Rathdrum Mountain grand opening Saturday
Map courtesy of city of Rathdrum Attendees of Saturday’s Rathdrum Mountain grand opening may wish to park at Lakeland High (lower right) and ride a shuttle to the site on Barrett Road (center) due to limited parking on the mountain.
RATHDRUM — After 25 years of addressing neighbor concerns and planning, the city of Rathdrum is ready to celebrate the opening of its 540 acres on Rathdrum Mountain to the public.
A grand opening for light recreation site will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday directly north of the city off Barrett Road.
"A lot of people have been wanting to see this happen for a very long time," City Administrator Leon Duce said.
Duce said the city used funds from a timber harvest on the site along with grants to pay for road improvements.
There will be free shuttle-bus rides to the site beginning at 10 a.m. from the Lakeland High student parking lot. Buses will leave every 15 minutes. The last shuttle ride back to town from the mountain is at 2 p.m. Parking on the mountain at the site will be limited.
Mayor Vic Holmes will speak at 11 a.m. He will announce the opening of the half-mile Children's Story Walk Trail sponsored by the Coeur d'Alene Realtors Association and a nine-hole disc golf course.
The golf course was built with the help of Jason and Dani Petersen of Flex Disc Golf and other volunteers.
"The purpose of the Story Walk Trail is to get kids away from their phones and electronics and get them outside learning while also getting exercise," said Eric Singer, the city's parks and recreation director.
The trail will have areas in which stories can be read. By the time you've walked the entire trail, you will have read the story.
The first 300 people will receive a free flying disc. Hot dogs and soft drinks will be served after the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Barrett Road leading to the site has been widened and paved as required by the Post Falls Highway District.
The city is searching for a volunteer site host to monitor the property and for volunteers for future efforts. The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from Rathdrum Police, will patrol the area.
The Post Falls Highway District in 2014 validated Barrett as a county road, ending a 20-year fight between the city and some adjacent landowners on whether the city could open its property to public access.
Community and stakeholder input revealed low-impact recreational uses such as hiking, mountain biking, picnicking, viewpoints and educational opportunities would be the best use for the site. Motorcycles and ATVs will not be allowed.
For more information, call 208-687-2399.