Bike Ride to Hayden Lake, Idaho - It's a Beautiful Day in my Neighborhood!

It was a beautiful day in Dan’s neighborhood, so he decided to take a quick bike ride down to Hayden Lake, to show us around. This is one of his happy places, and I am grateful that he shared it with us. I am also relieved to see that he is recovering from the Rona plague. Rumor has it that he got it from me. I am mostly relieved to know that it didn’t kill him – mostly. (It’s gonna take a lot to bring him down.) They say that which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I say that which doesn’t kill Dan had better run like hell. Haha!

HAYDEN LAKE

Hayden Lake, with its crystal clear waters, sandy beaches and picturesque timber shores, is one of the most beautiful and popular lakes of North Idaho. Its irregular shape gives it about 40 miles of shoreline, with the main portion of the lake being seven miles long and one to two miles in width. Normal lake elevation is 2,239 ft. above sea level, and portions of it reach 800 feet deep.

The lake is surrounded on three sides by panoramic timbered mountains, which rise to an elevation of nearly 6,000 feet and extend for many miles to the east as part of the Bitterroot Mountain Range. Much of this land is the Coeur d’Alene National Forest, which offers excellent hunting, fishing and camping.

Parks and beaches: There are three boat ramps accessing the lake, located at Honeysuckle Beach, Sportsman’s Park and the full-service Tobler’s Marina. At Sportsman’s Park on the north end, there are camp sites and handicapped facilities. The sandy shores of Honeysuckle Beach has a roped swim area, dock, public change house and restrooms. The principle town nearby is Hayden.
Fishing: The lake plays host to a long list of recommended game fish, including bluegill, pumpkinseed, sunfish, bullhead catfish, crappie, largemouth and smallmouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout.