Camping on Lake Coeur d’Alene in Harrison, Idaho
If you’re looking for a crowd-free vacation destination with a great climate, Harrison, Idaho, which is perched on beautiful Lake Coeur d’Alene, could be your spot. I actually just got back from a week spent in a rustic cabin over there. We were right on the lake with our own dock, and the nicely paved Trail of the Couer d’Alenes ran right past our yard.
A former railroad track, the 72-mile bicycle trail is popular with bicyclers, skaters, and walkers. But when I say “popular,” I mean by Idaho standards. If you’re used to the heavy use of the Burke Gilman Trail in Seattle, you’ll be pleased by the sparse population on this one. On weekday evenings when we went out to walk the dogs or roller blade, it wasn’t uncommon to see only one or two people the whole hour we were out there. It was, however, common to see deer, muskrats, chipmunks, and other wildlife heading down to drink at the lake in the evenings.
Though Harrison itself isn’t anything to write home about (one of those former logging towns that has since turned all its brothels and pubs into more tourist-oriented fudge shops, bicycle rental stores, and restaurants), the campground there is lovely. Though we were staying in a cabin, I thought it’d be nice to take an RV out there next time. The campground is right on the marina, and the trail I mentioned runs right behind it. Rent a boat, swim in the lake, go for a bicycle ride, or just kick around the one-horse town.
Harrison, Idaho is quite a drive from Seattle (about 6 hours), but it’s worth it if you can get away for a week, and you’re tired of the crowds. And if you’re a bicycler, you will love that trail.