Discover Sandpoint

Discover Sandpoint through two main themes: the town’s cultural history and experiences on the water and lake. When comparing hotels in Sandpoint, your planned daily pace may be the deciding factor: Would you like to set aside time for the museum and theater history, head to the waterfront, or take a cruise on Lake Pend Oreille? Local offerings emphasize different things and are easy to compare by theme and timing.

Theater and Local History

The Panida Theater opened in 1927 as a vaudeville and movie theater. Its origins can be understood through two specific forms of entertainment: vaudeville and film. For exploring Sandpoint’s cultural history, this opening provides a clear historical reference point, distinct in theme from the wide-ranging exhibits at the Bonner County Historical Museum.

The museum features exhibits on Ice Age floods, the early days of the Kalispel and Kootenai, the fur trade, the steamboat era, log drives, and stump ranches. It also covers Sandpoint’s development from a few cabins along the railroad into today’s resort town. The topics span natural history and the early days of the Kalispel and Kootenai to trade, shipping, and log drives. Together, the theater and museum offer two different perspectives: the theater’s opening is a clear historical reference point, while the museum’s exhibits cover many aspects of local history and its themes.

Waterfront, Trails, and Water Activities

At the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail, the lake and the season take center stage. The trail offers lake views along its entire length; in summer, there are several spots along the route where you can swim. This connects two different opportunities on a named trail: the views accompany the entire route, while the swimming spots are specifically for summer. If you’re planning a visit during this season, you can consider the trail views and swimming opportunities as separate ways to spend time at the lake.

City Beach has a public boat launch. From downtown Sandpoint, the beach is a short two-block walk via Bridge Street. Lake Pend Oreille Cruises also departs from Sandpoint City Beach. So a public boat launch and the starting point for a cruise are both located there. At Sand Creek, you can kayak, canoe, and stand-up paddleboard. A bike path follows the creek along its east bank and can be accessed via the City Beach entrance. Paddling and cycling are different ways to experience Sand Creek; the bike path’s access via the City Beach entrance is also specified.

Cruise and Scenic Byway

Lake Pend Oreille Cruises offers daily 90-minute sightseeing cruises in spring, summer, and fall. They depart from Sandpoint City Beach and include commentary on the lake’s formation. The cruise therefore combines sightseeing from the water with information about how Lake Pend Oreille formed. Its duration is clearly defined at 90 minutes; if you’re planning a trip, check the schedule for your intended visit date.

The Wild Horse Trail Scenic Byway offers a different point of reference: it begins on U.S. 95 in downtown Sandpoint. While the cruise departs from City Beach and has a set duration, the byway’s starting point on U.S. 95 is specified. This information helps distinguish the different types of outing: a trip on the lake with a defined duration or a road route starting downtown.

Discover more destinations: Priest River, Coolin, Ponderay, Blanchard, Hope, Athol, Sagle.

Return to the main travel overview: Bonner County.