Lake Coeur d’Alene is a Nature Enthusiast’s Paradise

By
Emma
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Photo by Jason Schuller on Unsplash

When you think of Idaho, the first thing that probably comes to mind is Yellowstone National Park. While it is a completely magical place, there are a lot of other things to do in Idaho besides that, including some incredible places in nature.

If you’re looking for a place to kick back, relax, and enjoy nature, Lake Coeur d’Alene is the place for you.

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Took the bikes for a spin on the Idaho side yesterday. Coeur d’Alene was beautiful & busy. The public beaches and picnic areas were PACKED. Everyone was having a cookout. Some classic car auction was happening near the resort and pier as well. You can swipe through the pics to see how beautiful both the sky and water were… … For those who have no idea what’s in the northern panhandle of Idaho, this is it. Enormous lakes & resort vacation towns, beautiful little mountains, dense national forests…and much of the topography that exists today is thanks to Ice-Age flooding of biblical proportions. The winters are cold up here, but the insanely beautiful summers make up for the colder seasons. Don’t get it twisted though – it CAN get hot. The difference is that you might have a few days of triple-digit heat as opposed to straight weeks (or even months) of it. I’ve lived through many miserably hot & humid midwestern and southeastern summers. There’s no worse hell on earth except for getting heat exhaustion in the middle of the desert. (Did that, too, lol.) The climate is also dry and arid – like Colorado. So while yes, 92 is a bit toasty, there’s virtually very little humidity. And unlike Colorado’s high-elevation hell underneath the summer sun, ground level here in eastern WA and northern ID is only about 2k feet above sea level… … If you’re ever interested in traveling to the PNW but would like to explore more of the inland/inter-mountain part of the region, google these three places in Idaho: -Coeur d’Alene -Sandpoint -Priest Lake It’ll make you wanna start investing in lakefront property like yesterday! We took our bikes away from the center of town and rode through an upscale neighborhood that was situated along the water, where lake becomes the headwaters to the Spokane River. The homes were insanely beautiful, and most had private boat ramps and little beachfronts.

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Named after the native people’s tribe called Coeur d’Alene, the lake itself is so beautiful, and is perfect for people who love water sports like kayaking, canoeing, and more!

On the northern side of the lake, you can also enjoy the North Idaho Centennial Trail which runs for 24 miles along the lake and into the country! Perfect for a bit of hiking or cycling, and definitely the best running route.

One reason to get yourself to the lake is that you will be surrounding by some amazing scenery and wildlife. The lake is known to bring in a lot of bald eagles, so if you’ve never seen one before, that’s reason enough to visit. There will be guaranteed sightings because they eat the local fish called kokanee, so get out your cameras and start snapping pictures!