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HAYDEN - HAYDEN LAKE AREAS
The communities of Hayden and Hayden Lake are located in the
beautiful panhandle of North Idaho in Kootenai County, one of
the fastest growing counties in Idaho.
Hayden
Lake, with its crystal clear waters, sandy beaches and
picturesque timber shores, is one of the most beautiful and
popular lakes of Northern 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 ft. deep.
The lake is surrounded on three sides by panoramic
timbered mountains, which rise to an elevation of 4,500 to
6,000 ft. 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.
Hayden
Lake has long been used and enjoyed by man.
The first known inhabitants, beginning in April of
1846, were the Coeur d’Alene Indians who camped along the
shoreline, lived on an abundance of berries and bulbs and
fished its waters. As
natural resources became scarce, the Indians moved on.
During
1878, Matt Heyden homesteaded the southwestern shore and
developed an extensive farm including the first fruit orchard
planted in the area. Heyden
and a man named Hager were friends who often played cards
together and this led to the naming of the lake.
So the story goes, the two men had decided to name the
lake and elected to let the winner of a game of “seven-up”
select the name. Matt
Heyden won and the lake became Heyden’s Lake.
The spelling changed throughout time and it is now
known as Hayden Lake.
At
one time, as many as four steamboats served the logging and
mining interests around the lake.
Hunting and fishing were excellent and at the turn of
the century, attracted many persons, including Presidents Taft
and Teddy Roosevelt. Golf,
tennis and all forms of water sports are included in the
recreational opportunities offered at this beautiful setting.
The area is often referred to as the Switzerland of
America.
A
house, with perhaps the most fascinating heritage of any in
Idaho, is located 3.6 miles from Highway 95, on the south
shore of Hayden Lake. This
is the F. Lewis Clark Mansion, and the details of its past,
still within hearsay, would make an absorbing novel.
The Hayden lake villa, sometimes called Honeysuckle
Lodge, was designed as a summer home for the Clarks and was
finished in 1912. The
15,000 sq. ft. house boasted a multitude of rooms which took
several years to complete and was the most expensive house in
the state at that time. Today the home is being operated as a very elegant country
inn, the Clark House of Hayden Lake.
Among celebrities, Bing Crosby chose to build his
summer home on the northwest shore of Hayden Lake in the 1950’s.
Bing’s love for golf and fishing attracted him to the
area.
Today
the lake is an ideal setting for several hundred homes. Housing is good with a wide variety of homes for particular
lifestyles. There
are two public campgrounds available on beautiful Hayden Lake
within a few miles of State Highway 95.
Nearest is Sportsmen’s Park, at the north end of the
lake and the other is Mokins Bay Campground, on the east side
of the lake. Hayden
Lake public beach, known locally as Honeysuckle Beach, is
located at the southwest edge of the lake and is the only
public beach, boat launching ramp and picnic area on the lake.
The
City of Hayden, adjacent to the City of Hayden Lake, provides
the area with complete shopping facilities and the local
elementary schools, library and firehouse.
The
Coeur d’Alene Airport, which easily accommodates commercial
jet aircraft, is located within the boundaries of Hayden.
Several major corporations have located their corporate
headquarters at this airport.
GOLF:
Within
five to thirty minutes the golfer has access to twenty one
golf courses --- some world class.
SKIING:
There
are six major ski resorts all within forty five minutes to one
and a half hours of Hayden and Hayden Lake.
SNOWMOBILING:
The
visitor has access to hundreds of miles of groomed trails in
the National Forest.
BIKING:
Class
one, two and three trails make travel easy and accessible in
all directions.
CAMPING,
HIKING AND HUNTING: The
mountains and forests offer everything for the outdoor
adventurer.
CULTURE:
The
access to concerts, symphonies, plays, arts and crafts are
abundant to the Hayden and Hayden Lake communities.
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