Seattle to Coeur d’Alene Drive – 10 Roadtrip Stops on I-90
Driving from Seattle to Coeur d’Alene takes about 5 hours without stops, but if you’re traveling with kids, you’ll probably want to plan a few breaks along the way.
We made this drive as a family and quickly learned that the best stops are the ones that give kids a chance to get out of the car, stretch their legs, grab some food, or explore somewhere scenic without taking you too far off I-90.
On our trip, we stopped in Ellensburg for lunch and a restroom break, then saved our longer stop for Spokane, where we spent about 2 hours exploring Riverfront Park and Spokane Falls before continuing to Coeur d’Alene.
In this guide, I’ll share 10 of the best road trip stops between Seattle and Coeur d’Alene, including quick pit stops, scenic viewpoints, parks, and places where you can spend a little longer if you want to turn the drive into part of the trip.
At a glance:
- Distance – The distance from Seattle to Coeur D’Alene is ~300 miles.
- Route – The best route to drive from Seattle to Coeur D’Alene is via eastbound I-90.
- Drive time – If you were to drive non-stop, then it would take ~5 hours to drive from Seattle to Coeur D Alene, provided there is no unplanned traffic. However, when traveling as a family, we end up taking a break every 2 hours. So it took us ~7 hours one-way with all the pit stops for food, restroom breaks, leg stretching at some scenic vistas, etc.
- Road trip planning – For a roadtrip with family, I would count 1 day each for the drive from Seattle to CDA and back. So a total of 2 days for round trip drive time.
Map of Seattle to Coeur d’Alene Roadtrip with Stops
Seattle to Coeur D Alene Roadtrip Stops
There are 6 cities/towns you can think about to stop at, on your drive from Seattle to CDA. See a summary in the table below:
| # | City/Town | Drive time from previous stop | Distance from previous stop | What to expect |
| 1 | Cle Elum to Ellensburg | 2 to 2.5 hours from Seattle | 107 miles from Seattle | Lots of amenities, timely stop from Seattle. |
| 2 | Vantage | +30 mins east of Ellensburg | +30 miles east of Ellensburg | Very scenic, cluster of 4-5 attractions (more details below) |
| 3 | Moses Lake | +40 mins east of Vantage | +43 miles east of Vantage | Decent sized city for a pit stop with amenities and Moses Lake as an attraction. |
| 4 | Ritzville | +45 mins east of Moses Lake | +45 miles east of Moses Lake | This stretch is bare with the only stop being a Rest Area |
| 5 | Sprague | +25 miles east of Ritzville | +25 miles east of Ritzville | This stretch is bare with the only stop being a Rest Area |
| 6 | Spokane | +45 mins east of Sprague | +38 miles east of Sprague | Big city with many amenities. Best attraction is Spokane Riverfront Park and Spokane Falls (more details below) |
In this list, you will find 10 road trip stops / things to do on your drive from Seattle to Coeur D Alene or back from CDA to Seattle.
Attractions have been grouped from west to east by city for ease of trip planning.
Cle Elum to Ellensburg
When traveling as a family with kids, we end up taking a stop every 2 hours or so. Its around that time when the kids start wiggling in the car seats.When driving east on I-90, the stretch between Cle Elum to Ellensburg invariably becomes our default stop as it comes right around 2-2.5 hour mark.
1. Indian John Hill Rest Area [Cle Elum]
Usual stops are Indian John Rest Area or McDonalds at Ellensburg for some ice cream treats. There are plenty of restaurants here to grab lunch. Views of Stuart range are really good from the parking lot of Indian John Hill rest area.
2. Thorpe Fruit Mall [Thorpe]
Thorpe Fruit Mall is something you can see from the highway. Given how close it is to the highway, its a good detour. You can find fresh produce, fruits, baked goods, ice cream, antiques, etc.
3. Irene Riverfront Park [Ellensburg]
For anyone looking for a park or some picnic area to prepare their own lunch, Irene Riverfront Park is a good option on the route. Its proximity to Yakima river and I-90 makes it a great stop for any long road trip along the I-90 corridor.
Vantage
About 30 mins east of Ellensburg is the small town of Vantage which seems unassuming but is actually a gem with 4-5 attractions close to I-90. We did not stop at any of these because we planned to take a longer stop at Spokane’s Riverfront Waterfront Park, but something we would consider doing on another trip.
For a mid-way stop in your day-long drive, you can consider taking a break at any of the spots below near Vantage. You will need Discover Pass everywhere except at the Wild Horse Monument.
4. Wanapum Recreation Area [Vantage]
As you drive east on I-90 and get closer to Vantage, you will be greeted with phenomenal views of Wanapum lake and might be tempted to stop for a while by the waterfront. If you are looking to sit by the banks of Wanapum Lake, you will find a nice beach, a swim area, boat launch, picnic tables and restrooms at Wanapum Recreation Area.
5. Ginkgo Petrified Forest Trail [Vantage]
For any hiking enthusiasts, Gingko Petrified Forest provides 3 miles of trails through an ancient fossil bed where you can view petrified logs. The museum and interpretive center provide more information on petrified wood which is basically ancient trees turning into rocks. See map here.
6. Wild Horse Monument [Vantage]
This is a vista with sculptures of wild horses. You will find sign boards for this spot after your cross the bridge. Whether you take the short hike up from the parking lot to the sculptures or you stay at the parking lot, the views of Wanapum Lake and the landscape are stunning.
This spot maybe more convenient to visit when you are eastbound. When traveling westbound, look for a scenic overlook board that gives views of the gorge, Wanapum lake and the bridge.
7. Frenchman Coulee [Vantage]
Frenchman Coulee is popular for rock climbing. The basalt columns are stunning just to visit for a quick photo-op or you can take a trail (~4 miles RT) to a seasonal waterfall. See more details here.
Moses Lake to Spokane
8. Moses Lake
The next big city with restaurants, amenities on this route is Moses Lake, which is ~1 hour drive east of Ellensburg. Blue Heron Park at Moses Lake is a 24-acre lakefront park close to I-90 that may make for a good stop.
Don’t expect any significant amenities / service in the stretch between Ellensburg and Moses Lake.
9. Ritzville / Sprague
These are smaller towns between Moses Lake and Spokane. The driving stretch around these towns is pretty barebones. The only viable stops are the Rest Areas which provide a shady respite from the scorching heat.
We kept our stops until Spokane short and quick as we planned to spend time at the Riverfront Park and waterfalls in Spokane downtown.
10. Spokane Falls and Riverfront Park [Spokane]
Spokane is a big city on the eastern WA side with many attractions and amenities. The one attraction that is worth stopping for, to break your I-90 drive, is the Spokane waterfalls. It has two waterfalls – lower and upper falls. Both the waterfalls are accessible from the Spokane Riverfront Park which is ~1.5 miles / 10 mins drive from I-90.
Spokane Lower Falls (15 mins – 1 hr)
If you are short on time and have members in your group with varying levels of mobility, then taking a gondola ride starting from Spokane Riverfront park can be a great way to view the Spokane Lower Falls.
The gondola ride roundtrip is 15-20 mins long, of which your gondola will be in front of the falls for no more than 5 mins, which may feel a bit underwehlming. But it’s a quick and convenient way to check out the lower falls. Tickets are $8-$10 and can be booked online or purchased at Numerica Skyride office in the Spokane Riverfront park.
If you don’t want to spend money on the gondola ride, or the gondoal ride queues are too long or you would rather walk and explore, then Huntington Park which is adjacent to the Riverfront Park is your entry point to get stunning views of lower falls. There is a beautiful walkway (easy, gentle steps) with benches and interpretive exhibits that run parallel to the falls and the river. If you have the time (30mins-1hr), then there is no better way than to enjoy the falls through this walk.
Spokane Upper Falls (30 mins-1 hour)
To view the Upper Falls, you can take the park trail in the Spokane Riverfront Park to reach Upper falls. There are some overlooks and a bridge from where you can view the Upper falls. The views from the bridge are gorgeous.
Living in PNW, we maybe spoiled with waterfalls at every turn. But getting to see such a beautiful cascade in an urban and easily accessible setting makes you feel lucky! We loved walking around here.
Spokane Falls and Riverfront Park Parking
There are paid parking areas near every entry point around the Riverfront park, so you will find a spot one way or another. What we found the most convenient is to pay and park in the River Park Square parking garage (777 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201).
From the garage, you can reach the southern entrance of Riverfront Park with a 2-min walk. The gondoal ride is close to this southern entrance which gave us quick access to the lower falls. And then we walked our way to upper falls and the playground. See google map pic below, park map here.
About Riverfront Park
The Riverfront Park is a 100-acre urban park located along Spokane river in Spokane downtown. You can spend an entire day picnicking in the park, with its large expanse, trails, two playgrounds, fountains and splash pad, pavilion, clock tower and art installations. The things you don’t want to miss are the upper and lower Spokane falls. And if traveling with kids, you will end up visiting the playground whether you like it or not.
At Ice Age Playground of Riverfront Park (30 mins)
After the Upper Falls, we continued on the trail from Canada Island towards Ice Age playground for our kiddo to have some uninterrupted park time. It may feel like a lot of walking from the south to the north end of the park. But the beautiful setting makes the walk refreshing. Keep snacks and water handy so that kids don’t complain.
After upper falls, one of us turned back to get the car to save the family from walking all the way back. Alternatively, you can squeeze in some park time at Providence Playscape that lies right along the Park trail between upper and lower falls. That way, you don’t find yourself having to walk back between two ends of the park.
What We did On Seattle to Coeur D’Alene Drive
For our Seattle to CDA drive, we stopped at Ellensburg for a light lunch + restroom break and then kept our stops minimal along the way until Spokane.
This is because we wanted to visit Spokane waterfalls and the Riverfront park, where we spent a good 2 hours. We had dinner at Spokane and then drove to Coeur D’Alene, which is ~30 mins east of Spokane.
So the Seattle to CDA drive took us the whole day, almost 8-10 hours
On our way back, we stopped at the scenic overlook near Wild Horse Monument in Vantage and took some restroom breaks. So the drive back was shorter, ~6-7 hours.
