Riding the Route of the Hiawatha

Today we were back on another "rail-to-trails" route... the Route of the Hiawatha which runs in the mountains of western Idaho into Montana.  It is a very popular local route with 9 tunnels and 11 tressels as you climb from the river to the final 1.6 mile long tunnel into Montana. 

We drove 40 miles east to Wallace, ID and then took a 20 mile dirt road over Moon Pass to the western trailhead.  From this end it is a 2000' climb over 15 miles, so a very gradual and easy climb on the old rail bed. 

This is a very popular ride and a local ski area has a concession to operate the trail which includes a $10/person fee to ride the trail.   They also rent bikes, lights and provide a shuttle from the bottom to the top.  Most people coast down and take the shuttle back... we opted to park at the bottom and ride to the top.  It was a really nice casual ride to the top, had lunch and cruised back down to the bottom. 

More photos...


View from one tressel to another on the Route of the Hiawatha trail.