See Pend Oreille from a boat!
At 43 miles long, 6 miles wide and with 111 miles of shoreline, Lake Pend Oreille offers many great boat excursions.
If you don't own your own boat, rentals of sail, paddle and power vessels are offered at a number of marinas in towns around the lake. See the Lake Boat Rentals & Services page for leads to marinas closest to the departure point you prefer.
Boat charters, which include the captain and crew to handle actually piloting the boat, are also available. Or if you're more interested in experiencing the lake in the intimacy of a paddle craft such as a kayak or canoe, several companies offer rentals or guided tours. Check the Lake Boat Rentals & Services page for resources.
Below are some good lake destinations for boaters.
• A good excursion from Sandpoint proper is south and east across the lake to Contest Point. From here you can cruise into long narrow Bottle Bay, with Bottle Bay Resort (263-5916) a possible destination. If you venture a few miles north and east back across the bay you can cruise by the tiny Fisherman Island (which is privately owned) off the Sunnyside peninsula before returning to Sandpoint.
• In the Hope area east of Sandpoint, boaters can tour around several small islands including Warren, Cottage, Pearl and Memaloose at Hope. Memaloose was once an Indian burial ground and sacred site. The islands are private, so don't go ashore without permission.
• A trip south across the lake from Hope will take boaters to the majestic, magnificent Monarch Mountains. Starting at the navigation lights near the mouth of the Clark Fork River, the shore below the Monarchs stretches across an area known by locals as "Long Beach." Some people camp along this stretch, but there are no developed sites. A fire storm in 1991 burned much of the Monarchs. Farther east is Deadman Point, Indian Point and Windy Point.
• Maiden Rock is an enormous block of granite jutting out into the lake about two-thirds of the way down the west shore of the lake's south arm. Boats may pull up on the beach, but there are no docks. There is a Forest Service recreation site with picnic tables and camping. Hikers who can scramble to the top of Maiden Rock for a fantastic view across the lake. A new trail, No. 321, has been built to access maiden Rock by foot.
• At Whiskey Rock Bay, boaters can pull into a protected cove where they can enjoy swimming or hiking around the area. During summer's high pool, the rock itself is pretty tough to spot: it's submerged during high water and marked with a navigation light.
• About a mile south of Whiskey Rock, is the old site of Cunninghams Castle. Rumored to be the site of a former bordello and the headquarters for whiskey runs during Prohibition, the site is empty now. Old timers can remember seeing the castle-like structure back in the 1950s. However after the Forest Service acquired the property, it was burned down. The site is also accessible by car on Forest Service Road 278.
• At Lakeview, the Bitterroot Mountain Lodge features a small restaurant with deck seating, cabins and camping in a rustic and very remote setting. Lakeview is also accessible by car on Forest Service Road 278.
• Mountain goats thrive at Bernard Peak near Echo Bay after being planted there about 40 years ago. Boaters may drive to the shore where the point juts out into the lake to spot the white beasts in their precipitous home. You're quite likely to see at least some of the 60 or so that live on the cliffs.
• The very southern tip of the lake adjacent to Bayview has a bay named after the hook used to lace up old fashioned boots, the buttonhook. Scenic Buttonhook Bay offers very well-protected waters with several public boat docks and slips. Boats can dock or anchor overnight in the shallow waters. On shore at Farragut State Park (683-2425), a foot trail leads hikers up above the bay for excellent views across the lake. Going the opposite way takes you to Beaver Bay, a developed swimming area. North of Beaver Bay, there is another public launch area with picnic sites called Eagle Marina.
