The Hiawatha Trail

The Hiawatha Trail follows the old railroad route of the Milwaukee Railroad from the Taft tunnel at the Montana and Idaho state line to Pearson’s about fifteen miles down the grade. The Olympian trail continues into Montana to about St. Regis and old rail line can be followed down to Avery on the St. Joe River on a forest service road through several more one lane tunnels and over a couple of high trestle bridges. The former transcontinental rout continues west along the St. Joe River and across Washington as the Palouse to Cascades Trail. Here are a few photos of the Hiawatha.

After navigating the one and a half mile tunnel under the Bitterroot divide, this is the Idaho end of the tunnel.

One of the high trestle bridges over side canyons.

And then straight into a short tunnel.

More high bridges for your enjoyment.

Wildlife

Some wildlife is epic and some not much so, but it is here to appreciate.

There are numerous short tunnels leading down to Pearson’s.

After turning the bend, you can see where you were.

Looking down across Loop Creek

If you’re heading up, you can also see the bridges you have crossed.

The view from one of the bridges. Vertigo.

Tunnel #28.

One the deck of one of the trestles.

Looking down off of one of the bridges.

At the bend looking down Loop Creek.

The view looking across Loop Creek.

Leaving one of the tunnels.

There is a significant fee to ride the trail that can be paid at Lookout Mountain or on site during the season. A shuttle is available to take riders from Pearson’s back up to the Taft Tunnel also for a significant fee. I prefer to drive over Moon Pass from Wallace Idaho to the lower trailhead at Pearson’s and grind it up hill through the tunnel and coast back enjoying the scenery and saving some cash. The official site is here.

The Friends of the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s website has information on more bicycle trails in North Idaho.

The Centennial Trail

The North Idaho Centennial Trail has its east end at Higgins Point on Lake Coeur d’Alene and travels west to the Washington Stateline where it changes its name to the Spokane River Centennial Trail. My favorite section to ride is from Falls Park in Post Falls to the end to the trailhead in Millwood, eighteen miles to the west. At this point the trail shares the road for a few miles until it crosses Mission Avenue in Spokane. Millwood is a good place to turn around to avoid riding with cars. East of downtown Post Falls the trail also shares the road with motor vehicles for a couple of miles.

The trail west of Falls Park in Post Falls.

Approaching the Spokane River Bridge and the state line.

The old railroad bridge over the Spokane River.

Lupines along the trail in Washington.

The trail just west of Barker Road in Spokane Valley.

The trail between mile markers 8 and 9 in Washington.

The trail closely parallels the Spokane River in Washington.

The Friends of the North Idaho Centennial Trail.

The Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s

The Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s is a major reason I chose to move from Central Florida to North Idaho back in 2006. This 72 mile long paved bike trail almost spans the Idaho Panhandle from Mullan to Plummer. The River section is in my opinion the most scenic part closely followed by the section on the Coeur d’Alene reservation. The east end through the Silver Valley also is worth a visit and I ride it at least once a year. This trial is consistently ranked in the top ten bicycle trails in the nation and I still think its under rated. I’ve ridden the Mickelson in South Dakota, the Elroy Sparta in Wisconsin, the Chesapeake and Ohio in Maryland and the Withlacoochee in Florida and this trail is hands down more scenic and enjoyable.

The bridge north of Cataldo.

Where the North and South Forks meet close to the Snake Pit restaurant.

A view of the river from the trail.

Always keep to the left unless passing an oncoming moose.

A nice view of Frost Peak north of Cataldo.

Cottonwoods along the trail.

Wetlands along the trail near Medimont.

More wildlife along the trail.

Between the Bull Run Lake and Black Rock Trailheads.

The Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s provides a diverse range of experiences for bicycle riders. These photos are all from the middle or as I like to call it, the River section. From Enaville to Harrison, the trail closely follows the Coeur d’Alene River for about thirty miles. In my opinion this is the most scenic and enjoyable part of the trail. I usually start at the Enaville Trailhead across Forest Road 13 from the locally famous Snake Pit Restaurant and Bar and ride into the prevailing summer wind to Medimont and back, a forty-four mile round trip. Another excellent option is to leave from the Bull Run Lake trailhead and ride the round trip to Harrison. Harrison has at least two very good restaurants and an ice cream shop.

The Friends of the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s.