A view of alpine trees along the shore of upper Baron Lake in Idaho's Sawtooth National Recreation Area.

Written by Mod Fam on August 1, 2020

P Idaho – Words That Start with P

#PNW . Backpacking . Hiking . Idaho . Outdoor Recreation . Tent Camping . Trailer Camping . Travel

10 Perfect Words that Start with P

P Idaho. Idaho is known for Potatoes. In fact, the J.R. Simplot Company supplies potatoes to McDonald’s and other commercial retailers, along with dozens of other agricultural produce and products. But that’s just scratching the proverbial surface of Idaho’s possibilities and potential when it comes to the letter P. Idaho offers peaks and powder. And pints and pubs. And don’t forget pioneers and Ponderosa Pine. Join us on our photographic portal to P Idaho. The BEST of Idaho. The BEST of the West. Welcome to P Idaho Perfection.

P Idaho - Words that Start with P. Pink and purple skies surround the Milky Way Galaxy in this astrophotography picture taken over Middle Baron Lake in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. — Pink and Purple Painted Skies over Middle Baron Lake, Sawtooth National Recreation Area

Peaks

P Idaho – Peaks. Idaho provides the most protected wilderness area of any of the lower 48 states. The most prominent point, Borah Peak, perches high above the Challis National Forest and the Lost River Range. But with dozens of state and federal wilderness playgrounds, you’ll be pleased to find hundreds of potential paths up plentiful peaks throughout the state.

Pima Peak towers over the Baron Lakes in Idaho's Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Upper Baron Lakes sits at the base of the Baron Peak chain, surrounded by alpine foliage and high elevation trees. — Pima Peak, seen Pointing Skyward over Upper Baron Lake, Sawtooth Wilderness

Peaks – P Idaho

Idaho Peaks are Pretty. Real Pretty.

Words that Start with P. Parts of Idaho contain nothing but pristine wilderness preserves. The Sawtooth National Recreation Area, for example, stretches through Central Idaho all the way to Southeast Idaho. Then there’s the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in the Salmon-Challis National Forest. Perhaps the deepest canyon in North America is your preference. Hells Canyon National Recreation Area provides the best panoramas for persnickety passengers. But beware of precarious roads lining the canyon. The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and the Owyhee River Wilderness Area promise even more prominent peaks for pioneering packers.

P Idaho - Words that Start with P. Baron Peak sits over the Baron Lakes in Idaho's Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Upper Baron Lakes sits at the base of the Baron Peak chain, surrounded by alpine foliage and high elevation trees. — Baron Peak, Sawtooth Wilderness

P Idaho - Words that Start with P. A large peak overlooks a high alpine lake in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Idaho. — Precarious Peaks, Sawtooth Wilderness

Pints & Pubs

P Idaho – Pints & Pubs. Idaho is proud of its craft brews. And the state promotes its award-winning IPAs and promising breweries, like our picks, 10 Barrel and Mother Earth Brewing. From North to South, Idaho, the non-profit Idaho Brewers United represents and promotes prominent craft brewers. Check out our favorite pints and pubs, packed with potential.

A hazy IPA from Boise, Idaho's Payette Brewing Co., a local craft brewer and member of Idaho Brewers United, an Idaho non-profit organization.

Pints & Pubs – P Idaho

Idaho Pubs Have Perfect Pints

Words that Start with P. Our favorite P Idaho Brewery, Payette Brewing Co., puts out an impressive range of potent IPAs, sours, and lagers. But Payette produces quite possibly the best IPAs in Idaho. Post Falls Brewing Company, a close second place, occupies a pleasant place along the Spokane River. And it has plenty of patio space for social distancing while you hear a local band play. And both Paragon Brewing in Coeur d’Alene and Portneuf Valley Brewing in Pocatello produce their own promising brews. For a classic Idaho pub, nothing beats Pengilly’s. It’s a picture of the Old West, complete with a picturesque wooden bar, a pool table, and preserved taxidermy.

P Idaho - Words that Start with P. Hazy IPAs in glasses at Payette Brewing Co., a Boise, Idaho original. — Pints at Payette Brewing Co.

P Idaho - Words that Start with P. Moody lighting and a mirror reflect a performing stage inside Pengilly's, a vintage Boise, Idaho bar on Main Street. — Pengilly Pub and Saloon

Pathways

P Idaho – Pathways. Idaho not only possesses the most public land in the lower 48. It also provides countless paths to explore. From prominent urban greenbelt paths to pristine, remote backcountry pathways, Idaho paves the way in providing public access. Pedal along powerful, pounding rivers or pass by porous pumice pebbles as you ponder the profound natural beauty of Idaho.

The Boise River Greenbelt Path runs along both sides of the Boise River throughout Boise from Lucky Peak Reservoir clear past Eagle, Idaho. — Perspectives of the Boise River from the Greenbelt Path in Autumn

Pathways – P Idaho

Idaho Provides Plentiful Pathways

Words that Start with P. The popular Boise River Greenbelt recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. This iconic pathway through the populous city of Boise plods along both sides of the river, proffering more than 25 miles of pedestrian and peddling access. One of the longest paths, the Idaho Centennial Trail, proceeds more than 900 miles through some of Idaho’s wildest property. Public lands purchased and preserved by state and federal agencies provide the possibility of endless hiking, mountain biking, and climbing. From paved, accessible paths to remote passages in wilderness rarely passed through, Idaho protects its pedestrian pathways.

P Idaho - Words that Start with P. A wooden bridge over Baron Lakes Creek, just below lower Baron Lake in Idaho's Sawtooth National Recreation Area. — Sawtooth National Wilderness Pathway

P Idaho - Words that Start with P. National Preserve Pathways - the Tea Kettle Trail in Idaho's City of Rocks National Reserve. — National Preserve Paths – Tea Kettle Trail

Parks

P Idaho – Parks. Idaho State and National Parks prominently feature on any Top 10 Pick when visiting the Gem State. Idaho State Parks allow you to pole, peddle, and paddle your patootie past peaks, through powder, and around paddocks throughout the state. And the federal parks in Idaho are just as pretty. From City of Rocks National Preserve to Yellowstone and Nez Perce National Historic Park, plot your way past ancient, preserved fossils to present-day recreational playgrounds.

The marshy outlet at Idaho's Henrys Lake State Park. The Continental Divide is visible in the distance. — Picturesque Henrys Lake State Park

Parks – P Idaho

Idaho Parks are Popular and Pristine

Words that Start with P. 10 federal protected reserves and 27 state parks populate the Gem State. Practice popular outdoor recreation, from picnicking and paragliding to park exploration and pilgrimages into the backcountry. Proceed below to pick from our priority parks. Our state park picks include Priest Lake, the Northernmost point for parks, and Round Lake, just 10 miles past Sandpoint and Lake Pend Oreille. Ponderosa State Park may be our preferred park, but Massacre Rocks and Bruneau Sand Dunes are pretty close runners-up. For federal parks, nothing passes up City of Rocks. To partake of more pre-historic parts of Idaho, proceed to Craters of the Moon or Hagerman Fossil Beds.

P Idaho - Words that Start with P. A young girl stands on a sand dune at Bruneau Dunes State Park, near Mountain Home, Idaho. The Dunes are the largest free-standing dunes in North America. — Bruneau Sand Dunes State Park

P Idaho - Words that Start with P. Layered, stratified cliffs along the Snake River at Massacre Rocks State Park, one of Idaho's state parks. — Massacre Rocks State Park

Ponderosa Pine

P Idaho – Ponderosa Pine. Ponderosa Pine produces puzzle-like protection (aka bark) that looks like piecemeal parts of a normal tree. The Idaho Forest Products Commission proclaimed a precipitous 44-percent reduction in Ponderosa Pine in the 1952-87 period. (The Commission promotes balanced and sustained public and private forest management throughout the state. Presciently, the Products Commission provides information about preservation and proper forest management).

Ponderosa Pine – P Idaho

Ponderosa Pine: More Than Just a Pretty Tree

Words that Start with P. Idaho proudly proclaims its predilection for Ponderosa Pine, in part by presenting passengers with the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway. This nearly 200-mile, two-lane highway presses North from the most populous city in the state past Lucky Peak and Banner Summit Pass toward Stanley. Prefer to play in the Payette River? You’ll pass by natural hot springs lining the picturesque South Fork of the Payette as you proceed North on Highway 21. Perhaps your preference is to party at Ponderosa State Park. McCall’s waterfront property offers a popular camping, hiking, biking, and water sport paradise, along a portion of Payette Lake.

P Idaho - Words that start with P. A towering ponderosa pine tree, with its distinctive etched bark and pine needle bundles. Ponderosa Pine Trees are plentiful throughout Idaho.

Powder

P Idaho – Powder. Play in perfect powder in one of Idaho’s 18 pristine ski resorts. Our preferred non-profit, Bogus Basin, pays it back to the community and provides pre-season pass perks for people who pay for partial purchase price passes six months prior to the winter period.

Powder – P Idaho

Idaho Powder is Perfection

Words that Start with P. Pomerelle Mountain Resort and Pebble Creek Ski Area provide plenty of powder to play in. On point near Lake Pond Orielle, Schweitzer Mountain Resort puts other powder in its place. Practice your perfect passes down the slopes at Tamarack Ski Resort and Snowboard Idaho, another of our favorite places in Idaho. And no list of perfect powder picks would be complete without Sun Valley Resort, the pinnacle of Idaho powder. With nearly 3,500 vertical feet and more than 2,000 acres to explore, Sun Valley propels past its powder partners around the state. Whatever your preference, Idaho passes the test for premium powder, no matter how particular your perspective.

P Idaho - Words that start with P.
Fresh groomed powder at Bogus Basin Recreation Area, a non-profit ski, snowboard, and outdoor recreation area in the Boise National Forest. Clouds float above the ski resort on a sunny day. — Prepping to Play in the Powder

Power

P Idaho – Power. Perhaps you prefer to purchase power that doesn’t pollute. Idaho Power recently pronounced its ambitious 100% clean energy plan, and predicts it will end the processing of coal for power plants within the decade. Provided you pay, you can participate in Idaho Power’s Green Power Program and help promote 100% pure power by 2045.

Power – P Idaho

Idaho Power is Pure Power

Preoccupied about your personal carbon print? Be prepared for pure power by Idaho Power by 2045. Participate prematurely by placing solar panels on property, or by purchasing pre-paid power packs. Idaho Power’s use of coal processing plants has plummeted from 39 percent to just 16 percent in a paltry six years. It promises to promote production of pure power even more prominently in the years to come. Projects like the Solar 4R Schools provides panels to power public schools around the state. From Payette High School to the Pocatello Community Charter School, Idaho Power puts public education on a pedestal, prioritizing schools while promoting renewable energy.

Idaho Power. Light shimmers across draped electric lines strung between power poles in rural Eastern Idaho. A van drives down the adjoining road, and the sunset brightens the sky in a brilliant yellow light. — Power Poles at Dusk

P Idaho Power. A tall power pole with multiple connections, cables, and transformers stands silhouetted against a purple evening sky. — Purple Painted Power Pole

Pinot Noir & Pinot Gris

P Idaho – Pinot Noir & Pinot Gris. Perhaps you’ve never tried Idaho wines, from Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris to Port, Petite Syrah, Petite Verdot, and Pet-Nat. Did you know, perchance, that the Pacific Northwest’s first vines were planted in Lewiston, Idaho, in the 1860s? Lewiston is the furthest inland port in the U.S. And the parched, arid plateaus surrounding the platte provided perfect growing properties, past AND present.

Idaho Pinot Noir & Pinot Gris – P Idaho

But Don’t Forget Idaho Port, Petite Syrah, and More

Words that Start with P. The Idaho Wine Commission promotes purveyors of grapes and producers of wines throughout the state. It notes that limited precipitation, and moderate climate produce plants that provide complex wines from Idaho’s wine regions. From a paltry 5 producers in the 1990s to more than 60 today, winemakers in Idaho have profited from change in perception about pleasing Idaho wines. From smaller production at places like Camas Prairie Winery in the Bovill, Idaho Hardware Store to powerhouse producer Cinder Wines, Idaho vintners show incredible promise. Check out Idaho’s Northern producers like Pend d’Orielle Winery. And another two picks, Koenig Vineyards and Scoria Vineyards, recently partnered to enhance production of their Petite Syrah and other varietals.

Playing Outdoors

P Idaho – Playing Outdoors. Idaho provides the perfect playground for outdoor recreation. Peruse the perfect planning packet, the Official Idaho Travel Guide, to pick your preferred spots throughout the state.

A climber ascends a rock face in Idaho's City of Rocks National Reserve. — Rock Climbing Pre-Historic Rocks at City of Rocks National Reserve

Playing Outdoors – P Idaho

Idaho Provides the Perfect Outdoor Playground

Words that Start with P. Idaho provides the perfect mix of wilderness playgrounds, preserved natural habitat, and picturesque regions for the outdoor enthusiast. Whatever your preference, partake of endless recreational possibilities in every corner of the state. Prefer to paddle glacial lakes past high elevation plateaus? Visit Henrys Lake State Park, just 15 miles from Yellowstone National Park‘s West Gate. Pull native trout from Lake Cascade State Park. And park your pup-tent on an island in the center of an alpine lake in the White Clouds Wilderness. Explore Idaho as you participate in the positively best outdoor recreation in the West.

P Idaho - Words that Start with P. A young girl paddles her kayak along the rocky shore as her young sister sits on the bank at Idaho's Henrys Lake State Park. — Paddling Past Pebbles at Henrys Lake

P Idaho - Words that Start with P. A young girl smiles as she swings on a plastic playground swing, gripping yellow plastic hand holds. — Playing on a Plastic Playground

Pioneers

P Idaho – Pioneers. Idaho pioneers passed through the state in search of property on their way to Oregon and California. Porting their possessions in covered wagons, they pointed West and proceeded along the Oregon Trail. Parcels of the past can be seen throughout Idaho along both the Oregon and California Trails, products of pioneering passers-by.

A wooden post that says "Trail Ruts" notes the location of the Oregon Trail near Massacre Rocks State Park, Idaho. — Posts Pay Homage to Pioneers Passing with Portage

Idaho Pioneers – P Idaho

Pioneers Pointed West Past Idaho

Words that Start with P. Pioneers pointed their portage West as they passed along the Oregon and California trails. The Oregon trail passes through Missouri, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon. But pioneers left parcels of the past in Idaho as they proceeded West through the City of Rocks and Massacre Rocks. Plan your own visit with National Park Service guides and recommendations. Pay a visit to pictographs painted by pioneers. And photograph other relics of the past along the rutted route.

Pioneer names in axle grease on a rock on the Oregon Trail in Idaho's City of Rocks National Reserve. — Printed Pioneer Pictographs

Names inscribed in stone on the Oregon Trail at Register Rock, near Massacre Rocks State Park, Idaho. — Pebble Posts by Pioneers

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Kelsey

4 years ago

This is a great idea! I love the idea and all the thought that went into this post!!

molly orourke

4 years ago

Your title really drew me in! I vote for Peaks and Pints and Pubs and Potatos! Idaho is one of our favorite states to visit and this reminds me of many of the reasons!

P Idaho – Words That Start with P

10 Perfect Words that Start with P