The North Idaho Centennial Trail is a paved trail in
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...
used for transportation and recreational activities. Extending from Higgens Point on the northeast side of
Lake Coeur d'Alene
Lake Coeur d'Alene, officially Coeur d'Alene Lake ( ), is a natural dam-controlled lake in North Idaho, located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. At its northern end is the city of Coeur d'Alene. It spans in length and rang ...
, a popular place for
bald eagle watchers in early
winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultur ...
, the trail follows the lake's north shoreline to the
Spokane River
The Spokane River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northern Idaho and eastern Washington in the United States. It drains a low mountainous area east of the Columbia, passing through the Spokane Valley and the city of ...
where it follows it to the
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...
/
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
border. On the other side of the state border, the trail becomes the
Spokane River Centennial Trail and extends for another out to Sontag Park in
Nine Mile Falls, Washington
Nine Mile Falls is an unincorporated community in Spokane County, Washington and Stevens County, Washington, United States. The community straddles the Spokane River away from downtown Spokane, at the location of a former falls that has been th ...
. The trail passes through the towns of
Post Falls, Idaho
Post Falls is a city in Kootenai County, Idaho, between Coeur d'Alene and Spokane, Washington. It is a suburb of Coeur d'Alene, to the east, and a bedroom community to Spokane, to the west. The population was 38,485 at the time of the 2020 cens ...
and
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Coeur d'Alene ( ; french: Cœur d'Alène, lit=Heart of an Awl ) is a city and the county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the largest city in North Idaho and the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistica ...
.
History
Following the
World's Fair
A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specif ...
and
Expo '74
Expo '74, officially known as the International Exposition on the Environment, Spokane 1974, was a world's fair held May 4, 1974, to November 3, 1974 in Spokane, Washington in the northwest United States. It was the first environmentally themed ...
in
Spokane, Washington
Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Cana ...
, the Washington state Parks and Recreation Commission started planning a trail along the Spokane River to celebrate their state's centennial in 1989. Coordination began with Idaho to extend the trail past the border and the northeast side of Lake Coeur d'Alene to celebrate Idaho's centennial as well in 1990. In 1999
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
made it into a Millennium Legacy Trail. In 2002 local artist David Clemons designed and installed two statues to sit at either end of the trail. "Leopold", an 1890 photographer, sits at Higgens Point and "Kate", a turn of the 20th century bicyclist sat at the state border. Clemons' concept was to capture individuals 100 years ago enjoying the same activities on the trail as they do today. In 2003, "Kate" was vandalized and had to be taken back for repairs. In 2005 she was reinstated on the trail at Riverstone Park, at the beginning of the Spokane River.
References
External links
Official Site
Hiking trails in Idaho
Protected areas of Kootenai County, Idaho
Post Falls, Idaho
{{Transportation in the Spokane, WA–Coeur d'Alene, ID region