Faith Walk Community Fitness Park opens Friday in Coeur d'Alene

Faith Walk Community Fitness Park will open Friday with a free public celebration at 4971 Atlas Road, but the bigger pitch is about regular use, not a one-day photo opportunity. The park’s half-mile trail, 15 fitness stations and 16 gazebo stops are meant to give Coeur d’Alene families a place to walk, work out, gather and worship on the same site.

The grand opening is scheduled from 3:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 29. The first 1,200 attendees will receive a free barbecued hamburger and hot dog dinner, and the afternoon and evening will include live worship bands, community activities, food, prayer gatherings and a formal dedication ceremony. The dedication is set for 5 to 6 p.m. and will include worship, prayer, introductions from community and ministry leaders, recognition of volunteers and sponsors, and a look at the park’s future vision. Parking will be free on site.

To handle the crowd, the Coeur d’Alene School District will run shuttle buses every 10 minutes between Lake City High School and the park from 3 to 9 p.m. That setup reflects how much the event is expected to draw beyond the immediate neighborhood, especially from families who may want an easier way to reach the Atlas Road site.

Dan Pinkerton, chairman of the park board, has said the project was designed to connect physical fitness with faith, family and community life. Faith Walk describes itself as a 501(c)(3) faith-based charitable organization founded by Kootenai County residents, and says the idea started in 2014 after founders identified a need for a multi-use, faith-centered park in the Coeur d’Alene area.

The organization says it bought 10 acres from the Coeur d’Alene School District after the district decided not to build a school there. Earlier fundraising milestones show how long the project took to move forward: the first phase carried a $4 million goal, about $2.6 million had been raised by August 2021, and about $3 million had been raised by July 2023.

Construction was delayed by permitting problems, rising costs tied to COVID and added building requirements, pushing the opening back from the earlier target of summer 2024. The finished park now includes a soccer field, playground, pavilion, waterfall and prayer garden, plus a gymnasium, courts and counseling-center component. Faith Walk says the Cathedral Pavilion is intended for worship nights, church services, weddings, receptions and large community events, and describes it as one of the largest open-air redwood structures of its kind in the nation.

The park’s website says the walking trail is free and always open, and that the Faith Quest challenge can be accessed at all 16 gazebo stations. With character-themed panels and the King of Glory Bible panorama built into the layout, Faith Walk is aiming to be a place Coeur d’Alene residents return to, not just celebrate once.