The trail's route winds through the mountainous terrain of historic Silver Valley, into the chain lakes region, along the shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene, over the Chatcolet Bridge to Heyburn State Park, and concludes with a climb to the northern Palouse prairie. Trail users can continue along a bike path in Washington that leads to Spokane. The eastern half of the trail in Shoshone County has Interstate 90 nearby. In Kootenai County, I-90 leaves the river to head over Fourth of July Summit to the lake's north shore and the city of Coeur d'Alene, while the river and trail descends southwest toward Harrison, closer to State Highway 3.