Coeur d'Alene Idaho History

Coeur d’Alene offers many colorful stories from its past. The Native American Indians lived for thousands of years in North Idaho as the Schee-Chu-Umsh. French explorers and fur traders arrived in the early 19th century and discovered the natural wealth of the area, but found the natives to be sharp traders. Because of their shrewd trading practices, they earned the name Coeur d’Alene, loosely translated to “heart of the awl”, a testimony to the tribe’s sharp negotiating skills.

Its rich silver and gold mining and logging brought jobs, wealth, and prosperity to our lake side city for decades. However, once past the prolific logging and mining boom, Coeur d’Alene has bloomed as “Your Lakeside Playground”. Steamboats plied Lake Coeur d’Alene delivering ore, wood, and soldiers to the north shore of the lake. You will still see similar boats on the lake, now used as dinner and sightseeing opportunities for visitors.

Recreational Opportunities of Coeur d'Alene

Coeur d’Alene offers a range of activities, some designed to stimulate the urban escapist seeking extreme adventure, other activities bring family members together for a vacation filled with fun and relaxation.

Combine spectacular scenery with challenging golf and you have the formula for a great golf getaway. North Idaho offers 18 exciting courses where you can tee it up, ranging from a quaint nine hole to a championship-tested 18-hole course.

Perhaps the best challenge North Idaho offers is found on the 14th tee at The Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course, site of the world-famous floating green. A short drive south, and not to be missed is the award-winning Circling Raven Golf Course. And just next door is the Coeur d’Alene Casino and Resort voted the most popular casino in the Inland Northwest.

Discover Coeur d’Alene City Beach, the perfect complement to a picnic in the park. Or take a hike around Tubbs Hill, a 120 acre waterfront preserve on the downtown waterfront. Stroll the world’s longest floating boardwalk at The Coeur d’Alene Resort. Take a lake cruise, a scenic seaplane ride, parasail, or rent a jet ski; horse lovers will appreciate our riding trails and guided trips.

Pack your mountain bike up the world’s longest gondola at Silver Mountain, crisscross mountain trails then coast seven miles back down to the gondola base in Kellogg. Flatlanders will love the North Idaho Centennial Trail, stretching along the shoreline east of Coeur d’Alene to the Washington Stateline.

Rediscover the tunnels and trestles along the Route of the Hiawatha, running from Lookout Pass to the St. Joe River. And not to be left out, 72 miles paved and non-motorized, the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s start in Mullan to Plummer, great for wildlife viewing.

 

 

Coeur d'Alene for Family Fun

Coeur d’Alene offers families a wide range of activities, indoor and outdoor. A variety of festivals and fairs bridge the spectrum from fun to elegant (see our Calendar of Events). Monthly events such as Art Walk feature seven galleries in a seven block area. Downtown Coeur d’Alene features over 100 merchants in a 6 block area. Owner-operators offer unique, eclectic treasures - truly a shoppers dream.

Theatre lovers will appreciate the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre which produces professional Broadway musicals with full staging and live orchestras during June, July and August. Or visit the enchanting Lake City Playhouse, a small cozy yearround community theatre. Opera Plus! brings opera, related events and educational enrichment opportunities to Coeur d’Alene and the surrounding region.

Culinary delights abound whether your tastes lean toward fresh Northwest salmon, Idaho potato pizza, huckleberry pancakes or a juicy Priest River buffalo steak. Awardwinning chefs and sidewalk vendors. There’s something for every palate. And what a better way to cap your day in Coeur d’Alene than with a Northwest microbrew or a selection from a world-renowned wine cellar.

North of Coeur d’Alene, you’ll find the Northwest’s largest theme park, Silverwood, complete with over 65 dazzling rides and attractions. Blast through 4 underground tunnels on Tremors Roller Coaster, splash around in the massive 16 acres Boulder Beach Water Park, and scream your way through Aftershock, the brand new 190 foot tall steel roller coaster, scheduled to open in July 2008!

Whitewater rivers surround Coeur d’Alene. Choose a guided trip with a worldrenowned rafting company. Go solo in your kayak. Rent personal watercraft. Anyway you like it, have fun on the wet and wild side.

If you like your whitewater a little less wild, splash down the waterslides at Wild Waters. Or combine water slides and family fun at Triple Play Family Fun Park including an indoor water park - Raptor Reef plus go-karts, bowling, and laser tag.

What People are Saying About Coeur d'Alene

“Coeur d’Alene offers a relaxing getaway whose serenity is shattered only by each seagull’s cry. Playground indeed; it’s a naturalist’s Romper Room.”
                                                                                              - USA TODAY

“Whether it’s fishing, cruising, wildlife watching, camping or entertaining hopes of seeing the dramatic Northern Lights, Coeur d’Alene has it all. No matter how many times you visit, you’ll never tire of it.”
                                                                                              - BOATING WORLD MAGAZINE