• Post Falls Dam

  • Photographed by Tom Holman

Hayden

HaydenLake-20090916 171Hayden Lake, north of Coeur d'Alene on Hwy 95 is one of several natural lakes in northern Idaho; its shoreline is heavily populated with homes and it has limited public access. Forested hills surround this 4000-acre lake and the views are breathtaking.

The City of Hayden has six parks encompassing a total of 57.5 acres! The parks offer an abundance of recreational opportunities for active families, including boating, swimming, soccer, baseball and areas for family gatherings and picnics.

There are three boat ramps accessing the lake, located at Honeysuckle Beach, Sportsman's Park and Tobler's Marina. At Sportsman's Park on the north end, there are camp sites and handicapped facilities. 

The historic F. Lewis Clark Mansion (Clark House) was built in 1910, and at the time it was the most expensive home in Idaho. In 1914, Lewis mysteriously disappeared, and he was never heard from again. The Clark House is now an upscale bed and breakfast and dining property.

The Hayden Lake Country Club became a gathering place for many area socialites, such as Bing Crosby. A railway expansion made travel easy from nearby Spokane. HLCC opened the first 18-hole golf course in the state of Idaho in 1912. The club has hosted a number of distinguished visitors.  President Taft was an overnight guest in 1909 and Teddy Roosevelt visited in 1915.  Bing Crosby, who owned a summer home on Hayden Lake, entertained many celebrity friends at the club in the 1950’s and ’60s.

Points of interest:

Honeysuckle Beach: Located on the east end of Honeysuckle Avenue was established in 1992, is one of only two public accesses to Hayden Lake. Honeysuckle Beach provides services to both boaters and swimmers. It is ataffed by qualified lifeguards throughout the summer, and is one of the gems of the Pacific Northwest.  The beach is open from noon to 6pm during the summer months, beginning mid-June.  For information about the Honeysuckle boat launch and the associated fees, please click Huneysuckle Beach Boat Launch Info.                      

 Amenities:  Beach, volleyball court, picnic areas, public boat access, parking, public restrooms, concession stand, public fishing dock

Clark House: “Clark House on Hayden Lake” was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Hayden Lake Country Club: Once a favorite gathering place for the Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe, the Clubs location on the shores of Hayden Lake was originally the site of the Bozanta Tavern (Bozanta is an Indian word meaning "meeting place by the lake"). J.C. Olmsted of the distinguished Brookline, Massachusetts Firm of landscape architects - who designed New York’s Central park - was brought out to plan the grounds. The lakeside resort was designed in 1907 by Kirtland Cutter, the leading Northwest architect of the era. In 1927 ownership of the tavern was transferred from the Inland Empire Railroad to a group of Spokane and Coeur d’Alene businessmen. It then became known as The Hayden Lake Country Club, and today is regarded as one of the premier clubs in the Western United States.

 

 

 

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