August 30, 2024—It has been 14 years since I last visited Idaho. My destination today was Heyburn State Park just east of the town of Plummer, Idaho. Heyburn State Park is the oldest state park in the Pacific Northwest. I was heading specifically to the Chatcolet unit within the state park. I chose this campground because it is situated just off the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, a multi-use trail that skirts the southern end of Coeur d’Alene Lake and the Coeur d’Alene River. It would be home for the next four nights.
Coeur d'Alene Lake is a beautiful, 25-mile-long, elongated lake situated in the northern Idaho panhandle. It’s one of two large lakes in the panhandle, the other being Lake Pend Oreille. The lake is practically a stone’s throw from Spokane, Washington, making it a popular destination for people living in the Spokane Valley.
For hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrian riders, there are hiking, mountain bike, and horse trails located near the Chatcolet Campground. Some of the trails are shared, so remember proper trail etiquette: bikers yield to both hikers and horses, hikers yield to horses, and descending hikers yield to ascending hikers. When horses approach, hikers should move to the side of the trail; bikers should slow down, and even stop, and move to the side of the trail.
Campsites at Chatcolet cost $30 a night. There is a $7 motor vehicle entry fee you must pay even if you’re camping at the park. Four nights of camping and the service fee brought the total to $139. In addition, If you’re bringing along a canoe or kayak, which I was, you also need to purchase a $7 invasive species tag.
About the Chatcolet Unit
The campground sits on a small bluff overlooking Lake Coeur d’Alene, a boat ramp, and the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. A short trail leads down the hill to the trailhead and boat launch.
The campsites in the Chatcolet unit are very small. Most will only accommodate one tent, though the walk-in tent sites can accommodate more and offer the best view of the lake. My site had a decent view of Lake Coeur d’Alene. The tent pads are composed of gravel, which made it uncomfortable to crawl around on my knees inside my tent.
The metal picnic table at my site was rather dirty. I wish that I had brought a tablecloth.
There is potable water throughout the campground, but what was missing was wastewater dump spots. That troubled me because it meant dumping the wastewater either into the firepits or into the gravel at the potable water faucets.
The Chatcolet unit has flushing toilets inside log-built outhouses. One of the outhouses had a broken window, which allowed campers to see into it and spy on someone sitting on the toilet. Fortunately, staff at the campground got the window covered up within the day. Bring your own toilet paper because the toilet paper in the outhouses felt like I was wiping my butt with 120-grit sandpaper.
One drawback to staying in the Chatcolet unit is that you must drive two miles to the Hawley unit to use the showers, which are free to all registered campers. The showers are some of the best I’ve used in Pacific Northwest campgrounds. A shower curtain separates the shower from the dressing area, thus preventing clothes from getting wet while showering. I had to shower every day I was there because the temperatures were in the upper 90s and I was either paddling or cycling each day I was camping.
I found the Idaho Parks staff to be very friendly and helpful.
At night, I was treated to the sounds of chorus frogs in the bushes near my tent. Their sounds didn’t bother me, unlike the sounds of campers two sites over from me the next to the last night I was there. They were playing music loudly and shouting well into the early morning hours. I was wondering why the camp host hadn’t gone over to talk to them since the host was in the site right next to theirs.
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