Qualla: Coeur d'Alene

Coeur d'Alene: Introduction

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0. The lake stretches impossibly blue beneath the mountains, its waters so clear you can see the bottom from the shore. This is Coeur d'Alene, the largest city in northern Idaho, named by French-Canadian fur trappers who thought the local Schitsu'umsh people drove hard bargains - 'coeur d'alene' means 'heart of an awl,' implying a sharp, pointed heart. A century ago this was mining and timber country, scene of bitter labor disputes that shaped Idaho's early history. Today the blight is gone, replaced by tourism built on that extraordinary lake and the outdoor adventures that surround it.

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Image: Antony-22 | CC BY-SA 4.0

Coeur d'Alene: The Floating Green

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0. The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course claims the only floating golf green in the world. The 14th hole plays to a target that literally floats in the lake - a 15,000 square foot island green accessible only by boat. The distance varies from 100 to 200 yards depending on where the g...

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Image: Bobak Ha'Eri | CC BY 3.0

Coeur d'Alene: Route of the Hiawatha

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit David Blaine from Spokane, USA, CC BY 2.0. East of town, one of America's great rail-trails awaits. The Route of the Hiawatha follows the abandoned Milwaukee Road railroad grade for 15 miles through the Bitterroot Mountains, passing through ten tunnels and over seven sky-high trestles. The trail is mostly downhill from th...

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Image: David Blaine from Spokane, USA | CC BY 2.0

Coeur d'Alene: Lakefront Living

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit LibertyLakeAnne, CC0. Lake Coeur d'Alene dominates the city's identity. Twenty-five miles long and covering over 30,000 acres, it offers boating, waterskiing, fishing for bass, trout, and salmon, and swimming at public beaches. The lakefront resort anchors the downtown, its towers rising beside the bo...

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Image: LibertyLakeAnne | CC0

Coeur d'Alene: Time Zone Quirk

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0. Northern Idaho follows Pacific Time despite being part of a Mountain Time state. The panhandle's economic ties to Spokane, just 30 miles west across the state line, proved stronger than administrative convenience. This means Coeur d'Alene and Spokane share the same time, while Bo...

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Image: Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA | CC BY 2.0