Misplaced Pages

Idaho Panhandle National Forests
Hidden Lake in Idaho Panhandle National Forest
Location	Idaho-Montana-Washington, United States
Nearest city	Spokane, WA
Coordinates	47°43′N 116°13′W / 47.717°N 116.217°W / 47.717; -116.217
Area	3,220,000 acres (13,000 km)
Established	1912
Governing body	U.S. Forest Service
Website	Idaho Panhandle National Forests

The Idaho Panhandle National Forests are a jointly administered set of three national forests located mostly in the U.S. state of Idaho. In 1973, major portions of the Kaniksu, Coeur d'Alene, and St. Joe National Forests were combined to be administratively managed as the Idaho Panhandle National Forests (IPNF). The IPNF consists of more than 2.5 million acres (10,000 km) of public lands in the panhandle of north Idaho, with small areas extending into eastern Washington (4.7%) and western Montana (1.2%). The northernmost portion of the IPNF share a boundary with Canada. The Forest Supervisor's office is located in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho with district office's in Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint, Priest River (Priest Lake Ranger District), Fernan and Smelterville (Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District), and St. Maries and Avery (St. Joe Ranger District).

Geography

Elevations on the IPNF range from 2,100 to 7,600 feet with as much as 80 inches of precipitation at high elevations. The IPNF is characterized by several mountain ranges including the Selkirk Mountains, Cabinet Mountains, Purcell Mountains, Coeur d'Alene Mountains, and Bitterroot Range, interspersed with large lakes such as Lakes Coeur d'Alene, Pend Oreille, and the upper and lower Priest. Major river valleys consist of the St. Joe, Coeur d'Alene, Priest, Pend Oreille, Clark Fork, and Kootenai.

Wildlife

The Idaho Panhandle National Forests contain a wide variety of wildlife. White-tailed deer, mule deer, raccoons, elk, grizzly bears, moose, black bears, coyotes, timber wolves, skunks, cougars, marten, beavers, river otters, bobcats, minks, and wolverines are often seen by visitors.

Bird species include ravens, wild turkey, blue jays, California quail, numerous species of grouse, osprey, golden eagle, bald eagle and numerous types of owls. The rivers and lakes in the Panhandle hold some of the best fishing locations in the world.

Wilderness areas

There is one officially designated wilderness area within the IPNF that is a part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The Salmo-Priest Wilderness lies partially within the Priest Lake Ranger District of the IPNF and extends into the neighboring Colville National Forest. Four roadless areas are currently proposed for wilderness totaling 146,700 acres (590 km):

• Salmo-Priest Roadless Area (Idaho Portion)
• Selkirk Crest
• Scotchman Peaks
• Mallard-Larkins

Recreation

The IPNF manages for a diversity of recreational opportunities, and there are extensive trail networks for stock, OHVs, hiking, and winter snowmobile and cross country skiing. Over 1,400 miles (2,250 km) of trails are maintained for hiking and 800 (1,290 km) miles for ATV use. Notable trails include the Pulaski Tunnel Trail, which explores the history of the Great Fire of 1910 and the firefighters who battled them, and the Route of the Hiawatha, a 15-mile (24-km) rails-to-trails route which includes the 1.7 mile (2.7 km) Taft Tunnel. The Emerald Creek Garnet Area provides an opportunity to collect star garnets and is one of only two places in the world where these gems can be found. The forests contain two groves of old growth ancient Giant western red cedar, Settler's Grove of Ancient Cedars near Murray, Idaho and Roosevelt Grove of Ancient Cedars near Nordman, Idaho, both of which are popular hiking trails.

Photos

• The St. Joe River at Red Ives
• Winter on the North Fork of the St. Joe River
• Little Guard Lookout in the Coeur d'Alene River area
• Winter view from near the Lookout Pass Ski Area
• 2017 Inland Empire dog races near Priest Lake
• Settlers Grove of Ancient Cedars
• Stream running into Coal Creek
• Shoshone Ridge from Pond Peak

See also

• List of national forests of the United States

References

1. ^ U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 2013. Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Revised Land Management Plan - Idaho Panhandle National Forests. Missoula, MT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Region.
2. "Ranger Districts of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests". Idaho Panhandle National Forests. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
3. "Pulaski Tunnel Trail". Idaho Panhandle National Forests. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
4. "Route of the Hiawatha". Idaho Panhandle National Forests. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
5. "Emerald Creek Garnet Area". Idaho Panhandle National Forests. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
6. "Settlers Grove of Ancient Cedars Trail". AllTrails.com.
7. "Granite Falls and Roosevelt Grove Trail". AllTrails.com.

Further reading

• Ferguson, D.E. and A.C. Zack. (2006). Establishment record for the Wellner Cliffs Research Natural Area: Priest River Experimental Forest, Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Bonner County, Idaho . Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.

External links

• "Idaho Panhandle National Forests". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved 2013-01-14.
• "Pacific Northwest Trail". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved 2013-11-19.

v t e Protected areas of Washington
Federal	National Parks Mount Rainier North Cascades Olympic National Monuments Hanford Reach (USFWS) Mount St. Helens Volcanic (USFS) San Juan Islands (BLM) National Historical Parks and Sites Fort Vancouver NHS Klondike Gold Rush NHP Lewis and Clark NHP Manhattan Project NHP Nez Perce NHP San Juan Island NHP Whitman Mission NHS National Historical Reserves Ebey's Landing National Trails Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Pacific Crest Trail Pacific Northwest Trail NPS National Recreation Areas Lake Chelan Lake Roosevelt Ross Lake National Wildlife Refuges Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually Columbia Conboy Lake Copalis Dungeness Flattery Rocks Franz Lake Grays Harbor Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer Little Pend Oreille McNary Pierce Protection Island Quillayute Needles Ridgefield Saddle Mountain San Juan Islands Steigerwald Lake Toppenish Turnbull Umatilla Willapa National Forests Colville Gifford Pinchot Idaho Panhandle Kaniksu Mount Baker–Snoqualmie Okanogan–Wenatchee Olympic Umatilla Wenatchee USFS National Recreation Areas Mount Baker National Wilderness Alpine Lakes Boulder River The Brothers Buckhorn Clearwater Colonel Bob Daniel J. Evans Glacier Peak Glacier View Goat Rocks Henry M. Jackson Indian Heaven Juniper Dunes Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Ridge Mount Adams Mount Baker Mount Rainier Mount Skokomish Noisy-Diobsud Norse Peak Pasayten Salmo-Priest San Juan Stephen Mather Tatoosh Trapper Creek Washington Islands Wenaha–Tucannon Wild Sky William O. Douglas Wonder Mountain National Marine Sanctuary and National Estuarine Research Reserve Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve National Wild and Scenic Rivers Illabot Klickitat Pratt Skagit Snoqualmie White Salmon
State	State Parks Alta Lake Anderson Lake Battle Ground Lake Bay View Beacon Rock Belfair Birch Bay Blake Island Blind Island Bogachiel Bottle Beach Bridgeport Bridle Trails Brooks Memorial Cama Beach Camano Island Camp Wooten Retreat Center Cape Disappointment Clark Island Columbia Hills Columbia Plateau Trail Conconully Crawford Curlew Lake Cutts Island Daroga Dash Point Deception Pass Doe Island Dosewallips Doug's Beach Eagle Island Federation Forest Fields Spring Flaming Geyser Forks of the Sky Fort Casey Fort Columbia Fort Ebey Fort Flagler Fort Simcoe Fort Townsend Fort Worden Ginkgo Petrified Forest Goldendale Observatory Grayland Beach Griffiths-Priday Harstine Island Hope Island (Mason County) Hope Island (Skagit County) Ike Kinswa Illahee Iron Horse Jackson House James Island Jarrell Cove Joemma Beach Jones Island Joseph Whidbey Kanaskat-Palmer Kinney Point Kitsap Memorial Klickitat Trail Kopachuck Lake Chelan Lake Easton Lake Lenore Caves Lake Sammamish Lake Sylvia Lake Wenatchee Larrabee Leadbetter Point Lewis and Clark Lewis and Clark Trail Lime Kiln Point Lincoln Rock Lyons Ferry Manchester Maryhill Matia Island Matilda Jackson McMicken Island Millersylvania Moran Mount Pilchuck Mount Spokane Mystery Bay Nolte Obstruction Pass Ocean City Olallie Olmstead Place Pacific Beach Pacific Pines Palouse Falls Palouse to Cascades Paradise Point Patos Island Peace Arch Pearrygin Lake Penrose Point Peshastin Pinnacles Pleasant Harbor Posey Island Potholes Potlatch Rainbow Falls Rasar Reed Island Riverside Rockport Sacajawea Saddlebag Island Saint Edward Saltwater Scenic Beach Schafer Seaquest Sequim Bay Shine Tidelands Skagit Island South Whidbey Spencer Spit Spokane River Centennial Trail Spring Creek Hatchery Squak Mountain Squilchuck Steamboat Rock Steptoe Battlefield Steptoe Butte Stretch Point Stuart Island Sucia Island Sun Lakes-Dry Falls Tolmie Triton Cove Turn Island Twanoh Twenty-Five Mile Creek Twin Harbors Wallace Falls Wanapum Recreational Area Wenatchee Confluence Westport Light Willapa Hills Trail Willie Keil's Grave Yakima Sportsman State Forests Ahtanum Capitol Elbe Hills Green Mountain Loomis Loup Loup Tahuya Teanaway Tiger Mountain Yacolt Burn Natural Area Preserves Admiralty Inlet Badger Gulch Bald Hill Barker Mountain Bone River Camas Meadows Carlisle Bog Castle Rock Charley Creek Chehalis River Surge Plain Chopaka Mountain Clearwater Bogs Cleveland Shrub Steppe Columbia Falls Columbia Hills Crowberry Bog Cypress Highlands Dabob Bay Dailey Prairie Davis Canyon Entiat Slopes Goose Island Gunpowder Island Hamma Hamma Balds Ink Blot Kahlotus Ridgetop Kennedy Creek Kings Lake Bog Kitsap Forest Lacamas Prairie Little Pend Oreille River Marcellus Shrub Steppe Methow Rapids Mima Mounds Monte Cristo Niawiakum River North Bay Oak Patch Olivine Bridge Pinecroft Point Doughty Riverside Breaks Rocky Prairie Sand Island Schumacher Creek Selah Cliffs Skagit Bald Eagle Skookum Inlet Snoqualmie Bog Spring Creek Canyon Trombetta Canyon Trout Lake The Two-Steppe Upper Dry Gulch Washougal Oaks Whitcomb Flats Willapa Divide Natural Resources Conservation Areas Ashford Cattle Point Clearwater Corridor Cypress Island Devils Lake Dishman Hills Elk River Ellsworth Creek Granite Lakes Hat Island Hendrickson Canyon Klickitat Canyon Lake Louise Loomis Lummi Island Merrill Lake Middle Fork Snoqualmie Morning Star Mount Si Naselle Highlands Queets River Rattlesnake Mountain Scenic Area Shipwreck Point Skamokawa Creek South Nemah South Nolan Stavis Stevenson Ridge Table Mountain Tahoma Forest Teal Slough Washougal Oaks West Tiger Mountain White Salmon Oak Woodard Bay Aquatic Reserves Cherry Point Cypress Island Fidalgo Bay Maury Island Nisqually Reach Protection Island Smith and Minor Islands
Other	Former state parks Damon Point Fay Bainbridge Fort Okanogan Fort Ward Park Griffin Bay Mukilteo Lighthouse Park Osoyoos Lake Veteran's Memorial Park Skull Island Upright Channel Wenberg Westhaven Marine protected areas Blanchard Forest Cascadia Marine Trail The Enchantments Goose Island Les Hilde Trail & Trailheads Little Pend Oreille Maritime Washington National Heritage Area Mount Adams Recreation Area Sehome Hill Arboretum Walker Valley ORV Riding Area Withrow Moraine Yellow Island
Category Seattle Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission Commons

• National forests of Idaho
• National forests of Montana
• National forests of Washington (state)
• Protected areas established in 1912
• Idaho Panhandle National Forest
• 1912 establishments in Idaho
• 1912 establishments in Montana
• 1912 establishments in Washington (state)