Where Rails Met Rivers: Biking Idaho’s Trail of the Coeur d’Alane’s

Happy Fourth of July!! I hope everyone had a wonderful time with their families today and ate until they could barely move. We were thinking of going to a parade today, but at the very last minute we decided to go on a bike ride on the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s in Cataldo, Idaho. We have ridden several different parts of the trail before, but we had never done this particular section so we figured we would give it a try. I am so glad we did because it was a blast!

Getting There:

From 1-90, you’ll take exit 40 towards Cataldo. The parking area is pretty much right off the exit. We parked in the parking area near Timber’s Roadhouse, so if you’re looking for a GPS reference that would be the best one. There is a lot of shade there, plenty of parking, and the bonus of hitting Timber’s either before or after your ride for some great food and sometimes live music! They also have a great little outdoor seating area. From the parking area we rode across the street and down the trail about 1/4 mile. That’s where we came to a beautiful eddy with a small beach, a rope swing, and a great little spot to picnic.

While we were not planning on swimming today, my oldest daughter could not resist the rope swing under the bridge. I can’t really blame her. The water was so clean and blue, and it was such a great little spot! If I didn’t mind riding my bike soaking wet I would have probably tried it out myself. The bridge above offered some great shade and there were plenty of rocks to sit on while you watch the river.

Our Experience:

The trail was a little crowded, but that’s to be expected on such a beautiful day, and on a holiday no less. Everyone was super friendly, and other than the few times you passed along the trail, it was easy to forget that you were sharing the space with anyone else. The weather was perfect too, in the low 70’s, but this trail is great for hot sunny days too! There is a TON of shade and plenty of places to pull over and cool off in the river.

If you’re planning on taking a trip on the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s, I definitely preferred this section of the trail to some of the others we have done in the past. There is so much to do and see. There are tons of opportunities to fish, catch critters (we saw frogs and minnows galore) and swim during your ride. The parking is easy and having Timbers there to treat yourself afterward was just perfect. I think this ended up being way cooler than any parade!