Riding the Route of the Hiawatha in Idaho’s Silver Valley

All over America, railroad lines are starting to see a resurgence—not for train travel, but for recreation, much to the delight of hikers and bikers. Known widely as rail trails, there are about 25,300 miles of them throughout America and you won’t want to miss the Route of the Hiawatha in Idaho’s Silver Valley. It’s known locally as the Crown Jewel of Rail-to-Trail Adventures for a reason. The Route of the Hiawatha is just 15 miles long, but what makes this adventure so unique is that it travels over seven sky-high train trestles and through 10 fascinating, old tunnels.

This sacred route in the Silver Valley holds a lot of meaning and promises gorgeous views whether you choose to hike or bike the trail. As you read, you might find some affiliate links I’ve included for products I fully back and use myself. If you make a purchase, you’ll help me earn a commission that keeps my blog running. Thanks for your continued support!

I got to ride this trail over the summer and had a muddy, great time not just on the trail, but exploring the broader Silver Valley of Idaho. It’s a large area, consisting of several small towns that are surrounded by mountains and national forest. Outside of outdoor adventures, there is also a rich mining history here. The towns are a living history exhibit of mining, logging, and the ways of the Old West. I toured old bordellos, went underground into mine shafts, walked and biked the old railroad lines, and recounted the history of the great fire of 1910.

Riding the Route of the Hiawatha

I have done my fair share of biking throughout my life, but I am by no means an avid cyclist. The Route of the Hiawatha was the perfect bike ride for me that mixed adventure and a little exercise with spectacular scenery—and best of all, no uphill pedaling! There’s even a shuttle to take you back to your car at the end of the trail.

The route is 15 miles on a downhill grade that follows along an old section of the Milwaukee Road railroad. After picking up a bike and shuttle ticket at Lookout Pass, I drove the 15 minutes or so to the trailhead and started the ride in a light rain.

Almost right away, I entered St. Paul Pass, the first tunnel. It’s 1.6 miles long and goes right through the Bitterroot Mountains. The tunnel is dark and cold, so headlights or bike lights are a necessity. Ask for one when you pick up your tickets if you don’t have one. The tunnel is also damp and often wet, so wearing something you don’t mind getting muddy is pretty important. Watch the video to see what I mean!

Immediately after exiting the tunnel, I saw my first trailside waterfall, which caught the attention of many of the other riders as well. Continuing on the trail, there are many historical markers to learn about the area’s history and beautiful viewpoints across the valley of trees. I leisurely rode down the meandering hillsides, through more tunnels and over more bridges, just marveling at the scenery and rolling fog that came in waves over the treeline.

Something interesting to note is that most of the trees are the exact same size and species, so the forest looks almost too perfect to believe that it’s real. That’s because this area of the Bitterroot Mountains burned down over a century ago in the great fire of 1910.

After about two hours, I reached the end of the trail. At the end, there is a shuttle attendant, water station, bathroom, and benches for waiting for the shuttle (which comes about every 30 minutes).

Getting to the Route of the Hiawatha

Regardless of which direction you are arriving from, you will want to head to Lookout Pass Ski Area to the pick-up shuttle and to get trail tickets. This is located along I-90 at the border of Montana at exit 0.

From Lookout Pass, you will head east on I-90 and take exit 5. Then, follow the Route of the Hiawatha signs for two miles on a dirt and gravel road towards the east portal/Taft Parking Lot.

Hiawatha Tickets, Shuttle and Trail Information

Lookout Pass Ski Area is open daily at 8am; rent & pick up bikes, lights, helmets and tag-alongs for kids
Tickets for the trail and shuttle can be reserved in advance here
The trail is open May 26—September 17th from 8:30am to 5pm

More Things to Do in the Silver Valley

The Route of the Hiawatha is located in Idaho’s Silver Valley. Post-ride, you can head into Wallace and grab lunch at Slab Meat BBQ or The Fainting Goat Wine Bar and explore some of the local shops. If you are into minerals, you will love Johnson’s Gems, which happens to be right on the corner of the Center of the Universe.

Then, spend a few days in the small towns of Wallace, Mullan, and Kellogg. Here you can find golfing, hiking, breweries, mine tours, great local restaurants, and history. There are more than 1,000 miles of mining, logging, and forest service roads that have been turned into the world’s largest trail system for bikers, hikers, ATV and snowmobiling roads!