Overview
Coeur d'Alene, often referred to as simply CDA, is the largest city in Northern Idaho. The city is a tourist haven for outdoor pursuits. Coeur d'Alene also features a renowned golf course with a free-floating island green, the only such hole in the world. World class skiing is within a 90-minute drive of downtown. Lake Coeur d'Alene offers boating and water-skiing as well as fishing for bass, trout, and salmon.
5 sights · 10 things to do · 1 places to eat · 3 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Coeur d'Alene
Fort Sherman
A 19th-century fort of which a few buildings remain. Now on the campus of North Idaho College.
F. Lewis Clark House
This summer house was built for a mining millionaire who suddenly disappeared while on a trip to Santa Barbara in 1914.
Museum of Northern Idaho
Exhibits to learn about northern Idaho's past here, along with a book shop. Tu-Sa 11AM-5PM.
Silverwood Theme Park
Awesome place for the kids great rides for all ages. Or visit the adjacent Boulder Beach waterpark. You can easily spend 2 days here at the two parks.
Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel
Gaming fun.
Lake Coeur d'Alene
Swim on Coeur d'Alene's long public beach, or travel to other parts of the lake. There is also a parasailing business in CDA. The lake also offers great watersports such as cycling, kayaking, skiing or wakeboarding.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 87°F; winter lows dip to about 26°F. Cold months (Jan, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Dec and Jan. (climate data from nearby Spokane)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- GEG Spokane International Airport, Spokane — 35 mi away (major hub). Directions
- PUW Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport, Pullman — 68 mi away. Directions
Coeur d'Alene is on Interstate 90.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Places to stay listed here: about $99–$99 a night (typical $119), from 2 listed prices.
- Estimated daily budget per person (room, two meals, local transport and an activity): budget ~$140, mid-range ~$190, comfortable ~$260.
Options are grouped as Splurge in the Sleep guide ↓.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Fort Sherman, Coeur d’Alene City Park, Lake Coeur d'Alene
- Lunch Hudson's Hamburgers
- Afternoon Museum of Northern Idaho, Lake Coeur d'Alene Kayaking
Day 2
- Morning Red Horse Mountain Dude Ranch
- Afternoon Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel
Day 3
- Morning Silverwood Theme Park
- Afternoon Farragut State Park
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
A century ago, Coeur d'Alene was at the epicenter of bitter mining and timber-forestry labor disputes which dominated the state's early history and politics. Fortunately for visitors, much of that blight is long gone.
Coeur d'Alene, while an anchor of a metro area in its own right, is often considered the easternmost edge of the greater Spokane area. Like much of northern Idaho, Coeur d'Alene often relates more to eastern Washington than it does to southern Idaho and the capital.
As a result of its close ties to the Spokane area, Coeur d'Alene and the rest of the Idaho Panhandle follow Pacific Time (UTC−8 during the winter, UTC−7 during the summer) instead of Mountain Time (UTC−7 during the winter, UTC−6 during the summer) like the rest of Idaho.
Tourism information
Get in
Coeur d'Alene is on Interstate 90.
By plane
Spokane International Airport (GEG) is just 40 minutes west of Coeur d'Alene with non-stop flights arriving daily from cities including Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Boise, Vancouver, Calgary and others.
There is ground transportation available to Coeur d’Alene:
- Omnibus Shuttle +1 208 667-6664 from Coeur d'Alene to the Spokane Airport.
General aviation
By train
Amtrak is stationed in Spokane, 30 miles west of Coeur d'Alene.
Get around
City Link provides free bus transportation to select areas, including the movie theaters and casinos.
See
See Fort Sherman
A 19th-century fort of which a few buildings remain. Now on the campus of North Idaho College.
See F. Lewis Clark House
This summer house was built for a mining millionaire who suddenly disappeared while on a trip to Santa Barbara in 1914.
Do
On the water
Do Lake Hayden and Honeysuckle Beach
Another popular summer recreation destination, this lake is actually quite deep at some 800 feet and surrounded by estates. The beach is manned with lifeguards from June to August.
Buy
- The Village at Riverstone, 2151 N Main St. A corridor of upscale shops and restaurants near the lake.
Eat
Eat Hudson's Hamburgers
Almost every local has been there, so it shouldn't be too hard to ask for directions. They only serve hamburgers, with or without cheese, onion, pickle, and pies, but their hamburgers are renowned for their best taste.
Sleep
Splurge
Go next
- Spokane
- Sandpoint
- Wallace and Lookout Pass, for the most family-friendly ski area in the Pacific Northwest and the scenic Route of the Hiawatha bike trail.
- Kalispell, Montana
- Glacier National Park (243 mile north east) has glaciers, alpine meadows, lakes, and over 700 miles of trails. Scenery unlike anywhere else plus diverse wildlife make this wilderness area a must see for outdoor enthusiasts.
Nearby
Post Falls
City / town · 7 listings · 8 mi away
Spokane
City / town · 79 listings · 30 mi away
Kellogg
City / town · 10 listings · 32 mi away
Newport
City / town · 6 listings · 36 mi away
Cheney
City / town · 7 listings · 40 mi away
Sandpoint
City / town · 43 listings · 42 mi away
Wallace
City / town · 37 listings · 43 mi away
Colfax
City / town · 4 listings · 62 mi away
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