Outdoors Around Wallace

The mountains start at the edge of town. From Wallace you can hike to the tunnel where Edward Pulaski saved his crew in the Great Fire of 1910, ride a rail trail through ten tunnels, ski two states in a day at Lookout Pass, and fish the South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River in town. Check current conditions and regulations with the Forest Service, Idaho State Parks, and Idaho Fish and Game before you go.

Last updated: Friday, November 13, 2026

🥾 Trails & Rail Trails

• Pulaski Tunnel Trail: U.S. Forest Service Trail #38 follows the route that ranger Edward Pulaski and his crew took during the Great Fire of 1910, ending at an overlook across West Fork Placer Creek from the adit where Pulaski saved all but six of his 45 men. The trail is two miles one way, the Forest Service advises allowing two to four hours for the hike, and the first 725 feet are accessible. Location: Trailhead on Forest Service Road 456 (Moon Pass Road), about one mile south of Wallace; King Street leaves the city limits and the well-marked trailhead parking is on the left.
• Route of the Hiawatha: The Route of the Hiawatha is a 15-mile rail trail on the former Milwaukee Road rail line, running gently downhill through 10 tunnels and across 7 high trestles, with the 14.4-mile ride from East Portal to Pearson as the main route. Its best-known feature is the 1.66-mile St. Paul Pass (Taft) Tunnel. The trail is operated by Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area under a Forest Service permit and runs seasonally, roughly mid-May to mid-September. Location: East Portal (Taft) Trailhead, reached from Interstate 90 Exit 5 at Taft, Montana, then two miles up Route 506; about 12 miles east of Wallace via Lookout Pass. Phone: (208) 744-1301 (tickets and information through Lookout Pass).
• Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes: The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes is a 73.2-mile paved rail trail on the former Union Pacific railroad line, running from Plummer to Mullan and passing directly through Wallace. It was inducted into the Rails-to-Trails Hall of Fame in 2010 and is managed by Idaho State Parks. Location: Historic Wallace Trailhead under Interstate 90, about 300 feet north of Pine St and 6th St, Wallace, ID 83873. Phone: (208) 682-3814 (Idaho State Parks).

⛷️ Ski Areas

• Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area: Lookout Pass straddles the Idaho–Montana state line, so skiers can ski in two states in a single day. Opened in 1935, it is the oldest continuously operating ski area in Idaho and Montana. In summer, the area also operates the Route of the Hiawatha rail trail. Location: Interstate 90 Exit 0, Mullan, ID 83846 (mailing address: PO Box 108, Wallace, ID 83873), about 12 miles east of Wallace. Phone: (208) 744-1301.
• Silver Mountain Resort: Silver Mountain Resort is a year-round resort in Kellogg, reached by a 3.1-mile gondola that is billed as North America's longest single-stage gondola. The mountain offers skiing, a lift-served bike park, and lodging in Gondola Village, and the resort is also home to the Silver Rapids indoor waterpark. Location: 610 Bunker Ave, Kellogg, ID 83837, about 11 miles west of Wallace on Interstate 90. Phone: (208) 783-1111.

🎣 Fishing

• Fishing — South Fork Coeur d'Alene River: The South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River runs through Wallace and offers trout fishing in town and along the Silver Valley. Idaho Fish and Game lists the South Fork and its tributaries under Panhandle Region special rules, including a trout limit of six and no harvest of any trout with a red or orange slash below the jaw, which protects native cutthroat trout. Anglers should check the current Fish and Game regulations before fishing. Location: The South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River flows through Wallace and the length of the Silver Valley.

🚵 Motorized & Winter Trails

• ATV and OHV Riding — Idaho Panhandle National Forest: The Silver Valley is surrounded by the Idaho Panhandle National Forest, where hundreds of miles of designated ATV trails and old logging roads are open to off-highway vehicles. Riders must stay on the routes shown on the Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Map, which the Forest Service provides free of charge. Location: Designated routes on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest surrounding Wallace; see the Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Map.
• Snowmobiling — Wallace and the I-90 Snowmobile Route: Wallace calls itself Snowmobile City USA, and its open-streets ordinance welcomes snowmobile riders to ride through town to reach the trails. The I-90 Snowmobile Route connects Wallace and Kellogg to more than 1,000 miles of snowmobile trails in the surrounding national forest. Location: Trail access from Wallace; the town's open-streets ordinance lets riders reach the trails from anywhere in town.

🥾 The Outdoors Around the Silver Valley

Trailheads, rivers, campgrounds, and mountain country in the rest of the Silver Valley, town by town. Silver Mountain Resort and Lookout Pass are covered in the Ski Areas section above. Check current conditions and regulations with the Forest Service, Idaho State Parks, and Idaho Fish and Game before you go.

Kellogg

• Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes — Kellogg Trailheads: Access points for the 73-mile paved rail-trail between Mullan and Plummer, including parking at Silver Mountain on Bunker Avenue (I-90 Exit 50), the Kellogg Depot trailhead (Exit 51), and Elizabeth Park. Location: Bunker Ave and Station Ave trailheads, Kellogg, ID 83837.
• Coeur d'Alene River Fishing Access: The Coeur d'Alene River runs through Kellogg with public access points near town for trout fishing. Location: Coeur d'Alene River, Kellogg, ID 83837.

Pinehurst

• Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes — Pine Creek Trailhead: Trailhead just off I-90 Exit 45, reached by North Division Street and East Fork Pine Creek Road, at about mile 49 of the paved trail, with parking. Location: East Fork Pine Creek Road, Pinehurst, ID 83850.

Smelterville

• Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes — Smelterville Trailhead: In-town trailhead at about mile 51 of the 73-mile paved Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, with parking. Location: Smelterville, ID 83868.

Kingston & Enaville

• Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes — Enaville Trailhead: Trailhead reached from I-90 Exit 43 by about a mile of Coeur d'Alene River Road, at about mile 47. Exit 43 is the Kingston exit, so this is also the closest trailhead for Kingston. Location: Coeur d'Alene River Road, Enaville, ID.
• North Fork Coeur d'Alene River Fishing Access: The North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River along Coeur d'Alene River Road at Kingston and Enaville offers many miles of public access for fishing; the river is known for fly fishing for native westslope cutthroat trout. Location: Coeur d'Alene River Road, Kingston and Enaville, ID.
• ROW Adventure Center: Outfitter running guided full-day and half-day walk-and-wade fly fishing trips on the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River, with trips meeting in Kingston. Its listed season runs from March to late October. Location: Kingston, ID.
• Castaway Fly Fishing Shop (river location): Fly fishing shop on the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River a short distance upriver from the Snake Pit, offering gear, rentals, classes, and guided trips on the river. Location: 1560 Coeur d'Alene River Rd, Kingston, ID 83839. Phone: (208) 682-2929.

Cataldo

• Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes — Cataldo Trailhead: Trailhead in the town of Cataldo, at about mile 42, for the 73-mile paved rail trail that runs from Plummer to Mullan, with parking, vault toilets, and picnic tables, near Old Mission State Park. Location: Cataldo, ID 83810.
• Old Mission State Park Grounds and Trails: Walking paths cross the Old Mission State Park grounds on a knoll above the Coeur d'Alene River, connecting the Sacred Heart Mission church, the restored Parish House, and the historic cemetery. The park sits beside the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes. Location: 31732 S Mission Rd, Cataldo, ID 83810. Phone: (208) 682-3814.
• Fourth of July Pass Recreation Area: Recreation area at Fourth of July Summit with approximately 25 miles of trails, cooperatively maintained by the U.S. Forest Service, Idaho Parks and Recreation, and the Panhandle Nordic Ski and Snowshoe Club. In winter about 8 miles are groomed for cross-country skiing, with snowshoeing on the rest and a warming hut by the parking area; in warmer seasons the trails are open to hiking, biking, and nature walks, and motorized vehicles are not allowed. Location: I-90 Exit 28, Fourth of July Summit, ID.

Osburn

• Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes — Osburn Trailhead: The in-town Osburn trailhead for the 73-mile paved rail-trail, at trail mile 60.4, with a parking lot, picnic table, and benches in a small park area. Location: S 6th Street and E Idaho Avenue, Osburn, ID.
• Gene Day Park: A Shoshone County park west of Osburn with covered kitchens with running water and barbecues, a gazebo, and playground equipment. The county states it is open mid-May through early September, so it is seasonal and closed for the season in November. Location: 1767 W Yellowstone Avenue, Osburn, ID. Phone: (208) 753-5475 (kitchen reservations).
• Osburn Lions City Park: A city park listed as a park, playground, and picnic ground on Yellowstone Avenue in Osburn. Location: Yellowstone Ave, Osburn, ID.

Mullan

• Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes — Mullan Trailhead (Eastern Terminus): Mullan is the eastern end of the 73-mile paved Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, which runs from Mullan to Plummer and is managed by Idaho State Parks and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. Location: 115 2nd St, Mullan, ID 83846 (corner of River Street and 2nd Street, via I-90 Exit 68).
• Terrill Park (Mullan City Park): Mullan's in-town city park, with a gazebo, benches, picnic tables, grass, and a fire-truck-themed children's playground. Location: 2nd Street and Hunter Street, Mullan, ID 83846.
• Mullan Athletic Pavilion / Mullan Swimming Pool: A public recreation facility housing Mullan's large indoor pool, with open swim, water aerobics, and lap swim, plus open gym, and serving as the school's basketball and volleyball venue. Location: 300 Earle Street, Mullan, ID 83846. Phone: (208) 744-1310.
• Shoshone Park (U.S. Forest Service): A forested Forest Service day-use park with a stream running through it, two reservable kitchen shelters, a baseball field, picnic tables, the Hale Fish Hatchery at the east end of the park, and the historic Captain John Mullan cabin. It is a day-use picnic and shelter site, not a campground, and it operates seasonally, roughly mid-May to mid-September. Location: About 3 miles east of Mullan, ID.

North of Wallace

• Dobson Pass: A mountain pass on Forest Road 456 north of Wallace, the northern access from Wallace to the North Fork Coeur d'Alene River country. The paved Dobson Pass Loop from Wallace climbs steeply for about 6 miles to the pass, then descends to the Coeur d'Alene River and Enaville. Dobson Pass is not the Moon Pass route: Forest Road 456 also runs south from Wallace as Moon Pass Road, toward Avery and the St. Joe River. Location: Forest Road 456 north of Wallace, ID.
• Canyon Creek Fishing: A 12.2-mile stream in the Burke Canyon corridor northeast of Wallace, listed by the Idaho Fish and Game Fishing Planner under the South Fork drainage rules: trout limit 6, no harvest of any trout with a red or orange slash below the jaw, and a brook trout limit of 25 (2025-2027 rules). Location: Canyon Creek corridor, Wallace to Burke, ID.

Up the North Fork

• North Fork Coeur d'Alene River: A 76.9-mile river famous for native westslope cutthroat trout, with roadside access along Coeur d'Alene River Road and Forest Road 208 past Prichard. Idaho Fish and Game's Fishing Planner lists cutthroat and rainbow trout in recent surveys, and cutthroat trout may not be harvested. Prichard Creek, through Prichard and Murray, offers smaller-stream fishing on the same trip. Location: Access via Coeur d'Alene River Rd (I-90 Exit 43 at Kingston), ID.
• Big Hank Campground: Forest Service campground on the banks of the North Fork, with about 30 sites; shore fishing is the big draw, with hiking and biking trails nearby. Its season runs roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day, and reservations are accepted. Location: Forest Road 208, about 17 miles north of Prichard, ID.
• Devil's Elbow Campground: Forest Service campground of about 20 sites, including a group site, perched on the banks of the North Fork; visitors camp in tents or RVs and fish or float the river. Its season runs roughly mid-May through September, and reservations are accepted. Location: Forest Road 208, north of Prichard, ID.
• Berlin Flats Group Campground: Forest Service group campground on Shoshone Creek near the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River, for tent camping and RVs, roughly June through late October, with reservations accepted. Location: Shoshone Creek, near the Coeur d'Alene River Rd junction, ID.