Idaho Coeur d’Alene & the Hiawatha Bike Tour

Coeur d’Alenes and Route of the Hiawatha

Come to Idaho for some of the most incredible rail trail riding in the country: The famous Route of the Hiawatha and the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. You’ll get to check these two Rail-to-Trail Conservancy’s Hall of Fame trails off of your bucket list! The Hiawatha treats you to 10 tunnels, including the famous “Taft Tunnel” at 8771 feet long, and 7 steel trestles – one of which is 220 feet high. As you can imagine, stunning scenery and grand vistas await!

An awesome highlight: riding through the 1.66 mile Taft Tunnel. This tunnel was used by the Milwaukee railroad to cross between Idaho and Montana under the crest of the Bitterroot Mountains. Midway through the tunnel an interpretive sign shows the border between the states which was first reached by railroad crews in 1907. There is also a beautiful waterfall at the west portal of the tunnel. You will want to bring a good bike light as the tunnel is dark.

Rail Trail Hall of Fame

Both the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes and the Route of the Hiawatha have been named to Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Rail-Trail Hall of Fame; they are two of the most distinct and memorable rail-trail experiences in the country.

NorPac is an 11-mile extension from Mullan

This extension goes to Lookout Pass on the Idaho-Montana border.

Day 1:  Today’s ride beings in Spokane, WA. There are two ride options today. You might be ready to enjoy the town of Coeur d’Alene when you arrive at Hotel Blackwell in the afternoon. Or enjoy an additional 12 miles of biking by continuing out of Coeur d’Alene to Higgens Point and the end of the North Idaho Centennial Trail.

Day 2: Your ride begins in Plummer, Idaho along the shoreline of sparkling Lake Coeur d’Alene.  The silky pavement makes the ride sheer joy. Parts of the trail are on a levee that was built for the Union Pacific Railroad in the middle of the lake, you feel like you are floating on the water. As the trail departs Lake Coeur d’Alene it begins to follow the Coeur d’Alene River through Silver Valley as you ride to Kellogg, Idaho.

Day 3: Begin your day in East Portal, Montana . Enjoy cycling through the 1.7 mile long Taft Tunnel that travels through the Continental Divide under the Bitterroot Mountain Range and delivers you into Idaho.  You are now on the Route of the Hiawatha Trail, The Loop Creek valley opens before you, serving up absolutely breathtaking scenery with spectacular views from the 7 high railroad trestles you’ll cross.

Day 4: You return to the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes on the last day to complete the final section of trail! We will shuttle to Mullen, Idaho to begin your ride. Along the way, ride through the “Center of the Universe” (or so the locals call it)! We’ll have lunch together by the trail in Kellogg, then shuttle to the Cataldo Mission to see the oldest building in Idaho.  Take some time exploring the mission before our final shuttle back to Spokane!