Panhandle Overland Rally brings offroaders to town

by Cameron Rasmusson

North Idaho autumns are a spectacle of natural splendor. And what better way to experience it than, well, in nature?

That’s the central appeal of the Panhandle Overland Rally. And when paired with music, food, friends, and off-road motor vehicles, it just gets better.

Taking place in mid-autumn each year, the Panhandle Overland Rally brings overland enthusiasts from all over the country to enjoy camping, community, education, and of course, plenty of off-roading. Now going into its fourth year, organizer Joe Muldoon anticipates as many as 500 off-roaders will show up for this year’s event. “We had 380 last year, and it’s grown every year we’ve done it,” he said. “There’s a lot of people who like doing this.”

Overlanding is, at its heart, the use of off-road vehicles to reach a remote destination, though on-road and not-so-remote also can play a part.

The rally, which takes place on 800 acres of private land on Baldy Mountain, overlooking Lake Pend Oreille, can accommodate both.

Each fall, participants enjoy live music, great food, hikes at stunning locations, can participate in training classes from winching to trail repair, and have the opportunity to meet with numerous vendors who sell everything from specialty overland products to off-road vehicles built from scratch. “We have all kinds of training and events during the weekend,” said Muldoon, topped off with “live music on Saturday night and a pancake breakfast Sunday morning. It’s a really fun—and really interesting—event.” The $120 cost for event tickets is allinclusive.

Overlanding is a growing trend that received a jumpstart when COVID-19 made camping and “staycations” more popular, which is when Muldoon started his rally. As the owner of Selkirk Off Road, which sells products for the overland life, and The Landcruiser Shop, which restores and services the Toyota

Land Cruiser, and also builds custom, off-road vehicles, Muldoon has been a fan of overland culture for decades. “We live in the perfect area for this,” he said, and the people who come for the rally agree, most staying in the area for more days than just the long weekend of the event.

While a date has not yet been set for the 2023 rally event, it’s always held on the last weekend of September or the first weekend in October. Learn more at www.panhandleoverlandrally. com or follow on Facebook or Instagram to keep up to date.