The Mudgy Moose trail is a 2.25 mile trail that follows the path of the title character of a children’s book set in downtown Coeur d’Alene. The trail passes by a variety of sights and stops along the way, and can be a great way to spend a day down by the water front. In this post, we’ll take you through the various stops along the trail, and highlight some of our favorite things to do while navigating this fun and interactive adventure.
First up, some background. Mudgy Moose and Millie Mouse are characters in a children’s book written by Susan Nipp. In the story, Mudgy and Millie are playing hide and seek. Millie hides, and Mudgy tries to find her by searching through various locations in downtown Couer d’Alene. In conjunction with the city parks department, the trail was brought to life through five life-sized statues placed throughout the city. All of the statues are fairly easy to spot, and each one is dark bronze. Each one is also accompanied with a large plaque showing the full map of the trail, and your specific location.
This trail is a great way to get introduced to the downtown CDA area, as it takes you to (or next to) several of the best places to relax, swim, play, and eat. It also serves as a way to keep kids entertained while you wander through the area. Another thing to note here is cost – aside from parking, the trail and most of the activities along the route are completely free. You can make it an upcharge if you want to add on something like a nice meal or lake cruise. But if you’re working off of a tight budget, just pack a picnic lunch and you can easily make a day out of this for next to nothing.
If you just want to do the trail itself, that can be accomplished in just about an hour or so, especially if you nix the official starting point on the route (which doesn’t have one of the moose statues). However, if you plan to stop at the playgrounds, eat lunch, and enjoy the waterfront, this could easily be a half-to-full day adventure for your family. Below is our recommended itinerary for making a fun day out of this. Aim to start around 9am, especially if you plan to take your time and do the hike around Tubbs Hill.
The trail officially begins on the southwest corner of the Tubbs Hill area, which in itself is a great place to explore. It’s essentially a small hill set out on a peninsula that has a ton of hiking trails winding through and around it. There are some beaches, as well as good cliff jumping areas all around the perimeter. This part of the journey is not stroller-friendly, and if you have no good alternative, you could skip this part and just start at Moose #1. However, we’d recommend doing this if at all possible, and using a kids hiking carrier if you need to.
If you can swing it, start on the northeast corner, near Sander’s Beach, and hike clockwise. There is a trailhead and small parking lot over by that beach, just off 10th avenue. The hiking trail around the perimeter of Tubbs Hill is not strenuous at all, and should be easy for even younger trail-goers. You could easily spend a solid hour exploring this area, hiking up to the top of the hill, or partaking in any of the other activities we previously mentioned. Just be sure to pause at some point to read the sign at the official starting point of the Mudgy Moose trail when you arrive at Tubbs Beach on the southwest corner. Then head north along the western side of the hill. Once you exit the dirt trail, you’ll arrive at the first moose statue at the trailhead.
Admittedly due to time constraints, this is usually where we start out. So there is no judgement here if you choose to do the same. The first statue of Mudgy Moose is located at the far northwest corner of Tubbs Hill at the trailhead. From here, you’ll need to head over towards the CDA library. The official trail suggests you walk up to Front Street and head east, but we’d suggest cutting through McEuen Park.
If you’ve got kids, they’ll want to stop and check out the splash pad and playground in the middle. It’s a great way to cool off and the playground itself is exceptional, with bright colors and interactive features. When you eventually pry your kids away from this playground, head over towards the library, to Moose #2.
You’ll find Mudgy at the far eastern edge of the park, just near the library entrance. From here, the trail heads into downtown. Head up to Sherman Ave, and towards 3rd street. Before you get to moose #3, this would be an ideal time to stop for lunch. Sherman Ave. has some excellent local restaraunts.
We’ve tried a few of them, Fire Artisan Pizza and Crafted Tap House + Kitchen, to name a couple. Both are excellent, although there are plenty of others to choose from. Take your pick, it’s hard to go wrong here. After lunch, head to the southeast corner of Sherman and 3rd.
This is the least scenic of the five statues, but we love the fact that this forces you into the downtown area, not only for lunch, but shopping as well, if that’s your thing. This is the part of the journey that’s more for the parents, but we think that’s a good thing. Part of what we love so much about this trail is that there’s truly something for everyone in your group, and even couples without kids can enjoy it.
You’ll next need to make your way west towards the City Park and the Fort Sherman Playground. We recommend taking a slight detour north of the park to the Coeur d’Alene carousel. This is a beautiful vintage carousel housed inside a quaint structure. It’s very similar to other carousels that have been popping up around various cities and towns, and if you’re into these, it’s totally worth the quick side-track.
You can then walk back into City Park to the fourth official stop on the trail, right next to Fort Sherman Playground.
The fourth Mudgy Moose statue is smack dab in the middle of Coeur d’Alene City Park. This park has been a favorite of ours for years. We rarely make a trip to Silverwood without coming down here to let our kids play at Fort Sherman Playground at least once. The wooden playground itself is massive, with tons of slides, obstacles, and interactive features.
It was built using donations from various individuals and businesses in the city, so it’s truly a part of the community. Aside from the playground, the rest of the park is spacious and beautiful as well; with towering trees, sports courts, and plenty of grass to relax on. It’s hard to find anything to complain about here.
After you’ve gotten your fill, it’s time to head to the final moose statue, where Mudgy finally finds where Millie has been hiding all along. For this, you’ll need to head towards independence point, and you can enjoy a nice stroll along the waterfront beach on the way.
When you reach your final destination, there’s yet again another myriad of activities to choose from. Swimming and playing on the beach is the obvious choice, especially if it’s a warm day. Alternatively, you could enjoy a late afternoon or evening cruise out on the lake. There’s also parasailing, SUP boarding, and fishing opportunities, depending on what your particular interests are.
One of our favorite things to do when you’re ready to head back, is to walk along the boardwalk. This takes you over a bridge and farther out on the lake, around the CDA resort tower hotel. This will put you over towards your starting point anyways, so it’s a nice way to round out your day. If you parked over by Sander’s Beach, just get back on the Tubbs Hill trail near moose #1 and take the clockwise route to get back to your car.
We hope you find this guide helpful as you follow the Mudgy Moose Trail through CDA. As you can tell, there’s plenty of ways to customize this to fit your group’s interests, and you can take as much or as little time as you prefer. Regardless of your choice, we’re confident you will enjoy your journey, and you’ll surely find some new things to love about CDA along the way.
Heading to Silverwood? Be sure to check our Silverwood Trip Planning Guide for all the info you need to plan out a great vacation.
Have you walked the Mudgy Moose trail before? What did you think of it? Are there any other tips you'd suggest to someone trying it for the first time? And are there any questions we didn't answer? Let us know in the comments below!
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