COEUR d’ALENE — North Idaho’s trails are for everyone, and Friends of the North Idaho Trails, a nonprofit formed in 2015, is working to keep it that way. 

“Keeping trails in good condition helps keep the public engaged in using our public land,” said Paul Loutzenhiser, president of the nonprofit. “The connection to our land is important for our own personal happiness. Our mental health as a society is directly connected to exercise and being outdoors and being able to hike and recreate.” 

State and local agencies don’t have the budget to maintain North Idaho’s recreational trails, Loutzenhiser said. The trails are too numerous for volunteers to handle alone. That’s why Friends of the North Idaho Trails focuses on securing grants to fund important trail work. 

In late 2024, Friends of the North Idaho Trails received a $50,000 grant from the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation to fund parking, drainage, brushing and signing improvement at English Point in Hayden. 

Work on the project began in early October 2025 and ended in November. 

“English Point is a really prime example of what we’re able to do,” Loutzenhiser said. “We were able to hire a local contractor to do repairs to the local trail system to improve it and sustain it for the public’s use.” 

Keeping trails in good shape is a key part of keeping North Idaho’s public lands accessible to people of all ability levels. 

“Not everyone can hike,” Loutzenhiser said. “Some people are disabled. They should also be able to access our public lands and all the beauty that’s offered through our back country.” 

Loutzenhiser said the nonprofit advocates for more resources to maintain North Idaho’s trails.  

“Our goal is to bring all the different user groups together as a united voice to support our trails in every aspect, from the hiking trails and single-track motorized to horseback and mountain bike,” he said. "We want to be able to move forward and purchase equipment and get more of our money from our tax dollars put on our trails for the public to enjoy.” 

In late spring, Friends of North Idaho Trails will tackle a brushing project along the Solitaire Saddle Trail. To fund the work, the nonprofit received a $15,000 grant from the Recreational Trails Program through the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. 

Loutzenhiser said a 30% match from the North Idaho Trailblazers will also support the project. Contributions from other organizations and from the public help make the work possible. 

“For every dollar we take in, we turn it into four dollars through the grant process,” he said. 

The nonprofit is also pursuing a $50,000 grant for a proposed project at Independence Trail. If the funding is secured, the work will take place in 2027.