The Majestic Shores Of Lake Pend Oreille Boast A Serene Idaho Panhandle City With Charm And Beauty

Idaho's Panhandle is a special and unique part of the country, full of serene glacial lakes that are the remnants of Lake Missoula and an ice age flood across the Pacific Northwest. Lake Pend Oreille is the largest and deepest of these and is surrounded by small, charming cities and towns curled up near the shore. The waters are beckoning visitors to relax and unwind or adventure into the wild. When you visit, the choice is yours.

The city of Hope rests on the eastern side of Lake Pend Oreille, less than two hours from Spokane and just 20 minutes from Sandpoint on State Highway 200. Although Sandpoint and Hope both share rugged mountain surroundings and skies as blue and clear as the water, Hope is a jumping-off point for exploring the Kaniksu National Forest and Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area across the Montana border. While more-touristy Sandpoint has a thriving arts scene and gourmet restaurants, Hope punches well above its weight in things to do and amenities. And despite having approximately 100 residents, the city's natural scenery will knock the breath out of you.

At the beginning of statehood, resource-rich north Idaho was largely mining and timber country. Small towns such as Hope and East Hope began to pop up as the railroad expanded, filling with rowdy miners, bars, and Chinese laborers. During its first decades, much of the town was destroyed by a storm and fire, yet the name and the hearty spirit stuck in what locals call "the most beautiful spot on earth." 

After walking through downtown Hope, there's a good chance you'll feel invigorated — and not just because of the name. Although the city and neighboring East Hope are home to fewer people than at the turn of the 20th century, Hope retains much of its unique character, architecture, and all of that natural lakeside beauty. A British surveyor called David Thompson was the first European to build a trading post on Lake Pend Oreille in 1810, just outside of Hope. Hope was settled years later (in 1882) on a hillside and stayed a small, sleepy community until 1896, when the Northern Pacific transformed it overnight into a boomtown, not unlike this TV-famous mountain town in Washington.

As you walk up Main Street, you'll be greeted by the beautiful Hope Hotel. Built in 1897 by Joe Jennot (a gambler and miner), this hotel served as a rest stop for travelers passing through and celebrities on vacation, including Teddy Roosevelt and Bing Crosby. On the first floor of the hotel is B's Beacon restaurant and bar, serving up modern cuisine with a traditional twist.

As you enter, you'll step back in time to the turn of the 20th century. At that time, travelers reached the hotel from tunnels running below. If you've come to grab a cold beer and watch the sunset over Lake Pend Oreille, there are few better places than the Old Ice House on Main Street. On a beautiful, long Idaho summer night, grab a pie to share, head to the patio, and watch as the orange sky caps off your evening in paradise.

Whether on foot or by boat, Lake Pend Oreille and the shore can easily be explored from Hope, especially during summer. Around the city, there are a total of six (four private, two public) boat ramps and marinas to rent, launch, or tie up your boat. Hope Marina also has a well-known and popular floating restaurant called the Float House, which has a wide range of cuisine and a 4.6-star rating on Google Maps.

For travelers looking to catch their own dinner, several local fishing charters — including Eagle Charters, North Star Charters, and Seagull Charters — offer daily boat trips as well as fishing excursions on the lake. For travelers who would rather paddle, put in at Pringle Park, just a mile away in East Hope. Summers can be very busy, so if you plan to camp, sites at the lake should be reserved well in advance, especially around holiday weekends.

Whether you're flying from across the country to see the Inland Northwest or driving from across the state, don't miss driving the entire Pend Oreille Scenic Byway, a 34-mile section of State Highway 200 from Sandpoint to the Montana border. Keep your cameras handy, no matter what season you visit. Although the journey is short, take a break from the curvy road in the riverside town of Clark Fork or stretch your legs in the Pend Oreille Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Here, you'll likely see wildlife, including waterfowl, herons, and osprey circling overhead for the catch of the day, and you may spot a bald eagle's nest. Plenty of deer, elk, black bears, and cougars are also present in the area.