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.
- A local hotspot, this area has a few loops with views of the lake and forests.
- 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.
- 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 .
- 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.
- 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.
Drive, 50 minutes ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 11 miles
Drive, one hour ~ Difficulty, Hard ~ Distance, 5 miles
Drive, one hour ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 4.6 miles
Drive, one hour, 20 min ~ Difficulty, Easy ~ Distance, 3.3 miles
Drive, one hour, 20 min ~ Difficulty, Easy ~ Distance, 3.3 miles
Drive, two hours ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 4.6 miles
Drive, two hours ~ Difficulty, Hard ~ Distance, 7.6 miles
Drive, three hours, 30 minutes ~ Difficulty, Easy ~ Distance, 2.6 miles
Drive, three hours, 40 minutes ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 0.7 miles
Drive, six hours ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 3.5 miles
Drive, six hours, 40 min ~ Difficulty, Easy ~ Distance, 0.5 miles
Drive, seven hours ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 8.2 miles
Drive, seven hours ~ Difficulty, Easy ~ Distance, 0.2 miles
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:
- Some of these hikes don't open until the snow melts, but there are plenty of low elevation options here.
- 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.
- Another free resource for hiking trails. Alltrails adds filters that can help you find a hike to match your goals.
- 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
and - 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.
- The City of Coeur d’Alene has a map of bike paths with signage with some excellent short in-town rides
- A 70 -mile-long paved trail. There are a multitude of trailheads with parking along its length, making for an excellent choice.
- 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
Drive, 45 minutes ~ Acres, 1600+
Drive, one hour ~ Acres, 540
Drive, one hour, 10 minutes ~ Acres, 1704
Drive, 1 hour, 20 minutes ~ Acres, 2900
Drive, 1 hour, 40 minutes ~ Acres, 2325
Drive, 20 minutes ~ Difficulty, Easy ~ Distance, 3.3 miles
Drive, 20 minutes ~ Difficulty, Easy ~ Distance, 2.6 miles
Drive, one hour ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 5.6 miles
Drive, one hour, 10 minutes ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 5.4 miles
Drive, 20 minutes ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 6.4 miles
Drive, 24 minutes ~ Difficulty, Easy ~ Distance, 3.2 miles
Drive, 40 minutes ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 12.4 miles
Drive, 45 minutes ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 4 miles
Drive, 55 minutes ~ Difficulty, Moderate ~ Distance, 4 miles
Drive, 1 hour 10 minutes ~ Difficulty, Easy- Difficult
Drive, 42 minutes
Drive, 1 hour 10 minutes
Drive, 1 hour 20 minutes
- 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.
- 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 .
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.