Saturday, May 30, 2009

The Best Rail Trail in the West!

If you have never heard of the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes-boy are you in for a treat. It's a 72 mile paved rail trail that runs across the Idaho Panhandle from Plummer on the Palouse to Mullan on the Montana Border. I have sampled sections of it over the years and probably one of the nicest sections is the one in Heyburn State Park. Here you can traverse Coeur d'Alene Lake on a 2/3 mile trestle-then follow along the lakeshore for miles! I sneaked a 10 mile run on that section of trail on my way to Lewiston last week. There is great camping in Heyburn State Park ans some nice hiking trails too. Matter of fact my Best Hikes with Dogs Inland Northwest spotlights Heyburn as well as the nearby Mary Minerva McCroskey State Park. And if you have never driven US 95 between CDL and Lewiston-you are in for a real treat-it is one of the prettiest sections of road in the entire Northwest. Have fun exploring-don't forget to pack your bike.

2 comments:

Bobby Whittaker said...

did you hear the rail service from Kettle Falls to Grand Forks BC may end? that could mean big things for the Ferry Co. rail trail: I drove the highway next to the whole corridor Tuesday from Kettle Falls to Republic = 83 miles (give or take a mile), sooo its 80+ miles strong and if made into an international rail trail (a first) it will connect no less than ten towns and pass thru or near five school complexes (some adjacent to corridor and all very close). -- Eat your heart out Nelson BC, Winthrop Wa. and Wallace Idaho.

Hope to see you this summer some time.

-Bob

Ferry County Rail Trail Partners
http://www.ferrycountyrailtrail.com

Anonymous said...

That is wonderful news. I am very interested in this and how to keep the old railroad tracks from being sold off to private development.
Right here in Fruitvale BC to Salmo the rail road was sold off, so there is no chance it wil conect up with the Salmo to Nelson trails.