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Playing in the Idaho Panhandle

Heyburn State Park, Idaho - Created in 1908, it's the oldest park in the Pacific Northwest. The Chatcolet, Benewah and Hidden Lakes (as well as the St. Joe Rive) meander along the eastern boundary of the park.

We spent six nights at beautiful Heyburn State Park in the Hawyley's Landing campground which borders the Chatcolet Lake. We were tucked in between tall pines and it just smelled incredible all the time! Our spot had electric and water and they did have a dump station which we used on the way out. There were also decent bathrooms/showers which we took advantage of.

 

We hiked the Indian Cliff Trail one day, which is close to the campground, and loved it. Saw and heard lots of cool birds and the views over Chatcolet Lake were stunning.

 

One of the cool things to do in this area is the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes. It was named one of the 25 top trails in the nation in 2010 by the Rails to Trails Conservancy. The trail runs for 73 miles on smooth asphalt which makes it just perfect for all sorts of activity. It meanders it's way past wetlands, over bridges, through forests, rolling hills and lakes with the most incredible views. It also runs right through Heyburn State Park! One day we biked 9 miles headed toward Harrison which including going over a super cool pedestrian bridge. Periodically we'd stop and I'd get the camera out and capture images of the birds we were seeing. Then we turned around and biked the 9 miles back to our campsite.

 

Another day we biked a total of 21 miles as we did the stretch between Harrison and Medimont. We plopped down to have some lunch next to the water and saw all kinds of interesting things: Osprey hunting above us, herons, grebes, pelicans, ducks and all sorts of birds.

 

We even came upon this juvenile moose! He just continued to munch his way through the water plants and onto the grassy areas and I was able to get out my camera and capture some great images.

Walking the trails in this area means super tall pines and hemlocks, constant bird sounds, numerous gorgeous wetland areas with wildlife.

 
Look at me Mom! I'm riding the lilypad.

We had fun spending one day driving all around the different water areas scouting out locations on the lakes for a potential family reunion. Then we ended up hiking Mineral Ridge (be sure to continue on the Wilson Trail another .4 miles for the best views) for some spectacular views of Lake Coeur d'Alene.


7 comentarios


brian.udall
14 jun 2021

Looks live you've recovered from your fall 😀 Is this Idaho?

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Lee Bennion
Lee Bennion
15 jun 2021
Contestando a

Try using the Mom’s Stuff on it. It should help a lot🥰

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Lee Bennion
Lee Bennion
14 jun 2021

Wonderful photos as always. I especially liked the one Jordan took that shows you riding your bike behind him❤️. It truly looks like a wonderful place. Glad you guys are sharing your adventures!

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alison Udall
alison Udall
15 jun 2021
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We had always commented on how pretty the area looked and we drove past on road trips so it was great to actually stop and stay! Really loved so many things about it and I like that picture too. :)


I'm glad you are enjoying reading about what we're up to!

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Lori Booth
Lori Booth
14 jun 2021

Very nice!

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alison Udall
alison Udall
15 jun 2021
Contestando a

It really was!

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