Winter and RV Life in the Silver Valley – WHAT winter?
Ok, ok, it HAS been a weird winter. RAIN at Jackson Hole (Wyoming) during Christmas at 6000 ft. (and higher.) Temperatures WAY above normal on many days. Recently, in mid-January, Billings Montana reached 66 with widespread 50’s and 60’s across SKI country in the Northern Rockies!
Earlier in December, North Idaho and the Inland Pacific Northwest experienced 100+ mile per hour winds across much of the region. The winds occurred after monsoonal type rains of up to 15 inches! This weakened the trees and at Lookout, over 1000 trees were downed. So, yeah, its been WEIRD all over!
And now in Late January… a snow drought! All through the west. The snow drought includes the far west and the intermountain west. We still have several weeks of winter to see a change. IF snow doesn’t fall soon, both the ski season and adequate water for the growing season and summer use will be in REAL trouble.
My 5th wheel RV Camper and I are camped for the winter near Kellogg. I’m roughly equidistant between Coeur D’Alene (locals call it CDA) and Lookout Pass. Lookout Pass is a GREAT ski area. I’m TOTALLY impressed on many levels. Lookout Pass also divides Idaho from Montana.
Lookout Pass is located west of the Continental Divide at about 47.5 North. The base elevation is about 4800 ft. It is (as the crow flies) about 450 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Lookout Pass is at a high point on the Idaho – Montana border which is VERY significant. Typically it means GOOD snow and LOTS of it all winter.
This winter, the base of Lookout Pass Ski Area has received about 140 inches as of Jan 25th. Much of that has melted back due to rain, wind and warm temperatures. NONE of this is normal – especially to the extent that has occurred this winter. Even with the truly strange weather pattern, skiing has been pretty good much of the time. Looking ahead, there IS the likelihood of snow and hopefully colder weather soon.
An overall perspective of the Silver Valley
The Silver Valley is dotted by several small and very livable towns, each with a population of 2500 or less. Each community has its own style and flavor. Kellogg and Wallace are perhaps the towns with the most to offer visitors. Kellogg has the largest grocery store (Yokes) in the entire valley. It is also home to the Beanery, a great coffee shop.
Silver Mountain Ski Resort is located in Kellogg. Silver is unique as access is provided via a gondola. The gondola rises from town to the ski area about 3400 ft. above the town. The base area in Kellogg is home to an indoor water park and guest lodging. I have also found a great Chiropractor (Dr. Bowman) here in Kellogg. Kellogg is also home to a few good restaurants including the Radio Brewing Company.
Wallace is clearly the most “touristy” town in the Silver Valley. It is entirely an historic district. An old mining town, Wallace is “well preserved.” When there, you need to visit the “Center of the Universe.” The Tin Snug coffee/cafe has become a personal favorite. They even sell vintage vinyl!
For a town of about 1000 residents, there are several good restaurants. The Fainting Goat deserves mention, along with the Historic Brooks Hotel Cafe for breakfast.
IF I were visiting the Silver Valley to ski for a few days, Wallace is where I’d choose to stay. It’s like a tiny city in rural America. A few square blocks of brick and mortar to wander. You can explore eclectic shops, an active Elks chapter, several hotels and motels, and the Wallace RV Park (read on for details.)
Interstate 90 is the main connector in the Silver Valley
Interstate 90 runs right through the entire valley from end to end. Almost everything you’ll visit in the Silver Valley is within 1 mile of the highway. The valley gets increasingly narrow as you head east from Cataldo and approach Mullan and Lookout Pass. Cataldo is roughly the low point at just over 2100 ft. elevation. Mullan is the highest town at about 3300 ft. Lookout Pass (4800ft.) is just 6 miles east of Mullan. The total drive time from Cataldo to Mullan is about 35 minutes.
As a “part time” local, I’m enjoying the environment, exploring the mining communities. Silver (of course) is the primary mineral being mined here (especially now!) Just up the road from Wallace is a “ghost town” called Burke. It’s got about 10 full time residents. Burke is on my short list of places to visit.
Winter RV Camping in the Silver Valley
The Silver Valley has several winter RV camping spots that cater to full-timers. If you’re planning to stay for several months, there are numerous options beyond what I share below. Contact me to discuss specifics.
IF you are planning to stay a couple of weeks or less. You’ll find the Wallace RV park is available year-round. During the winter, the water is shut off, but you’ll have sewer and electric at a reduced rate. The Wallace RV Park is on the same property as City Limits. City Limits is a good eatery in Wallace.
At the Wallace RV Park, winter reservations for your RV are NOT needed, however this is a VERY picturesque and popular site in the Spring – Summer and early Autumn.
Another RV park that welcomes “short timers” year round is the By The Way Campground in Pinehurst. This is a relatively small RV park, but in the winter there are typically a few sites open much of the time. They also allow tent camping.
Lastly, CDA River RV in Cataldo is open all winter and offers riverfront site. If you are considering winter camping, check to ensure there’s no flooding as the river will rise with extreme rainfall.
Skiing in the Silver Valley
Silver Mountain
The Silver Valley is home to two medium sized ski areas and is not far from a third. Silver Mountain, previously mentioned offers about 1600 acres of skiing. As a ski instructor, I looked into it. I realized if and when the gondola from Kellogg does not run, the ski area can not open. Further, as this is a fairly precipitation rich rainforest, Silver gets more than its fair share of very wet snow (and rain) along with fog.
Lookout Pass Ski Area
As the “head” of the Silver Valley on Lookout Pass sits Lookout Pass Ski Area. At 1000 acres, it is no slouch itself as a ski area. Lookout offers a diverse mix of open slopes, glades and steeps. I LOVE it and HIGHLY recommend it! As a shameless promotion, if you want some great skiing tips or just a couple of hour tour, you can request time with me via the Ski School at Lookout Pass.
Situated just off I-90, access is relatively easy, but realize even though 90 is an interstate, the road on both sides of the pass are marked by S-curves. You may encounter snowy or “less than optimal” driving conditions during the winter. Further, know that North Idaho is on Pacific time and Montana is on Mountain time. If you were to pay attention to your phone while skiing Lookout Pass, you’ll find the time shifting as a good portion of the terrain is split between Idaho and Montana! That’s IF and WHEN your cell phone has service. There are NO towers (yet) in the immediate area, though one is planned for early 2027.
Despite Lookout’s close proximity to Silver, the snow is typically genuinely better (less wet) and fog is far less common that is neighbor just 25 miles to the west.
Schweitzer Mountain
Situated near Sandpoint, about an hour from the Silver Valley, Schweitzer is a massive ski resort. That said, it is in the “banana belt” (just like Silver.) So, fog, wet snow, and rain are not rare. Schweitzer is massive and IF you catch it on a good day, I’m sure its a great place to ski.
I have to laugh though in this TOUGH winter (at least so far), Lookout Pass Ski Area has not only had FAR better conditions than its two nearby competitors, its honestly doing better than MOST Western resorts. I just saw a photos of the Big Horn Mountains (in Wyoming) and the snow cover looks similar to late June, NOT mid-January!
Final Thoughts
Despite the recent challenging ski conditions, I’m having a blast this winter. I’ve taught lots of ski lessons and have numerous happy students! When winter ends, I do plan to “hit the road” again and do some traveling. If things work out at Lookout for the remainder of the season, I look forward to returning.
Below is a link to some highly recommended RV accessories (mostly accessible via Amazon.) The links are affiliate links, they add no cost to your purchase, but funds received from Amazon help to support this website (in part!) I truly appreciate your taking a look – even if you’re not sure you need anything!
Soon, look for new content. I still plan to share some escapades from last winter (another tough winter when it came to sufficient snow), and other thoughts that have come into my scattered brain!
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