Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes

The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes is a rail trail in the northwest United States, in northern Idaho. It follows the former Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way from Mullan, a mountain mining town near the Montana border, westward to Plummer, a town on the prairie near the Washington border.[1][2] Generally following the Coeur d'Alene River, the rail line was abandoned in 1991[3] and the trail officially opened in March 2004.[4]

Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes
Crossing Lake Coeur d'Alene on the Chatcolet Bridge, a long wooden trestle bridge with a 1921-built, former-swing-span truss bridge section
Length73 miles (117 km)
LocationNorthern Idaho, U.S.
EstablishedMarch 2004 (2004-03)
DesignationIdaho state park
TrailheadsMullan, Idaho; Plummer, Idaho
47°30′35″N 116°32′13″W
UseBiking, inline skating, hiking
Elevation
Highest point3,280 ft (1,000 m)
(Mullan)
Lowest point2,200 ft (670 m)
(Harrison)
Hiking details
Trail difficultyEasy
SeasonYear-round
SightsSilver Valley, Lake Coeur d'Alene,
Heyburn State Park, Palouse
SurfaceAsphalt
Maintained byIdaho Department of Parks and Recreation
WebsiteTrail of the Coeur d'Alenes
Mullan
Plummer
Location of east and west trailheads in Idaho

Trail route

The trail's 73-mile (117 km) route winds through the mountainous terrain of historic Silver Valley, into the chain lakes region, along the shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene, over the Chatcolet Bridge to Heyburn State Park, and concludes with a climb to the northern Palouse prairie. Trail users can continue along a bike path in Washington that leads to Spokane. The eastern half of the trail in Shoshone County has Interstate 90 nearby. In Kootenai County, I-90 leaves the river to head over Fourth of July Summit to the lake's north shore and the city of Coeur d'Alene, while the river and trail descends southwest toward Harrison, closer to State Highway 3.

Environmental impact

The trail is not only a recreational facility, but also a solution to environmental problems left behind by Idaho's mining industry. Silver, lead, and zinc were discovered in the valley around 1884, and a rail line was built to access the mines around 1888.[1] Much of the rock in the railbed was either waste rock from mines, or tailings containing heavy metals. The railbed was also contaminated with spillage from passing trains.[5]

To remedy these environmental problems, the Union Pacific Railroad, U.S. government, the State of Idaho, and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe partnered to build a trail.[6] The thick asphalt and the gravel barriers on the sides of the trail serve as a permanent cap to isolate contaminants from the surrounding environment. A portion of the trail is within the Coeur d'Alene Reservation, and an approximately 15-mile (24 km) section of the trail is managed by the Tribe.[4][upper-alpha 1]

Recreational features

The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes includes camping facilities and rest areas regularly. The trail leads through protected marsh lands, offering the cyclist a glimpse of eagle and osprey nests, moose, elk, and a variety of ducks and other wildlife, as well as some rare species of wildflowers and accompanying butterflies as a result of the age-old soot from the old railroad.

See also

Notes
  1. For the full story of the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, resulting from negotiations of the U.S. EPA and other parties to resolve the Superfund liability of Union Pacific Railroad, see Cleaning Up At the Tracks: Superfund Meets Rails-To-Trails, Clifford J. Villa (2001).[7]

References
  1. Cernera, Phillip; Gunderman, Jack; Ridolfi, Callie (July 25, 2002). "A trail of mining waste turns into a trail of recreation". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Seattle, Wash. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  2. Quinn, Molly (June 1, 2004). "Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Wash. (map). p. A11. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  3. Barker, Eric (July 31, 2004). "From rail to grail: Long-awaited Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Lewiston, Id. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  4. "Lake Management: Recreation Management Programs". Official Site of the Coeur d' Alene Tribe. Coeur d'Alene Tribe. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  5. Hagengruber, James (June 1, 2004). "The resurrection of Harrison". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Wash. p. A1. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  6. Titone, Julie (February 17, 1999). "Many questions arise over trail proposal". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Wash. p. B1. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  7. Villa, Clifford J. (2001). "Cleaning Up the Tracks: Superfund Meets Rails-To-Trails". University of New Mexico. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
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