When I returned to continue my circumnavigation of Lake Coeur d’Alene, I chose to do it along the scenic triangle of I-90 and routes 3 and 97. And scenic it is, with soaring mountain ridges, symmetrical tracts of evergreen forests, glistening wavelets of lead-blue water, and, over all, blue sky and white cottony clouds.
From I-90:
After passing the exits for the city of Coeur d’Alene, I-90 begins to offer sweeping views of the northern portion of the lake, shaped like the head of our imaginary seahorse. I continued along I-90 to the easternmost portion of the triangle, the exit for Route 3. This took me over Fourth of July Pass, so named because the crew building the road arrived here on July Fourth, 1861, and held a mini-celebration. At 3,081 feet elevation, the pass gets heavy snows in winter months. It’s a popular destination for hiking, biking, snowshoeing and skiing, depending on the season.
From Route 3:
Killarney Lake
At Exit 34, Route 3 winds its way south along the Coeur d’Alene River and a chain of more than a dozen lakes formed by the Ice Age Floods [see the Channeled Scablands post]. These and the lakes at the southern end of Lake Coeur d’Alene draw thousands of kayakers, canoeists, and fishing enthusiasts every year. Among the best known of the chain lakes are Rose, Killarney, and Thompson. I’ve kayaked on Killarney Lake, a 500-acre body of water with its small Popcorn Island and a channel to the river. I’ve tried to kayak on the brooding dark waters of Black Lake but never found a put-in site. Signs at tourist stops on the lakes and river here warn against stirring up the soil or ingesting the water. That’s because the river passes through the mountain-bordered Silver Valley. Now a famous ski destination, the valley at one time produced tremendous quantities of lead, silver, and zinc from the nearby mountains, and heavy-metal sediments can still be found in the soils. Clean-up projects are underway.
Popcorn Island
Intertwined with the road is the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. The trail evolved from Indian foot path to railroad to a 72-mile paved trail linking the towns of Plummer on the Coeur d’Alene Reservation through Harrison to the mountain town of Mullan near the Montana border.
Route 97:
Facing the city of Coeur d’Alene
Route 97 winds its way through farmland and forest to reach Lake Coeur d’Alene near the town of Harrison. [An alternate route, along O’Gara Road, gets you to the lake sooner.] Above Harrison, the road crosses the river, with available detours to several large shallow lakes, before reaching the larger upper half of Lake Coeur d’Alene. From here it twists and turns along a series of bays, offering sweeping panoramas of the lake and forested hills. Beautiful homes and a couple of camps are half-hidden amid the evergreens.
Though this section of the lake is not so kayak friendly, there is a nice place to stretch your legs toward the end of the route. Mineral Ridge National Recreation Trail is found just beyond Beauty Bay. A 3.3 mile loop, it ascends a hill through Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir to offer spectacular views across the lake’s northern expanse, with signs interpreting local history and ecology. Before connecting with I-90, Route 97 borders Wolf Lodge Bay, where, around Christmastime, up to 150 bald eagles stop to feed on salmon. Nature at its best, and, coming from Spokane, you don’t have to cross Fourth of July pass to see it!
For more information about Lake Coeur d’Alene, go to related websites at Visit North Idaho and Lake Coeur d’Alene.
Mineral Ridge