Going to a North Idaho Happy Place

Where is your happy place? Is it real or imagined? Public or private? Well, mine is real and it's public and it's really beautiful. Want to know where? It is in North Idaho for a start, and it is an Idaho State Park on a lake that is referred to as the “Crown Jewel of Idaho.” Got it? No? Well, maybe you are new to the area. It's Priest Lake State Park – PLSP.

Having grown up in the Inland Northwest, I am pretty spoiled when it comes to beautiful lakes. Spending time with relatives at Coeur d'Alene and Pend Oreille Lakes was a family tradition. Then, in the summer of 1974, I went on a camping trip with family friends from Spokane. Instead of heading east to Lake Coeur d'Alene, we traveled north. We camped at Priest Lake State Park for a long weekend, and I have been under the park's spell ever since that time. Years later in the summers of 2000 to 2003, I was lucky enough to work there as a seasonal employee. Two of those years, I worked as the park's interpreter. Talk about a dream job.

For those of you who haven't been to PLSP, I'll fill you in a bit. The park sits along the eastern shores of Priest Lake. It is just 30 miles from the Canadian border, with the clear-water lake on the west and the Selkirk Mountain range rising on the east. PLSP has three campgrounds – Indian Creek, Lionhead and Dickensheet (located on Priest River at the southern end of the park). Indian Creek and Lionhead have lake shore beaches of white sand, and one of the best features of these two campgrounds, in my opinion, are “dog beaches.” That's right your best friend of the four-legged kind has beach space at each campground designated just for him and his furry friends. (You can join him too, of course.) There is even a sign that says “Dogs Allowed.” You dog lovers know how great that is, right?

When you are not in the water or just relaxing at your campsite, there are trails to explore inside and outside of the park. Your dog will enjoy exploring these, too. And if you like to kayak, I recommend launching from Lionhead's boat launch and taking a trip to Upper Priest by way of the Thoroughfare, a slow moving river of 10 to 20 feet deep where no wakes are allowed.

This summer PLSP is celebrating Idaho State Parks 50th Anniversary the weekend of July 17 and 18. Chris Shafer will be giving a presentation on the evening of July 17 - “Happy Trails & Tails – Hiking with Your Dog.” The morning of the July 18, she will lead a dog and nature walk along the Indian Creek Trail.

At Priest Lake State Park there is something for everyone who loves being in the great outdoors. It's a happy place and if you visit, I'm sure you'll agree.

For more information about Priest Lake State Park, go to parksandrecreation.idaho.go

Chris Shafer is the writer and creator of Dog About Town NW, a regional blog that celebrates dog ownership in the great Northwest where outdoor adventures are typically more than a walk in the park.

Some of this summer's campground programs are part of the Priest Lake Heritage Series planned by the Priest Lake Museum, Priest Lake Chamber of Commerce, the Coolin Civic Organization, the Priest Lake Library and Priest Lake Search and Rescue:

July 11 at 8pm - "On Bended Kennes"; at Priest Lake Indian Creek Campground

July 25 at 8pm - "Logging at the Lake" at Indian Creek Campground

August 5 at 8pm - "The Camas Path: History of the Kalispel Tribe of Indians"with special guest Jane Fritz. at Indian Creek Campground

August 8 at 8pm - "Nell Shipman: Girl from God's Country" documentary film at Indian Creek Campground. This film won Best Documentary at Cannes World Cinema Initiative. This documentary is about a silent film starlet and screenwriter who, in 1920, left Hollywood for the Idaho Wilds. Her studio site is now the boat launch area of PLSP's Lionhead unit. Nell brought with her 70 abused animal actors. She wrote, directed and starred in 25 silent films, sharing billing with her bears, wolves and sled dogs. She embodied the first action-adventure heroine performing her own death-defying stunts while shooting on-location films like "Back to God's Country," "The Girl from God's Country" and "The Grubstake."

August 20 & Sept 5 - "Mines and Prospects around Priest Lake," by Tom Weitz at Indian Creek Campground

For more information about the summer programs, call 208.443.2200.

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