Seasonal conditions
April to October — lake-level roads clear early; summer weekends busy on the shore.
ROUTE
Pend Oreille Countryside Loop: Sandpoint to Farragut via the Lake Shore
The lake-side warm-up: 99 km from Sandpoint down the shore of Lake Pend Oreille to Farragut's wartime peninsula and back through the quiet farm country of the Countryside Byway.
scenic-road99 km3.7 hmoderate
Forest Service - Northern Region / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain
ABOUT THIS ROUTE
The route in detail
This loop wraps the southern arm of Lake Pend Oreille — Idaho's biggest lake — without ever climbing high. Ride south from Sandpoint along the shore, turn in at Bayview beneath the Monarchs, thread Farragut State Park's old WWII Navy base, then swing home through the slow farm grid of the Athol and Cocolalla countryside. Short, low and easy: the perfect first-day loop out of Sandpoint.
This loop wraps the southern arm of Lake Pend Oreille — Idaho's biggest lake — without ever climbing high. Ride south from Sandpoint along the shore, turn in at Bayview beneath the Monarchs, thread Farragut State Park's old WWII Navy base, then swing home through the slow farm grid of the Athol and Cocolalla countryside. Short, low and easy: the perfect first-day loop out of Sandpoint.
PLAN RESPONSIBLY
Season & safety
Key hazards
- Fast traffic on US-95 between Athol and Cocolalla.
- Deer at the farm edges morning and evening.
- Summer boat-trailer traffic near Bayview.
Required gear
- Certified motorcycle helmet and full protective riding gear.
- Fuel in Sandpoint — nothing on the loop is more than half a tank away.
MAP & ROUTE
On the atlas
Elevation755 m high point624 m low point498 m total climbing9% steepest stretch (km 42.1)
INTERESTS
Why riders & travellers love it
WEATHER
Weather along the route
Forecast data from Open-Meteo. Updated regularly.
REGIONS
Explore the region
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