TMI Tours of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho is offering snowmobile tours to our top 5 snowmobile destinations. Idaho, Montana and Washington States offer superb snowmobiling with lots of crisp, clean snow and miles of groomed and ungroomed trails throughout the Rocky Mountains. Snowmobile rentals have become popular over the past few years with many companies offering full packages including bibs, boots, gloves, helments and goggles. Accomodations in the mountains welcome this off-season boost to their economy and offer packages where you can snowmobile right from your door. Here are our favorite 5 snowmobile destinations:
Whitefish, Montana
Home of Big Mountain Ski Resort, this beautiful resort town is the perfect place to begin exploration of the Flathead Valley by snowmobile. Extending from Whitefish to the west entrance of Glacier National Park, down to the north shore of Flathead Lake, this area offers over 200 miles of groomed trails and 2,000 miles of forest service roads that take you into great hill climbing, powder play areas, wildlife viewing and spectacular ridgetop view of Glacier National Park and the Canadian Rockies. Trails lead through fir forests, snow-dusted canyons and wide bowls rimmed with icy ridges. Elevation of groomed trails begins just shy of 3,000 feet and reach 7,000 feet in some areas.
Seeley Lake, Montana
This is small-town snowmobiling at it’s best. Tucked between two mountain ranges, the Swan Range and the Missouri Mountains, Seeley Lake is one of western Montana’s most popular snowmobile areas. Snow depths are fantastic and this community caters to snowmobilers with a variety of services. Your adventure can start right from your front door, continue on the trail system into town and then on to the over 350 miles of groomed trails and ungroomed areas for exploration. Lakefront accomodations and cabins are a great ending to a perfect day of riding and alternate activies include ice fishing, ice skating, snow shoeing or cross country skiing on the world class 18K cross-country ski trail system.
Island Park, Idaho
Island Park sits in a vast caldera created by an ancient eruption, possibly the largest symmetrical caldera in the world with the southwestern rim standing about 1,200 feet above the plain. Located just 30 short miles from the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park, Island Park is one of Idaho’s least restricted snowmobile areas. With an annual average snowfall of 229 inches and over 500 miles of groomed snowmobile trails, Island Park offers riding conditions for every level of snowmobile enthusiast. Horizons of snow-capped peaks beckon, powder blanketed valley of white entice you off the groomed trails and the breathtaking scenery will stop you in your tracks.
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
This premier resort town is the perfect base of operations with access to hundreds of popular snowmobile trails and areas. Snowmobilers will love our lakefront Coeur d’Alene Resort with it’s luxurious accomodations, lively lounges and restaurants and relaxing spa services. The Silver Valley, just 30 miles east of Coeur d’Alene is also the home to Silver Mountain Ski Resort and the famous gondola. Kellogg and Wallace welcome snowmobilers right from downtown where you can start your trip with a hearty breakfast and continue out to the over 250 miles of groomed trails along the Idaho/Montana border. Sandpoint is a quick 45 minute drive north and has many well groomed trails higher than 7,000 feet in the Selkirk, Purcell and Cabinet Mountain Ranges. Also the home to Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort, it offers great family entertainment and back country guided snowmobile tours. 75 miles north of Coeur d’Alene lies pristine Priest Lake with an additional 700 miles of groomed trails, mostly forest service roads ranging in elevation from 2,500 to 6,500 feet. From this area you can ride to the Idaho/Canada border by back country.
Mt. Spokane State Park, Washington
Just over the Idaho/Washington border is Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park. Mt. Spokane State Park has over 50 miles of groomed trails in and around the park. From dark old growth forests, to open sub-alpine meadows, to ice covered streams, to a cozy wood stove in a 1935 log cabin, to a 3 state view from the summit, snowmobilers will find much to enjoy in this area. Romantic night-time guided rides including a delicious dinner are popular during the full-moon. Mount Spokane is just on the outskirts of the sophisicated city of Spokane, Washinton.
