Vacations Blog

Easy riding on the Hiawatha Bike Trail

First thing they do each morning is clear out the bears.

Because you really don’t want to meet a bear while you’re biking through one of the dark mountain tunnels of the Hiawatha Bike Trail in North Idaho.

The Hiawatha is the ultimate family bike trail in the United States.  According to me, anyway.  The trail winds along 17 miles of abandoned railbed, through nine tunnels, across seven high trestles, and among some of the most stunning mountain scenery you can imagine.

One of many tunnels on the Hiawatha Bike Trail

You start your adventure about two miles off Interstate 90, right across the Idaho-Montana border.  After parking your car and paying a trail use fee, you’re immediately faced with a black hole in the side of the mountain.  It’s the 1.7-mile Taft Tunnel, the longest and darkest of the many tunnels you’ll experience on the trail.

This is where you’d better have some good flashlights strapped to your bike.  We rode through the Taft Tunnel with one good light and several weak ones.  My son took the strong light and the lead, and we followed a tiny flashing red light clipped to his backpack.  It didn’t take long for me to start hallucinating as I followed that bouncing little light into the pitch black.  In the cool, quiet center of the mountain, you start to feel like you’re cycling off into space.  And you miss the spot, about halfway through, when you cross from Montana into Idaho.

Eventually, as the tunnel curves, you see a little white dot of sunlight on the other side, and you exit the tunnel to find a lovely little waterfall and creek.  Here’s where the scenery begins as you start your descent of 1000 feet over the course of 15 more miles on a compact dirt and gravel trail.  With a 2% grade, it’s an easy ride for everyone, regardless of experience and skill.  My son easily did it at the age of 7.

And because you’re not huffing and puffing or worrying about your stamina, you can instead focus on the beautiful Bitterroot Mountains of North Idaho.  There are vistas at every turn, along with interpretive signs about the area’s mining and railroad history.

High trestle on the Hiawatha Bike Trail

The best places to admire the view are atop the trestles, one of which is over 230 feet high.  The trestles are very secure, with asphalt surfaces and steel cable railings.  Very safe for kids to stop and take a look around.

At the end of the 17 mile trail, a shuttle bus awaits to take you and your bikes back to the 1.7-mile Taft Tunnel.  But you’re not done riding yet.  The shuttle drops you off at the waterfall where you exited the tunnel, which means you get to ride back through it a second time.  Yes, bring extra batteries for your flashlights, just in case.

Nothing but wide trails and beautiful scenery on the Hiawatha Bike Trail

The entire trip takes about four hours, but it will pass by faster than you expect.  At no point along the trail did either of my kids whine or complain about stopping to rest.  We actually had to tell them to stop so we could enjoy the picnic lunch we’d packed.  That’s how easy and enjoyable the Hiawatha Trail is, and why I consider it to be one of the best family bike trails in the country.

The Hiawatha is now open for the summer, from 8:30am until 6pm.  Day use passes are $9 for adults, $6 for kids ages 6 to 13.  Children under 6 are free.  Passes for the shuttle bus are $9 for adults and $6 for kids, so a family of four can expect to spend between $50 and $60, depending on children’s ages.  You can also rent bikes and equipment at the trailhead.

Taking a break after making it through the Taft Tunnel

Tunnel entrance on the Hiawatha Bike Trail

All photos by Phil Corless