The Allure of the Lake

The Coeur d'Alene area has been blessed with dozens of lakes left behind by the glaciers of the ice age. There are more than 55 lakes within easy driving distance of Coeur d'Alene, but none more scenic and full of activities than Lake Coeur d'Alene itself.

There's something magical about Lake Coeur d'Alene that's hard to define, but it begins with the spectacular North Idaho sunsets and moonrises, the plunge of an osprey after a fish, the glowing lights of downtown Coeur d’Alene reflecting across its waters at night.

More than 25 miles long, the lake has 135 miles of quiet coves, tree-lined shores and sandy beaches. It has long been a site for travelers seeking peaceful surroundings, rest and relaxation. Around the turn of the century, steam-powered paddlewheel boats traveled the waters, departing from downtown Coeur d'Alene. Several of these steamboats are still at the bottom of Lake Coeur d'Alene, where they were sunk during Fourth of July celebrations. It was on this lake that John Finney built and used the world's first pair of water skis in the 1920s.

Today the lake, with its fabulous scenery of pine trees, rocky bluffs and rolling hills, can be experienced in a number of ways. The north end of the lake is filled with parks and hiking trails, from the beach that curves around North Idaho College, to City Beach and Independence Point near Downtown, to The Coeur d’Alene’s floating boardwalk. The Centennial Trail, after winding through Downtown Coeur d’Alene, hugs the lake’s quieter northeast shores for several miles. For a taste of undisturbed shoreline, head for the network of trails on Tubbs Hill, a 122-acre natural preserve overlooking the lake in Downtown Coeur d’Alene. www.tubbshill.com

Lake Coeur d’Alene has the largest population of osprey in the Western U.S., and you’ll see their nests on top of pilings at the water’s edge or high in the trees. They put on spectacular diving performances, and have been known to wrestle fish as large as four pounds from the water. In the winter, the lake is home to migrating bald eagles, which stop over to feed on Chinook salmon near Wolf Lodge Bay.

The Coeur d'Alene waterfront is full of activity. You can rent jet skis, speedboats, sailboats, paddle boats or canoes. Take a seaplane tour of the lake, or soar above the lake on a parasail pulled behind a speedboat. The Coeur d’Alene’s floating boardwalk (at 3/4 of a mile, it’s the longest of its kind in the world) is open to the public. Cruise boat tours - reaching as far south as the St. Joe River - leave from here throughout the day.

If you’re seeking more secluded waters, venture south and explore dozens of forested coves. Stop for lunch at lakeside resorts such as Neachen Bay or Rockford Bay, or head for Harrison, on the east shore of the lake, a former sawmill town, and later a stopping point for the steamboats which hauled cargo and sightseers up and down the lake.

At the south tip of the lake, Heyburn State Park was the first state park in the Northwest. The 5,500-acre park includes three lakes and the St. Joe River, the highest navigable river in the world, a tree-lined waterway rich with bird and animal life.

The city of Coeur d’Alene has a summer-long events calendar, and plenty of choices for Downtown entertainment and dining when you’re done with a day on the water. Annual events include car shows, Fourth of July Festival and Parade, a Wooden Boat Festival, Art on the Green, “A Taste of the Coeur d’Alenes” Food Fair and Downtown Street Fair.

Lake Coeur d'Alene was officially discovered in 1986, when The Coeur d'Alene Resort opened to international acclaim. Recently, several multi-million dollar projects are taking advantage of the allure of Lake Coeur d'Alene.

The Club at Black Rock, built on 650 acres above Rockford Bay, features a world-class golf course, an equestrian facility, the Rockford Bay marina, and a 381-home gated community. Arrow Point Resort, owned by Trend West Resorts, Inc., is now part of a vacation program called WorldMark which owns 40 resort properties throughout the West. www.arrowpointresort.com And Riverstone, on the Spokane River near Lake Coeur d'Alene, features a unique live, work and walk waterfront community. Plans call for the 74-acre site to feature 500,000 square feet of high-tech office buildings, a high-end retail center, and waterfront and secondary homes.

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