Favorite Things to Do in Coeur d’Alene Idaho

Updated for 2018.

We have been to Ironman Coeur d’Alene multiple times and absolutely love the location.  The weather hasn’t always cooperated – unbearably hot to cold and rainy, but it’s still one of our favorites. While Ironman dropped the full distance race, they still have the 70.3 in June.

Coeur d’Alene is a classic resort and vacation destination, offering a wide range of recreational activities. You also have so many options for extending the race into a vacation. Three years ago, we added on Yellowstone and Jackson Hole to our trip and it was just the best time.

A collage of pics taken in Yellowstone National Park. Yes, that is a grizzly bear.

But, you also have Canada, Washington, and the SunValley area to name a few choice vacation spots. We’ve always flown into Spokane and then rented a car and drove into town. It’s about an hour drive. We’ve always stayed at the lovely, Coeur d’Alene Resort, right in the middle of town. It could not be more convenient and is a very nice hotel with a great spa.

Coeur d’Alene Resort. Photo Courtesy of Ironman XC.

Things to Do in Coeur d’Alene

• Coeur d’Alene Lake – This is a gorgeous body of water with the obvious water activities to go along, such as boating, kayaking, and fishing. You should really take the boat trip around the lake, if nothing else but to see the golf course (below) and the floating green. The boat docks right by the Coeur d’Alene Resort and takes about 1 1/2 hours. It’s a great activity to do when your triathlete wants to stay off their feet. You can also drive around the lake, but take care as it can be winding and steep.
• McEuen Park – This park just recently opened off Front St. in town and boasts the city’s largest playground, a colorful splash pad, tennis/pickle ball court, basketball court, off-leash dog park, covered pavilion, waterfront concession stand/restroom facility, sea wall overlook, grand plaza, veterans memorial, and 4-acre grassy area. In other words, it could keep you and your family occupied for hours.
• Hiking – You have choices here. There is Tubbs Hill Nature Trails right in the heart of Coeur d’Alene with amazing views and not too much difficulty. It’s about 2 miles. The North Idaho Centennial Trail is a 22-mile paved trail for biking and hiking.
• Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course – If you’re a golfer, this is a very pretty, well-maintained course as you get water views, pine trees, and the floating green is such a novelty. Good luck getting on! A boat can take you to the course and a caddy will meet you at the dock. You can even go just to the driving range and hit some “floating balls”. The restaurant is an added bonus.

Coeur d’Alene Resort golf course. Photo Courtesy of CDA Resort.

• Coeur d’Alene City Park & Independence Point – An in-town park great for picnics, outdoor sports, plus it has a beach and a play area for the kids. It’s close to the swim start and transitions. This area is used a lot during the race and you can find shade.
• Downtown Coeur d’Alene – Sherman Ave. is the main shopping area in town. There are many cute boutique-type shops for clothing, housewares, and gifts.
• If you’re staying at the resort, take one of the wooden boats over to the golf course. It is a pretty ride and then have lunch out on the porch and watch golfers trying to hit the ball to the floating green.
• The kids loved their seaplane ride with Brooks Seaplanes. It’s a short flight that covers 40 miles over the area and that the kids said was beautiful.
• Silverwood Theme Park & Boulder Beach Water Park – This park is located about 15 minutes north of Coeur d’Alene on Hwy. 95. It has over 70 rides, including 4 roller coasters and also offers slides, live entertainment, and restaurants.
• There’s a Downtown Farmer’s Market on Thursdays from 4pm-7pm at 5th and Sherman Ave.
• Frontier Ice Arena – An NHL sized rink open year round if didn’t have enough winter or just love to skate.
• Museum of North Idaho – If you want a bit of culture and to learn about the history of the region, stop in for a visit.

We hope you enjoy Coeur d’Alene as much as we do. It offers enough activities to keep the whole family occupied. For more information on Coeur d’Alene, check out the Visit Idaho website. Be sure to also check our Coeur d’Alene – Food & Fun – Places to Eat.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE THING TO DO IN COEUR D’ALENE?

Sherry Wernicke

Sherry is one of the TriWivesClub and LifeDoneWell co-founders and contributes to multiple blogs. She is a former co-owner of the California Apparel News and had a career in the healthcare industry. Her passions include traveling, real food, the environment, and animal rescue/welfare. She lives a healthy lifestyle and has been a vegetarian since 1987. She and her husband are parents to two rescue pups and reside in Connecticut.