Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes

The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes traces a path through northeast Idaho's riches, from its mining history to its natural beauty to its roots as homeland of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. Don't miss this superb trail through Idaho's mountainous panhandle. But don't let mountains put you off. The trail is mostly flat; E-W is mostly downhill, while W-E is slightly uphill in places.

The paved trail begins in Plummer, a few miles shy of the Washington border, and heads northeast along Coeur d'Alene Lake and the Coeur d'Alene River until Mullan, just west of the Montana state line. The first 15 miles are managed by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, the rest (57 miles or so) by the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.

Several rest stops and towns along the way offer refreshment, lodging and entertainment, as well as other recreational opportunities.

Mullan is the official end of the paved trail, but you can continue roughly another 11 miles to Lookout Pass on the Idaho–Montana border. This segment is part of the NorPac Trail and uses a Northern Pacific right-of-way that has become an open Forest Service road. It is marked and signed as a trail, with a packed-gravel surface. Yet people can still drive on it, often to access other nearby hiking trails in the Bitterroot Mountains, and you may encounter motor vehicles.

You can access the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes from many places along its route. For more details visit Idaho Parks & Recreation.