Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Protected forest area in northern Idaho, United States.

The Idaho Panhandle National Forests are three jointly administered national forests — Kaniksu, Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe — covering more than 2.5 million acres of northern Idaho, with small portions in eastern Washington and western Montana. Elevations run from 2,100 to 7,600 feet across the Selkirk, Cabinet, Purcell and Coeur d'Alene mountains and the Bitterroot Range, cut by the St. Joe, Coeur d'Alene, Priest, Pend Oreille, Clark Fork and Kootenai river valleys and holding Lakes Coeur d'Alene, Pend Oreille and upper and lower Priest.

The forest system was formed in the 1970s by bringing together several earlier forest areas under one management structure. This reorganization created the forests as they are managed today.

The forests take their name from the Idaho Panhandle, the northern strip of the state that reaches the Canadian border. The Salmo-Priest Wilderness, partly in the Priest Lake Ranger District, is the one designated wilderness area in the IPNF, and four roadless areas totalling 146,700 acres are proposed for protection.

Trail access is spread across seven district offices: Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint, Priest River, Fernan, Smelterville, St. Maries and Avery, with the supervisor's office in Coeur d'Alene. About 1,400 miles of trail are kept for hiking and 800 miles for ATV use, so check which district covers your route before setting out.

The Emerald Creek Garnet Area lets visitors dig for star garnets, which the forest service says occur in only two places on Earth; the other is in India. The stones are the Idaho state gem, and what you find are the dark purple-red star variety, not ordinary red garnets.