[5] The park's year-round recreational opportunities include camping, boating, hiking, horseback riding, fishing, and picnicking.

Waterfowl inhabited the wetlands and deer, bear and various birds were plentiful in the grassy meadows and slopes of the surrounding mountains.

[6] Prior to the arrival of European American settlers, the Coeur d'Alene lived in what would become the Idaho Panhandle.

[8] They found the tribe to be experienced and skilled at trading, thus the name "Coeur d'Alene," meaning "heart of the awl."

"[8] The tribe ranged over an area of over 4 million acres (16,000 km2) of grassy hills, camas-prairie, wooded mountains, lakes, marshes and river habitat in northern Idaho, eastern Washington and western Montana.

[9][10][11] Members at Camp SP-1 built a lodge, roads, bridges, trails, picnic areas and shelters and campgrounds; many are still in use.