Coeur d’Alene, ID – Bike Trails, Moose, & more

During this stop we ride 2 of the top 25 bike trails in the US, see multiple moose, explore lakes, rivers, waterfalls and more.

Heyburn State Park

It’s getting close to Labor Day and per our usual, we find a small out of the way campground to hide in for the holiday weekend. Located south of Coeur d’Alene, just east of Plummer is Heyburn State Park, the Oldest State Park in the Pacific Northwest.

Hawley’s Landing Campground

We choose to set up camp in Hawley’s Landing Campground because it’s adjacent to the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene. Making it an ideal location for being able to explore without having to deal with the holiday traffic.

After walking the campground, we head down to the water where we find some flowers in bloom.

And incredible views of Chatcolet Lake.

Route of the Hiawatha

Our first adventure for this stop is the Route of the Hiawatha. One of the top 10 bike trails in the US, this trail crosses 7 trestle bridges and goes through 9 train tunnels (one of which is ~1.7 miles long).

The usual way to travel this trail is to start at the top, ride down, and then take a shuttle back. Since we’re camping closer to the bottom of the trail, we decide to start at the bottom (Pearson Trailhead – Idaho), ride up to the top (East Portal Trailhead – Montana), and then ride back down.

Getting there

The drive there takes us along the St. Joe River Scenic Byway; which follows along the picturesque Saint Joe River.

Once we hit Avery, ID we turn north along Moon Pass Road; which is the old railway, and unbeknownst to us we have the opportunity to travel through a few of the train tunnels to reach the trailhead.

To travel through the tunnel with us, click here.

Biking the Route

Once we’re parked & unloaded we begin the trek up the trail, stopping at the information boards along the way. The boards tell the story of the trail and the surrounding area. This trail is known not only for the tunnels and bridges; but also for the exceptional scenery. Unfortunately for us, clouds and smoke from a nearby fire are obscuring a lot of the view.

Trail

The trail surface is mostly maintained gravel, with some of the tunnels being paved. It’s a very easy to ride for our 4″ fat tire bikes. We do pass a few people on the really skinny road bike tires and they’re definitely struggling. The white knuckles and grunts at every bump give away their lack of enjoyment. They were warned, as this trail is not recommended for the really skinny tires.

Tunnels

There are 10 tunnels total on this trail; but one is beginning to collapse. So, we can only ride through 9 of them. They vary in length and structure openings; but are mostly the same inside.

The longest of the tunnels, #20 is a balmy 47^oF and wet inside. We have fenders on our bikes; but those who didn’t were covered in mud when they came out the other end.

Trestle Bridges

Several of these bridges are of the same style; and all of them are very open to their surroundings. With only small metal wire railings on each side, you definitely want to watch the small members of your family here.

What an incredible trail!

Moose Sighting

On the way back to camp, shortly after passing Falls Creek Falls; which we don’t get a picture of, we see two large shapes on the side of the road ahead. It’s a cow moose and her calf. Unfortunately, they disappear before we can capture them on anything but the dashcam. So, please excuse the extremely poor quality of the picture below.

We also have the dashcam footage here.

Saint Maries, ID

On the way home we stop for “Linner” (combination of lunch and dinner) in Saint Maries, ID where we find this incredible mural.

Post Falls

Our 2nd adventure in the area is a trip to Post Falls in Falls Park just west of Coeur d’Alene. Based on reviews from the past week, these falls are flowing and incredible. But, when we get there… they’re not. Oh well, we still get some pretty pictures of the park, the dam, and a nice walk.

Downtown Coeur d’Alene

Next we head into downtown Coeur d’Alene for lunch and to explore the Tubbs Hill Natural Area. We choose Sweet Lou’s for lunch and not only did we get a good meal; but our very nice waitress told us where to park for free while we are hiking. She also commented about staying away from the trail area at night! Thank you!!! After lunch, we take a few picture of the statues in front of McEuen Park, with the Tubbs Hill Natural Area in the background.

Tubbs Hill Natural Area – Main Loop Trail

This two mile loop trail offers views of downtown Coeur d’Alene, and takes us around a peninsula for incredible views at the north end of Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Downtown

After parking, we join the Main Trail Loop; which takes us up the hill for a fantastic view of downtown area.

Sanders Beach

We then follow the trail around to Sanders Beach.

And further around the peninsula, where we get some incredible views of the lake.

Northeast Side of the Lake

Lake Coeur d’Alene Cruise Boat

Once we turn the bend on the north to northwest side of the lake we see one of the Lake Coeur d’Alene Cruise boats.

And finally, as we’re heading back to the truck, we catch sight of the Museum of North Idaho.

We aren’t able to go in as we still have shopping to do before heading back to camp; but we’ve read that it’s worth visiting.

Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes

This just over 73 mile paved trail spanning nearly the entire width of Idaho’s panhandle is one of the most popular in the western US, it’s also ranked in the top 25 in the nation. It runs through historic small towns, along rivers, skirting lakes and marshlands, all while offering abundant opportunity to see wildlife. In a word… it’s spectacular.

Day 1 – Hawley’s Landing to Black Rock Wayside

Today’s plan is to ride the trail from camp ~26 miles up to the Black Rock Wayside and back.

Plummer Creek Marshlands

We begin by riding Chatcolet Road from the campground to the trail. Along the way we pass the Plummer Creek Marshlands just west of Chatcolet Lake.

Chatcolet Lake

After joining the trail, we ride along Chatcolet Lake toward the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes Bridge across the Saint Joe River.

Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes Bridge

Once we get to the center of the Saint Joe River bridge, we stop for some pictures.

Round Lake

We also stop half way down the long trail on the other side to get some pictures of the shoreline along Round Lake.

Lake Coeur d’Alene

From here we ride along Lake Coeur d’Alene…

…until we reach the old Steamboat Landing.

Steamboat Landing Wayside

Steamboats operated on Lake Coeur d’Alene carrying lumber, ore, and passengers across the lake from 1880 to the 1920’s. They played a vital role in settlement of this area.

Harrison, ID

As we pass through Harrison, ID we turn NE to follow the southern shore of the Coeur d’Alene River. Shortly thereafter we see marshlands full of flowering lily pads.

Thompson lake

We continue our ride NE to Thompson Lake.

Moose Encounter

A few miles later I think I see a very large moose in the bushes next to the path, so we very quickly; but quietly come to a stop and slowly go back on foot to get a better view.

We watch him beside the path for a little while (click here to see video), and as we do he decides to come up the berm and crosses the path right in front of us. You can see him look at us as we slowly back away from him in the video by clicking here.

Once he reaches the other side of the trail we see another moose in the bushes there. Yep, we forgot the cardinal rule when viewing large animals… always look to see if they have friends who may be watching you.

Cave Lake

Shortly after leaving the moose we find Cave Lake.

South Medimont Road Bridge

After passing the Medimont Trailhead, we go under the South Medimont Road bridge, …

Moffit Slough

…go through Moffit Slough, …

Lane Marsh

…and Lane Marsh.

Cave Lake Marsh

After turning around at the Black Rock Wayside, we spot our two moose out in the Cave Lake Marsh on our way back. You can just see the top of their bodies and antlers in the grass by the water.

Here’s the zoomed views.

Blue Lake Creek Tunnel

Further down the trail we stop to rest and as I’m taking a picture of the Coeur d’Alene River, I see a boat disappear through a tunnel. Looking at the map, I realize this leads to Blue Lake.

What an incredible day!

Day 2 – Hayburn State Park to Plummer

This is actually a rest day between long ride days; but we couldn’t resist getting up and taking the bikes the 8 miles into Plummer for a nice brunch at The Gateway. This is a common practice for visitors as there’s an offshoot on the trail leading directly to the restaurant. On the way back, we stop for some pictures along the trail.

Trail Views

Plummer Creek Bridge

To reach the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene from Hawley’s Landing you have to cross Plummer Creek on the Chatcolet Road. The views are worth a stop or at least slowing down to take it in.

Day 3 – Black Rock Wayside to Pine Creek

Lake Coeur d’Alene Scenic Byway

Today we take the Lake Coeur d’Alene Scenic Byway up to the Black Rock Wayside, our stopping point the first day on the trail. Along the way, we pass rugged mountains as we cruise along the forested shoreline of the Saint Joe River and several small lakes. We stop briefly for a picture at one of these.

Black Rock Wayside

Once we reach the Black Rock Wayside, I go take a few pictures as he unloads the bikes from the truck.

Once we’ve got everything set up and organized, we head north on the trail.

Shortly thereafter (less than 2 miles from our starting point) we see a bull moose on the side of the trail. We watch him for a while and get a couple of pretty good photos.

After sharing our find with another very appreciative visitor from Minnesota (this was his first moose) we continue north along the trail.

Bull Run Wayside

River Bend Wayside

A few miles further up, we spot some flowers growing out of a tree trunk in the middle of the river and stop to capture it. I also can’t resist taking pictures both directions on the river to highlight how much difference the lighting and shadows make on the water color.

Cataldo, ID

As we reach Cataldo, we go under Interstate 90 before crossing our first bridge over the Coeur d’Alene River.

Gap Rock

Near the Gap Rock Wayside we stop to show more of the path and our view from it.

Just east of Backwater Bay Wayside

Riding further north, we see another bull moose resting in the grass along the trail. Like before, we stop the bikes and walk back to see him. As we’re watching, he gets up, stretches, and proceeds to lunch on the bushes around him.

Click here to see that video.

Enaville Wayside

Shortly before the Enaville Wayside, we come across another bridge, this time across the North Fork Coeur d’Alene River.

Pine Creek

We continue our ride to Pine Creek where the trail goes back under Interstate 90 and then proceeds to follow along it, all the way to Mullan, ID. It’s here we decide to turn around as we have no interest in following the Interstate; and it’s really hot today, so going any further doesn’t seem to make sense.

Moose

On the way back we find our previous moose resting in the shade just west of where he was earlier.

After pointing him out to a few other travelers (who like the one earlier, have never seen a moose) we head further south down the trail.

Backwater Bay Wayside

At the Backwater Bay Wayside, we stop to eat our lunch on the picnic table at the edge of the water. There are many areas along the trail like this one with picnic tables and occasionally a pit toilet.

Dudley Wayside

Just west of the Dudley Wayside we stop for a break and to take in the view.

And a few hundred yards down the trail we see this lush field with neatly spaced hay bales.

The ride home

On the way home we realize why we were so warm, and most likely why there were significantly fewer people on the trail today than expected (it’s Labor Day). It’s 100^oF today! That’s very unusual for this area, especially in September.

Aurora Borealis

There’s a good chance of an aurora this evening and the weather and moon are cooperating. So, we head out on the bikes to try and get a look at it. First we decide to go a short way along the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene to the bridge as it has a great view north and we don’t think there are any lights on the bridge. We don’t see the aurora; and think there may be too much light pollution, but we do get some pretty cool views.

Along the way there and back, we encounter many deer and something we can’t identify.

Heading back to the state park campground we stop at the Plummer Creek bridge, as it’s darker here, to try again. Not sure if this is Aurora or just light pollution; but it’s the best we get tonight.

St. Joe River Cruise

Our final excursion in the area is a 6 hour Saint Joe River Cruise. This cruise begins at Independence Point on the northwestern shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene and travels the length of the lake before turning down the Saint Joe River.

Independence Point

On the way to the dock we pass through Independence Point and this unique statue “The Climb” that I found interesting and a little creepy.

After the statue, we walk a short way down the North Idaho Centennial Trail to get a view of the boat. And as you can see, there’s a quite a bit of smoke in the air today.

Sea Plane

Shortly afterward, we see a sea plane coming in for a landing. You can see the video here.

Lake Coeur d’Alene – heading south

All descriptions with identifying names are from left to right.

You can find the video of us passing under this bridge here.

Where three Bodies of Water Meet

Saint Joe River

To experience cruising down the mouth of the Saint Joe River, click here.

Lake Coeur d’Alene – heading north

This area is wonderful! There’s so much to do, whether you like hiking, biking, or being on the water. And having several encounters with wildlife, made this area very memorable for us.

Next stop… Gateway to Hells Canyon