The Coeur D'Alenes Trail: From Rail to Trail Across Idaho's Panhandle

Nothing symbolizes northern Idaho's oft-reluctant evolution from resource extraction to tourism more than the 72-mile Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, which weaves and rolls and bobs on an old railroad grade from Plummer to Mullan.

This part of northern Idaho is at once scenic and scarred. Thick forests of white pine, fir and cedar give way to checkerboard clearcuts. Crystal-clear rivers cut through valleys of piled remnant rock from the Silver Valleys glorious mining days. The shimmering of Lake Coeur d'Alene, with its vivid blue hues and trophy vacation homes, belies the poisons still lurking in the muck below. Kellogg has a relatively new ski area but is one of the nation's most notorious Superfund sites.

The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes takes in all of this and more on a rolling route that visits occasional communities but also carves through thickly forested mountains that provide a strong sense of isolation.

The trail officially opened in 2004, when an old Union Pacific Railroad bridge across an arm of Lake Coeur d'Alene near Heyburn was completely converted to the trail system. The route then sneaks along the eastern shore of the lake before arriving at one of the more puzzling spectacles in nature: The St. Joe River's famed river within a lake. Trees lining the channel separate the river from the lake.

From there, the trail crosses Interstate 90 at the Cataldo Mission and begins to rise gently into the Bitterroot Mountains, which separate Idaho and Montana. Here is where the Silver Valley begins, as reflected in such names as Smelterville and Silver Mountain. After cruising along for anywhere from three to seven hours, depending on stops for food and to enjoy the scenery, mmany people stop for an overnighter in Wallace, perhaps the most historic town on the route. Tucked into a cozy valley just before I-90 begins its ascent toward Montana, Wallace is famed for having one of the last frontier red-light districts in America and also was the site of the final stoplight on the country's interstate highway system.

For those who want a real muscle-grinder, continue on to the paved trail's terminus at Mullan.

The state, federal government and Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe spared no expense in making the trail accessible for all. It's smooth, has numerous picnic benches and features a steady parade of restrooms. Wildlife is abundant, especially such birds of prey as ospreys and eagles.

Before you're done, you'll have climbed 1,400 feet and seen a good portion of northern Idaho history. And it's just a start: The Rails to Trails system, which converts abandoned railroad grades to recreational trails, now features some 1,400 projects nationally.

For information, call 208-682-3814.