The Moyie River Trail is not an official trail. It has never been designated as one and there is no signage to let walkers or runners that it exists.  

However, Chuck Neely goes to the Moyie River near daily to improve what the Boundary County man calls a social trail. To him, the trail is a place worth going to.

Neely hopes that someday the Moyie River Trail becomes an official, government recognized trail. For now, that goal is on hold as the city of Bonners Ferry is in discussion to relicense the Moyie Dam, which will most likely delay Neely’s proposal until 2029. Mike Klaus, Bonners Ferry city administrator, wrote to Neely to say that no trail work can occur on Bonners Ferry city property until after the Moyie Dam relicensing is complete. 

Bonners Ferry officials said the existing license for the Moyie Dam, which generates electricity for the city, was issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in June 1999 and expires on May 31, 2029. Obtaining a new license is a multi-year process that has already started. 

A Moyie Springs resident since 2014, Neely walked near the Moyie River with his dogs throughout the years and noticed small side trails that people had created to reach the river. The paths did not connect and many were barely visible. Some, Neely said, were made by wildlife such as elk, deer and moose, while others were formed by people hiking, fishing or swimming. 

Over time, Neely worked to create a path, both on paper and in person. He said it is the only low-elevation trail in Moyie Springs that can be accessed year-round. 

“There’s a very obvious pathway through there,” Neely said. “I basically started documenting which little sections connected to other sections and then I came up with a route by stringing together what was already there. I didn’t build the trails, but I documented a route and then put together a proposal.”  

Neely’s work has improved and maintained approximately 4.2 miles of existing trail. His proposal to the Moyie Springs City Council also includes creating 0.2 miles of new trail to create a new trailhead at the Moyie Dam day use area. He has also worked on another path in the forest instead of along the river. Fewer people use that path and it has significantly higher elevation changes. 

Neely estimated 130 people use the trail each month, roughly five per day.  

After charting a course for others to follow, Neely now makes sure that the trail is well-maintained. Sometimes, he says the trail is also cleared by other hikers walking on the path. 

“Basically, what I do is keep the trail clear so that I can walk through there and so others can enjoy it as well,” Neely said. “There’s no trail signs, no marking.” 

He described exactly why he wants to make it an official trail. 

“This is one of the only places where you can freely access the Moyie Riverfront,” Neely said. “So, in that sense, it’s a very unique location. At this point, it’s just up for people to find the existing paths on their own.”