The lovely town of Bonners Ferry sits less than 30 miles from the border of Canada and serves as the gateway to northern Idaho. Often a stopover for travelers coming from Canada and Montana, Bonners Ferry is a visual delight with the Kootenai River flanking the city and undulating mountain peaks in the distance.
While its roots as a fur trading post and a river transportation town are long gone, the town retains an old-world charm making it a perfect place to stop for a day and step back in time.
Whether you’re driving through or coming up as a day trip from Sandpoint, here are a few ways to have a wonderful day in Bonners Ferry.
Morning in Bonners Ferry
Start your day at The Gathering Place, a collection of three shops: Sharon’s Store, The Bakery, and The Produce Stand. The Gathering Place is reminiscent of an old-fashioned country store with coffee, bottled jams, local produce, homemade goods, Amish rocking chairs, baked pastries, and deli sandwiches. The true stand out is The Bakery. One step through the heavy wooden door and you’ll be hit by the aroma of freshly baked sourdough bread and blueberry tarts. You’ll be hard-pressed not to walk out with a bear claw or maple donut.
Afterward, continue north up the Wild Horse Scenic Byway (also known as U.S. 95) to do a little waterfall chasing in northern Idaho. Located a short jaunt from the border of Canada is the trailhead to Copper Falls, a 225-foot waterfall in the Kootenai National Forest. The trail is an easy 1.4-mile loop trail that includes a few different views of the falls. Bring bear spray and be sure to make noise on the trail since the area is a natural habitat for bears.
Heading south on 95, you’ll head back into downtown Bonners Ferry to grab a bite to eat and explore the town. If you’re into antiques, you’ll want to first make a quick detour to the intersection of Highway 95 and 2 to visit the 3 Mile Antique Mall. Take an hour (or three) to rummage through an impressive amount of collectibles, antiques, and vintage finds.
Afternoon in Bonners Ferry
Once in the historic section of Bonners Ferry, stop by Under The Sun to grab a delicious lunch or a refreshing huckleberry lemonade. Don’t be fooled by all the home decor when you first walk in; it’s a hip and eclectic home goods store that also serves some of the best coffee and lunch in Bonners Ferry. The rest of the town can easily be explored on foot, where you can browse through bookstores, consignment stores, art stores, and boutiques.
For history lovers, stop by the Boundary County Museum, conveniently located in downtown Bonners Ferry. The small museum does an impressive job of displaying the heritage of northern Idaho and the Indigenous Kootenai people. You’ll also learn about the beginnings of the ferry Edwin Bonner created to help gold prospectors cross the Kootenai River to reach British Columbia.
Nature lovers will want to save time to explore the serene Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge. Located six miles from downtown Bonners Ferry, the park is a sanctuary for various wildlife, including moose, bears, elk, beavers, and a host of avian visitors. Come fall, the refuge peaks with over 40,000 birds (the majority of them Mallards) migrating through the park.
If visiting in the fall, you can start your visit by walking the flat 2.2-mile Deep Creek Trail. The row of cottonwoods lining the trail makes it a fall delight with their yellow and orange hues. If visiting in late spring or early summer, park near the visitors center and take in another waterfall, Myrtle Falls. The short and moderately steep .9 mile out and back trail will take you to a beautiful viewpoint with a bench where you can sit and marvel at the 100-foot waterfall.
If you have time to spare, you can also tack on another waterfall hike to Snow Creek Falls. It’s a fifteen minute drive south of Myrtle Falls and takes you out of the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge. The hike is an easy 1.7-mile out and back trail to a lovely waterfall that is best viewed in late spring. The upper falls are more spectacular and are where you should head first.
The last must-do in the refuge is to drive the 4.5 miles one-way Auto Tour Road to travel along wetlands, open grasslands, and Myrtle Creek to see if you can spot wildlife. With pullouts and benches, you can sit and enjoy the surroundings. In wintertime, a herd of over a hundred elk will often congregate in the early evening. Binoculars and a zoom lens for your camera are a great addition! You can also walk, bike, ski, or snowshoe the gravel road.
Evening in Bonners Ferry
End your day at Bonners Ferry by driving back into town and having dinner at the Kootenai River Brewing Company. A locals favorite, the brewery serves house-made beer from hops locally sourced in northern Idaho. If it’s warm, sit out on their patio surrounded by towering hop vines and dine on their delicious food. They’re most famous for their wild caught Alaskan Sockeye Salmon shipped from Bristol Bay.
On your way out of town, if you’re feeling lucky, swing by the Kootenai River Inn Casino & Spa to try your hand at some slots. Or stay the night to spend another day exploring the best of Bonners Ferry. With another day, you could hike Katka Peak, fish the Kootenai River, or tee off at the Mirror Lake Golf Course. Or continue along on the Idaho portion of the International Selkirk Loop to discover more of the mountain wilderness of northern Idaho.
Feature image credited to Live a Wilder Life.
Christina Grance and Brad Benoit are the wife/husband duo behind the adventure travel blog, Live A Wilder Life. Former full-time travelers turned part-time nomads, they live with their wild son and an ornery cat in North Idaho where they spend every second they can dreaming up their next big trip. They specialize in outdoor travel for the everyday adventurer and love helping people to plan or discover their next trip. You can read their travel guides and tips at their travel website or follow along @liveawilderlife.
Updated on August 23, 2023
Published on July 5, 2023
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