Tubbs Hill — Attraction in Coeur d'Alene

There is simply no way to review this place and not give it 5 stars. You are either delusional or problematic in general (or, I guess, both?). Or maybe your Edward R. Murrow review will soon come out as an eBook, spilling the secrets of the missing star. Let’s sample a few of those oddities:

Leanne, you gave it four stars . . . after a glowing review. Why?

Katie, you gave it four stars . . . after a glowing review and some mention of the house. Why?

Kyle, you mentioned “decent views” (as if that is the fault of the location), then whined about the parking and talked about the town and gave it four stars. Why?

Enough. I just gave them the time of day. Moving on.

Coeur d’Alene’s P&R Dept. and the Tubbs Hill Foundation/Tubb Hill Foundation, Inc., deserve much praise for this pristine site in the midst of a town that continues to grow is size (and height!). What it has lost in local charm, it continues to maintain in terms of this local gem (and I hate using the word “gem” that way; it seems precious). And, while I think the park itself is a novel build and a great addition to what once was a bit of a blot along the lake and marina-area, I am mainly focused on the hiking area (yes again, Kyle, I know there can be parking problems).

When you are interested in “THE RESORT” (which is good enough) or in sampling increasingly expensive bistros and knickknack shops, now that the bookstores and secondhand stores are all gone, you can actually get back to why this place has been loved for years. Simply put, nature and the views.

This is an easy hike with a well-maintained path. There are some ups, and some downs, but it is generally flat. You can also take the over the hill hike if you wish (I haven’t). For a guy like me, with suspect knees and legs that often cramp up, I look forward to this hike each and every visit. When I bring new guests with me, they marvel at the park and the adjacent marina, they take in the art installations and water features, and then they are amazed by the hike itself. You see tons of families. You see lots of dogs. You see tons of earnest and/or funny shirts with ‘messages’ on them (I will leave it at that; you are in Idaho). You will see people with walking sticks that don’t seem to really need walking sticks. And you will see tourists that are either too dressed or under-dressed given the weather (which can be a bit tricky and hard to guess in the spring or fall . . . and the winter isn’t really a great time to be out there anyway). Thing is, most people reach out and say “hi.” And those that don’t are just doing their thing. Good for them.

Sure, they could add a few benches for a quick stop. And they could add a few garbage receptacles in the middle of the hike (there are quite a few at either end of the hike, as well as bathrooms). But, really, nothing in this area is as great as the ‘hike around the hill’.

All you 4-star reviewers really, really need to think about what makes the world spin. Hint: it isn’t you, or me. So, be gracious when you can be in a location like this with a space like this. Seriously. While this area continues to price out the people who used to live here and amps up the vibes that make it attractive to out-of-towners looking for a bargain (relatively speaking) ‘escape’, this remains a free and glorious place.

Thanks to everyone who helps maintain it. And thanks to everyone who understands just how hard it is to keep places like this . . . like this.

If you come to CdA and don't visit Tubbs Hill, you don't know what you are missing (but you can get a really expensive spa treatment that...

The best thing while growing up in Cd’A. A bit of history is in order to truly appreciate the hill. In the 70s prominent Cd’A developers wanted to put condos on Tubbs Hill. The hill was saved by Art Manly and others I believe. Some of the same developers are responsible for mega towers and turning our downtown into a theme park without a hardware store, true sporting goods store, shoe store or pharmacy. They insisted on allowing the development of malls up north that hurt the downtown and created traffic jams on what used to be prairie.

Now that Sander’s beach has been usurped by the neighbors, there are few places where a kid can get some space to themselves. For generations people respected the state law that the beach was public up to the high water mark. The people living across the road from Sanders’s Beach prefer to pretend that the law does not exist and just keep repairing their sea walls and fences each time seasonal flood waters damage them.

We all grew up walking the length of Sander’s beach, and finding an isolated spot to have some quiet. Tubs Hill (at the end of the beach) had many secrets. It was like a wilderness to us kids- a quiet forest trail to isolated beaches and rocks to jump off, wild flowers and occasional wildlife, a peak with views of the city.

Much of this experience can still be had on a weekday morning in May, June or September.

If looking for a quiet beach, keep in mind that east side beaches will be in the shade after noon. Also consider that boat wakes are biggest in the afternoon and on weekends - and smaller on the east side beach. Let’s preserve the hill and...

You're in North Idaho it's ok to say hi to people on the trail, LoL. I had a great trail run yesterday. I was worried it was going to be too busy due to the holiday weekend, and I got started so late (09:20am) in the morning. I usually try and run it during the week to avoid the crowds. It was a bit busy, but I was pleasantly surprised by how friendly everyone was. I say hi to almost everyone I see or pass on the trail. Usually most people during the off-season are very friendly, summer tourist season typically gets more people who will ignore you. I always think it's weird to be on a trail and pass another human with acknowledging them. Anyway, just my two cents. This day however as I looped the trail 3 times everyone was wonderful, friendly, and exhibited good trail courtesy. Tubbs is such a beautiful place and my favorite trail run due to the scenery and diverse terrain on the paths. I am glad everyone was enjoying themselves...