What is Panhandle Bike Ranch?

Panhandle Bike Ranch is a commercial downhill mountain biking park being built on 170 acres of Rural Residential land in Sagle, Idaho. The park will feature professionally constructed downhill biking trails, events, and visitor services — and it is intended to operate for profit.

Where is Panhandle Bike Ranch located? 

The property is located on land zoned Rural Residential in Sagle, with access running through the Five Lake Estates neighborhood, a quiet, rural residential community with a narrow private dirt road.

What is the issue with this bike park? 

The owners have applied for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to classify Panhandle Bike Ranch as a recreational facility, which could be allowed in a Rural Residential zone with county approval.

However, according to Bonner County Code, Panhandle Bike Ranch fits the legal definition of a Commercial Resort, not a recreational facility. Commercial Resorts are NOT allowed in Rural Residential zones. Approving this project violates existing zoning laws and sets a troubling precedent for future development. 

In addition to zoning violations, the project would bring serious impacts to the surrounding neighborhood:

• 150+ cars per day could travel to the bike park on a narrow, private, dirt road not built for heavy public traffic - that is over 22,000 cars each season.

• The sharp increase in vehicle use would create dust, noise, safety hazards, and significantly deteriorate road conditions.

• Local families, children, pets, wildlife, and cyclists would face increased risks on roads that were never designed for this level of commercial traffic.

This project does not fit the rural character of the area, and it does not belong in a Rural Residential zone.

What is the difference between a "Recreational Facility" and a "Commercial Resort"? 

According to Bonner County Code:

• A Recreational Facility is defined as:
  "A place designed and equipped for the conduct of small scale and low intensity sports, leisure time activities, and other customary and usual recreational activities," such as hiking, tent camping, canoeing, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, etc.

• A Commercial Resort is defined as:
  "An area privately owned, devoted primarily to outdoor recreational uses conducted for profit, which may include... swimming, boating, fishing, hunting, camping, picnicking, winter sports and similar uses. A commercial resort may also include facilities for seasonal or overnight living quarters for guests."

Panhandle Bike Ranch clearly fits the definition of a Commercial Resort because it is:

• Privately owned,

• Devoted primarily to outdoor recreation (downhill mountain biking),

• Conducted for profit,

• Includes plans for event hosting and visitor services, aligning more with resort-type uses than low-intensity, small-scale recreation.

Commercial Resorts are not an allowed use in the Rural Residential zone under Bonner County Code 12-333: Commercial Use Table (https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/bonnercountyid/latest/bonnercounty_id/0-0-0-2340).

For these reasons, Panhandle Bike Ranch is not eligible for a Conditional Use Permit in a Rural Residential zone.

How would the bike park impact our community? 

• Traffic: Significant increase in vehicle traffic through the neighborhood on a private dirt road not designed for commercial use. 

• Safety: Increased risk to pedestrians, cyclists, children, and pets in residential areas.

• Noise and Dust: Heavy use would disrupt the quiet, rural atmosphere.

• Environmental Damage: Erosion, litter, habitat destruction, and long-term impacts to local wildlife and wetlands.

• Property Values: Loss of rural character could negatively impact home values.

Is this effort anti-biking? 

No. We support outdoor recreation and responsible land use — when it's located  appropriately and follows the law. This opposition is about protecting rural residential communities from inappropriate commercial development, not about opposing mountain biking as a sport. 

We think it is wonderful that Bonner County already has mountain biking (downhill and cross-country) on over 40 miles of trails available at Schweitzer Ski Resort, as well as 68 mountain biking trails around Sandpoint. 

What are we asking for? 

We are asking Bonner County Planning and Zoning and the Board of County Commissioners to:

• Deny the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for Panhandle Bike Ranch,

• Enforce existing zoning laws fairly and consistently,

• Protect the integrity of Rural Residential zones for all Bonner County residents.

How can I get involved? 

✅ Share this information with friends, family, and neighbors. 

✅ Follow us on social media for updates and calls to action. 

✅ Donate to our legal fees.

✅ Stay informed and encourage respectful dialogue in our community. 

Where can I learn more? 

• Full Bonner County Code 12-333: Commercial Use Table

• View Myth vs. Fact