Heyburn State Park

Arrival

We arrived at the Chatcolet Day Use Area after enjoying our drive from Spokane, over colorful parts of the Palouse, and through large pines around the Lake Coeur D'Alene.

Since we decided to go out to the lake on a weekday there was little traffic and the parking/campgrounds were not busy.

We didn't bring cash. Therefore, we had to drive to the visitor center—two miles south along the lake from the day use area to pick up a parking permit. I did not look around the visitor center much, but there were a few gifts and plenty of handy information brochures. Finally, there was a hint of serenity as I stood on the back patio of the building and viewed the Plummer Marsh through the trees.

The lady at the front desk was excited to help me. I paid our $7 day-use pass and double-checked whether foot traffic was allowed on the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes (it is allowed). After getting our day pass, we decided to drive around first before hitting the trail.

The Park

The first campground we looked at was located next to the visitor center. It had possibly 50+ sites. We drove around the first loop and down to the tent-only section. I wasn't impressed by the campground. The sites were skinny and close together. It seemed they were built for trailers. Furthermore, the road was dirt and gravel.

Going down to the tent-only section, again, brought more disappointment. You aren't able to drive up to a site with your car. In other words, there aren't designated spots. There is a loop that you can park by and walk to your site which isn't far away, but could be 40-50ft away depending on where you set up.

The area for setting up in the tent-only section resembles a small park with picnic tables scatted beneath trees. Rather than sites defined by undergrowth, pavement, picnic tables, and fire rings.

Kayaking

We didn't drive into the Plummer Marsh day-use area but heard that the decreased boat traffic, lilies, marshes, etc. puts kayaking on the short list of things to do in the area. We saw kayakers that rented their kayaks from somewhere on the south shore, kayak from the south shore to the start of the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes bridge and walk to the overlook.

Plummer Point Day Use Area

Driving back toward the Chatcolet parking lot we decided to check out the Plummer Point Day Use Area. It was a relatively short walk down to the beach with a few picnic shelters tucked back in the trees. The most secluded is the one pictured below.

The water down at the beach was murky with weeds floating, attached and detached, from the bottom. It wasn't surprising, considering the marshes nearby and the location of the park on the south end (where the water and debris tend to flow). Across the lake, on the southeast side, the St. Joe River begins, exiting Lake Coeur d'Alene and flowing for many miles.

We were alone on the beach, with many hundreds of small insects, but found reprieve in the nice sheltered picnic area higher up on the hill. Here, the shade and view were spectacular. It almost made up for the bugs and unappealing water.

Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes

The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes is a 71-mile paved trail. I'm not sure where it starts, but it ends in Mullan, ID crossing over Lake Coeur d'Alene via a converted railroad bridge.

We couldn't easily walk to the trail from the Plummer Point Day Use Area parking lot so we drove to the Indian Cliff Parking Lot. The trail runs right next to this small lot. We decided to walk from the parking lot to the bridge overlook estimating the distance at just over 3 miles (which turned out to be ~3.7 miles).

Immediately we were very impressed. The pavement on the trail is flat and without blemishes. The initial part of this walk was shaded which was refreshing on such a hot day.

However, shortly after starting our walk the trees on our right ceased and we were walking along the lake, without much of a breeze in the rising temperature of the day. We reached the Chatcolet Parking lot, where we first arrived hours earlier, and used the services there. Then, continued on to the overlook.

The trail is reliably flat along the lake with the exception being the incline up to the bridge overlook. We took a few photos and rested in the small amount of shade created by the bridge structure.

Then, we slogged back, approximately 1.8 miles, to our car arriving hot and sweaty. It was approaching midday and the temperature was supposed to get up to around 90 degrees Fahrenheit. We were very fortunate to have A/C.

Impression

I don't think I would want to camp out at Heyburn State Park. The sites and campgrounds didn't entice me (we also drove through Chatcolet Campground). Additionally, I was disappointed with the condition of the water on such a hot day. It would have been nice to see some clear lake water that is so commonplace with lakes in the Idaho Panhandle.

All that being said, Heyburn is a wonderful state park to visit! The number of activities to do during the day, and the location, make it a unique state park.

• Friendly visitor center
• Access to the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes for walking and biking
• Great place to kayak on the lake (rentals available somewhere)
• Many hiking trails (Indian Cliffs looked like a perfect place to get a view of the lake)
• Wildlife (we saw 3-4 deer during our visit and the Plummer Marsh is apparently a good place to bird watch)

The park is only an hour from our place on Spokane South Hill and they don't charge an increased day-use fee for out-of-state (Washington) residents. I can absolutely see myself and my family coming back for a hike, kayak, or bike ride. I heard the delicious ice cream in Harrison, ID is only a 7-mile bike ride away!