Route of the Hiawatha

The Route of the Hiawatha is the crown jewel of rail-to-trail adventures. It was named to the hall of fame by the Rail-to-Trail Conservatory, one of only 15 trails across the United States to receive this designation. Begin your odyssey in Montana and immediately plunge deep underground to surface in Idaho where you'll stay for the rest of your historic wanderings. The Route of the Hiawatha may very well be the pride of America when it comes to trails. Descriptions can be exaggerated, but the sheer numbers can't lie. The trail is studded with ten tunnels (The longest is 8771 feet long.), seven trestles (The highest is 850 feet long and 230 feet high.), dozens of educational signs, thousands of trees and animals, hundreds of... Well, hopefully you get the picture. And while numbers don't lie, they also can't come close to describing the beauty and grandeur of this Idaho classic. A true trail fanatic could ride the Route of the Hiawatha and its nearby cousin, the Trail of the Couer d' Alenes and be in trail heaven. To access this trail, find Interstate 90, then turn off at either exit 61 if approaching from the Idaho side or exit 5 if approaching from the Montana side. It is a good idea to visit the website links provided with this guide for information about the trail fee, shuttle service, and bike rentals. Follow the path of the Milwaukee Road and enjoy a perfect path to paradise on the Route of the Hiawatha.