during different ice ages.
Mar 7th, 2020, 11:11 PM
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If you are interested in the Palouse, I think late spring is a fantastic time to visit when the rolling hills are almost an "Irish Spring" green color. I also love late summer before the wheat harvest when they've turned gold.
As someone mentioned, Spokane could be a "base" for a couple of days to explore the Palouse and northern Idaho. One of my favorite road trips in this area is a scenic drive from Spokane south to Clarkston via Wawawai Road through the Snake River canyon. You can do this on your way south towards Palouse Falls. Right as you're about to reach the turnoff to go to Pullman, you'll turn right off of US 195 onto state highway 194, which is a windy road that twists into the canyon. The drive is breathtaking surrounded by basalt cliffs on both sides along the Snake RIver and will take you into Clarkston.
From there, you have options. You can stay in Clarkston as you've considered. You can go on to Palouse Falls and then make your way back north to Spokane. Or you could go on to Walla Walla (my recommendation), stay there overnight, and do some wine tasting and explore this fascinating and historic town. The Whitman Mission National Historic Site is a must if you're here.
If you head north of Spokane, the Coeur d'Alene area has been mentioned already, and I concur that it's worth visiting. I love Coeur d'Alene and have a lot of great memories there. Super cute walkable downtown on a beautiful lakefront. In my opinion, Sandpoint is less scenic, and would be ideal if you plan to ski in winter/early spring. Otherwise, I would pass through Sandpoint and go on to Priest Lake, which, in my opinion, might be the most gorgeous lake in Idaho, right at the foot of the spectacular Canadian Rockies.
Last but not least, you mentioned Missoula. While other posters were dismissive of it, I think it is absolutely worthwhile to spend a day there. NorthwestMale has some great tips on learning about the unique ancient ice age geology of this area. The Lake Missoula floods are fascinating and essentially carved out the entire landscape of the northwest, and as he mentioned the wave marks on the hillsides surrounding the town are still visible.
If you're in Missoula on a Saturday, pretty much the entire downtown and the Caras Park along the river are alive with the Saturdayd markets. I absolutely love this place on a late spring or summer Saturday morning, the community is just bustling and people are super friendly. Fantastic farmers market, and the downtown of Missoula is also super walkable, lots of cozy cafes and restaurants, a bunch of great breweries (go to Kettlehouse and try the Cold Smoke Scotch Ale), and a thriving art scene. It's a college town, so it has that sort of youthful hipster buzz about it. Fantastic trails along the river, and being at the foot of the mountains, some great hiking just minutes away. Missoula is one of my favorite towns in the U.S., and it's starting to get discovered.
Some in here mentioned Whitefish and West Glacier, and that is a LONG way north. Beautiful for sure, and the entire Flathead Valley driving north from Missoula is STUNNING, with the Mission Mountains and Flathead Lake stealing your breath away. If you're coming all the way up from Boise, you will be dreading more time in the car (it's eight hours on a curvy two lane road from Boise to Missoula, just so you are warned). With a week I would choose either Western Montana or Southern Idaho/Sawtooths to pair with the Palouse and Northern Idaho, not both. Or you'll be spending all your time in the car and everything will be rushed.
Something to look at if you decide on the Palouse and southern Idaho is to fly into Spokane and then depart from Boise. If not spending a lot of time in the car is what you're after, that would be a good plan to save you a LOT of time driving and leave yourself some flexibility in terms of time and itinerary.
A couple of final thoughts. There's a gondola at Silver Mountain Resort in northern Idaho near Kellogg that will take you to the top of Silver Mountain. Absolutely worthwhile with incredible views, and right off I-90 between Missoula and Coeur d'Alene. Also, the town of Wallace, Idaho is a really historic mining town with a quaint downtown nestled in the mountains just a few miles before you reach Silver Mountain on I-90.
This part of the country is so vast and beautiful that you'll love it no matter what route you choose, and you'll be back because there's so much to see. I've lived in or visited this part of the country for many years and have yet to see all I want to see. Happy travels!
As someone mentioned, Spokane could be a "base" for a couple of days to explore the Palouse and northern Idaho. One of my favorite road trips in this area is a scenic drive from Spokane south to Clarkston via Wawawai Road through the Snake River canyon. You can do this on your way south towards Palouse Falls. Right as you're about to reach the turnoff to go to Pullman, you'll turn right off of US 195 onto state highway 194, which is a windy road that twists into the canyon. The drive is breathtaking surrounded by basalt cliffs on both sides along the Snake RIver and will take you into Clarkston.
From there, you have options. You can stay in Clarkston as you've considered. You can go on to Palouse Falls and then make your way back north to Spokane. Or you could go on to Walla Walla (my recommendation), stay there overnight, and do some wine tasting and explore this fascinating and historic town. The Whitman Mission National Historic Site is a must if you're here.
If you head north of Spokane, the Coeur d'Alene area has been mentioned already, and I concur that it's worth visiting. I love Coeur d'Alene and have a lot of great memories there. Super cute walkable downtown on a beautiful lakefront. In my opinion, Sandpoint is less scenic, and would be ideal if you plan to ski in winter/early spring. Otherwise, I would pass through Sandpoint and go on to Priest Lake, which, in my opinion, might be the most gorgeous lake in Idaho, right at the foot of the spectacular Canadian Rockies.
Last but not least, you mentioned Missoula. While other posters were dismissive of it, I think it is absolutely worthwhile to spend a day there. NorthwestMale has some great tips on learning about the unique ancient ice age geology of this area. The Lake Missoula floods are fascinating and essentially carved out the entire landscape of the northwest, and as he mentioned the wave marks on the hillsides surrounding the town are still visible.
If you're in Missoula on a Saturday, pretty much the entire downtown and the Caras Park along the river are alive with the Saturdayd markets. I absolutely love this place on a late spring or summer Saturday morning, the community is just bustling and people are super friendly. Fantastic farmers market, and the downtown of Missoula is also super walkable, lots of cozy cafes and restaurants, a bunch of great breweries (go to Kettlehouse and try the Cold Smoke Scotch Ale), and a thriving art scene. It's a college town, so it has that sort of youthful hipster buzz about it. Fantastic trails along the river, and being at the foot of the mountains, some great hiking just minutes away. Missoula is one of my favorite towns in the U.S., and it's starting to get discovered.
Some in here mentioned Whitefish and West Glacier, and that is a LONG way north. Beautiful for sure, and the entire Flathead Valley driving north from Missoula is STUNNING, with the Mission Mountains and Flathead Lake stealing your breath away. If you're coming all the way up from Boise, you will be dreading more time in the car (it's eight hours on a curvy two lane road from Boise to Missoula, just so you are warned). With a week I would choose either Western Montana or Southern Idaho/Sawtooths to pair with the Palouse and Northern Idaho, not both. Or you'll be spending all your time in the car and everything will be rushed.
Something to look at if you decide on the Palouse and southern Idaho is to fly into Spokane and then depart from Boise. If not spending a lot of time in the car is what you're after, that would be a good plan to save you a LOT of time driving and leave yourself some flexibility in terms of time and itinerary.
A couple of final thoughts. There's a gondola at Silver Mountain Resort in northern Idaho near Kellogg that will take you to the top of Silver Mountain. Absolutely worthwhile with incredible views, and right off I-90 between Missoula and Coeur d'Alene. Also, the town of Wallace, Idaho is a really historic mining town with a quaint downtown nestled in the mountains just a few miles before you reach Silver Mountain on I-90.
This part of the country is so vast and beautiful that you'll love it no matter what route you choose, and you'll be back because there's so much to see. I've lived in or visited this part of the country for many years and have yet to see all I want to see. Happy travels!
Last edited by jeverett; Mar 8th, 2020 at 12:02 AM.
Mar 12th, 2020, 07:40 AM
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Last but not least, you mentioned Missoula. While other posters were dismissive of it, I think it is absolutely worthwhile to spend a day there. NorthwestMale has some great tips on learning about the unique ancient ice age geology of this area. The Lake Missoula floods are fascinating and essentially carved out the entire landscape of the northwest, and as he mentioned the wave marks on the hillsides surrounding the town are still visible.
If you're in Missoula on a Saturday, pretty much the entire downtown and the Caras Park along the river are alive with the Saturdayd markets. I absolutely love this place on a late spring or summer Saturday morning, the community is just bustling and people are super friendly. Fantastic farmers market, and the downtown of Missoula is also super walkable, lots of cozy cafes and restaurants, a bunch of great breweries (go to Kettlehouse and try the Cold Smoke Scotch Ale), and a thriving art scene. It's a college town, so it has that sort of youthful hipster buzz about it. Fantastic trails along the river, and being at the foot of the mountains, some great hiking just minutes away. Missoula is one of my favorite towns in the U.S., and it's starting to get discovered.
If you're in Missoula on a Saturday, pretty much the entire downtown and the Caras Park along the river are alive with the Saturdayd markets. I absolutely love this place on a late spring or summer Saturday morning, the community is just bustling and people are super friendly. Fantastic farmers market, and the downtown of Missoula is also super walkable, lots of cozy cafes and restaurants, a bunch of great breweries (go to Kettlehouse and try the Cold Smoke Scotch Ale), and a thriving art scene. It's a college town, so it has that sort of youthful hipster buzz about it. Fantastic trails along the river, and being at the foot of the mountains, some great hiking just minutes away. Missoula is one of my favorite towns in the U.S., and it's starting to get discovered.
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