5 Things to Do in Coeur d’Alene (Family Friendly)

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, offers so many things to do. If you’re not from around the area, maybe you are. You may be wondering what types of family-friendly things there are to do in Coeur d’Alene. Well, you are in the right spot. As folks who love Coeur d’Alene, it was no sweat for us to put together and share with you 5 of the best family-friendly activities in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho!

5. Walking Tubbs Hill

If you are heading to Coeur d’Alene, you may already know a local favorite spot, Lake Coeur d’Alene. However, did you know that Lake Coeur d’Alene is home to Tubbs Hill, a fantastic recreational area surrounding Lake Coeur d’Alene that encompasses 165 acres of public land?

Tubbs Hill hosts a beautiful 2.2-mile-long hiking trail that locals and visitors love to walk and take in the sights of not only Lake Coeur d’Alene but also the town and mountain scenery of Coeur d’Alene. Tubbs Hill can be accessed by entering the Harbor House trailhead, located just south of the corner of 3rd Front Streets, next to McEuen Park.

Get your kids involved in the hike by taking in wildlife viewing opportunities and fresh air. Because Bicycles, motor vehicles, alcohol, glass containers, smoking, campfires, and fireworks are prohibited, you can often enjoy Tubbs Hill without disturbing distractions.

4. Swimming in Lake Coeur d’Alene

Hiking and Nature trails not your thing? No worries! Take a dive and swim in the beautiful Lake Coeur d’Alene, the largest lake in northern Idaho and home to all things watersports. What’s the best part about Lake Coeur d’Alene swimming? Well, that would be the nearly 100 miles of shoreline where the family can relax, and the kids can play. Specifically, check out City Park Beach. It’s a sandy, staple beach, perfect for sunbathing, a swimming area, beach games, and all-around fun in the sun.

City Park offers beach fun, and you can also take in summer movie nights, live music, and picnic shelters for all-day entertainment. If the kids need to burn off any more steam, City Park offers the enormously fun Fort Sherman Playground, a 14,000 square-foot “fort” playground along the beach at City Park. Fort Sherman Playground features wooden rope bridges along a large castle-styled fort for the kids to enjoy.

3. Kroc Center Salvation Army Community Center

A Salvation Army center may not be in your mind the “top” place to take your family for some fun, but the Kroc Center of Coeur d’Alene is no average Salvation Army. The 132,000-square-foot facility offers locals and visitors alike the opportunity to do-it-all. The Kroc Center Salvation Army came after an incredibly generous donation by the billionaire philanthropist Joan Kroc, who donated a staggering $1.5 Billion for the Kroc Center to become a reality.

The Kroc Center Salvation Army center features a 25-meter x 25-yard Competition Pool, a full-featured fitness center, a performing arts theater, and an onsite cafe featuring breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. Your kids will love the pool with a lazy river, waterslides, and water cannons. Once you finish swimming, dry off and take the kids to the Kroc Centers Rock Wall for a safe rock climbing experience!

2. Triple 3 Play Family Fun Park

After you have reached your limit of fun-in-sun activities for the day, put big smiles on your kids’ faces under the neon lights of the Triple 3 Play Family Fun Park of Coeur d’Alene. This entertaining family center is home to all things family fun, from laser tag, go-karts, and bowling, to escape rooms, mini-golf, and water parks, Triple 3 Family Fun Park truly does offer it all.

Team up with your family or go head-to-head parents versus kids in the 3,600-square-foot family fun laser tag facility. Featuring two levels and room for up to 24 players, the action doesn’t stop in this laser tag adventure. Accelerate into the action with the Triple 3 Go-Kart track, or test your skills in the Rapid Alien Invasion Defense (R.A.I.D.), where your family can put your logic skills to the test in a race against time to escape the room before the alien’s attack. Weekends tend to get busy at Triple 3. If you can, stop by during the week for more fun and fewer crowds. Open 7 days a week, and full-access passes starting usually in the low ~$30 range, Triple 3 Play is a must-do for families looking to have big fun in Coeur d’Alene.

1. Ride The Prairie Trail & North Idaho Centennial Trail

A trip to Coeur d’Alene wouldn’t be complete without taking your bikes on the excellent riding trails that Coeur d’Alene offers. For a short family-friendly 4-mile trail through town on the Prairie Trail to the 23-mile North Idaho Centennial Trail. These smooth, well-maintained, paved trails allow adults and children to take in all the sights around Coeur d’Alene from the vantage of your bike! Ride for a bit, stop and enjoy local points of interest, and grab a bite to eat while cruising the bike trails.

Not sure where to start or where to ride first? Use this excellent ride mapping tool to plan your route; you can map and mark the stopping points of interest you want along the way, including dinner, drinks, parks, and Yap-Keehn-Um (NIC College) Beach.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, the fun and activities in Coeur d’Alene don’t stop when the whole family needs a fun day out. It’s hard to limit the family-fun opportunities that Coeur d’Alene offers to just five, as there are many great family activities in Coeur d’Alene. Still, in a nutshell, these five mentioned locations should be on your shortlist when seeing Coeur d’Alene. From outdoor adventures to waterslides and everything in between, Coeur d’Alene is a family-friendly location that offers it all, keeping parents and kids with big smiles on their faces!