Hiking
One of the greatest luxuries of being located in North Idaho is all the nearby public land and water access. The hiking trails, mountains, rivers, and lakes are all an excellent way to stay healthy and enjoy the great outdoors.
Where should you go? The Coeur d’Alene area has miles of close-to-home hiking trails. Here are five low-elevation hikes to get you started.
Blue Creek Bay - A local hotspot, this area has a few loops with views of the lake and forests.
Cougar Bay Preserve - Only a couple minutes from NIC, these hiking trails loop along the wetlands at the head of Cougar Bay and the coniferous hillside above the lake. It is a short loop but in a beautiful location.
Canfield Mountain - There a lot of trails here. Paper maps of Canfield are available at the Forest Service Ranger Station at the east end of Sherman Ave. but a great tool to navigate this trail network is trailforks.com.
Tubbs Hill - Any local trail list would be incomplete without mentioning Tubbs Hill. Challenge yourself with a jog around the 1.5-mile shoreline trail and up and over the top. Brave souls will take a self-guided polar plunge in the lake on Sanders Beach at the end. It's refreshing and you'll never regret it.
Mineral Ridge - Another Kootenai County classic. This one can get crowded but is worth the drive. There is some elevation gain so plan to get a good walk.
Mount Coeur d'Alene Drive, 50 minutes ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 11 miles
Stevens Lake Drive, one hour ~ Difficulty, Hard ~ Distance, 5 miles
Lone Lake Drive, one hour ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 4.6 miles
Blossom Lake Drive, one hour, 20 min ~ Difficulty, Easy ~ Distance, 3.3 miles
Revett Lake Drive, one hour, 20 min ~ Difficulty, Easy ~ Distance, 3.3 miles
Harrison Lake Drive, two hours ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 4.6 miles
Scotchman Peak Drive, two hours ~ Difficulty, Hard ~ Distance, 7.6 miles
Jerry Johnson Hot Springs Drive, three hours, 30 minutes ~ Difficulty, Easy ~ Distance, 2.6 miles
Weir Creek Hot Springs Drive, three hours, 40 minutes ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 0.7 miles
Goldbug Hot Springs Drive, six hours ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 3.5 miles
Rock Canyon Hot Springs Drive, six hours, 40 min ~ Difficulty, Easy ~ Distance, 0.5 miles
Stack Rock Drive, seven hours ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 8.2 miles
Kirham Hot Springs Drive, seven hours ~ Difficulty, Easy ~ Distance, 0.2 miles
Sawtooth Lake Drive, seven hours, 40 minutes ~ Difficulty, Hard ~ Distance, 10 miles
Once you've had your fill of the local spots, challenge yourself to find new hikes. Google can be a great starting point, but sometimes the information is overwhelming. Outdoor Pursuits staff are eager to chat about other options, or you can check out our favorite tools:
100 Hikes in the Inland Northwest - Some of these hikes don't open until the snow melts, but there are plenty of low elevation options here.
Trailforks.com - While not entirely comprehensive, there is a lot of information here. Trail distances, elevation gain and other tidbits to help plan your outing. You can download for offline use too.
Alltrails.com - Another free resource for hiking trails. Alltrails adds filters that can help you find a hike to match your goals.
Onxmaps.com - A paid app that turns your smartphone into a GPS resource with trail elevation, distances and land ownership. We use this app for all our personal as well as Outdoor Pursuits trip planning. There are many other free or cheaper options with similar functions
Hillmap.com and Caltopo.com - Two great web tools for scouting new trips and locations. Tinker with the overlays to see some fascinating information: archived maps from the 1800s, fire history, slope angle shading and all kinds of fun map-nerd delights.
Biking
Biking is one of the best ways to get outside for some exercise and stress relief. North Idaho is full of trails and paths for biking but before you go, keep a few things in mind:
- Carry snacks and water
- Consider routes that allow you to ride from your home
- Observe traffic laws, ride with traffic on open roads, and err on the side of caution
- Stay well within your skill level and keep speeds low
If it’s been a while since you had your bike in service, and you need a few tips to get it on the road, here is an excellent link from REI on the basic checks and services anyone can do.:
If this doesn’t address your issue, contact Outdoor Pursuits staff for help.
City of Coeur d’Alene designated routes - The City of Coeur d’Alene has a map of bike paths with signage with some excellent short in-town rides
Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes - A 70 -mile-long paved trail. There are a multitude of trailheads with parking along its length, making for an excellent choice.
The Centennial Trail - This popular paved bike path runs from Higgens Point on the east side of Lake Coeur d’Alene all the way along the river to Spokane.
If you have exhausted these options and are looking for more, contact Outdoor Pursuits and we will set you up with additional routes.
Snow
Silver Mountain Resort Drive, 45 minutes ~ Acres, 1600+
Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area Drive, one hour ~ Acres, 540
Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park Drive, one hour, 10 minutes ~ Acres, 1704
Schweitzer Mountain Resort Drive, 1 hour, 20 minutes ~ Acres, 2900
49 Degrees North Mountain Resort Drive, 1 hour, 40 minutes ~ Acres, 2325
Upper Falls Community Forest Drive, 20 minutes ~ Difficulty, Easy ~ Distance, 3.3 miles
Blue Creek Trail Drive, 20 minutes ~ Difficulty, Easy ~ Distance, 2.6 miles
Gold Hill North Trail Drive, one hour ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 5.6 miles
Mount Kit Carson Drive, one hour, 10 minutes ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 5.4 miles
Fourth of July Pass Drive, 20 minutes ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 6.4 miles
English Point Yellow Loop Drive, 24 minutes ~ Difficulty, Easy ~ Distance, 3.2 miles
Farragut Outer Loop Drive, 40 minutes ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 12.4 miles
Mica Peak Drive, 45 minutes ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 4 miles
Pulaski Tunnel Trail Drive, 55 minutes ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 4 miles
Mt. Spokane Cross-Country Ski Park Drive, 1 hour 10 minutes ~ Difficulty, Easy- Difficult
Silver Mountain Resort Drive, 42 minutes
Mt. Spokane Drive, 1 hour 10 minutes
Hermits Hollow Drive, 1 hour 20 minutes
Trailforks.com - While not entirely comprehensive, there is a lot of information here. Trail distances, elevation gain and other tidbits to help plan your outing. Maps can also be downloaded for offline use.
Alltrails.com - Another free resource for snow trails. Alltrails adds filters that can help you find a trail to match your goals.
Consultation - Outdoor Pursuits staff absolutely love sharing new places with folks. We can help plan your next adventure in person, over the phone, or by email.
Exercise caution in your recreation pursuits. Biking, running, skiing or doing any physical activity within your limits is important.
Safety
Snow - As mentioned above, a tricky thing about getting into popular mountain lakes and other mountain destinations in the spring is the low snow level. If you choose to attempt a snow hike, plan ahead and know that there are considerably higher risks associated with winter travel. Your Outdoor Pursuits staff are glad to talk you through those considerations if you are interested.
Water Temperature - Remember that the water temperatures are still chilly out on the lake and rivers, so if you're tempted to kayak or paddleboard, please wear a personal flotation device (life jacket) and be aware of these cold water safety tips.
Consultation - Jacob and Terry absolutely love sharing new places with folks. We may not be able to offer NIC trips right now, but we can certainly talk with you over the phone or email to answer questions about getting outside. Please email or call us and we'll gladly offer our two cents.
Lastly, in an effort to give the ER's and urgent care facilities enough space to care for folks ill with the COVID-19 and other ailments, please exercise caution in your recreation pursuits. Biking, running, skiing, etc. within your limits is important, particularly right now.