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About  Bonners Ferry:  Bonners Ferry, honored as Idaho’s Most Friendly Town at the 2003 Idaho Governor’s Conference on Recreation and Tourism, offers locals and visitors alike a quality experience. With a wide array of outdoor pursuits including fishing, wildlife viewing, biking, river rafting, horseback ridging, hunting, hiking, camping, skiing and snowmobiling, Bonners Ferry sits at the crown of Idaho just 30 miles to the Canadian border to the north and Sandpoint to the south. This is rugged, spectacular scenery from the real west with the Kootenai River running through it and a valley of rich farmland.

Bonners Ferry’s strengths begin with strong internal workings including the local economy (proudly perpetuating the traditional mainstays of logging and agriculture), their schools (graduates consistently score above the national average), active local churches (over 15), civic groups (over 40) and a strong government (hailing as the County seat).

Bonners Ferry does a magnificent job of preserving the past and capitalizing on its future. When gold was discovered in the East Kootenays of British Columbia in 1863, thousands of prospectors from all over the West surged northward over a route that became known as the Wildhorse Trail. Edwin Bonner, an enterprising merchant from Walla Walla, Wash., established a ferry in 1864 where the trail crossed the broad Kootenai River. In 1875 Richard Fry leased the business, but the location retained the name of the original founder and later became the town of Bonners Ferry.

The town of Bonners Ferry was formally established in 1893 along the south bank of the Kootenai. Scattered along the valley and bench land were a few ranches and homesteads. Numerous mines were developed in the nearby mountains, including the Continental Mine in the Selkirks. The lumber industry also grew rapidly. Bonners Ferry – much of it perched on stilts to avoid the inevitable spring floods – appeared to be a boomtown.

Today and as Bonners Ferry looks ahead, they are confident their natural attractions as well as the best efforts of humankind will continue to make their community unique and desirable.

Some of Bonners Ferry's searchable attributes: Idaho,