Wet and Wild: Your Guide to Water Fun on Lake Coeur d'Alene

Beautiful Lake Coeur d'Alene is a haven for water lovers, offering a wide range of activities to suit every interest, skill level, and price point.

Join us as we explore the best ways to make a splash in Coeur d'Alene, from kayaking and water skiing to swimming and parasailing. 

So grab your sunscreen and your sense of adventure, and join us for an episode that's sure to make a splash. Whether you're a seasoned water sports enthusiast or just looking for a fun way to cool off, Coeur d'Alene has something for everyone when it comes to water activities.

Transcript

Beautiful Lake Coeur d'Alene is a haven for water lovers, and it offers a wide range of activities to suit every interest, skill level, and price point. 

Join us as we explore the best ways to make a splash in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. From kayaking and water skiing to swimming and parasailing, grab your sunscreen and sense of adventure. 

Whether you're a seasoned water sports enthusiast or just looking for a fun way to cool off, Coeur d'Alene has something for everyone when it comes to water activities. 

Welcome to Pacific Northwest Travel with Jaunty Everywhere. I'm your host, Cheri, and I'm here to help you plan your perfect Pacific Northwest vacation. Each week we'll be highlighting a different destination in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Northern California, or British Columbia to give you the inside scoop on the best places to go, things to see, and adventures to be had. 

Join us as we set off on a journey through the best destinations in the Pacific Northwest.

But first, let's talk about our hidden gem of the week -  Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge is in Cheney, Washington -it's about 40 minutes south of Spokane. 

20,000 acres of channeled scablands. Add that to your geographic features bucket list! Scabland does not sound good. So what is it? The short answer is that early farmers named land that was useless for crops as Scabland, and it stuck. 

If you want to become a Scabland expert, I put a link in the show notes so that you can get more info. But what does a Scabland look like to us amateurs? It's a lot of wetlands, grasslands, and pine forest. At least when it comes to Turnbull. 

National wildlife refuges are created to protect migratory birds and other threatened and endangered species. One of Turnbull's star residents is the redheaded duck, which looks a lot like a green-headed duck, but it has a redhead. 

Approximately 44 mammal species, 200 bird species, and too many wildflowers and plant species to count call Turnbull home. Early morning and evening are the best times to go. We've taken a hike in the middle of a warm day, and we saw one human and a few dragonflies. 

Another morning, around 09:00 a.m., we had a similar experience. It was a pleasant walk, and we did see about a dozen spring wildflowers, but no wildlife. Brittany and her husband went on an early, early morning hike in April and spotted a baby moose. So it pays to get yourself out of bed, assuming that you want to see some animals. The gates open at 06:00 a.m.

There's a five-and-a-half-mile auto tour route that you can bike, hike, or drive and 10 miles of trails. Three of those trails, shorter trails, are accessible. A note about bikes most of the autoroute is gravel, and if you don't like biking on gravel, which we don't, keep that in mind. Bikes are not allowed on the trails. The trails are also not stroller friendly. 

At headquarters, you'll find a kiosk with maps, a pit toilet, and a small interpretive center. Entrance to Turnbull is free. 

Now let's head to the lake. Lake Coeur d'Alene is in northern Idaho. It's 26 miles long but only 1 to 3 miles wide. This creates 135 miles of craggy shoreline. On a map, you'll see it's an odd shape with all kinds of little fingers and inlets. Couple that with the fact that most of the lake borders National Forest and a low-density population, and you have an outdoor adventures paradise. There are infinite ways to camp, fish, and recreate around the lake. Today we'll be focusing on water activities that you can access right in the town of Coeur d'Alene.

I have over a dozen ways that you can enjoy the water, so let's get started. I'm going to go roughly from least expensive to most expensive. 

By the way, everything I mentioned with links will be included in the show notes at jauntyeverywhere.com/podcast, so you can sit back and listen. 

Well, let's start with swimming, because not counting a swimsuit and sunscreen, and in Idaho, you do have to wear a swimsuit, swimming is a free activity. City Beach is in the heart of Coeur d'Alene, with 22 acres of beach to choose from. It's adjacent to Fort Sherman Playground on one end, which has a fantasy play structure which my grandson loves, and at the other end is Coeur d'Alene Marina and the downtown area. If you're staying close in, all of this is walkable and bikeable. There is parking along the frontage road above the beach, but on busy days, this fills up fast. 

If you want a little more adventure with your swim, hike up Tubbs Hill. With the shallow swimming area, a semi-shaded beach and cliffs to jump off of, this is a popular place to swim and sunbathe. You can start the hike from the southwest corner of McEwen Park. I'm going to talk about McEwen Park in a second. The trailhead is near the hotel. You can't miss it. There's a big sign. Or you can take the less popular east side route through the neighborhood and up the other side of the hill. This trailhead is located on 10th Street. Either way, the hike is about 2 miles round trip and is considered easy.

But if you have small children and the heap ton of stuff that they need for even the shortest outing, you might want to stick to City Beach. 

One thing our family does - some of us float over from the marina area on paddleboards while others hike over, and we meet up at the swimming beach. Paddleboarders can haul some of the gear in dry bags. 

Technically not on the lake or in the lake, but right next to the lake is McEwen Park, which has a fabulous playground and splash pad area. They call it a splash pad, but it's pretty elaborate. If you have little ones and are just done with sand, this is the perfect family refuge while still being able to cool off. There are also shady benches and a covered picnic shelter. Parking at McEwen Park is free as of now, but again, on busy days it fills up.

Next to swimming, which is basically free. The least expensive option for you to get out on the lake is Coeur d'Alene Cruises, especially if you don't want to get wet. A basic 90-minute sightseeing cruise runs less than $30. The boat will cruise along the coastline, giving you a peek at scenery, possibly wildlife, and some hidden and impressive lake homes. You also have the option of springing for a brunch, dinner or extended cruise. Again, if you want to stay dry, a cruise is a great option. 

How about paddleboarding? If you haven't taken advantage of Costco's inflatable paddle board yet, you can rent paddleboards. I'll link to the rental place that we've used in the show notes. Rentals cost about $40 for 2 hours. You can rent for a week if you want to keep the boards while you're vacationing. Typically, the rental operation will bring the boards down to the lake and pick them up at the end of your reservation. They even throw in life vests. The best place to paddleboard is from City Beach. You can paddle east towards Tubbs Hill, which takes you past the marina and continue to the floating green and, if you're really energetic, to Higgins Point. If you want to drive outside of downtown Coeur d'Alene, you can begin at Higgins Point. Sanders Beach, north of town, is another paddleboard option for a more secluded experience away from town. 

For a challenge, paddle in the other direction toward the Spokane River. It's all well and good when you're going with the current, but you have to come back, so be prepared for a workout. Ask the rental shop about current water conditions if you're an inexperienced sup-er. That's what paddle boarders are called, sup-ers. You'll want to wait until late summer to paddle in this direction. Early in the season, there's more water, and the currents can be very strong. 

I learned this the hard way last spring. We worked our way up toward the river, which was challenge enough, and then turned left into a channel that runs behind an island and pops out at the marina. We've done this before but in late August. We were paddling against the current, and about halfway up the channel, I realized that I was not moving forward, and pretty soon, I was definitely going backward. To keep this story short, we abandoned ship and pulled the paddleboards out, and waited on the island - fortunately, the island is attached to the mainland by road - while my husband in his sleek sea kayak paddled back to the house, got the car, and came and rescued us. I'm pretty sure that my adventurous and very fit family would have muscled their way back out on the boards, but they loved me enough to let me think that they needed to be rescued, too. 

Everything I just said about paddleboards applies to kayaks. Prices also start at $40 for a single kayak, a little more for a tandem. Many people find kayaking less intimidating than paddleboards because you don't have to stand up.

But let me talk about that for a minute, circling back to paddleboards, I have yet to stand up on my paddleboard, and I've had it for three years, and I still have a blast. You can sit and paddle a paddleboard just fine, but anyway, kayaking. 

If you need more borrowed confidence, to give stand-up paddleboards or kayaks a try. You can always book a guided tour. 

Now we're going to go from the surface of the water to up, up in the sky. Parasailing. Every time we're at the lake, we see parasailers. I haven't tried this, but it looks like fun. I assumed that this would be much more expensive than it is. I was pleasantly surprised. Parasailing has now moved up a few notches on my bucket list. 

Here's what I do know about parasailing. It's easy. There are no special skills required, and you probably won't even get wet. They put you in the harness, sit you on the deck of the boat, and then go. You will, through no effort on your part, lift up into the air. 500ft into the air. The only thing that you have to be afraid of is fear. 

Double flights are available if you want to sit right next to your loved one. Single flights are $110, and doubles run $155. There are some weight and age restrictions. Apparently, a child as young as four can parasail. It's a matter of the harness fitting securely, so it's based on size, not age. There needs to be a combined weight of the one or two people of at least 150 pounds and a maximum weight of 375 pounds. So you can do that math ahead of time. 

If you have the need for speed, jet skis are plentiful and rentable. In Coeur d'Alene, they run $120 to $140 an hour. You must be 18 years old to rent the jet ski, but you don't have to be 18 years old to ride on one. With a jet ski, you can travel fast and far. You're only limited by the gas tank. Jet skis are manageable for first-timers. The rental shop will give you the rundown, and with common sense, they can be a fun family activity. Most jet skis allow two adults or one adult and two children on board. 

Another unique way to see the lake and surrounding area from up above is a seaplane flight. A guided two-hour flight will run about $150. And in case you don't know, a seaplane has pontoons for landing gear, which means that the plane floats. You'll take off and land right from the lake.

Climbing quickly up the price ladder, we come to boats. Boats are the vehicle for the next few activities on the list. But renting a boat can be an activity in itself. 

From pontoon boats to ski boats. If it floats, you can rent it. A pontoon boat will run $275 for 2 hours and up. The price is generally determined by motor power. But if you consider that a pontoon boat accommodates 10 to 13 people, this can be, dare I say, an affordable, fun activity for a group of friends. 

Water skiing is also popular on Lake Coeur d'Alene. Ski boats start at $275 for 2 hours and climb sharply from there, depending on the power of the boat. Rental ski boats will allow 7 to 10 passengers. So again, splitting the cost can make a difference. 

It is possible to find water ski lessons and water ski camps or schools in the northern Idaho area. The price for this will be steep and customized and is a topic for another day. 

Tubing. I'm going to put tubing along with water skiing because it's the same boat. Often, the place that you rent your ski boat from will also offer tubes or even throw them in with the rental package. Tubes are great fun for people that don't want to deal with skis. But keep in mind that the tube rental is the cheap part. It's the boat to pull you that costs money. 

Next up is wakeboarding. In wakeboarding, the rider stands on a single board. It looks a little like a snowboard and is towed behind a boat by a rope. The wake of the boat creates the thrill. Wake borders often use ramps to perform tricks and jumps. This is similar to water skiing, and some say that it's easier to learn because you're dealing with one object strapped to your feet, instead of keeping two water skis from crossing. Wakeboats run $800 to $1000 a day and up. The same providers that offer ski boat rentals often will outfit wake borders.

And coming in as the most expensive lake water sport is wake surfing. 

Keep in mind that I've never even been close to anyone wake surfing. So the following explanation came from extensive internet research. This is also not a sport that the average person is going to take up on a whim on their next family vacation. 

So this explanation, however simplified, should be enough for our purposes. If you're interested in wake surfing, you'll be going down a big rabbit hole anyway, and I'm sure I won't be your main source of information. 

That said, here's my explanation of wake surfing. Wake surfers trail behind a boat on a wake surfboard, which is a five-foot-long specialty surfboard. The boat creates the wake, with a slight upgrade. A wake surfboat carries extra ballast, meaning more weight, which creates more of a wake. It's a delicate trick of physics that was developed to give inland dwellers the experience of ocean surfing. 

Wake surfers start out like water skiers. They hold the tow rope and get up to speed. But as soon as they "catch a wave", they pop up like a surfer and let go of the tow rope. And to be honest, I'm not sure if they pop up first or let go first, but anyway, they ride the wake like an ocean surfer would. Apparently, expert wake surfers can twist, turn, spin, and ride a wave for several minutes. 

Wake surfing boats are unique. You can't do this with a regular speedboat. A wake surfing boat rental will run $1,000 and up per day. Many wake boat rental shops will also rent you a driver, because you can imagine that driving a boat that is basically designed to sink, almost, but not quite, can be tricky. If you want a driver, you'll need to schedule this well ahead of time.

Another option is to book a full wake surf excursion. This will include a captain, a surf instructor, and all the equipment - one rental company even supplies sunscreen, towels, and a cooler of ice. $800 will buy you a five-person adventure for 3 hours. I will link to a couple of wake surfing rental shops in Coeur d'Alene in the show notes so you can check it out. 

Speaking of boats in general, I have one bonus resource for you, Boatsetter. 

Boatsetter is like Airbnb for boat owners. You can rent every type of floating vessel imaginable direct from the owner. When it comes to larger craft, you can often rent the captain and the crew too. 

And remember, for full show notes with all the links and Coeur d'Alene related blog posts, visit Jauntyeverywhere.com/podcast.

If you've enjoyed and gotten value out of our last three episodes; we would greatly appreciate a review on the platform where you listen to podcasts. Your review helps us reach more listeners and provides valuable feedback on what you would like in future episodes. Thank you for doing that, and we look forward to sharing upcoming episodes with you. 

This week's travel tip involves the cheapest, lightest, simplest workhorse of the suitcase.

Ziploc bags.

Ziploc bags are incredibly useful. They'll store wet clothes, dirty clothes, and smelly clothes. I like to call them poor man's compression bags. They're perfect for stuffing your puffy coat and anything else that can get smooshed. They make good packing cubes. You can store leftovers and road trip snacks. And when they get tattered, you can use them to collect trash in your car. 

I could keep going, but you get the idea. I always pack extra gallon and quart-size bags because they don't take up any room, and they're so handy. 

Okay, one more Ziploc tip. On one flight, I had to empty my entire backpack because there was a deck of cards on the bottom that looked like it might be a juice box on the scanner. Because of that, when I fly, I use every packing hack I know to stay on the right side of the law. One of those hacks is to pack all things private - think underwear and feminine hygiene - in Ziplocs. If you have to unpack and spread all your clothes across the airport conveyor belt, they probably won't make you pull your skivvies out of a see-through bag. We can only hope. 

In our next episode, we'll be traveling south to Monterey, California, specifically to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The Monterey Aquarium is considered one of the best aquariums in the world, and we're going to find out what makes it so fabulous and why you may want to put it at the top of your Pacific Northwest bucket list. 

Have a great week. 

Bye.