The Route Of The Hiawatha, Bike Trail

September 10, 2011 Wallace RV Park, Wallace ID.


In our former working/ career lives, we considered ourselves avid cyclists. I was a "roadie" or road cyclists and participated in club rides and organized rides on a regular basis putting in over a hundred miles each week and sometime more just on a weekend. Joyce and I had also owned two tandem road bikes at different times again participating in rides with the club that I helped to found and organize, The Suncoast Cycling Club. Moreover, I trained and supervised a bicycle unit during my law enforcement career.

The point is that cycling has been a major part of my life since I was a kid. So, when another couple told me about the The Route of the Hiawatha, Bike Trail, I just knew we had to try and make arrangements to do it.  We had met Jeanie and Eldy, the RV couple that told us about the trail, while staying in Missoula. Jeanie also does a blog,Where's Eldo and did a wonderful entry on the trail. Located on the Montana Idaho border we actually passed it on the way to Wallace. Thankfully Paul and Paula were also enthusiastic about doing the trail.
Today we prepared the bicycles and attached lights for our bike ride on the The Route of the Hiawatha, Bike Trail. Bike lights and helmets are required to ride the trail. In addition you have to pay $9 each for the privilege of riding and an additional $9 each if you want a bus ride back to the top. You see it's a gradual descent for the entire 15-16 miles.
We loaded up the bikes on Paul's truck as he has a hitch receiver on the front and rear of his truck. We joked that his truck was about 30 ft. long with all the bikes attached making it even more challenging to park.

We got on to Interstate 90 and then off at exit 5 for Taft and then followed the brown signs for the Hiawatha Trail down a dirt road. We found the dirt parking lot which was filling rapidly (Saturday) and unloaded our bikes. At the trail head we paid the attendants who then gave us a safety briefing reminding us that the first tunnel is 1.7 miles long, dark and cold at about a constant 42 degrees.

Lights, Helmet, sunglasses off...check!

He made sure we had lights and reminded us to remove our sunglasses before entering the dark tunnels. We soon got underway and were shocked by the cold tunnel even though we were warned before hand!

The 10 tunnels and 7 high trestles were once used by the Milwaukee Railroad so this has become the ultimate Rails to Trails. However, the path is not paved it's all dirt and not smooth dirt except for inside the tunnels.

We soon discovered just how "not smooth" the trail really is as it was a long jarring 15-16 miles even on All Terrain Bikes. But the views and the cool often cold tunnels made it even more interesting. Throughout the route are signs and stanchions explaining bits of history of the rail and the 1910 forest fires that devastated the area.

Paula and Paul

By the time we arrived at the bottom of the ride we were done with the jarring ride and had to make sure we hadn't jarred any fillings loose!

We had once entertained the idea of riding back up the hill to the beginning but one-way over washboard roads is enough for most folks! We took the shuttle buses back. The buses were converted school buses with hooks in the back for 24 bikes and seats for 24 passengers. 

The buses climbed up narrow dirt roads before depositing us at the other end of the Taft Tunnel ensuring that we had to ride back through the 1.7 mile cold dark tunnel to the start. Actually the cold tunnel felt good on the way back for at least the first mile!
We had a great time and were glad that we had done it!


Our plans are to continue heading west towards the coast of Washington.

Wallace RV Park in Wallace, Idaho and The Hiawatha Bike Trail

September, 9, 2011.
Okay, here I go again trying to catch up on the blog...


We got an early start and traveled to Wallace Idaho. The first leg of the Journey consisted of mostly two lane roads including pulling the rig through the historic downtown portion of Kalispell, a beautiful town that I wish we had explored. The route was both beautiful and hilly. The portion of interstate 90 from St. Regis was some of the worst in terms of a rough ride that we've traveled.

View Larger Map

After about 180 miles, we arrived in the town of Wallace Idaho and found Wallace RV Park, a small park practically in town but, just on the north side of the elevated interstate. The noise from the interstate wasn't noticeable.

It was warm close to 90 when we arrived. We got set up quickly but didn't run the A/C. The park is in a valley surrounded by tall pine trees. Others told us that we would have full shade by 4:30 and so it was. After setting up, we discovered that our two year old Emerson countertop ice maker refused to do anything but rattle and had bit the dust. I took it apart and determined to the best of my ability that the small compressor was toast as it rattled quite a bit. We will have to find a replacement because we really get a lot of use out of it.
The campground was nice but very tight. We talked to the owner at length who was very friendly. He purchased the park and a building on the south end of the park about a year and a half ago. He really wanted the building and the RV park just happened to come with it. He renovated the 100 plus year old former railroad depot building into a brewery, bar and soon a restaurant. The atmosphere inside now is that of a bar but they allow dogs to actually go inside. Somewhat interesting!

Wallace RV Park Bar with elevated interstate in the background.

The campground like I said is very tight and not very deep. I wouldn't consider it big rig friendly but more like big rig maybe, depending on how crowded they are as maneuvering could be very difficult. We literally had only a couple of extra feet from Paul and Paula's open slide with our awning open. However, each site has a patch of grass and we were backed up to a boisterous little babbling creek. There is no WiFi at the sites but supposedly available inside the bar (we didn't try it). The sites are all only 30 amp with sewer hook-ups. The temps during our stay were just right with lows in the 50's and highs in the mid to upper 80's but only for a couple of hours till we were blanketed in shade from the surrounding hills and forest. Our sites didn't feel the morning sun till about 10:30.

Our tight site next to Paul and Paula backed up to a creek.

We were so close to town that one morning Paul and I walked into Wallace and eventually around several blocks of the historic downtown area in search of a place for breakfast. We found a quaint little diner, Red Light Garage. There's also a small but reasonable grocery store in town. The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, a paved bike trail runs along the south border of the park just under the raised interstate.
Overall, we enjoyed our stay at Wallace RV Park and would probably return if we came through the area. Our purpose for stopping this time around was to ride The Route Of The Hiawatha Bike Trail.