This Small Mountain Town in Idaho Is Home to the Deepest Lake and Largest Ski Resort in the State

"Sandpoint, Idaho, is the kind of small town you dream about. Perched on the edge of a dazzling lake, at the foot of densely forested mountains, it's a historic charmer with youthful energy and lively music, art, and culinary scenes. It's also home to a historic railroad depot, Idaho's only Amtrak stop, which welcomes the Empire Builder. Nearby, Schweitzer draws an avid crowd of skiers, snowboarders, and mountain bikers, and the 1,158-foot-deep Lake Pend Oreille attracts sailors and swimmers alike."

""Sandpoint has a vibrant community spirit," Olivia Caso, a fifth-generation Sandpoint resident and the executive director of the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, tells Travel + Leisure. "This is a place where people smile, wave, and open doors for others." Rick Evans, co-owner of Sandpoint's Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters, agrees, adding that this is a destination "where people know each other, there are tons of quirky characters, and there's a place here for people of all personalities and walks of life.""

Sandpoint sits on the shore of Lake Pend Oreille beneath densely forested mountains, combining historic charm with youthful energy and lively music, art, and culinary scenes. The town hosts Idaho's only Amtrak stop, the Empire Builder, at a historic railroad depot. Schweitzer Mountain provides skiing, snowboarding, and mountain biking, while the 1,158-foot-deep lake attracts sailors and swimmers and carries local lore of the Pend Oreille Paddler. The community is noted for friendliness and quirky characters, and activities include hiking, horseback riding, huckleberry picking, boating, local breweries, lakeside concerts, and boutique and lakeshore lodging with mountain and lake views.

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