Western Pleasure Guest Ranch

We're not sure if there is anything we can say about this beautiful area that hasn't been said already. USA Today describes Sandpoint Idaho as "Norman Rockwell-meets-Ansel Adams". Hollywood game show host Ben Stein was recently quoted in American Spectator magazine as saying Sandpoint Idaho's "rugged mountains, dense forests (and) wide rivers," is "far more beautiful than I had dreamed". Sunset magazine recently voted Sandpoint as "best small town in the West". Sandpoint has also been featured in National Geographic Adventure, and Outside magazine.

The reality is that the only way to get a full grasp on the natural beauty of Northern Idaho is from a breathtaking scenic vista, atop a Western Pleasure horse ;) Sandpoint sits on the shores of the spectacular Lake Pend Oreille, one of the largest fresh water lakes in the United States. At 43 miles in length Lake Pend Oreille is the fifth deepest lake (1,158 feet at its greatest depth) in the United States with 111 miles of shoreline. Its pristine waters are a major factor in the community of Sandpoint's high ranking as a premier tourist destination.

The community of Sandpoint, at an elevation just over 2,000 ft., serves as the county seat of Bonner County (population 35,226 in 1999). For more than a century, its economy depended heavily on the lumber industry. Beginning in the late 1980's, the tourism industry began to grow rapidly in response to increasing awareness of the region's four season climate.

With an annual average rainfall of 33.5 inches and annual snowfall of 71.7 inches, residents experience few sub-zero days in the winter, while summer days rarely exceed 90°. The average year-round temperature is 47° and there are close to 125 frost-free days each year. The humidity level is comparatively low, the nights are generally comforting and summertime typically offers weeks of blue sky, sunny days. This is, of course, to the delight of boating, fishing, swimming, water skiing and hiking enthusiasts!

Resting at the base of the Selkirk Mountains in North Idaho's Panhandle region, the community of Sandpoint can be found 60 miles south of the Canadian border and 75 miles northeast of Spokane, Washington.