French
DeutschCoeur d'Alene, often referred to as simply CDA, is the largest city in Northern Idaho. The city is a tourist haven for outdoor pursuits. Coeur d'Alene also features a renowned golf course with a free-floating island green, the only such hole in the world. World class skiing is within a 90-minute drive of downtown. Lake Coeur d'Alene offers boating and water-skiing as well as fishing for bass, trout, and salmon.
Understand
[edit | edit source]A century ago, Coeur d'Alene was at the epicenter of bitter mining and timber-forestry labor disputes which dominated the state's early history and politics. Fortunately for visitors, much of that blight is long gone.
Coeur d'Alene, while an anchor of a metro area in its own right, is often considered the easternmost edge of the greater Spokane area. Like much of northern Idaho, Coeur d'Alene often relates more to eastern Washington than it does to southern Idaho and the capital.
As a result of its close ties to the Spokane area, Coeur d'Alene and the rest of the Idaho Panhandle follow Pacific Time (UTC−8 during the winter, UTC−7 during the summer) instead of Mountain Time (UTC−7 during the winter, UTC−6 during the summer) like the rest of Idaho.
Tourism information
[edit | edit source]Get in
[edit | edit source]Coeur d'Alene is on Interstate 90.
By plane
[edit | edit source]Spokane International Airport (GEG IATA) is just 40 minutes west of Coeur d'Alene with non-stop flights arriving daily from cities including Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Boise, Vancouver, Calgary and others.
There is ground transportation available to Coeur d’Alene:
- Omnibus Shuttle ☏ +1 208 667-6664 from Coeur d'Alene to the Spokane Airport.
General aviation
[edit | edit source]- 1 Coeur d'Alene Airport (Pappy Boyington Field) (north of Coeur d'Alene). Serves private aircraft only.
By train
[edit | edit source]Amtrak is stationed in Spokane, 30 miles west of Coeur d'Alene.
Get around
[edit | edit source]
City Link provides free bus transportation to select areas, including the movie theaters and casinos.
See
[edit | edit source]- 1 Fort Sherman. A 19th-century fort of which a few buildings remain. Now on the campus of North Idaho College.
- 2 Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center, 2678 W Cessna Ave, Hayden, ☏ +1 208-758-8355. Here you'll find a collection of vintage and modern aircraft like a "Sea Bee" and AT-6 along with inventions on display that were the work of the aviator and inventor Forrest Bird. You can also watch planes take off and land. Free.
- 3 F. Lewis Clark House (along E Hayden Lake Road on Clark Point). This summer house was built for a mining millionaire who suddenly disappeared while on a trip to Santa Barbara in 1914.
- 4 Museum of Northern Idaho, 115 Northwest Blvd, ☏ +1 208 664-3448. Exhibits to learn about northern Idaho's past here, along with a book shop. Tu-Sa 11AM-5PM.
- 5 Higgens Point (about 6 miles east of town on E Coeur d'Alene Lake Rd, then hike on N Idaho Centennial Trail to point), ☏ +1 208-683-2425. Daily 8AM-9PM. Offers a chance to see eagles or eaglets on the lake.
Do
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- 1 Tubbs Hill, 208 S 3rd St, ☏ +1 208 769-2300. Daily 6AM-10PM. A fun natural area wherein one can hike or swim, even jump from rocks, along Lake Coeur d'Alene. On the northern side is McEuen Park, another favorite recreating spot with amphitheaters for events and statuary.
- 2 Silverwood Theme Park (Athol, a short drive north), ☏ +1 208 683-3400. Awesome place for the kids great rides for all ages. Or visit the adjacent Boulder Beach waterpark. You can easily spend 2 days here at the two parks.
- 3 Red Horse Mountain Dude Ranch, 11077 East Blue Lake Rd, Harrison, toll-free: +1-888-689-9680, info@redhorsemountainranch.com. Red Horse Mountain Ranch offers a western dude ranch experience from dining to a wide array of seasonal activities.
- 4 Raptor Reef Indoor Water Park and Triple Play Family Fun Park, 175 W Orchard Ave, ☏ +1 208-762-7529. This theme park consists of, among other things, a dark light ride, bowling, arcade, and a dino/prehistoric-themed indoor water park, plus restaurant and hotel.
- 5 Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel, 37914 S Nukwalqw St, Worley, toll-free: +1 800 523-2464. Daily 7AM-3AM. Gaming fun.
On the water
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- 6 Lake Coeur d'Alene. Swim on Coeur d'Alene's long public beach, or travel to other parts of the lake. There is also a parasailing business in CDA. The lake also offers great watersports such as cycling, kayaking, skiing or wakeboarding.
- 7 Coeur d’Alene City Park, ☏ +1 208 769-2252. Daily 5AM-11PM. Popular beach on Lake Coeur d'Alene that used to have a boardwalk amusement park type of venue but now has the Museum of Northern Idaho and pier on Independence Point.
- 8 Lake Coeur d'Alene Kayaking, 418 E Coeur d'Alene Ave, toll-free: +1-800-451-6034. ROW Adventure Center is the only outfitter who offers kayak trips on Lake Coeur d'Alene.
- 9 Lake Hayden and Honeysuckle Beach (in the upper crust village of Hayden Lake at the end of Honeysuckle Ave). Another popular summer recreation destination, this lake is actually quite deep at some 800 feet and surrounded by estates. The beach is manned with lifeguards from June to August.
- 10 Farragut State Park, 13550 ID-54, Athol, ☏ +1 208-683-2425. A very pristine and serene state park on the shores of Lake Pond Orielle whereby you can relax or camp on what once was a WWII naval training station. There are opportunities to boat, hike, swim, and visit a small naval museum.
Buy
[edit | edit source]- The Village at Riverstone, 2151 N Main St. A corridor of upscale shops and restaurants near the lake.
- 1 Silver Lake Mall, 200 W Hanley Ave, ☏ +1 208-762-2113, info@silverlake.center. Mon-Sat 10AM-7PM, Sun 11AM-6PM.
Eat
[edit | edit source]- 1 Hudson's Hamburgers, 207 E Sherman Ave, ☏ +1 208-664-5444. Mon-Sat 09:30-17:45. Almost every local has been there, so it shouldn't be too hard to ask for directions. They only serve hamburgers, with or without cheese, onion, pickle, and pies, but their hamburgers are renowned for their best taste.
Drink
[edit | edit source]Sleep
[edit | edit source]- 1 The Roosevelt Inn (The Roosevelt School), 105 East Wallace (near downtown), ☏ +1 208-765-5200, toll-free: +1-800-290-3358, Info@TheRooseveltInn.com. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Relax in historic elegance in this turn of the 20th century red-brick school house converted into a luxury bed and breakfast. $99-249.
- 2 Japan House Suites, 2113 E Sherman Ave. $139.
Splurge
[edit | edit source]- 3 The Coeur d'Alene Resort, 115 S 2nd St (middle of downtown). Located on the lake, the CDA Resort also has a golf course with a "Floating Green" and a boardwalk and marina.
Cope
[edit | edit source]Go next
[edit | edit source]- Spokane
- Sandpoint
- Wallace and Lookout Pass, for the most family-friendly ski area in the Pacific Northwest and the scenic Route of the Hiawatha bike trail.
- Kalispell, Montana
- Glacier National Park (243 mile north east) has glaciers, alpine meadows, lakes, and over 700 miles of trails. Scenery unlike anywhere else plus diverse wildlife make this wilderness area a must see for outdoor enthusiasts.
| Routes through Coeur d'Alene |
| Spokane ← Post Falls ← | W  E | → Wallace → Missoula |
| Cranbrook ← Sandpoint ← | N  S | → Moscow → Payette-Fruitland |