| Idaho Panhandle National Forest comprise about 2.5 million acres of public lands which lie within "the panhandle" of northern Idaho and extend into eastern Washington and western Montana.Northern Idaho is about 20 percent farmland and 80 percent forested. The Idaho Panhandle National Forest administers approximately half of the total forested acres. One-fourth of the forested land is owned by small woodland owners; the remainder is owned by industries or other government entities.The Idaho Panhandle National Forests are an aggregation of the Coeur d'Alene and portions of the Kaniksu and St. Joe National Forests. There are eight local points of contact including the Supervisor's Office, six district offices and the Coeur d'Alene Tree Nursery. The Forest is within nine counties in three states: Boundary, Bonner, Benewah, Kootenai, Shoshone, Latah and Clearwater Counties in Idaho; Lincoln County in Montana; and Pend Oreille County in Washington.Some 300 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the forest is in the east-central part of the Columbia Plateau, between the Cascade Mountains to the west and the Bitteroot Mountains to the east.Major transportation corridors through the Forest are Interstate 90, US Highways 2, 10, 95, and 95A, State Highways 3,57, and 200. Amtrak, Burlington Northern, Union Pacific, Potlach and Spokane International Railroads cross the Idaho Panhandle. The Spokane International Airport outside Spokane, Washington is the main hub for air travel. The Coeur d'Alene Airport in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho is available for private planes.Recreational opportunities within the Idaho Panhandle National Forest includes camping, picnicking, fishing, mountain biking, ATV riding, hunting, hiking, and horseback riding. |
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