Back in 2016, I rode the northeastern portion of the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, from Rose Lake to Harrison, ID. This time, I wanted to ride the southwestern portion of the trail between Harrison and the trailhead at Plummer, ID. You can read more about the trail here, as well as in my previous post.
This section is just under 16 miles each way, descending around 800 feet from the Plummer trailhead down to lake elevation. And although it was a little smoky, there was still a lot of activity on this day, with mostly bicycles, but also a couple wheelchairs, a jogger, and a skateboarder. Here is a GPS of the return trail from Harrison back to Plummer.The Chatcolet Swing Bridge
A landmark on this route is the historical Chatcolet Swing Bridge, built in 1921 by the Union Pacific railroad, and part of a wooden trestle that spans over 3000 feet across the southern end of Lake Coeur d'Alene. As part of the trail conversion, the rotating portion of the bridge was fixed in-place and raised about 30 feet to allow for boat traffic.
Links with historical photos:
Photos
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| At the trailhead in Plummer, ID. |
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| A gradual descent to the lake. |
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| The Chatcolet Bridge in the distance. |
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| Approaching the Chatcolet Bridge. |
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| The old "control room" from which the bridge would be rotated to allow boat traffic. |
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| Looking ahead... |
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| ...and looking back. |
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| The trail then follows the eastern shoreline all the way to Harrison. |
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| The marina and beach in Harrison, ID. |
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