It's Hot - Let's Go Swimming!

One of the best things about living in Coeur d' Alene is the availability of lakes and rivers for swimming and other water sports. Amazingly enough, there is quite a bit of diversity when it comes to beaches and water access. Each area seems to have its own 'culture' so finding an area that suits your tastes and needs may take a while. My hands-down favorite spot for enjoying Lake Coeur d' Alene and the Spokane River is the Dike Road beach (AKA NIC Beach).

This beach is mostly enjoyed by locals and their families looking to enjoy the water in a relaxed environment. Gooseberry Road (its official street name) winds up around NIC along the river; parallel parking is available on the left hand side of the one-way street and the Centennial Trail is on the right hand side. The speed limit is 15 mph and the road is busy during the summer days with cars, walkers and bicycles. Luckily, NIC offers free parking for the beach at their parking lots so if you can't find a spot on the road, you can find one a short distance away.



This beach is not easily accessible if one uses a chair or needs mobility assistance. There is a rather steep drop off from the road to get to the beach although there are a few rail-road tie stairs available. The beach itself extends for .7 miles and there are a couple of places that have a "gentle slope" to get to the beach. There is only one paved path - everything else is dirt, grass or sand. The dirt and grass however are pretty hard in regards to their surface. There is one place along the road that offers accessible parking and a paved ramp to a restroom. It's located at mile .5, just past the concession stand/boat rental shack. The path is VERY narrow (33 inches wide) and there is a sharp corner to negotiate. I have not been to this beach with anyone using a chair but I would imagine it would not be a comfortable ramp to negotiate.





The entire beach at NIC is lined with trees and then sand to the water. There are numerous picnic tables and BBQ pits available for use - first come, first served. Some of the tables are in the sun, some are not. The beach itself is rocky/sandy/dirt so expect to have some dirt in your car at the end of the day. The river bed is mostly sand which makes it great for swimming. As you move towards the mouth of the river to the lake, the lake bed becomes more rocky and swim socks are definitely recommended. There is occasional litter on the beach and I'm always amazed that I can still find the old-style pop-tops from cans (weren't those banned in the 70's?). Broken glass is also not uncommon. I always bring a plastic grocery sack with me to pick up litter that I don't want my kiddo to walk on or to pick up.

It should be noted, from .1 to about .5 miles, there are waterfowl. It is legal to feed them at mile .1 which is why there are so many. Navigating the goose poop is something that you'll have to get used to if you want to swim here. I try to remember to bring a cat litter scoop with me to clean up the area where we will have our towels.

There are two permanent bathroom structures, one at .4 mile and the other at .5. The women's bathroom has two stalls, one accessible and the men's room has one urinal and one accessible stall. Each bathroom structure also has an outside shower for rinsing off sand and dirt.




If you're thinking about heading to NIC Beach, here are some helpful hints:

1. Everyone else will be bringing water toys - air mattresses, buckets, floaties etc. My kid was so focused on trying to get other kids' toys that he didn't even want to swim the first time he went there. You'll probably want to bring something of your own for the kids to play on.

2. This is a community with a logging history and there are still logs in the water, washed on to the shore. These logs offer some great fun for kids as they play on them, sit on them while floating in the water, spin them etc. Not exactly what safety specialists would want kids playing with but they are there. As a kid, some of my best river memories are playing on those logs. If you're paranoid about your kid being near a beached or floating log, this beach may not be for you. One of my son's first 'social moments' with another child came last year while he was playing with a log in the water.

3. Parking and getting to the water with a child that finds it difficult to wait may be an issue. For many kids obsessed with water, once they see it - they need to get to it. I've weathered many a melt-down because kiddo didn't understand that we couldn't just stop in the middle of the road to go to the beach. Social stories about parking and walking might be in order, particular at the height of summer.

4. Avoiding crowds is still possible in the summer if you swim early or late. Plan on getting there before 10:00 am and you'll be able to find parking along the road. Same thing for showing up after 5:30 or 6:00 pm

5. People will be BBQ'ing so there will be food/smells/hot coals etc. that kids can be very curious about. It's a good idea to bring along some of your own food to keep the kids from wandering into someone else's picnic area.

6. The beach at mile .5 has a lot going on in regards to activities: beach volleyball, concession stand, boat rental and a boat dock. If you're looking for an area without a lot of distractions, best to avoid this particular spot on NIC Beach.

7. At mile .7, the water is more shallow and therefore warmer than the rest of the beach area.

8. There are no life guards at this beach. All swimming is done at your own risk and it can be risky. Life jackets for the little ones and the bigger ones that are not strong swimmers are definitely recommended. At the very least, they all need to be watched by adults while they are in the water.

9. Alcohol and dogs are not allowed.

10. It's all free and it's open 365 days a year. OK, so we're not swimming in the dead of winter but we do go to the river and lake year round to throw rocks, feed the geese and to walk along the shore.

I admit I'm partial to this beach because I enjoyed it as a kid and it's great to finally have an activity that my son enjoys just as I did at his age.

What have your experiences been at NIC Beach? Do you have a favorite beach on Lake Coeur d' Alene?