The Most Charming River Towns In Idaho
Idaho is known for its spire-like mountains, sprawling national forests, and millions of acres of invaluable, free-access, multi-use lands (cough, cough, save public lands!...Excuse me, something got caught in my throat there for a second). For every stunning swath of this overlooked part of the Pacific Northwest, there is a modest, charming, salt-of-the-earth town - and a river runs through it. Ok, that's a Montana reference, but Idaho entails the same landscapes and has an equally sparse population. Let's wade through these various river towns in order to better appreciate all of Idaho's gems.
Bonners Ferry
With the meaty Kootenay River acting as the impetus, Bonners Ferry began as, you guessed it, a ferry town. 150 years on, this Panhandle community has settled into a groove as a pleasant pitstop en route to or from the Canadian border. Parking in the few-square-block downtown, visitors can follow Main Street toward the river, perhaps popping into the Boundary County Museum for an overview of Northern Idaho's history. From there, you can perch next to the rusty but stalwart Pelton Wheel (which generated the town's first flickers of electricity back in 1906), while overlooking the Kootenai River Bridge and the Kootenay itself (yes, you read that right, the Indigenous name varies in spelling). If the driving is done for the day, then you may want to turn left on Riverside Street and follow the current down to Kootenai River Brewing Co., where you can pour one out to the river, ever-present in the sightline through the brewpub's liberal windows.
Sandpoint
Sandpoint is rightly revered as a lake town, but its more secretive waterway reveals even more to love about this charming community. Sand Creek cradles the southside of Sandpoint City Beach Park (where it feeds Lake Pend Oreille) before turning north. The east bank of Sand Creek houses the Sandpoint Byway Trail (perfect for jogging and cycling), as well as the local train station, whereas the west bank gives access to Sandpoint's main commercial stretch (i.e., 1st Ave).
The most unique aspect of Sand Creek is the Cedar Street Bridge Public Market - a two-story boutique mall within the creek-spanning covered bridge. Shop for a new outfit or some thoughtful souvenirs, play some retro arcade games, and indulge your sweet tooth, all while enjoying Sandpoint's scenery through the market's massive angular windows.
Priest River
Just over 20 miles west of Sandpoint, Priest River sits at the confluence of the north-south titular waterway and the east-west Pend Oreille River. This sleepy town is a nice place to grab lunch and take a reflective digestion walk. Highway 2 will bring you over Priest River (the river), and then Main Street is the pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare that flows down to Pend Oreille.
En route, you'll discover the attractive facade of this frontier town, pass the verdant town square, and end at the revitalized Priest River Museum and Timber Education Center, within the unmistakable custard-yellow homestead house. Peak inside for depictions of the early pioneer way of life and to learn more about the region's renewable economy. And if you simply want to plop down on a bench and soak in the tree-lined river, follow the train tracks east to Bonner Park West (confusing, I know), or Priest River Recreation Area on the far side of the Priest River (river) - it'll all make sense once you get there!
Twin Falls
Twin Falls proper might sit a smidge south of Snake River, but all eyes have been on that dramatic canyon for decades. For some, this part of South-Central Idaho connotes Evel Knievel and his infamous attempt to "jump" Snake River Canyon in a super-charged rocket (the asphalt ramp can still be summited on the south side of the river) - a scheme that looked poised for success until the emergency chute opened prematurely. For others, Twin Falls' prime attraction is Shoshone Falls, aka "Niagara of the West" (even though at 212 feet high, this horseshoe cascade actually eclipses Niagara Falls). This faction only has to scoot a mile or so further east along the south side of Snake River, to the aptly-named Shoshone Falls Park. In either case, the cinematic, truss-arch Perrine Memorial Bridge watches over both fan clubs from the west.
Salmon
No tour of Idaho river towns is complete without a stop in Salmon. Bisected by the Salmon River, this eastern enclave is indeed an angler's paradise. Rainbow, cutthroat, brook, steelhead trout, and ocean-run salmon (the only inland western state with such hatcheries) are just some of the species regularly hooked within the scenic Salmon Valley. Salmon also serves as a launching point for the 2.4-million-acre Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Area (the largest contiguous wilderness area in the continental United States and home to some of America's last wild river systems ) - sustained, in part, by the bounty of the Salmon River. Here, visitors can engage with the vital waterway in a more high-octane fashion - namely, white-water rafting. If this sounds up your alley, there are multiple guided tour operators to link up with in town.
Stanley
Another charming small town along the Salmon River is Stanley. Some 115 miles south of the town of Salmon (and therefore, about equidistant to Boise, the capital of Idaho), little old Stanley wades bravely into one of the last true frontiers of the Lower 48. The surrounding Sawtooth National Recreation Area covers 756,000 unspoilt acres, which includes hundreds of pristine lakes and dozens of 10,000-foot peaks from the aptly-named Sawtooth Mountains. Thankfully, three National Forest Scenic Byways (i.e., Sawtooth, Ponderosa Pine, and Salmon River) intersect at Stanley, allowing casual nature lovers to indulge the landscape without the need for wilderness expertise.
Grandiose nature aside, Stanley is a draw unto itself. Though its permanent population is only a touch over 100, the inventive residents know how to keep visitors engaged. Perhaps your trip will coincide with the invigorating Stanley Winterfest, or the artsy Sawtooth Festival, or the informative and celebratory Salmon Festival, or, at the very least, one of the casual, let-your-hair-down, Thursday Night Street Dances! Best of all, there are ample wooden lodges in the downtown area in which to rest your head and sip your morning coffee in view of the mountains, and within earshot of the river.
Parting Thoughts
The ambience of trickling water draws you to the river's edge, where you enter a Siddhartha-like state. After a few moments, you look up and are mesmerized anew by any number of Rocky Mountain subranges that loom around the valley. Nearby, a retired couple walks their dog in the riverside park, a college girl rides her bike on the car-free path, and a fly-fisher stands knee-deep in the gentle current, casually casting to and fro. This is the scene in much of The Gem State, and certainly part of the course in these seven charming river towns. So what are you waiting for?
