Trail 8, Penn, and Cave Trail Loop is a 3.8 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail.
The map shown here has the hiker going counter-clockwise. The trail can also be done clockwise, starting uphill on Trail 8. This area is within the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. Be on the lookout for mountain bikes and motorcycles as this area is heavily used by them. Users have reported that trails in this area are poorly marked. Contrary to the name, there is no actual cave on this route. The name refers to a large hole a miner dug years ago.
January 18, 2021
October 20, 2020Challenging elevation just because it’s just a steady climb. But the steady descent made up for it.
October 14, 2020Definitely mountain bikers and dirt bikes so make sure you are cool with that. Beautiful and solid hike!
September 8, 2020July 27, 2020For a casual hiker that’s a fan of the quarantine snacks, this climb was definitely a harder moderate to the top (when following the trail counterclockwise, as signs indicate), so be prepared to climb and use those legs! This particular trail combination isn’t well marked, but luckily the gps in the app can pick up your location here for you to be able to check. The trail has several deep pockmarks from dirt bike use, so be very cautious, especially during the first mile and if the trail is wet/icy. The views are fantastic and it’s fascinating to see how vastly different the last 1/3 of the trail is from the first 1/3!
July 24, 2020Decent trail for a hike. Has shades. Not sure if it’ll be an easy MTB downhill ride for beginners.
July 24, 2020Trail not very well marked.
June 3, 2020Clearly used mostly for mountain biking, as most of the other people we saw were on bikes. The trails in the area aren’t marked super well, and we probably would have gotten lost if we hadn’t been following the map from all trails. Overall, it was a decent hike. The first third is a steady incline but it’s not steep. Flattens out in the middle with some good views of the mountains and lake.
May 24, 2020The hike was good but a lot of motorcycles and bike riders tearing up the trail, that’s the only reason I gave it a 3 it’s beautiful go early it was packed by the time we got back to the trail head
May 24, 2020Great hike! It’s mostly shady depending on when you go. Easy incline to the top where there is a stunning view of CDa Lake! Only downside is there are many dirt bikes but they are polite and slow down to pass. The trail is narrow so if you’re elderly might be a challenge. Otherwise and amazing hike with stunning views!
May 24, 2020Not the best route markers on trail.
April 26, 2020This ended up being a really fun hike. There is a lot of dirt bike traffic and the trails aren’t marked very well. Definitely enjoyed the views and scenery.
March 21, 2020February 22, 2020Pretty views when you get to the top and peeking through the trees on the way back down. There still a little bit of snow on the north side of the trail, recommend microspikes until it melts little bit more. A couple areas were a little muddy which made it kind of slippery but overall doable right now. Didn’t meet anyone else on the trail but there were a lot of elk and moose prints. New favorite local hike!
January 6, 2020Steeper than we thought but still easy enough. Really icy in spots could have used some crampons but enough snow to soften all the slips and falls.
December 28, 2019Great hike. Nice incline so you get a work out but also not hard. The trail is not always well marked but if you keep to the left at most turns you have it right. Some snow and a bit of ice.
December 10, 2019Great trail! We hiked it and were rewarded with lots of sun. Little muddy in spots but no big deal. Love this hike.
November 13, 2019A perfectly moderate trail with beautiful views. A great hike to do in the early fall with a light jacket. This would also be a great trail for mountain bikers
October 2, 2019Great day for a hike. Trail was in good shape. Watch trail signs carefully after summit or you may get a little lost like I did. Met a nice couple on the trail that had the same issue.
September 30, 2019Absolutely stunning. Hit the trail a day after this crazy early snowfall. Only passed 3 people along the way. Went early morning around 8am and didn’t pass a single bike. Stunning backside of the mountain and the added snow made it a magical moment! Will be back.
September 21, 2019August 21, 2019July 3, 2019Hiked July 2. Perfect temps. Pay attention to trail signs. Not well marked so easy to go in the wrong direction. Using this app map helped us a couple of times. Some motorcycles and mountain bikes on the trail but not an issue. Had a great hike with beautiful scenery.
July 1, 2019trail head at the end of a gravel road. plan ahead no outhouse. info signs are not in the parking lot. trail 8 begins across the road. mountain biker spotted 2 cougars. beautiful views and treed. moderate. 1 mile in opens to a clear view of lake couer d'alene.
June 24, 2019This was a good hike/trail run. It was pretty straight up for the first mile with a great view as a reward for toughing it out. The second mile got more rocky. It then split into a few different trail options and I had wished I had studied the map a bit better. I went right and up the mountain. Went up about .5 mile and then back all the way down. I had to let two dirt bikes and three mountain bikers pass which wasn’t fun but we gotta share the trail! Lots of flowers and vegetation. Pretty dry trail..but not too dry.
