COEUR d’ALENE — Several trails on Tubbs Hill will close for wildfire mitigation starting Memorial Day.

Fuel reduction projects help slow the spread of wildfire and protect public safety, homes and infrastructure, forest health and wildlife habitat. 

“We will have signs out and barriers to remind people that the trails will be temporarily closed,” said Coeur d’Alene Trails Coordinator Shane O’Shea. “This is for the safety of the general public.” 

Crews are completing the second phase of a fuel mitigation project that began last summer. They’ll remove hazardous dead trees, called snags, some of which may fall near trails. They’ll also cut and pile ground and ladder fuels. 

“We’re removing all the small diameter forest fuels that don’t typically take as much to ignite and carry the fire,” O’Shea said. 

The first phase of the project, completed in 2025 over four weeks, treated 58 acres on the north side of Tubbs Hill. The second phase, covering about 13 acres on the south side of Tubbs Hill, is expected to take less time to complete. 

O’Shea said the city will plant native conifer species on Tubbs Hill next spring. The fuel reduction work will improve planting sites by eliminating competition and promoting overall forest health. 

The Kootenai County FireSmart program is partnering with the city of Coeur d’Alene to complete this project. 

Tubbs Hill is a popular site, especially in the summer, with miles of hiking trails that attract hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. 

    Some trails on Tubbs Hill will be closed beginning Monday for wildlife prevention work. Image courtesy of the city of Coeur d'Alene.