Sandpoint, ID

Our daughter learned how to walk over the winter, and now that all the snow has melted, we decided to take her out on a hike. We wanted to take her on a trail that was close to town, easy to get to, relatively short & easy, but had a bit of a “destination” to it. The Sam Owen Trail #4 fit our wish list perfectly.

We weren’t sure of its exact location, but knew the general area. We didn’t need to worry, it was easy enough to find (directions are provided below). I was worried about how our toddler would do on this hike, being as it was her “maiden voyage.” We strapped her onto my back using our Moby wrap, and set off.

I don’t think we were even twenty feet down the trail before we saw our first visual treat: wildlife! Our daughter kept calling them horses, but these were actually deer. The thing about the deer out on the Hope peninsula is, they are famously tame. These ladies almost walked right up to us!

We moved on, wondering what else this trail had in store for us. A little further up the trail, after a gentle climb, we saw a beautiful field of purple wildflowers. I’m not sure what they were, but we enjoyed them nevertheless. “Oooo, pretty!” my 1-1/2 year old kept saying.

And a little distance after that, we caught glimpses of the lake. Soon, we came upon a vista point, complete with benches, where we could sit and gaze upon the lake.

After hiking for only about 20 minutes, we reached our destination. Rising out of the ground – literally – on a small mound just off the trail, sat the gravesite of Sam Owen and his wife, Nina. Mr. Owen was an important person in the history of Hope and the Hope Peninsula. Indeed, there is now a campground and day-use area named after him, as well as this trail we were on. As I looked at the graves – these two cold slabs of cement peeking from the dirt – I wondered why Mr. Owen and his wife had chosen this spot to be buried. What did this site mean to them in their living days? Did they come on walks here together, holding hands and dreaming of their future? Was this the spot Sam proposed to Nina? Ahh, the romantic in me gets carried away at times.

Shrugging off my curiosity, we plodded on, only to find the trail evaporating into an old vehicle spoor. We turned around here and headed back, letting our daughter out of the Moby wrap so she could stretch her legs. My husband and I commented to each other how nice the trail was; our daughter could navigate it easily, it has a gentle slope and is fairly wide, and for the most part, it is shaded. There were a couple of spots out in the open, and I wished I had thought to bring my daughter’s hat for her. The other thing I was wishing for was a bathroom! Alas, there were no facilities at the trailhead, so keep that in mind! There was, however, plenty of parking and easy access.

If you’d like to enjoy this “graveside trail,” head out of Sandpoint on Hwy 200. Once you pass Hope and East Hope, be on the lookout for Peninsula Road (formerly named Sam Owen Road). Turn right (follow the signage for Sam Own Campground, Beyond Hope Resort, Red Fir Resort, etc.). Go about 2 miles to the corner of Peninsula Road and Sam Owen Park Road. This is the entrance to the campground, but there is a parking area for the trail here. The trailhead is located across the road from the parking area. I found this information on the Internet about the trail. It says it’s suitable for wheelchairs and strollers, and I question that. Also, it says it is a loop trail; we did not see where it loops. It did fork at one point, and we took the right fork, which led us to the vista and further on is the gravesite.

One more thing: it’s free! No parking fees and no trailhead fees!