Sandpoint, ID

Have you ever heard of Rails-to-Trails? It’s this non-profit group that converts old, unused railroad tracks into pathways suitable for all sorts of activities, such as walking, jogging, biking, even horseback riding. Pretty cool way to reduce, reuse, and recycle, huh? I’ve always admired the person who came up with the Rails-to-Trails idea. So I was pretty stoked when I realized the Dover Trail is built on the same concept. While it’s not a part of the Rails-to-Trails system, it is a trail built over an existing railroad line. This trail is actually built by North Idaho Bikeways. The all-season trail is paved, with a gently sloping grade, making it handicapped accessible and stroller friendly. Our family uses it all the time, since we live right down the road from an access point.

The trail starts in the middle of Sandpoint, across the street from Safeway. It progresses through town, running parallel to Highway 2 west towards Dover. It ends in Dover. Did you catch that? This trail connects the two towns! What a way to build a community! This makes me love this 3-mile-trail even more.

Did I mention that my family uses it all the time? We jump on the trail via the Lincoln Street Connector. We usually head out towards Dover, but turn around once we reach Creed’s Crossing, which is a pedestrian bridge built over Chuck’s Slough. Following the trail in this direction provides plenty of opportunity for wildlife viewing, particularly birds. Just the other evening we watched an osprey building a nest in the top of a pole alongside the trail. What an awesome sight! It reminded us of how lucky we are to live in a town where the wildlife are co-residents!

If you want to do the whole trail, you can start on the corner of 5th and Larch. Starting here will take you past the vacant lot where the grain elevator once stood, past Foster’s Crossing, out along Pine Street, then through the west side of town parallel to Hwy 2. But, if you would rather leave town behind and sample the wilderness that is just outside our doorstep, start at the corner of Ontario and Hwy 2. This is essentially Sandpoint city limits and from here you will follow the trail along the edge of forest, meadow, and river. (Word to the wise: parking is limited in this spot.)

Thing to keep in mind: This is not a loop trail, so you will need to retrace all your steps back, so don’t overtire yourself! Also, there are no bathroom facilities or water fountains, so take care of your needs prior to hitting the pavement. Oh, dogs are allowed on the trail AND there are even doggie-poop-cleaning-up stations, so please utilize that if your dog should, you know, poo. Oh, and another cool thing, there are benches scattered throughout where you can sit and take a break to enjoy the views and listen to the birds chirping.

This trail is great for biking, walking, jogging, roller-blading, snowshoeing, Nordic skiing, sledding…just about everything non-motorized. It’s open to all users, and of course, it’s free. This is a great trail for so many reasons: the re-use of something existing, bridging communities, and the town-to-forest uniqueness. So if you haven’t tried Dover Trail out yet, you’d better add it do your to-do list!