Pine Street Woods: How I Turned a ‘Quick 4-Mile Loop’ into a Multi-Trail Maze (and Loved It)
I’ve never been one to pay much attention to details. User agreements? Click accept. Tax forms from my accountant? Skim, sign, auto-pay. That approach once cost me thousands in missed alimony deductions.
When I chose this week’s hike, Pine Street Woods Loop via Greta’s Segway, in Sandpoint, Idaho, I gave the AllTrails description the same cursory glance. The highlights indicated it was a 4-mile, 2-hour loop, with only 580 feet of elevation gain. The accompanying GPS image showed an easy-to-follow day-glow green line.
I’d recently returned from Yellowstone Park, where I’d trekked all day every day. Immediately after, I slogged up the long, steep Schweitzer Nature Trail in Sandpoint, breathless, legs burning. I wanted easy. Short. Quick. This looked perfect. My husband, Ken, and I could finish the laid-back jaunt in the morning and be home by lunchtime.
Arriving at the trailhead, I scanned the posted map. My eyes wandered over a web of endless dotted lines of different colors: green, gray, black. I searched for the Pine Street Woods trail. Instead, found Mushroom, Chaos Theory, Butterfly, and West Side. Finally, I looked at Ken and shrugged.
Soon, we were in the forest. A rusty, abandoned trailer carriage sat like a sculpture among the shady trees. A patch of red blooms rose from the forest floor: Leafless Wintergreen - a native plant that obtains nutrients from fungi rather than through photosynthesis. Pretty cool, right? Trees gave way to pavement. We crossed a road and saw the Greta Segway trail marker. Got back on the path.
Within the conifers, it smelled of warm pine needles and damp earth. We soon stumbled upon a fork in the trail. A wood post with two signs attached. On one, the cartoon image of a woman’s head. She wore glasses and her hair in a bun. An arrow below her pointed right. Was this Greta?
Below that, another marker: Greta’s Segway; the arrow directed between the two paths.
“You choose,” I said and tailed Ken.
The trail markers that followed confused me further: a butterfly, the imprint of a dog’s paw, a drawing of a contemporary house, Momentum written above a squiggly arrow.
Again and again, we went one way, checked the AllTrails app. Saw our blue dot move in the wrong direction, and reversed course.
Ultimately, we followed Greta’s Segway through the woods to the grass pastures of the Butterfly trail, dotted with Yarrow, Hawkweed, and Mossy Rose. Then on to Momentum, with sweeping views overlooking the blue Pend Oreille River. Finally, down to Cracker Pants, where friendly mountain bikers directed us back to Butterfly. We returned along our original route toward the parking lot, an easy, beautiful 4.19 miles. My calves didn’t twinge.
Back home, I finally read the details provided on AllTrails. It read, “This hike starts out on Greta’s Segway trail, then connects to the Pine Street Woods trail system and follows Butterfly trail, Momentum trail, Pinecone trail, and Owl trail, before heading back to Greta’s Segway trail and returning to the trailhead.”
I never saw a pinecone or an owl. So don’t be like me. Prepare. Read up on your hikes. Pine Street Woods isn’t confusing—it’s a delightful maze. 180 acres of protected land adjacent to Sherwood Forest in the Syringa Trail System. Combined, there are dozens of trails. No entrance fees. No parking fees.
JUST THE FACTS: Pine Street Woods Jen’s 4.19-Mile Maze
• Distance: 4.19 miles (loop)
• Estimated Time: ~2 hours
• Elevation Gain: 580 feet
• Key Highlights: Views of Pend Oreille River, wildflowers, shady forest paths, and friendly mountain bikers
• Difficulty: Easy to moderate; some steep sections. Watch for fast-descending bikers and pay attention to the many trail junctions.
Call for Comments: Have you hiked at Pine Street Woods? Share your stories, favorite trails, tips, or local history in the comments, or submit to Reader’s Hike to have your adventure highlighted.
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