[1][2] Generally following the Coeur d'Alene River, the rail line was abandoned in 1991,[3] and the trail officially opened in March 2004.

[4] The trail's 73-mile (117 km) route winds through the mountainous terrain of historic Silver Valley in northern Idaho.

[6] To remedy these environmental problems, the Union Pacific Railroad, U.S. government, the State of Idaho, and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe partnered to build a trail.

[7] The thick asphalt and the gravel barriers on the sides of the trail serve as a permanent cap to isolate contaminants from the surrounding environment.

The trail leads through protected marsh lands, offering the cyclist a glimpse of eagle and osprey nests, moose, elk, and a variety of ducks and other wildlife, as well as some rare species of wildflowers and accompanying butterflies as a result of the age-old soot from the old railroad.