I road the Route of the Hiawatha ("Hiawatha") in mid-August, 2011. On a sunny Saturday it was a fairly heavily used trail - especially considering the relative remoteness. As noted on the TrailLink.com site, the principal trailhead is in Montana. There is a large parking area with facilities.

As other reviewers have noted, the trail is compact gravel (portions of the trail follow a forest service road). On a mountain bike it's an easy surface to navigate. Note that helmets and lights (see below) are required.

Almost immediately after leaving the main parking lot (east end of the trail, off I-90, exit 5), the trail passes through the Taft Tunnel that is 8,177 feet in length (1.66 miles). A headlight or headlamp is essential for travel through the tunnel. A couple of the guys I was with rented bikes from Lookout Pass Ski Area (http://www.skilookout.com) that came with headlights - we found these serviceable, but a bit dim. We'd all brought LED headlamps and these worked well. The other essential item for traveling through the tunnel is warm clothing. On our ride it was in the mid-70s outside, and probably low-50s in the tunnel.

Upon exiting the tunnel, the trail has a gentle (but noticeable) 1.7% grade for the next 13 miles (total elevation change of about 1,000 feet). The trail passes through several other shorter tunnels and crosses a number of trestles. There are stunning views along much of the route. There is also interpretive signage covering the history of the area, and the construction and operation of the railroad. A shuttle bus is available to return you and your bike to the trailhead parking area. Surprisingly, most people took the shuttle. We rode back. A couple of us took the forest service road (FS 506) that goes over the mountain through which the Taft Tunnel passes. FS 506 ascends steeply over 1,000 feet from the Hiawatha trail to the summit near the Idaho-Montana border, and then descends equally steeply to the trailhead parking area. Only recommended for strong legs and good brakes.

We rode this trail in September 2010. Somehow I had the idea it was paved. It is gravel so it was sort of bumpy going down on our hybrids. But, we did fine. Coming back up was easier since we did not have to control our speed on the gravel. This is a beautiful trail. The scenery is awesome. Lots of great interpretive signs to read and sights to take in. Take your time. When they say bring a headlight for the tunnels--they mean it! It is dark and cold in there. What a great adventure. A different kind of bike trail. A must do ride.

TOOLBEAR ON THE ROUTE OF THE HIAWATHA

What a fun ride! Put this on your Must Do list.

T.B.’s RATINGS – 1-5*s

3* Trail surface: hard packed gravel road with loose surface rock averaging about .75” diameter. In short, average well-maintained forest road. Not for high pressure roadie tires. Fat tires do fine. Try 55#.

4* Facilities: Vault toilets at the trail heads at both ends of the St. Paul tunnel, at Adair at the Big Loop half way down, and at the bottom trail head. These are done in an attractive 19th Century Depot style. The same style is used for the information kiosks. Did not see any water points.

5* Scenery: Tunnels, trestles, mountains. It’s a great place for pictures. Check out the videos and decide for yourself.

6* Interpretive signs: They have excellent interpretive signs the whole length of the trail covering the history of the rail road and the area. These are very well done and quite educational. I was two hours on the trail and two and a half hours stopped, reading signs and taking pix. Allow enough time to browse.

http://www.skilookout.com/hiawatha/trailinfo.php

Finally! A trail where I could get a shuttle uphill for a change. This was the cherry on top of a week riding the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes.

The trail pass is $9, and so is the shuttle bus ticket. Money well spent. You can get them at the Lookout Pass ski area or drive up to the trail head, go through the tunnel and get them from a trail ranger (they will find you). This is a comfy downhill trail through some very interesting scenery. They have one of the largest concentrations of RR tunnels and trestles in the West. Plus, they have done an excellent job on the interpretive signs which run the length of the trail. I took more time reading the signs and taking pix than pedaling downhill.

TUNNELS…

Have enough light.

I learned this in June on the Bizz Johnson. My Planet Bike front light just gave me vertigo. That sent me to the lights section on Bike Forum to read the mail. I bought a Coast LED lenser from Lowes. It’s bright and it can focus. The word on the forum was that you can buy a really bright flashlight and work out the clamp, giving you a dual purpose tool. They were right. I looked for something claiming more watts and lumens than the others. This is getting better each month.

It worked just fine on the 1.66 mile St. Paul tunnel – and all the others were anticlimatic. (Just remember that you do the SP twice.) I could adjust the focus to show what I wanted to see and the beam illuminated the tunnel very well. Riding the tunnel was a snap. It was hose-clamped to the Planet Bike clamp. Other folks that day had used tape, zip ties, etc. Just in case … I had a bright head light on the helmet – velcroed through the vent holes. Of course, there was a full set of spare batteries in the gear. Not needed.

Another thing you might like: fenders.

The St. Paul tunnel is long, dark, cold and wet. There are culverts on both sides running a lot of water. These are marked with yellow reflectors. Avoid them. Even so, there are drips and dribbles from the roof and wet spots. It is cold in there and I was the second one thru that day.

I had a GoreTex jacket over a fleece vest and kept thinking I should stop and zip it all up a lot more. Just kept on, however. With a full set of removable fenders, I had mud down below on the bike. Those with the manly mountain bike look (“Fenders are for sissies, dude!”) had the manly mountain bike mud stripes all the way up their backs. One guy, on getting back out, was seen washing his jersey in the brook. One note on rug rats in trailers – they are in the mud slipstream in the SP tunnel. They might not like that too much.

FINDING A TRAIL RANGER…

I watched them arrive for the day and set up. It appears that one is topside at the Roland trailhead to handle the shuttle bus unloading and such. Another is down at the bottom doing likewise and the third is going up and down the trail, checking tickets, etc. Ride on; they will find you.

ENJOY THE RIDE…

I sure did. This would be great with kids. Boys would love to see how they built and ran the road. What lad, regardless of age, could fail to be interested in the gigantic cantilever crane (30 tons of rails for ballast) that inched out as they built the trestles, lowering girders?

While I was down below, reading every sign, twice, Dear Wife at the trail head was having a Schadenfreude Moment. One, then two, then three school buses arrived and belched forth kids of assorted ages. (“All headed for ToolBear. Yes!)

First I knew about the “special groups” was when three of the more aggressive boys (well ahead of the pack) came whizzing out of a tunnel like wasps out of a drain pipe. They screeched to a stop to announce that I might want to get a move on (flee) as dozens if not hundreds of kids were behind them, all headed this way. (Vision: Mongol Horde.) Then they admired the Gutterbunny, proclaimed it a “cool bike” and went pounding off downhill.

Too many signs to read to flee. Successive swarms overtook me, all riding Hell-bent for Election. There must have been a prize for first down in class. But, but. Don’t you want to learn about the 1910 fire that burned 3,000,000 acres of forest and 89 people? About the silk trains? About the copper mine up that canyon? About the train signals? About… oh, never mind.

I had a fear that the shuttles would be backed up for hours, but not to worry. The operators had it well in hand with extra busses and moved the crowds uphill swiftly to off load at Roland. I had lunch at the bottom, then boarded a shuttle.

My, you can see a long way down when sitting on the outboard side. My, that road seems narrow. Glad it’s not raining. Glad I came. Do it again? Sure.

Ride on.

ToolBear

The scenery is gorgeous but the bike rentals at Lookout and the trail marshalls leave a lot to be desired. The rentals are expensive and poorly maintained. We had TWO breakdowns. Unfortunately, no repair gear is included in your rental, not even tubes! When I asked about repair gear at the rental shop, I was told not to worry about it because the trail is patrolled by marshalls that will be able to help you out. Not so! We sat for 90 minutes and never saw one. Thankfully some good samaritans happened by and helped us out. There were supposed to be four marshalls patrolling the trail but they were apparently understaffed.

It's a great trail but bring your own bikes and equipment. The prices charged at Lookout Pass are far too high for the poorly maintained bikes you get. And be ready to handle any situation on your own as the trail marshalls can not be depended on.

Thanks to the writer who informs me there ARE pit stops on the trail. I didn't see any when i've been there a few previous years, but next time, i'll be sure to look for them.

"There are in fact four restrooms along the way – at either end of the Taft tunnel, half way at Adair, and at Pearson (the bottom trailhead).
"

What an incredible experience! This is a must do bike ride - round trip is the best!

"I've ridden this trail twice in the past 5 years. I'm 58 years old...when I cycled this trail the first time I kept having deja vu feelings. Along the route, about 3/4 of the way down, it dawned on me...I rode this trail on the Milwaukee Road train, the Hiawatha, twice in my childhood with my family, once as a 10 year old and again as a 16 year old, on a family vacation to Seattle. I remembered it because of it's beauty, which so impressed me from the train. Though these recent trips were by bicycle, it was such a beautiful remembrance for me, and even more breathtaking than from a dome car window. Here's my review:
This is an easy trail, all ages can do it. A slow grade, downhill mostly. Beautiful vistas with tressles and cliffs, nothing dangerous. For those that are brave, or strong enough, you can ride the trail in reverse and go upgrade. For those that want an easy, gorgeous ride, go the conventional route, and at the end of the ride a bus takes you and your rented bike back to the starting point, which is a fun ride in itself! There are lots of historical markers along the way telling the history of the railroad that once traversed the area. The trailhead is in Idaho, and during the ride you cross over the Montana border. You have to rent the bikes at a ski lodge that is about two miles from the trailhead, off the main interstate, but unfortunately I can't remember the name of the ski lodge. Hint: there are no johns along the route, and it's a 15 mile ride, so pack a snack or lunch and be prepared to go off trail if nature calls. Plan to start early so you can take time to see the sights along the way stop and see the alpine flowers and great views etc. It is a wonderful recreational trail to ride, for any ability or age level.
"

"This is a must do bike ride. High mountains, great views, and the tunnels. The Taft tunnel is over a mile long, level, cold, damp, and a once in a life time experience. The other tunnels are short and interesting and then you go over the trestles looking deep into the canyons below. Good information placks along the way and good places to stop for lunch. Bring water, it can get very warm in the summer. "

"I did the up and back from Pearson, great fun, but take a very good light if you plan to do the Taft Tunnel. It is long, dark, cold and wet. If you are not comfortable with riding in the dark, skip the Taft or bring lots of lights. "

"I have ridden this trail twice, it was a great ride. The taft tunnel is long, wet, and cold, so dress appropriately, this is the case even in the heat of summer.

The view is spectacular, the tresles are high, open, and a bit scarry if you don't like heights. You won't work up a sweat if you just ride down hill and take the shuttle back to the top.
If you drive to Pearson and ride up the trail first, you will have 20 miles of dirty road from Wallace, or ten miles of dirty road from Avery, so take the freeway to Taft, exit 5, and go the 2 miles to the trail head and ride down the trail.

Plan on all day, take your lunch, a camera, and water. You won't be disappointed. "

"I came to the Route of the Hiawatha in early October after the seasonal closure, but before the snowfall. There were no trail patrols and the St Paul Pass tunnel was closed. However, the rest of the trail and tunnels were accesible.

I was the only bicyclist, but there were quite a few hunters. Lots of pretty fall colors were visible. "

"I rode this trail with my sister's family on 09/05/04 (Sunday of Labor Day weekend). With that in mind, there were a lot of people on the trail, but all seemed very courteous and out for a great ride. We started at the top and rode down to the Pearson trailhead - with my Dad driving shuttle. Even with high expectations from what I had read about this trail, it met our expectations in every way. The scenery is beautiful and the history of the area is incredible. We plan on returning to this area (from SE Idaho/Utah) at least every other year if not annually. "

This is the most scenic trail we have ridden. The Taft Tunnel was wonderful. The area is beautiful and the people at Look Out Pass were very helpful. This is must ride trail for everyone.

"My family and I rode the trail on August 5th, 2004. We started at the Pearson trailhead and road to the Taft tunnel. Due to weak bike lights and dead batteries in our bright flashlight we had to abandon the Taft tunnel portion.

Great scenery, beautiful tunnels and trestles and clean restrooms.

The trail was bumpier than expected and quite rough in a few areas which resulted in instant flat tire 1.5 miles from the Pearson trailhead on the return trip. Crushed stone similar to Mickelson Trail or Pine Creek Trail would make the trail perfect.

If you start at Pearson, beware of the 20 mile narrow winding gravel road from Wallace.

Still a very good ride. "

"We biked this awesome trail last summer on our way home from a conference in Coeur d'Alene. We had so much fun we allowed a whole day for this year's ride.

We arrived at the east portal trailhead and the kids were excited to go. After donning the proper gear (helmet and headlight) we headed into the Taft Tunnel. What a thrill! After a small bend in the tunnel you can actually see the light at the end of the 1.8-mile tunnel. Exiting the tunnel you find a small water fall and a photo op. (see our pics that are posted). Breathtaking views and informative trail signs are the rule. You will love the trestles and the other tunnels.

We completed the ride in two hours. One member of the family drove the road on the other side of the canyon and met us at the bottom. They actually could see us on several of the trestles. With hours to spare, we headed back to the top for another ride. It was just as good as the first ride."

"What a great trail. We came from Tennessee just to ride this trail. We could not have been more pleased. The tunnels, trestles, and views were unforgettable.

The trail is just a short drive off the interstate, and there is good parking and rest facilities. There is also a shuttle back up if you need it. We biked back up and the ride was easy.

We did the trail in August 2003. We started at the West Portal (top) and rode through the Taft Tunnel (jackets and lights are necessary for this tunnel). You can do the other eight tunnels without the jackets and lights. The Taft Tunnel was the best though. Enjoy!"

"My wife and I have been traveling around country for nine months and have ridden rail trails in twenty states. Recently we rode the Hiawatha Trail and would like to share our experience with others.

Our trip started at the Pearson trailhead and we rode up to and through the Taft Tunnel and returned back down to the Pearson trailhead. The trail did live up to its reputation for dark tunnels, long trestles, spectacular scenery, and the best set of signs explaining the history of the railroad we have seen on our trip.

The areas where we felt it came up short were the following. The trip to the Pearson trailhead is a twenty mile drive from Wallace on a dusty, winding dirt road, and then twenty miles back to Wallace on the same road. The eight dollar day use fee is excessive. It would cost a family of four thirty two dollars to ride a fifteen mile trail.

Our biggest disappointment was the rough trail surface. It was like riding on a dirt road coated with a fair amount of gravel and it was bumpy enough to detract from the ride, especially the downhill return trip. What should have been a pleasant downhill ride was instead bouncy ride that took away from our enjoyment of the scenery and one that we were happy to see come to an end.

We are not advocating that the trail be paved, but a smoother surface such as the one found on the Mickelson Trail in South Dakota would make the Hiawatha Trail a much more pleasant experience. Don’t attempt to ride this trail on a road bike. "

"I have been riding rail-trails for about five years. This is the most spectacular by far. I was expecting to be disappointed after all the hype I have heard in the past. If anything, the trail is undersold.

The trail marshalls were great fun and very knowledgeable about the trail and bicycle touring. Thank you to all involved.

If you are considering this ride, don't miss it. We rode in early spring, the first week it was open this year and the new growth along the trail was lovely."

"We took this trip two years ago (it was a graduation request from my oldest daughter) and the family loved it so much we did it again this summer.

It was a lovely, warm day and while there were a lot of bikers out and about, there were not enough to cause any problems. Everyone is so nice and helpful.

I dropped my husband and two teenage daughters at the trail head and I drove to the end to pick them up. Not only did they have a great time, but I enjoyed a quiet lovely drive through the mountains.

They arrived at the bottom in 2-1/2 hours full of stories and grinning from ear to ear. It was such a great trip, we are going to start making it an annual affair.

Thank you!"

I recently biked this outstanding trail that seemed the perfect way to take in some limited exercise for a vacation in Montana for a flatlander from Florida. We drove over from Missoula and discovered a treasure that recieves little recognition or publicity. This is a real jewel of the West that goes unnoticed by most visitors. We traveled during the week with very few other bikers but the trail offical said that business picks up during weekends..This trail is for all ages and all levels of biking experience. You cannot help enjoy the experience due to the perfect conditions and scenery from heaven

This past summer we biked the trail in both directions (we had planned to take the shuttle back up but the trip down was so much fun we decided to bike back) and found it to be one of the very best biking experiences we have ever had.

" I recently rode this trail. I is great, well groomed and well used. I did the round trip starting at the Pearson Trail Head up to the Taft Trail Head and back again. They have signs installed now that explain much of the history of the area. Take the time to read, learn and enjoy. Pause on the trestles the views are great and take time to talk with your fellow bikers I found everyone very friendly. Trail Marshalls take good care of the trail and are willing to answer any questions. Do this ride!"

"This trail is great! Yes, you can take the shuttle up and ride all the way down, so the trail is accessible to families with young kids or riders who are not sure they could handle a 13-mile ride.

It’s also great for fit riders who want a little more of a workout as you can skip the shuttle and ride up the trail. It’s a gentle 2% grade and a 26-mile round trip this way. I go at least twice a year and it’s my favorite ride every time.

Make sure you take flashlights as the tunnels are dark, and you may want a camera, as the scenery is outstanding! Pack a picnic and enjoy! "

"We traveled out of our way on our camping trip to Montana just to ride the Hiawatha trail....and were not disappointed. We only wish the trail was longer! Non-stop scenery, bridges and tunnels a great experience, great for all ages. The shuttle bus driver even made the trip back to the lot fun!"

"Before you go, make sure you have either a head lamp or bike light, a couple of the tunnels are long and dark. We bought headlamps and secured them to our helmets - this turned out to be a good setup.

My wife and I rode the Hiawatha in June. . The trail is well maintained, the scenery is beautiful, and yup, its down hill. Next time we go to Idaho, we'll take a ride on the Hiawatha.

Lessons learned: Next time we will buy our tickets at the trail head, and then drive to the lower end of the trail: I would much rather do the up hill first and ""get my reward"" (i.e. the down hill) last. "