The defining fact about Samuels that surprises everyone: it is not remote. Properties sit within a mile of paved county roads. Highway 95 — the primary north-south artery through the Idaho Panhandle — runs directly through the area. It is state-maintained and plowed by the Idaho Transportation Department year-round, with crews beginning at 4:00 AM during winter storms. From Samuels, it is 20 minutes to downtown Sandpoint, 15 minutes to Ponderay (groceries, gas, hardware), and 35 minutes to Schweitzer Mountain Resort.
What Samuels offers is something increasingly rare in North Idaho: genuine rural character within reach of a genuine mountain town. Among Sandpoint-area communities — including Sagle, Hope, Dover, Ponderay, Clark Fork, and Priest River — Samuels is the one nobody has written about, despite offering forested acreage, Selkirk Mountain views, the Pack River recreation corridor, and some of the lowest property tax rates in the region.
Samuels at a Glance
- Distance to Sandpoint: 20 minutes (12 miles via Highway 95)
- Distance to Ponderay: 15 minutes (groceries, gas, hardware)
- Distance to Schweitzer: 35 minutes
- Elevation: ~2,150 feet
- Population: ~192 people, ~80 households
- Zoning: 10-acre minimum parcel size
- School: Northside Elementary (rated 9/10 on GreatSchools)
- Electric: Northern Lights, Inc. (rates ~21% below national average)
- Internet: Starlink (up to 220 Mbps), no fiber
- Property taxes: 0.47% effective rate (no city levy)
A Brief History of Samuels
The community was originally called Iola, a small settlement positioned between the Great Northern and Spokane International railroad lines. When attorney and mine owner Henry Floyd Samuels II acquired 8,000 acres of land with his family in 1912, the town took his name.
H.F. Samuels was no ordinary settler. Born in Mississippi in 1869, raised on a farm in Indiana, he attended law school at the University of Michigan before moving to Idaho to practice law. In Wallace, he served as city attorney, superintendent of schools, and Shoshone County's first prosecuting attorney. He built the five-story Samuels Hotel in Wallace (completed 1908, razed in the 1970s), sold his share of the Success Mine in 1915 for over $1 million, and ran for governor of Idaho multiple times on the Progressive Party ticket.
On his 8,000 acres east of present-day Samuels, he built a 31-room mansion constructed of brick and hollow tile with reinforced concrete floors — designed to be completely fireproof. The mansion burned to the ground in 1929. The irony persists as the area's best story.
The railroad era brought a construction camp, general store, hotel, and bar to the area. As the timber industry grew through the early 1900s, the Pack River drainage provided access to vast resources in the Selkirks. Logging roads built for timber extraction became the recreation trails used today. The Selle Valley — immediately south of Samuels — was the first community in Bonner County to receive electricity through the Rural Electrification Program.
Community Character
The Selle-Samuels Sub-Area Plan — developed over three years of community meetings by local volunteers — states the position clearly: "The most valuable primary characteristic of the Selle/Samuels Area is its existing rural character, and the preservation of this rural character is the primary intent of this area plan."
That intent is backed by zoning. Bonner County enforces 10-acre minimum parcel sizes throughout the Selle-Samuels sub-area. Accessory dwelling units are limited to 900 square feet. Agricultural use is protected. Cottage industries — small-scale businesses operated from home — are permitted. The area will not be subdivided into half-acre lots. The residents fought for this, and the comprehensive plan enshrines it.
What this means in practice: your nearest neighbor is across acres of forest, not across a fence. Properties here are working landscapes — gardens, shops, small-scale agriculture, forestry. People who live in Samuels chose it deliberately. The culture runs toward self-sufficiency, mutual aid, and a shared understanding that you maintain your own road, manage your own forest, and help your neighbor when a tree comes down.
The community gathering points are few but meaningful. The Pack River Store — 7 miles from 340 Birch Grove Drive — serves as the social anchor of the corridor. The Samuels Store on Highway 95 provides fuel, supplies, and the Blue Heron Cafe.
The Pack River Store
The Pack River Store deserves its own section because it defies every expectation of what a rural general store can be.
Located at 1587 Rapid Lightning Road, the building was constructed in 1975 as a gas station and general store. Arlene Dardine purchased it in 2000 and operated it for 18 years. Her son, Chef Alex Jacobsen, and his wife Brittany purchased the business in June 2018 and transformed it into one of the most surprising culinary destinations in North Idaho.
Jacobsen's credentials are real. He relocated from Santa Cruz to the Sandpoint area as a high school freshman when his mother bought the store. After cooking at Sandpoint's Spud's Waterfront Grill, he returned to California for formal training at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, graduating in 2006. He spent eight years cooking throughout the East Bay, including a formative stint at Eccolo in Berkeley under Chris Lee — formerly of Alice Waters' Chez Panisse, the restaurant credited with launching the local, seasonal, and organic food movement in American cuisine. Lee instilled in Jacobsen a passion for curing meat that defines his cooking today.
After working under Jeremy Hansen at Sante Restaurant and Charcuterie in downtown Spokane, Jacobsen returned to take over his mother's store. The result is a rural general store where you can fill your propane tank, buy fishing gear, and sit down to house-cured meats, huckleberry jam biscuits, and a veggie Benedict that draws people from Sandpoint and beyond.
The monthly events are the crown jewels. The last Friday of each month features a Prime Rib Dinner (reservations recommended). The five-course tasting menus — $130 per person, limited seating — serve food you would expect in a white-tablecloth establishment, delivered in a building where the parking lot is gravel and the nearest traffic light is 20 minutes away. The store carries products from local producers: Selle Valley Creamery, Pack River Farms, Matchwood Brewing, Pend Oreille Winery, and others.
The Pack River Store holds 4.7 stars across 91 reviews on Yelp (source: Yelp, 2025). It is 7 miles from 340 Birch Grove Drive — the best sandwiches in North Idaho, extraordinary breakfasts, and monthly fine dining that justifies a special trip from anywhere in the region.
The Land
Properties in the Samuels area look different from what most buyers picture when they think "near Sandpoint." This is not lakefront. This is not ski-in/ski-out. This is forested acreage in a mountain valley with views of the Selkirk Range and Schweitzer Mountain visible from kitchen windows and front decks.
The landscape is mixed conifer forest — Douglas fir, western red cedar, western white pine, grand fir, lodgepole pine, western larch — punctuated by aspen groves that turn the entire valley gold in October. The transition from valley bottomland to mountain forest happens within individual properties. At 340 Birch Grove, old-growth aspen forest covers a portion of the 6.7 acres, with over 100 hand-planted trees (evergreen and deciduous) now maturing alongside the native forest.
The 10-acre minimum parcel size means properties have breathing room. Parcels in the Samuels area range from these minimums up to several hundred acres. The Bonner County median price per acre is approximately $37,500, though acreage with infrastructure — wells, septic, power, outbuildings, and cleared land — commands significantly more.
The Selkirk Mountains rise to the west and northwest. The Cabinet Mountains frame the eastern horizon. On clear mornings, alpenglow lights up the peaks visible from nearly every property in the valley.
Infrastructure Reality
Buyers considering rural Bonner County need straight answers about utilities. Here is what living in Samuels actually requires.
Electricity
Northern Lights, Inc. (NLI) — a member-owned rural electric cooperative founded in 1935 — provides power. Residential rates run $0.0907 per kWh for the first 950 kWh and $0.1126 per kWh above that — roughly 21% below the national average (source: NLI published rate schedule). As a cooperative, customers are members who vote on board directors.
Rural power service is susceptible to wind events and tree falls. One recent storm required NLI crews to replace 15 broken power poles overnight. A backup generator is not a luxury in Samuels — it is a practical necessity. The property at 340 Birch Grove has a permanently installed 26kWh Generac automatic backup generator with a dedicated 500-gallon propane tank, a system that cost tens of thousands of dollars and eliminates power-outage anxiety entirely.
Water
Private wells serve all properties. No municipal water system exists. The Pack River valley sits in a glacial-formed valley with alluvial deposits that typically produce strong well yields. The well at 340 Birch Grove is proven at 10 GPM and has never been pumped dry — even running sprinklers 24 hours a day for multiple consecutive days. A second well location has been doused on a stronger stream; a neighbor on the same water source pulls 25 GPM. The property includes whole-house water filtration.
Septic
Individual septic systems are standard throughout unincorporated Bonner County. Panhandle Health District regulates installation, with permits required for all subsurface sewage disposal systems. Site evaluation runs $400. Separation requirements range from 100 to 300 feet from surface water depending on soil type.
Heating
No natural gas lines reach rural Samuels. Properties rely on propane and/or wood heat. Most homes use a combination — a propane-fired HVAC system for convenience and a wood stove for ambiance, backup, and the particular warmth that only a real fire provides. The property at 340 Birch Grove has dual climate control: a 3-ton HVAC system and a wood stove.
Internet
This is the honest answer: fiber internet has not reached Samuels. Ting Fiber serves Sandpoint, Dover, Ponderay, and Kootenai, but the economics of running fiber 12 miles into rural territory with 80 households do not currently pencil out. Starlink satellite internet — available area-wide at approximately $120/month with speeds up to 220 Mbps — is the most reliable high-speed option for rural properties. Fixed wireless and DSL serve some areas with variable quality.
Cell Service
AT&T and T-Mobile provide the strongest coverage in Bonner County. Verizon covers roughly 68% of the county. Overall, 98% of Bonner County homes have cell service of some type. Coverage along the Highway 95 corridor is generally reliable, but properties with terrain features between them and the highway may experience variability.
Schools
The Samuels area falls within the Lake Pend Oreille School District #84, which operates seven elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school across Bonner County.
The attendance zone school for Samuels is Northside Elementary, located at 7881 Colburn Culver Road. Northside serves Pre-K through 6th grade with approximately 172 students and a 17:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a 9 out of 10 rating on GreatSchools, an A- on Niche, with 72% math proficiency and 82% reading proficiency (source: GreatSchools.org, Niche.com) — substantially above state and national averages. Students advance to Sandpoint Middle School and Sandpoint High School in town.
LPOSD operates bus routes throughout its territory. Rural students in the Samuels area are served by the district's transportation system. For families, the school quality is a quiet advantage of this location — Northside Elementary is one of the highest-rated elementary schools in the Sandpoint area, and it serves the community directly.
For a deeper look at the district's programs, test scores, and extracurricular offerings, see our Schools & Family Life guide.
Recreation Access
Samuels sits at the gateway to the Pack River recreation corridor — one of the most diverse outdoor access points in the Idaho Panhandle.
Pack River Corridor
Highway 95 crosses the Pack River at Samuels, marking the informal dividing line between the Upper Pack River (upstream into the Selkirks) and the Lower Pack River (downstream toward Lake Pend Oreille). From Samuels, Upper Pack River Road leads west into the Kaniksu National Forest, reaching trailheads for Chimney Rock (5 miles one way, 6,720 feet summit), Harrison Lake, and Beehive Lake within 15 miles. The road is chip-sealed for the first portion and becomes rough beyond mile 7.
The Upper Pack River offers backcountry skiing, snowmobiling, hiking, mountain lake fishing, ATV trails, hunting, huckleberry picking, and dispersed camping. The Lower Pack River is a popular summer float — calm water from the Highway 95 crossing downstream to Colburn Culver Bridge.
For a detailed guide to both segments, see Pack River Recreation.
Schweitzer Mountain Resort
Schweitzer is 35 minutes from Samuels — 2,900 acres of skiable terrain, 92 named runs, 2,400 feet of vertical, and average annual snowfall over 300 inches. The village at 4,000 feet includes dining and lodging. Summer operations include mountain biking, hiking, and scenic chairlift rides. See our Schweitzer Mountain guide.
Lake Pend Oreille
Idaho's largest lake — 43 miles long, 1,150 feet deep, 111 miles of shoreline — is 20 minutes south via Highway 95. Boating, sailing, fishing (world-record Kamloop rainbow trout and Gerrard rainbow trout), swimming, and paddleboarding. See our Lake Pend Oreille guide.
National Forest Access
474 acres of landlocked Kaniksu National Forest adjoin the 340 Birch Grove property with secret access 2 miles away (access details shared with the buyer). Beyond the immediate property, the Idaho Panhandle National Forests encompass over 2.5 million acres of public land accessible from multiple trailheads within the Pack River drainage.
Wildlife
Living in Samuels means living among wildlife — not as an occasional encounter but as a daily reality.
White-tailed deer and mule deer are year-round residents. Moose move through the Pack River valley, particularly in winter when they browse willows along waterways. Elk herds inhabit the Selkirk foothills. Black bears are present spring through fall, typically avoiding human contact but visible enough that secure garbage storage is standard practice. Raptors — bald eagles, golden eagles, osprey, hawks, and owls — patrol the valley and the Pack River corridor.
The Pack River watershed also supports river otter, mink, beaver, and a diversity of migratory songbirds and waterfowl. The broader Selkirk ecosystem is home to species rarely encountered in the Lower 48: the endangered southern Selkirk woodland caribou herd (one of the last remaining), threatened grizzly bear (Selkirk recovery zone), Canada lynx, wolverine, and gray wolf. These species inhabit the backcountry rather than residential areas, but their presence marks the ecological significance of this landscape.
At 340 Birch Grove, deer are daily visitors. Raptors hunt from the property's mature trees. The old-growth aspen forest attracts woodpeckers, warblers, and the particular stillness that only an undeveloped forest provides.
Seasons in Samuels
Winter (November – March)
Annual snowfall averages 58–61 inches, with January the heaviest month at approximately 17 inches. Average winter temperatures range from lows around 19°F to highs near 30°F. Snow typically covers the ground from late November through March. Highway 95 receives priority state plowing. County roads follow, with school bus routes cleared first and crews beginning at 4:00 AM. Private driveways are the homeowner's responsibility.
Winter in Samuels is not endured — it is the reason many people live here. The Selkirks draped in snow, the aspen forest stripped to white trunks against a white landscape, the absolute silence of a cold morning. Schweitzer Mountain is 35 minutes away for skiing. The property at 340 Birch Grove has a sledding hill directly off the front porch and over a mile of hand-built trails through the forest that become snowshoe routes in winter.
Spring (April – May)
Snow recedes, the Pack River swells with runoff, wildflowers emerge through the forest floor. The growing season begins around April 15 (last frost date). Days lengthen rapidly. Spring arrives in Samuels about two weeks later than in Sandpoint proper, a consequence of elevation and northern exposure.
Summer (June – September)
Warm, dry days with light lasting until nearly 10:00 PM at the summer solstice. Highs reach the low to mid-80s in July and August but rarely exceed 93°F. The frost-free growing season runs approximately 121 to 183 days depending on microclimates. Summer is garden season, trail season, float-the-Pack-River season, and long-evening-on-the-deck season.
Fall (September – November)
The aspens turn. Against a backdrop of evergreen forest, the golden canopy of a mature aspen grove is one of the most striking seasonal transformations in North Idaho. Western larch — the only deciduous conifer — adds its own gold to the mountain slopes in October. First frost typically arrives around October 15. Fall is hunting season, huckleberry season's last gasp, and the time of year when the Selkirks stage their most dramatic sunsets.
The USDA Hardiness Zone for Samuels is 6a (source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map), with lowest expected winter temperatures between -10°F and -5°F. This is a viable gardening and homesteading climate — cold enough for four distinct seasons, warm enough for productive summer growing.
Fire and Forest Management
Samuels is served by the Northside Fire District, which covers 115 square miles across northern Bonner County. Station 4 — located at 64 Samuels Road — is the local station. The district also operates stations in Ponderay, on Highway 95, and on Rapid Lightning Road. Bonner County Emergency Medical Services (BCAD) provides Advanced Life Support ambulances county-wide, handling nearly 5,000 calls per year.
Fire risk is a reality of living in forested North Idaho. Bonner County maintains a Community Wildfire Protection Plan, and the BonFire program provides wildfire risk education and hazardous fuels removal assistance. Building permits in wildland-urban interface zones require compliance with fire-resistant materials, defensible space, and water storage standards.
Responsible forest management is a cultural norm in Samuels. Properties like 340 Birch Grove invest thousands of dollars in forestry work — thinning, removing ladder fuels, increasing tree spacing, maintaining defensible space around structures. This is not optional maintenance; it is the covenant of living in a forested landscape. The property's forest has been "parked out" for fire prevention and forest health, a term that describes a managed forest with reduced understory fuels and healthy spacing between mature trees.
Property Taxes and Idaho Regulations
Bonner County's effective property tax rate averages 0.47% of assessed value — well below the national median of 1.02% and roughly in line with Idaho's statewide average of 0.43% (source: Bonner County Assessor, Tax Foundation). Properties in unincorporated areas avoid the city levy that Sandpoint residents pay, typically resulting in a lower total mill rate.
Idaho provides a Homeowner's Exemption that reduces the taxable value of owner-occupied primary residences by 50% of assessed value or $125,000, whichever is less, on the home and up to one acre of land.
What Unincorporated Means in Idaho
Living outside city limits in Idaho means no city government, no city utilities, no city police jurisdiction (the Bonner County Sheriff provides law enforcement), and generally fewer regulations. It also means Idaho's property-rights framework applies with minimal local overlay:
- Right to Farm Act: Idaho law declares farming a "natural right" and a permitted use statewide. Agricultural operations on qualifying parcels cannot be declared a nuisance.
- Livestock: Parcels of 3 or more acres may keep livestock and farm animals — 2 animal units for the first 3 acres, plus 1 additional unit per acre, up to 20 total. Up to 50 chickens or rabbits on parcels over 3 acres.
- Building: Structures under 1,000 square feet (non-residential, accessory) require only an exemption application. Larger structures require a Building Location Permit. Idaho does not enforce statewide residential building codes in most unincorporated areas.
- Constitutional carry: Idaho requires no permit for concealed or open carry of firearms.
- No HOA: Rural unincorporated parcels in Bonner County are free from homeowners association restrictions.
- State income tax: Idaho levies a flat 5.3% income tax. No estate tax. No inheritance tax.
For a buyer moving from a heavily regulated state, the contrast is stark. On 6.7 acres in unincorporated Bonner County, you can garden, keep livestock, build outbuildings, manage your forest, hunt on your own property, and operate a home-based business — all within a regulatory framework designed to protect property rights rather than restrict them.
Who Is Samuels Right For?
Families with School-Age Children
Northside Elementary is rated 9/10 on GreatSchools — one of the highest-rated elementary schools in the Sandpoint area. Bus routes serve the Samuels corridor. The combination of safe acreage for kids to explore, wildlife encounters as daily education, and access to Schweitzer skiing and Lake Pend Oreille in summer makes this a compelling family location. The 20-minute drive to Sandpoint for youth sports, music lessons, and social activities is the trade-off.
Remote Workers
Starlink delivers 50–220 Mbps — sufficient for video calls, cloud applications, and most remote work. The generator backup at properties like 340 Birch Grove means power outages do not interrupt work. The lifestyle appeal is the draw: morning coffee with Selkirk Mountain views, a lunchtime walk on hand-built trails, and zero commute. The limitation: no coworking spaces or coffee-shop workdays without the 20-minute drive to Sandpoint.
Retirees Seeking Active Outdoor Lifestyles
Lower property taxes than Sandpoint, no HOA, no city regulations, and a pace of life that matches retirement rather than fighting it. Schweitzer skiing, Pack River floating, and Lake Pend Oreille boating are all within 35 minutes. The nearest hospital — Bonner General Health — is 20 minutes in Sandpoint. For retirees who want to stay active and self-sufficient rather than move into a managed community, Samuels fits.
Homesteaders and Self-Sufficiency Seekers
Idaho's Right to Farm Act, 10-acre minimum parcels, the ability to keep livestock and poultry, no HOA restrictions, and a community culture built around self-reliance. Properties in Samuels support serious gardens, greenhouses, small-scale agriculture, and forestry operations. This is where you build the life you want without asking permission.
What Samuels Lacks
Honest guide means honest limitations.
- No municipal water or sewer. You are on well and septic. This is standard for rural North Idaho and works well, but it requires maintenance — annual water testing, periodic septic pumping, and understanding your systems.
- No fiber internet. Starlink works. Fixed wireless may work. But if your livelihood depends on sub-10ms latency or multi-gigabit symmetrical fiber, Samuels is not the right fit today.
- No nearby grocery store. The Pack River Store stocks basics. For a full grocery run, you are driving to Ponderay (15 minutes) or Sandpoint (20 minutes). Most Samuels residents shop once or twice a week.
- Longer emergency response times. The Northside Fire District's Samuels station (Station 4) is currently unstaffed after a levy failure. Response from other stations takes longer. Ambulance service is county-wide ALS, but response times in rural areas will exceed in-town times.
- Snow removal is your responsibility. The county plows county roads. Highway 95 is state-plowed. Your driveway is yours. Budget for a plow attachment, a snow removal service, or a very good relationship with a neighbor who has a tractor.
- Limited dining and nightlife. The Pack River Store's monthly fine dining events are genuine culinary experiences, but daily restaurant variety requires a drive to Sandpoint. For the full dining and entertainment scene, you are looking at a 20-minute trip.
- Cell coverage varies. Highway 95 corridor coverage is generally strong. Three-quarters of a mile off the highway, behind a ridge, in a valley — coverage depends on your carrier and exact location.
These are not dealbreakers for the people who choose Samuels. They are the trade-offs that come with 6.7 acres of forested mountain property where you can hear the river, see the stars, and wake up to views of the Selkirks without another roofline in sight.
Samuels vs. Sandpoint vs. Sagle: How Sandpoint-Area Communities Compare
Samuels occupies a distinct niche among Sandpoint-area communities: forested acreage with mountain views and Pack River corridor access, 20 minutes from town, with lower property taxes and larger lots than anywhere closer to the lake. Sandpoint proper offers walkability and fiber internet but smaller lots and higher taxes. Sagle and Dover provide lake proximity. Hope and Clark Fork deliver lakefront living at the cost of distance from services. Ponderay is the commercial hub — closest to Samuels for groceries and errands at 15 minutes.
| Feature | Samuels | Sandpoint | Sagle | Hope | Dover | Ponderay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance to Sandpoint | 20 min north | — | 10 min south | 25 min east | 5 min west | 5 min north |
| Character | Rural acreage, forested | Mountain town, walkable | Lake-adjacent, semi-rural | Lakefront, remote | Small town, lake access | Commercial hub |
| Typical lot size | 10+ acres | 0.1–0.5 acres | 1–10 acres | 0.5–5 acres | 0.25–2 acres | 0.15–1 acre |
| Water | Private well | City water | Mix | Private well | City water | City water |
| Sewer | Septic | City sewer | Mix | Septic | City sewer | City sewer |
| Internet | Starlink / fixed wireless | Ting Fiber available | Mix | Starlink / DSL | Ting Fiber available | Ting Fiber available |
| Mountain views | Selkirk & Schweitzer | Partial (in-town) | Selkirks from some areas | Cabinet Mountains | Lake & mountain | Lake views |
| Lake access | 20 min drive | Walking distance | 5–10 min | Direct | Direct | 5 min |
| Ski access | 35 min to Schweitzer | 15 min to Schweitzer | 25 min to Schweitzer | 50 min to Schweitzer | 20 min to Schweitzer | 10 min to Schweitzer |
| Recreation corridor | Pack River (direct) | Lake + in-town trails | Lake + Bottle Bay | Clark Fork + lake | Lake + river | Lake + commercial |
| National forest access | Adjacent | 20+ min drive | 15+ min drive | Adjacent | 15+ min drive | 15+ min drive |
| Grocery | 15 min (Ponderay) | Walking / driving | 10 min | 25 min | 10 min | In town |
| Schools (elementary) | Northside (9/10) | Sandpoint (varies) | Sagle (varies) | Hope (varies) | Sandpoint district | Northside (9/10) |
| Property taxes | Lower (no city levy) | Higher (city levy) | Lower (no city levy) | Lower (no city levy) | City levy applies | City levy applies |
| Median price context | Lower per acre | Highest in area | Mid-range | Highest (waterfront) | Mid-high | Lower |
| Community feel | Self-sufficient, rural | Active town center | Residential, quiet | Small, isolated | Tight-knit, riverfront | Working-class, practical |
Bonner County Growth Context
Bonner County's population reached 53,955 in 2024 (source: U.S. Census Bureau) — a 2.4% year-over-year increase and the second-highest growth rate in Idaho. The county added over 13,000 residents between the 2010 and 2024 counts. The median home price in Bonner County reached $635,000 in November 2025, up 14.2% year-over-year (source: Redfin market data).
Approximately 80% of Idaho's population growth comes from in-migration, with California as the top source state (58% of inbound moves). Families and retirees from West Coast urban areas drive the demand — drawn by outdoor recreation, lower taxes, lower cost of living relative to coastal cities, and the particular quality of life that a place like Samuels represents.
For acreage properties with existing infrastructure — proven wells, septic, generators, shops, managed forest — the supply shrinks as demand grows. Building equivalent infrastructure from raw land today would cost more than buying a property where the work has already been done.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Samuels, Idaho a good place to live?
How far is Samuels from Sandpoint?
What school district serves Samuels?
What internet is available in Samuels?
What is the electric utility in Samuels?
Are property taxes lower in Samuels than in Sandpoint?
What wildlife will I see in Samuels?
What is the Pack River Store?
How much snow does Samuels get?
Can I keep animals on property in Samuels?
What fire protection serves Samuels?
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What is the Selle Valley in Idaho?
Nearby Recreation
- Pack River Recreation — Upper and lower Pack River access, backcountry trails, floating, fishing
- Schweitzer Mountain — 35 minutes from Samuels, 2,900 acres of skiable terrain
- Lake Pend Oreille — Idaho's largest lake, 20 minutes south
- Dining & Entertainment — Sandpoint's restaurant and brewery scene, festivals, nightlife
Living in Samuels
This guide exists because one property in Samuels is currently for sale: 340 Birch Grove Drive — 6.7 acres, 3 bedrooms plus office, a 30×48 shop, over a mile of hand-built trails, Selkirk and Schweitzer mountain views, a proven 10 GPM well, and a 26kWh Generac generator with 500-gallon dedicated propane tank. Decades of infrastructure investment in one property.
Everything described in this guide — the community character, the Pack River access, the mountain views, the wildlife, the seasonal rhythms, the schools, the proximity to Sandpoint — is what living at 340 Birch Grove Drive actually looks like. This is not a speculative description. This is daily life, written by someone who lives it.
Published February 2026. This guide reflects conditions verified as of early 2026. Infrastructure, school ratings, tax rates, and market data are sourced where noted and may change.