St. Maries, located on the St. Joe River, offers some of the finest outdoor recreation opportunities available anywhere. The St. Joe River Valley has a well-deserved reputation as being one of the finest elk hunting areas in the United States (Benewah River Ranch has plenty of elk). For that reason, hunters from throughout the nation travel to St. Maries every year to take advantage of this area's large and growing elk herd.
Besides being one of the nation's premier elk-hunting areas, the St. Maries area offers much more. The St. Maries, St. Joe, Coeur d'Alene and Spokane rivers combine with Lake Coeur d'Alene (pronounced CORE-DA-LANE) to provide one of the finest boating opportunities available.
The fact that this vast water system is set in some of the country's most beautiful scenery makes this system unparalleled. Idaho's largest state park, Heyburn, on the southern end of Lake Coeur d'Alene, is only six miles from the city limits. Heyburn includes three lakes interconnected by the St. Joe River, the highest navigable river in the world.
Recognizing the abundance of this area's resources, the Forest Service has invested in improving its recreation sites and campgrounds in the St. Joe River area. The National Forest offers several hundred miles of hiking trails. Historic Marble Creek highlights early 1900s logging camps, steam donkeys and railroad trestles. Rock-hounds can dig for the Star Garnet, found only in Idaho and India.
Adult recreation leagues, including a softball complex owned by the adult softball association, complement other recreation activities. The city's challenging, panoramic 9-hole golf course is on par with any top golf course (ok, not really, but it does have beautiful scenery). The city's parks and tennis courts complement the local bowling alley to provide residents with a variety of recreational facilities.
Benewah River Ranch and the surrounding St. Joe National Forest provide numerous opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts. Fishing, hunting, boating, rafting, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, rock climbing, and various other outdoor activities abound. Nearby Heyburn State Park is a great place to spend a day canoeing or fishing on the Coeur D’Alene Lake or riding the trails shaded by 400 year old ponderosa pines. The Silver Mountain ski resort is a short drive away and a great way to enjoy the outdoors during the winter.
Source: www.stmariesidaho.com/recreation.htm
