Like the swallows of San Juan Capistrano, the bald eagles of Coeur d'Alene Lake dazzle visitors by returning year after year. Poor winter fishing from mid-December to January causes dozens of these stately raptors to abandon the Canadian lakes and head south to Wolf Lodge Bay and Beauty Bay. There the eagles wait to swoop down on spawned and weakened kokanee salmon. For a perfect outing, couple eagle-watching--on foot or by tour boat--with a hike or a nordic ski jaunt on a scenic trail that skirts one of Idaho's most beautiful lakes.
To optimize your adventure, start from the town of Coeur d'Alene and work your way southeast (take the Sherman Avenue exit from Interstate 90 east). Your first stop should be the Centennial Trail, the paved pedestrian pathway that parallels Coeur d'Alene Lake Drive. Both the trail and the road were converted from the former Interstate 90 corridor. The lakeside sections of the Centennial Trail are ideal for scenic walks and, when there's enough snow, cross-country skiing. At road's end, the Higgins Point boat launch, with its vantage of Wolf Lodge Bay, is an excellent place for eagle-watching.
You'll find more eagles at Beauty Bay, an inlet south of Wolf Lodge Bay. Backtrack west along Coeur d'Alene Lake Drive and return to Interstate 90 via Sherman Avenue. Drive 7 miles east to the Lake Coeur d'Alene Scenic Byway (State 97), which loops around Wolf Lodge Bay before dipping toward Beauty Bay. Watch for eagles in trees along the road and above the shores of Beauty Bay.
For another perspective, take a two-hour afternoon eagle-watching boat cruise (December 24, 30, and 31 and January 6 and 7).
Get a final taste of Coeur d'Alene Lake's winter wonders by hiking the Mineral Ridge Trail. Starting on the east shore of Beauty Bay, the moderate, 3.3-mile route climbs 635 feet through a pine-and-fir forest; pick up a free guide at the trailhead. The highlight of the hike is unquestionably the descent. As you switchback down the spine of the ridge, the placid fingers of the lake fill the foreground, with mountain ridges stacked behind.
At the end of the day, luxuriate at the Wolf Lodge Inn (open for dinner Wednesday to Sunday), a rustic restaurant known for its steaks, which are grilled over a tamarack- and cherry-wood fire.
WHERE: Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, is 25 miles east of Spokane via I-90.
CONTACT: Bureau of Land Management Upper Columbia–Salmon Clearwater District Office; (208) 769-5000. Coeur d'Alene Resort (eagle-watching cruises); 765-4000, ext. 7134. Wolf Lodge Inn; 664-6665.
