Sandpoint, ID

Located in the Roosevelt Grove of Ancient Cedars is Granite Falls. My friends and I were taking a leisurely Sunday drive around Priest Lake and stopped here to see the falls. We pulled into the parking lot and campground, finding only one other group there. We got out of the truck and walked to the 1 mile round trip trail. The path was not difficult however it was very rocky and had some steep parts to it. About half way up the mountain is a viewpoint of the falls. The viewpoint provided a good look at the falls, but we decided to continue on to the top viewing point. We reached the top of the falls and found them to be very picturesque. I have seen many falls before but these falls are very unique as they fall to the right and cross under the mountain side instead of falling straight down like traditional falls. Once we had finished checking out the falls we continued on and found an area with a smaller fall and a large pool of water. There was also what looked like a small diving spot. The pool of water did look deep, however there were rocks near where you would be diving in. I am not a risk taker so I was not about to jump in however my friends who have no fear thought about diving in for a few moments. It was a little cold that day and slightly raining so they chose not to take the plunge.

We walked back down the path and opted not to take the hike around the old growth cedars, however I was promised we would do that another time. Once we got back to the parking lot, which was now fill with cars, I thought our trip to the falls was over. My boyfriend took a sharp right near the start of the trail and led us up a short path to the bottom viewpoint of the falls. This was by far the best view of the falls. This short walk was also very easy for anyone who does not want to or can not hike up the mountain. The only issue with this viewpoint that I had was that I had to wait in line to snap a photo. Other than that it was a perfect shot of the falls.

If you would like to visit Granite Falls from Sandpoint take highway 2 to Priest River, turning on Highway 57 towards Priest Lake. Follow highway 57 to Nordman, turning onto Forest Service Road 302. Follow 302 for about 14 miles. A sign for the Roosevelt Grove and Granite Falls will be located just before the left turn into the parking lot. Admission is free as are the campsites, which is a nice bonus if you would like to camp.