Coeur d'Alene

Coeur d'Alene is the largest city in Northern Idaho.

Understand

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. Today the city is known as 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. Several other public and private golf courses abound. World class skiing is within a 90-minute drive of downtown Coeur d'Alene. Lake Coeur d'Alene offers boating and water-skiing as well as fishing for bass, trout, and salmon.

Often referred to by locals as simply "CDA," 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 an area known as 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.

Get in

By plane

The Spokane, Washington 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 from the Spokane Airport to Coeur d’Alene. The following airlines provide service to Spokane International Airport: United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Horizon Airlines, Air Canada, Big Sky Airlines, and America West Airlines. The Coeur d'Alene Airport serves private aircraft and is located just north of Coeur d'Alene.

Airport Shuttles Call Omnibus ☏ +1 208 667-6664 for ground transportation from Coeur d'Alene to the Spokane Airport.

By train

Amtrak is stationed in Spokane, WA, 30 miles west of Coeur d'Alene. For information, call Amtrak at 800-872-7245 or visit Amtrak.com.

Get around

City Link provides free bus transportation to select areas, including the movie theatres and casinos

See

• 1 Fort Sherman. A 19th-century fort of which a few buildings remain. Now on the campus of North Idaho College. (updated Apr 2020)
• 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. (updated Oct 2021)
• 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. (updated Oct 2021)

Do

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• 1 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 parasaling business in CDA. The lake also offers great watersports such as cycling, kayaking, skiing or wakeboarding.  
• 2 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. (updated Oct 2021)
• 3 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. (updated Oct 2021)
• 4 Silverwood Theme Park, ☏ +1 208 683-3400. The park is in Athol, a short drive north of Coeur d'Alene. 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.  
• 5 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. (updated Oct 2016)
• 6 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. 
• 7 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.  
• 8 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. 

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• 9 Farragut State Park, 13550 ID-54, Athol (in the upper crust village of Hayden Lake at the end of Honeysuckle Ave), ☏ +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.  
• 10 Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel, 37914 S Nukwalqw St, Worley, toll-free: +1 800 523-2464. Daily 7AM-3AM. Gaming fun. (updated Nov 2021)

Buy

• 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. M-Sa 10AM-7PM, Su 11AM-6PM. (updated Nov 2021)

Eat

• 1 Hudson's Hamburgers, 207 E Sherman Ave, ☏ +1 208-664-5444. M-Sa 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. (updated Sep 2017)

Sleep

• 1 The Roosevelt Inn (The Roosevelt School), 105 East Wallace (just blocks from 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. (updated Nov 2021)

Splurge

• 3 The Coeur d'Alene Resort, 115 S 2nd St. Located on the lake, in the middle of downtown, the CDA Resort also has a golf course with a "Floating Green" and a boardwalk and marina.  

Cope

• 1 Coeur d'Alene Public Library.  

Go next

• 11 Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area, I-90 Exit 0 (60 miles east), ☏ +1 208 744-1301, Info@SkiLookout.com. Voted most family-friendly ski area in the Pacific Northwest. Soft opening in November moving to being open daily. Season usually ends by April. Ticketed summer lift rides with free frisbee golf course at the summit, or huckleberry picking in August. (updated Jul 2023)
• Route of the Hiawatha scenic bike trail (operated by Lookout Pass Ski area) is a 15 mile, mostly downhill rail-to-trail. There are 10 dark tunnels and 7 sky-high trestles.
• 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