Hiawatha Mountain Bike Trail Reviews

What a fun bike ride. We rented the bikes at Lookout and luckily had a truck for rental so we could transport the bikes.
The first tunnel was muddy and cold. The rest of the ride was beautiful. Easy to stop and take photos. Ride back on the bus was very easy.
Be sure to check the gears on your rental bike before taking off. Didn’t think to do this as it was our first time. My bike only would stay in one gear and I would have liked some options. Bikes are pretty beat up but work if you are not local.
Fun to see ages from 3-80’s doing this ride.

BEWARE. Just because you are paying to go on a trail does not mean it’s safe. This person is lucky to be alive. The tree was standing for years before it fell on this rider. This tree should have been cut down years ago to prevent this. They do not maintain the forest around. Read that ticket carefully. Ride at your own risk they take no responsibility for ANYTHING.

This is a gravel trail, not paved, and parts of it are quite rough. Best for mountain bikes but hybrids with good tires will do okay (although my hybrid got a flat afterward). It has some great history, nice views, and unique features (tunnels, trestles up high, etc.). But it is very poorly managed and administered. The nearby ski resort has a special use permit to act as negligent gatekeepers to the National Forest land that the trail is on. They charge $32 to use the trail whether one utilizes the shuttle to ride back up or not. I rode down AND back up and was nearly taken out by children riding down the left side of the road and their parents paying no attention to the fact that not everyone rides the shuttle back up, some people ride their BIKES back up! No employees were present on the trail to help out or direct traffic. And on the way back up in the second-to-last tunnel, a bus carrying families back to the point where they are dropped off repeatedly honked at me until I was forced to stop riding my bike, got off of it, and allowed the bus to go by. This was in the middle of a fairly short, completely dark/black tunnel. This was simply UNACCEPTABLE. There is NO respect nor concessions given to those riding the trail back up. If you want to go, try to go in the off-season in the middle of the week and avoid the crowds since no one from the administration staff will police the trail in any way. Or, ride down with the hordes of families and be one of the masses. Or, skip the first long tunnel (wet and muddy and 1.7 miles long) and start the trail at the far end of the tunnel, saving yourself the fee to use land that belongs to all of us. The ticket-taking people are generally rude but we met one man on staff who was near the entrance and was very helpful in describing the best places to go, what supplies to have, etc., especially for those of us riding back up.

The Hiawatha Mountain Bike Trail is, by far, the best experience we had while traveling to the west.

This past Friday we visited the Hiawathia bike trail with relatives. Make sure that you bring a headlamp or flashlight that is very bright. The first tunnel is 1.66 miles long and is total dark. It is difficult to see without a bright headlamp. I ended up walking my bike through the tunnel since I could not see. The trail is crowned in the middle which make riding a little difficult. The trails is a very gradual incline and easy riding. The views were not as great at I thought they might be. If you are afraid of heights I would recommend either not looking down while going over the trestles or walk you bike. The shuttle service at the bottom is great...they line your bikes up as you finish the trail We barely missed the shuttle but were first in line for the next shuttle. I would do it again with the proper headlamp

This is a great way to spend your day. start out early if you want to stop and look a lot as to not miss the last shuttle of the day. And as some have reported danger on trail. People need to remember the is a bike trail in the mountains not a paved bike trail in the city. You ride though some dark tunnels and if you are not paying attention to where you are going you can fall and get hurt. Just be aware of your surrounding and of other around you. If you do the above you will have a great time and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

We drove 10 hours just to get to this trail and let me tell you.. It was completely worth it. Indescribable views and an easy, downhill ride. Don't let the 15 miles scare you. You can coast through almost all of it.

I would say that this ride probably isn't for kids. While I don't thinks it's very dangerous or difficult, the tunnels (especially the Taft tunnel) are extremely dark and kind of creepy for us even as adults.

I read some bad reviews that mostly focus around the Taft tunnel and the lights you rent from Lookout Point but you really just need to expect a dark and pretty cold tunnel and keep in mind that the lights you get from the Lodge have different brightness settings. Play around with them BEFORE you start the trail.

While we weren't particularly fond of the tunnel, it was completely worth it in order to see the rest of this trail.

I was visiting a relative in Montana. Someone suggested we take a bike ride. We had no idea about the length of the Taft tunnel or that it was completely pitch black for nearly 2 miles. No one gave us an option to bypass the tunnel. Not for after entering the tunnel I realized my light was totally insufficient and I was disoriented and confused. I fell and scraped myself up pretty badly. I got back on my bike scared but wanting to get to daylight. After we came out the rest of the ride was very pleasant, but all I could think about was having to ride back through the tunnel again. I expressed my concern to the workers and felt like most just blew me off as overreacting and I should just gut it up and drive in the middle. Not far into the tunnel on the return my fears were realized when I completely lost my bearings and crashed into the side wall with my bike going into the trough of water on the side. I thought I had dislocated my shoulder. I was in severe pain. My helmet was cracked open and I couldn't move my right arm as well as being scraped and bruised. It took the staff I had tried to inform of my fears over an hour to get me out of the tunnel. They did not have adequate first aid or procedures in place to assist someone with my injuries. My cousin took me to the ER in Missoula where I was found to have a broken humorous in my right arm below my shoulder. I had to fly back to Texas where I am awaiting possible surgery and much pain. I cannot believe there wasn't better info, signage, lights, and planning by staff to take care of those like myself. I have read many reviews of others who have been injured unnecessarily as myself when a little lighting or helpful instruction could make all the difference.

Couldn't just do this once. This was our second ride in 3 years and still fantastic. The first tunnel was less intimidating this trip. And the views...Even though it is a 15 mile ride, it is mostly downhill and our kids did great. Lots of smaller ones on trail too. Our only complaint this trip was the long line up to get on the bus. We waited about an hour to get to our car. Our friends did Hiawatha about two weeks later and their wait was over 2 hours to get on the bus. Best advice i could give would be to go early. A memory to cherish that's for sure.

Off the beaten trail but well worth the effort, lots of history, vistas, and a little exercise makes for a great family vacation. Adventure seekers will find a long tunnel to bike through. Best place to put in is lookout mt, they rent bikes with lamps that you will need for the tunnels. A shuttle bus takes you back up to your car at the beginning of the trail. This experience is a winner!

Pros- Trail is very unique, scenic, well supported by staff with some food, water, bike repairs, and bus transport back to the first tunnel at the last trail head. Many thanks to Bill, for fixing my bike at the trail head!!!
Cons- First tunnel is long (1.7 miles), wet in places, and mostly you have to go through it twice (on your way out and back), so you have the potential of 2 way traffic.
Tips: You will get mud splatter from the back and underside of your bike so plan accordingly with what you wear. Bring a change of clothes and shoes for your ride home, esp. if you are going anywhere afterwards. Bring sanitizing gel for after using the portal potties as none is provided. For bikes you rent, ride them around a bit in the parking lot before you go on the trail. The one I was given needed multiple adjustments for the brakes and gears (because of the mud that had not been cleaned off before I got it) and the gears on my husband's bike didn't work.
Best to get there at 8am when they open yo get on the trails early when less crowds on the trail, I was told they have 500-1600 riders a day during the summer, esp. on week-ends. Once you are on the trail the crowds thin out, and sometimes you are riding along with just the people you came with.

My husband and I did this trail and enjoyed it immensely. We will be visiting the area again next year and are definitely going to do it again. It brings you some of the most beautiful country you will ever see and up close to wildlife (especially deer and chipmunks). Riding through the tunnels was so cool. I loved everything about it.

Two hours of downhill riding, scenic and leisurely! Our 300 lumen lights handles the tunnels easily. We had light jackets for the Taft Tunnel but on the way back we ditched them as it was 99 degrees outside. The only thing I would've done different was two take a couple gallons of water to wash with afterwards as we were pretty dusty. Bikes were washed up when we got home. Saw lots of families out on the trail which was so delightful. We will go again! The bus ride from the bottom to the top was a pleasure and our driver told us a lot of historic stories too! I'm providing my stats here for your reference. My top speed was a short burst and a bit dicey--don't recommend that!! Enjoy your ride!

I was told about this trail by my husband. I was all for it cause I enjoy bike riding. However, I could not bring my bike so rented a standard mountain bike. Yeah it would be fine for 7 miles, but 15. All bikes should have shocks on this trail. I think their other bike rental offered has shocks?
I look forward to doing this again with my family and my bike with shocks!!!
It is fun filled, beautiful and very history packed.
**** Bring food, 15 miles may seem quick but, your body will need the calories!****

Great trail and beautiful views! I rode a specialized rode/ trail bike, no problems. You need a good light, it's worth the peace of mind while going through the tunnels. We only went one way took the bus back, just FYI the bus only takes you to the first tunnel so you have to ride back through the 1.6 darkest tunnel to get back to your car. The trail opens at 830 pacific time, you save a few bucks if you pay online 2 days before.

I would call the surface rocks, rather than gravel. It was an arduous trek. I've ridden 1000's of miles but never on anything close to this bad.
I saw a woman with a trailer beside the trail holding a baby. I'm thinking, "Shaken baby syndrome?" Seriously!
There are hundreds of miles of wonderful trails in the Pacific Northwest with beautiful views. You don't have to shake your teeth loose to ride them and they are virtually all free!
The tunnels were fun, damp but smooth. But only a couple of miles or-so of the 15 miles are tunnels.
I was really surprised at the 100's of people that were riding the trail. Kudos to the people marketing this travesty!

What an excellent adventure. I'm a big boy so the level slight grade was perfect for a 17 mile bike ride. we really enjoyed all the tunnels and I would highly recommend this to any traveler in the area the shuttle service is perfect their friendly and helpful and there's no confusion on where you need to go. lookout ski resort was awesome to us. all you have to do is show up and they do the rest

I rode the Hiawatha bike trail in mid-June with my three sisters, all of us in our 60s and early 70s — and we absolutely loved it! The entire experience was very well organized, and every staff member we interacted with was friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating.

We rented bikes at the Lookout Pass lodge, where there were hundreds of bikes in all sizes and styles. The staff made sure we had what we needed and were quick to help if we needed to switch bikes due to brake feel or comfort. The bikes were well suited for the trail, especially for some of the wetter areas.

We opted to have our bikes shuttled to the start of the trail — about 5–6 miles from Lookout Pass — and they arrived before we did. At the trailhead, staff were ready to assist with headlight fittings and minor adjustments to our bikes. They were efficient and upbeat, which added to the great start of the ride.

The trail begins with a 1.6-mile tunnel that crosses the Montana–Idaho border — cool, dark, damp, and a little muddy, but very manageable. We were glad we had layers and backpacks with fluids and snacks. Two of us brought our own headlamps (in addition to the bike-mounted lights), which we wore on our helmets — a tip we highly recommend for leading through the tunnels. We’d also suggest wearing your jacket hoods in the long tunnel to keep your ears warm — something we learned along the way!

After exiting the tunnel, there was a beautiful waterfall that made for a great photo op. The trail is all downhill, so very little pedaling or gear shifting is needed — just sit back and enjoy the ride. The scenery was breathtaking, and the terrain changed often enough to keep it interesting. We also spotted some fun wildlife along the way.

Trail staff wearing red first aid backpacks passed us regularly along the route, which added to our sense of safety and support. At the end of the trail, we had a short wait for the shuttle bus that took us and our bikes back up the hill to the start. The bus driver was delightful — she clearly loves her job and shared stories and fun facts during the ride back.

We finished the loop by riding back through the long tunnel again, this time with our jackets pulled over our heads for extra warmth. Many of the same cheerful staff greeted us again at the end, offering encouragement and high spirits.

We all agreed: the Hiawatha Trail was a highlight of our trip. The organization, scenery, and thoughtful details made it a wonderful experience. We’d highly recommend it — especially with a few layers, a helmet headlamp, and a sense of adventure!

What more could one want - perfect temperatures, blue skies, broad vistas and downhill all the way. We were given a comprehensive orientation prior to entering the Taft tunnel which was welcomed and helpful. The darkness of the 8000' tunnel was disorienting at first but going slowly and staying to the center of the trail got us through. This is not something to attempt after a long absence of riding. It is also 40 degrees in there with dripping water. The rest of the trail was relatively easy though the track became progressively rougher the lower one gets. This requires at least a hybrid bike or mountain bike - road tires will not work here. There are many interpretive signs providing information about the railroad and life in the heyday of rail transportation. The tunnels and trestles are fun, the vistas are wondrous. We took 3.5 hours to complete the trail and were pleasantly surprised to find that though there is a posted shuttle schedule they were running the busses as soon as they were full (24 bikes, 24 passengers). Take note of the last shuttle time. There is a warning sign halfway down to remind people of this fact - heed it or ride back uphill.

This is our second year having opportunity to ride this amazing trail. The tunnels, the trestles and the view are spectacular. Not only will you be thrilled you will be wet and cold and dirty - like being a kid again. You bike downhill so will need to take shuttle bus back to top-this is a dusty and bumpy ride but fun. The people who work the Lookout Pass, the trail and shuttle are really enjoyable. Anyone who loves outdoors and biking should do this ride.

Of course where you’re at in Northern Idaho it is beautiful. The problem is with the Hiawatha Trail. It is too expensive.

The tunnels and the trestle bridges are cool... and that is it. No great and grand vistas, the path is rock and gravel the whole way. Yes it is pretty much all downhill, but you get to the end and you feel like you haven't really seen anything... pretty anti climatic.

There were lots of families on the trail, but almost every small child had skinned up knees making it not very enjoyable for the families. We went with our kids (ages 9 & 10) and they rode fine, but the ride isn't anything pretty and you don't get to some grand destination at the end... just a cramped and VERY dusty bus to ride back in.

If you are looking to go out with your family, have a nice trail, views and wildlife, then I would not recommend this trail. Rather if you are in the area I would steer you toward the Trail of the Coeur d'Alene's. That one is smooth, there's wildlife to see, you ride along the side of the river, and if you plan where you are going to start/stop you will have a great destination.

Have fun out there!!

The Hiawatha Trail ride had been on our bucket list for some time and we finally made it in September 2023. We visited after Labor Day and there were very few riders on the trail. The 10 tunnels and 7 trestle bridges were amazing. Re rented bikes and had them delivered which was a bit of an extra cost, but worth it. We checked over our bikes before hitting the trail and were were glad we did, because one them had brake issues. We got a replacement quickly. The rental bikes at the end of the season were a bit worn. My gears shifted without notice, but it really wasn't an issue over al since the ride is all downhill. The first tunnel is 1.66 miles long, very dark and muddy. If you go slow, the mud doesn't flip up on your back. Temperatures in the first tunnel were very chilly, but after that, you really didn't need a jacket or gloves. All of the other tunnels were dry. The scenery was beautify and the historic plaques along the way gave a great history of the area.
Once at the bottom, we waited about 30 minutes for the shuttle and enjoyed the bus ride back up. We were dropped off about 2 miles from the start and go to ride back through the long tunnel. This was such an awesome day we plan to do it again.

My husband & I rented bikes (carrier & helmets included) at Lookout Pass, drove to Roland, and biked to Pearson. It is a 1.6 % downhill grade. The shuttle buses take you and bikes back up to your car. The staff is very efficient. Not a workout unless you go the other direction! The path is gravel and sometimes a bit washboard, but not bad. Toilet about halfway.

It was a beautiful day and a wonderful ride. Be sure to have very powerful headlamps on your bikes. We were told at a bike shop at home that 35 lumens was enough. It wasn't. We drove an extra 5 miles to skip the Taft tunnel because we couldn't see well enough. It is very disorienting to be in total darkness with such low powered headlamps. Also, be sure to bring something warm. It is only 40 degrees in the tunnel. The rest of the ride was very peaceful and we stopped at many of the historical information signs. We got to the Pearson portal just 15 minutes before the shuttle was due to leave so we timed that just right. It was a great day.

Don’t do it!!! Expensive for what you get. We took this trail as a family of 6. The bike trail is gravel and rocky last 1/3 of the trail. It was rough enough that my son’s tire popped and was shredded. The tunnels were cool for a minute. I would avoid the bike rentals at all costs!! There were bikes broken or falling apart on the trails. They don’t maintain the bike rentals and if it breaks they guilt you.
We had fun until the bottom of the trail. That’s where we waited over 2 hours for the shuttle. It’s just a hot school bus, that took us about 40min back to the start of the trail. If you started the trail in the big long tunnel you will need to ride back through that tunnel to get to your vehicle.
In the over 2 hours time waiting for the shuttle we were met by the trail martial. He was terrible! Not just rude but unkind! He was very demanding and barking orders at everyone. There are no signs and little directions making it difficult to know where to go or what to do. It was a mess!
Not only was this man unpleasant to be around he was talking about some very inappropriate things. Like how lucky gynecologists are or comments about certain women when they walked past him. My family and I didn’t need to hear those things. The trail martial also made fun of people as they were getting ready to load their bikes, eating or just saying dumb things because he thought he was being funny.
As we were loading up on the shuttle the trail martial began yelling at a family that was waiting under a tree. They had a child who had fallen and was hurt. As they were loading the child into their vehicle the martial stormed over to them and began yelling. This martial called the husband a looser over and over again as the family was leaving which just made himself look like the true looser. Everyone was so sick of this guy!!! We won’t be back and its because of people like this. This company needs to hire better people to be in charge. My advice…find another bike trail near by.

Our party of six found this bike ride a most enjoyable & memorable experience. We rode on a week day which we found was not too crowded. But now that holidays are underway, things could definitely be busier. The first tunnel which is the longest and darkest was a little intimidating at first, but with high powered headlights on the handlebars, we soon found there was no need to be too concerned. Be aware that there is water running down the sides of the tunnel, as well as some dripping from the roof, so watch out for puddles and possible slippery loose gravel. Keep focused on trail ahead of you and keep in the centre, except with on coming riders. The tunnel is plenty wide enough for 2 lane traffic. Dress in layers because it is definitely colder in the big tunnel. Oh, yes, remember to take off sunglasses before entering the tunnels! As well, be aware of traffic coming up behind you, because a lot of them don’t let you know when they plan to pass you. Letting others know that you plan to pass on the open trail, such as “passing on the left” is a good idea. The trestles were something to see. A great experience shared with biking buddies and we plan to ride it again.

We rode bikes on this trail in 2014 and 2015. Beautiful scenery. It was an easy ride, 15 miles, which is mostly slightly down hill. You can choose to ride back of pay to take their shuttle back up. Bike rentals with lights which you will need for the tunnels, and helmets are for rent at the Lookout Ski Lodge. You can either take your bikes to the beginning of the trail or they will take them for you. It's a five mile drive to the trailhead. Food is available for purchase at the lodge. Go to their web site for times and more information. Highly recommend!

We rented the mountain bikes with lights (we had our own helmets) you have to have the lights for the tunnels, they are dark. They are also cold and damp with dripping water. You will get mud type splatter with a bit of spray from wheels.
The whole ride is on crushed stone and at railroad grade so there are no steep climbs or descents.
Since it is such a unique ride we did it down and back, around 30 miles. The return trip is uphill but again, it's at railroad grade. We stopped more going back, sightseeing and sign reading since it is uphill and had gotten rather warm.
Rental was simple and the bike was a bit clunky but worked and fit just fine.
Bring water and a nice picnic, enjoy it.

This review assumes you are traveling from afar and renting a bike at Lookout Pass

I would recommend driving to Pearson and biking up and then cruising back down. If you do it the "conventional" way -- rent the bike and take the bus back -- its a pretty short time ON the actual route and expensive for the actual biking time.
I stopped and read all the signs and it took me 2.5 hours to finish. I spent about the same amount of time with logistics of going to get the ticket and bike, loading the bike in the car, driving to the trailhead, and dropping the bike off etc.

That being said: Really awesome trail - especially if you have a railroad/train nut in the group. Since it follows the tracks of the Milwaukee Road line, there's loads of informational history about the history of the line and how they built it. Great stuff. Views are spectacular.

The ride is very easy - after you get through the 1 mileish Taft Tunnel you really dont need to pedal all that much -- you can just cruise it.

The bikes were a little old (definitely not like the pictures on the website) and the person "helping" me with the bike didn't seem to have any knowledged on how a bike should fit -- they didn't know how to adjust a seat and seemed intent on getting me on my way vs making sure the brakes/gears etc were in order.
My bike had a wonky shifter and the back break was less than ideal. I had to adjust the seat on my own and didn't quite get it right.
Luckily I didn't need to do much pedaling.
The light they provide didn't work on the return through the Taft tunnel - I had to piggy back off someone in front of me.

The people getting the passes in order were friendly as were the folks loading/unloading the bikes and driving the shuttle.

I just felt like for the prices (bike rental, trail pass, shuttle pass) that I would have gotten a little more of a ride.

I live on the Palouse and enjoying bicycling there whenever possible. However, a ride on the Hiawatha is a not-to-be-missed activity even if you are a casual cyclist. I rode the trail last weekend on my birthday. What a treat! The temperatures were in the high 80s that day, but frequent tunnels cooled us right down. I choose to ride up the hill from the Pearson trailhead on the west end of the trail. Most riders only do the downhill slide from Lookout Pass. The elevation gain is great, but it is so gradual that one hardly notices that they are riding uphill. Then, the bonus of a great downhill to the trailhead. If you choose the most popular route (from Lookout downhill) you'll get a ride back to you car in a shuttle (school bus). The views are spectacular. The trail takes riders through several railroad tunnels - some of which are longer than others. If close quarters are a concern for you, perhaps consider another activity while your friends enjoy the ride.

An activity for all levels depending upon one's ability to ride a bike and negotiate around those who can't. It runs along a discontinued rail-bed through a series of tunnels (one of which is 3km long.) Expect to get muddy in the tunnels from dripping water and back-wheel spray.

Views are great and the staff of Lookout Pass who outfitted us with bikes, helmets, lights and a rack were first-class.

I’m going to repeat what everyone else has said: great experience but would have been better if the bikes and lights were better.
Scenery is amazing - trail is great - beautiful experience. The people were friendly and helpful. The intro could have been a bit more inclusive - I felt like it was a bit rushed - and it would have been nice to have a little more detailed explanation of the interior of the tunnels.
What I would tell future riders:
- bring your own headlamp; the ones provided slip around on the handlebars and need adjusting. My husband’s light never worked, mine stopped working halfway through.
- The first tunnel is long - it is a little daunting at first because it is dark and is about a mile and a half long.
-The tunnels are WET - water will drip down on you AND, if your bike doesn’t have a fender, you will get a milky grey stripe up the back of your pants and/or jacket. Not a big deal but don’t wear your best linen outfit on this trip!
-
-
we ordered a picnic lunch which was fine but if you have the alternative to bring your own, do it.

- if you are traveling in a party - arrange to meet at a certain place if you want to meet up; there is no cell service and because we are traveling at different speeds and some people will stop and read the interpretive signs - it is easy to lose track of people. We had a group of 13 and we lost track of some people - not a biggie but if we had wanted to eat lunch together - we would need to arrange a place and time.
Best way to enjoy this trail? With your own bike, light and lunch!

My sister and I traveled from Clarkston, WA which is a 3.5 hr trip. 100% worth the drive. The employees were helpful, the tunnel was not that bad.
MAKE SURE YOU GO TO LOOKOUT PASS TO GET YOUR PASSES FOR THE BIKES EVEN IF YOU PURCHASED RESERVATIONS ONLINE! Luckily we stopped at Lookout Pass to use the restroom, because I thought we could just go straight to the trail head. Do not do that. Regardless, You must go to the ski lodge!

Just make sure you have lights and a light jacket. I brought two lights, in which I'm glad I did. The tunnel does get wet inside from all of the ground moisture, so you might get a little wet from water falling from the ceiling.
The ride took us about 2 hours which was very leisurely for us. We stopped and ate lunch on the middle of a trestle while enjoying a wonderful view of the white caps.
Once we got to the bottom, we were told that we had to wait about an hour and a half for the shuttle, but we had enough people to fill a shuttle within 10 min, so they called down another bus, and picked us up within 15 min. The shuttle ride takes about 30 min to get back to the top.
I would definitely make this trip again. I plan on making this trip an annual tradition.

If you're not a long trek cyclist, you'll want to purchase shuttle tickets for $8.00, but very worth the uphill return. We did the entire trail including the first tunnel which was long and hard to see with bike light. Next time, I will skip the first tunnel both coming and going and park where the shuttle drops off after you've completed the entire ride. The other tunnels were relatively easy in comparison. Mostly downhill, it was an easy ride, even though it seems long by mileage. Very beautiful scenery and nice nature escape. The shuttle picks up at 1.5 hour intervals, but we think there are several for each time pick up and they return when full of riders. Ask about it when you purchase your tickets. We hurried our ride to make the 1:15 return, but probably could have spent a bit more leisurely sight seeing along the path as the shuttle departed at 12:50 when full and I'm sure more shuttle buses came for the 1:15 pick up.

This is a fun ride. If you are riding from the East Portal down to Pearson it is a pretty easy ride. You can take a shuttle bus back up most of the way, but there are some lines towards the end of day.
We parked at Pearson and rode up to the East Portal and back down. The grade is slightly less than 2% so the ride up is not bad There are plenty of historical signs along the way that tell the history of the old rail line and the area. The trail is a good intro to the trail system in the area. We have done this ride twice. Next time we will probably ride some other sections.

This was a beautiful and fun ride to do at you own pace. Enjoy cool dark tunnels, scenic vistas from the trail and bridges on a nicely maintained trail. We drove over from Spokane and made a day trip out of it. People of all ages and skill level were out enjoying the ride. The rental company will transport you to the top and will be at the bottom to return you to your car.

The trail is all downhill. It is interesting to think of what used to be. However, the trail started out with about five miles of relatively smooth surface. Then it went into larger stones that shook the inner core of my soul. The 1.7 mile tunnel needs a simple grading. 10 miles of the path are a jarring mess. I rode the bus back to the top because I couldn't stand the bone jarring ten mile ride to the top. We saw one trail marshall during the ride and we're happy we did not have any problems. The exercise value is nill.

We were assembling our tandem in but my replacement master link didn't fit my chain. I was getting more and more frustrated when Ken, a member of staff, rode up. He couldn't get it to fit either, so he went to his truck, returned with a chain (and link), refused any payment, and wished us a good day. He saved our trip - I would have had to drive back to Lookout or further to see if they could help us.

The trip itself was excellent, even though the view was slightly obscured by smoke from the British Columbia fires. I was a bit worried about getting vertigo on the trestles but they have wide roadways, extensive cable railings, and side curbs. Expect to get splashed in the tunnels if you don't have fenders on your bike.

The bike ride was beautiful ! The shuttle on the other hand wasn’t ! The driver named Ed, was driving way to fast! He was also on the radio as we were going around a corner! We ended up almost going over the edge and off of the road! There was about 20 on the bus. They got another bus to take us to the west portal. We then had to wait for our bikes. Not a single person reached out to us and apologized! In the commotion we ended up leaving 2 water bottles and 2 camelbacks. We called the next day and they said they couldn’t find them. They kept saying that they would call us back. They have never called us. We have called them. They weren’t going to refund us. They finally agreed to refund us the shuttle. They were very rude. I have asked to speak to the GM and the refuse.

This was a truly memorable experience. I booked online, for the wrong date, but they were fortunately able to accommodate the change. We recommend bringing your own headlamp. We rented bikes, booked the shuttle both ways and purchased lunch, which was nicely packed in a drawstring backpack. We requested the flashlight, but one was slightly broken and kept slipping to point back at the rider, fortunately we had headlamps with us. We don't mountain bike, but this was an easy ride and highly enjoyable with deer greeting us outside a couple of tunnels. Yes it can be done in 3 hrs, but don't rush it. Make this the only thing you do for the day. I rank this highly as a 'must do again!' excursion.

Went with my family of 4. The only downside is you have to pick up the bikes at the ski resort and drive 5 miles to the trail head. When you are done you have to bring the bikes back. But the trail is amazing. Part of the old Hiawatha rail line it is 15 miles but with a gentle downslope so not too much real pedaling. I rode my bike with a 20lbs pack on. Fun going through the tunnels, on is 1.6 mi long, and cold. The views from the trail are great and I loved looking at and riding on the old trestle bridges. The info signs along the way tell the story and how amazing America was when we built these great rail lines and trestle bridges in 1 month (you couldn't even get the permit in that amount of time today let along build it). When done you can pay to have them transport you and the bikes via bus to the first tunnel, so you don't have to worry about riding back. You can buy the bus tickets from the driver of beforehand. I would have liked to ride up but with the family that was not an option. Great times!

This is an incredibly beautiful and easy trail. I stopped about a dozen times to take photos and rode at a leisurely pace, and completed the ride in less than two hours. The problem I had was with the rental shop at Lookout Pass. I made the mistake of not testing the rental bike out before driving to the trailhead. Once on the trail, I discovered my gears/shifters did not work and had to ride the entire trail at one speed....slow. I was pedaling at the highest number of revolutions with little distance covered. I tried not to let it ruin my experience, because I made it and it was a special place. When I returned the bike, (presumably) the manager or other supervisor acknowledged the gears weren't working and said the bike would go to the junk pile. Well how about an apology or a partial refund for the inconvenience? Nope, nothing. All the trail marshals and shuttle drivers were great, but all of the employees at the resort were disengaged and didn't add anything positive to the experience. Overall, I would do this ride again, but would use my own bike.

The bike trail is as scenic as I have ever seen. In its entirety, it is an easy 15+ miles going on a slight downhill slope. At a nice pace, the trail can be completed in just a few hours and then a shuttle takes you back to your car. The tunnels are dark and pretty cold, so a bright headlamp and a sweater (or jacket) are a must. Lots of fun for kids and adults!

Breath taking views as you ride a bike down an abandoned railway. Experience riding through a mile long tunnel, stopping a learning about the historic route. Bring a camera and a picnic for lifelong memories!

Pretty cool concept. If you are a local you stop by the office at the state line and pay your 10 dollars per person, decide if you want to take the shuttle back, and head to the trail. If you need a bike, they hook you up with bike, light, and bike rack, load you up and you are on your way. The trail was spectacular. It is very eerie to start off in a pitch black almost 2 mile cold train tunnel. The temperature of the long tunnel is almost 20 degrees cooler than outside air temperature so be prepared for that. It was a cool 47 degrees when I went on a 65 degree day. Very cool place to spend as little as a half day 3-4 hrs, or easily a whole day if you decide to ride both directions and take lunch. The rented bikes were comfortable and it was a simple ride with great scenery. If anything, I wish the outfitter had a trailer you could take bikes in or at least drop off out of the trailhead rather than return it to the shop. This was very fun, cool ride and is a perfect pit stop for vacationers driving across this part of the country.

The bike rental, helmet, headlamp, bike rack and shuttle is a total of $54. That seems like a lot to pay for a bike ride however it is worth every single penny! This truly is an Idaho / Montana "hidden gem" and if you have the opportunity to ride the Hiawatha Trail take it. The trail starts out with an awesome and chilly 1.6 mile tunnel that will require you to use your headlamp. When you exit the tunnel there is a beautiful waterfalls on the right hand side. The entire trail is all an easy downhill ride. The trestles and other tunnels as well as the views are phenomenal. Our family has a memory we will cherish for years to come.

To start the bicycle that I rented was not that that great a shape it wouldn't go through the gears on the front and the brakes on the one side barely worked but they don't warn you about is going through the tunnel you need a better light on the bicycles my wife ended up going into the ditch on one side of the tunnel where the drainage is and now we're at the hospital due to a broken shoulder injury

What an amazing experience! Beautiful place I highly recommend it. If you can take your own bike it is probably better. Gravel road tires for safety, lights for the tunnels and suspension to help smooth out the bumps.

This is an awesome easy ride. Plenty of reviews will tell you that. I would strongly advise you to rent their bikes tho rather than take your own. There is a 1.8 mile, wet tunnel at the start (and the end) of the ride. The floor is a fine wet silt, and it will coat all the important mechanical parts or your bike. It is hard to clean off - even a trip to a do-it-yourself car wash with a high powered hose didn't do the job well. The rest of the ride is on a loose gravel road, fine if you have mountain bike or wide tires, not so much for more road bike configurations. Renting a bike is a drag, especially if you have yours in tow anyway. And some other reviews point out that the rentals are not in great condition (no surprise given what I noted above), but that doesn't really matter much on a short downhill ride. Save yourself a lot of grief and pony up for the rentals.

We were in Coeur D'alene for a holiday and made the trip to Hiawatha because we had heard about it from friends.

We rented our bikes from Lookout Pass Ski area located at the Montana and Idaho border (exit 0). The bike rental cost $30 and comes with a light and helmet. The trail pass is $10 and then an additional $9 for the shuttle ride back up from the bottom of the trail. At the rental place you will be given a bike rack for your vehicle with the bikes to transport on your own vehicle (we had three adults and luckily had a truck which made things easier). You then drive down the I-90 to exit 5 in Montana and head up to the trail head.

At the trail there is a trail ranger to give you basic instructions on the trail and to check you have a valid pass (you can also purchase passes and shuttle tickets from them at the trail). The trip begins through a 2 mile tunnel (which is why lights are required). We were told the tunnel is 40' and as Canadians thought that was warm but it is in Fahrenheit not Celsius. A thin jacket is recommended. You will also get mud splatter up your back driving through the tunnel.

Beyond the 2 mile tunnel, the trail is an additional 13 miles to the bottom. There are a couple of water coolers to refill bottles and get a drink. There are no washrooms along the trail but there is at the bottom. The scenery is absolutely amazing. The ride is downhill the whole way and is doable in 2-4 hours. When entering tunnels make sure to turn your light back on and to take off your sunglasses.

On busy days the shuttle runs non-stop from the bottom but you may still have to wait your turn. At the end of the tunnel make sure you leave your bike in the line before your walk around. Your bike reserves your spot in line (several people passed the line and ended up having to return and wait longer as the line had grown since they finished it). You can also turn around and bike back up the trail. It is a 2000 foot elevation gain but is a fairly gradual climb.

The shuttle is an old bus and takes approximately 30 minutes to get back up to the top. You get dropped off at the West end of the Taft Tunnel and have to bike back one more time through the 2 mile tunnel to get to your car (a total of 17 miles of biking). The tunnel is flat and is not difficult to bike back up.

So I will say this is a great family bike ride with amazing scenery and history. Loved it all. However I will say we had to rent bikes and this experience was confusing and frustrating. Everyone we met too said it was a rather disorganized and confusing ordeal to get going. So I will give a quick over view to hopefully make it easier to understand. If you need to rent bikes you first need to go to the lookout pass ski area. This is where you can rent bikes, get helmets, buy trail passes and shuttle tickets . Everyone will need a trail pass. It is a fee for using the trail. You will need a shuttle pass if you are only riding down the trail and not back up it. When you rent bikes tell them what vehicle you are driving and they may be able to give you a free bike rack . Which they will set up for you and the bikes at the back of the building. Otherwise they offer for an extra $20.00 to transport your bikes 10 minutes down the road to the trail head. This takes extra time as you may have to wait for the delivery once you get to the trAil in your own vehicle. We heard some had waited half hour to an hour.Once you pay the cashier she will give you directions to get to the trail. You have to get back on the freeway and drive about 10 minutes where there will be marked signs off the exit to get up to the parking lot where you will start your ride. Immediately when you start your ride you will ride through a pitch black freezing tunnel for 2 miles. Your bikes will have lights on them. But it is really cold and so I would recommend a light jacket for sure! Especially for children . It is a long ways and I feel it could frighten young children so be prepared if they are riding on their own bike. You will also ride this tunnel twice because on the way back after getting off the shuttle you need to ride through it again to get to your car. After the tunnel it is all fun! Beautiful!! But I only saw one washroom the whole way and bring water and snacks as it could be a long ways for families . My husband and I are fit and we hurried through parts and it took us over 2 hours . For families I would say 4 hours. When you get your passes at the bike rental place they will give you a shuttle schedule . Note the times! Because you may end up waiting for an hour and a half at the bottom if you miss the previous shuttle . Which would be very boring as there is nothing but an outhouse. This way you can judge whether to speed up or slow down on the trail. There are shuttle busses that will transport you and your bike back up to the parking lot from the bottom.the shuttle driver was fantastic and gave us a great history lesson on our way back to the top which we really appreciated ( about a half hour ride ). I would say that for smaller children make sure they like to ride bike and know its a long ways. We saw some families struggling with small children. I would do a tag a long on a bike for small kids . It is gravel the whole way so it can be bumpy. There are also several shorter tunnels on this ride . But everyone we know loved the experience as did we. If you could bring your own bikes it would save the confusing hastle at the rental point. If you can bring your own bIke you can skip lookout pass and head straight to trail and there you will be able to purchase a trail pass and shuttle ticket from the trail guide outside the tunnel. Hope this helps . But most of all enjoy the sights!

Our family has ridden this awesome trail ever since it opened. Our group was alarmed with the deterioration of the trail. The last 3 miles were the worst with very large gravel, making it a very rough ride. It looks like the path is down to the railroad bedrock. I hope it is fixed before the trail opens next year!

This is about the fifth or sixth time I have ridden this trail and it just gets better. I love to introduce people to the joys of the ride, and this time had 3 grandkids 10 and under and they loved it too. The grade is not steep and can be handled by just about anyone who can ride a bike, and the scenery is nothing short of spectacular. Dont miss it!

**** IF YOU HAVE KIDS and planning on doing this...... START as EARLY AS you can********

This is an awesome place and it was soooooo much fun to ride your bike and enjoying the views

My wife and I were riding our bikes with 3 kids... 17,12 and 9 years old daughter.....

The start of the ride from the top was an epic ride!!! With aprox 1.6 miles tunnel ride... IT WAS WET, COLD, MUDDY and DARK!!!! I mean PITCH BLACK dark!!!! Be sure to bring your BRIGHT bike LIGHT!!! And maybe even double it up...🤣🤣

My sons and i went a little crazy fast going thru the tunnel and by the end of the tunnel.... we were all muddy and had soooo much FUN!!!!!

My wife and my daughter didn’t want to get dirty so they rode it very slow ....

Again the rest of the ride was fun BUT nothing beats the first tunnel

SHUTTLES..... we didn’t use it... we all rode back with our bikes

Bring plenty of water and snacks ... tho they do sell them there....

The rangers were very friendly.... and they gave a positive encouragement to my daughter... as she was to darn tired pedaling going uphill

I can see the heat can be very bothersome if you were to start late in the day...

Nevertheless... this is an awesome bike trail ride....

When you make your reservation for a pass and a bike rental, they should have both of these things waiting for you at the trailhead. Instead, you have to drive about 20 minutes out of the way to get your bike rentals and passes. It's such a long day for tourists, why not make it more streamlined and have everything in one spot?

The ride itself, it cannot be understated, is incredibly bumpy. If your bike doesn't have shocks, like my rental, you are going to feel every bump. I was glad we didn't need to change gears very often, because my bike was not easy to shift. Pretty crummy rental.

The first tunnel is cold and dark. The lights on the rentals are not strong enough. I suggest bringing your own headlamp. Also, the gutters in the first tunnel aren't covered, so less experienced bikers can bike right into them and get hurt. They need to invest in metal grates that go over the huge gutters so bikers don't fall in! Totally unsafe.

I am glad we did the trip, but think that people need to be aware of the dangers and shortcomings of the trail.

We came as a large group and this trail is great for a variety of riding abilities. The trail is a gentle downhill ride followed by a shuttle that takes you most of the way back to your car. The vies, especially along the trestle bridges were absolutely fantastic. Using a headlamp to peddle through a series of caves was a totally unique experience. You start and end with an almost 3KM ride through a tunnel. My only small critiscism was that the wait to catch a shuttle back up the hill was a little long but it was a nice day and the trail was pretty busy. Really enjoyed the experience and would recommend it.

You need to do this ride early to beat the crowd. Go directly to the Hiawatha trailhead rather than the Lookout ski resort unless you need to rent a bike. You can pay at the trailhead. The first tunnel is 1.7 miles, dark as hell (have a good bike headlight), wet silt on the floor and dripping water all around (we rode slow so the silt didn't get all over us and the bikes), cold (bring a light jacket just for this tunnel, then you can take it off and stash it). In total, there are 9 tunnels and 4 trestles lots of pines and beautiful scenery. Well worth the effort to do it at least once.

Every since we rode this trail in 2012, we go every year several times and take family when they visit. It is so peaceful and beautiful. The tunnels are thrilling, especially the first one. We see squirrels, deer and flowers. The air smells so good. The bus drive is a bit scary- but the drivers are pro. This is worth the time and cost.

They had the bikes we had previously ordered all ready for us. The trail was amazing. Scenery was beautiful! There were many interesting reader boards along the way to tell about the railroad and settlements. We loved and would like to do it again, perhaps riding from the bottom up then turning around and riding down.

The overall experience of riding the trail, the tunnels, and the trestles was amazing. Would highly recommend. BUT - the rental bikes are very poorly maintained.

My best advice would be to test drive your bike and if.you.notice any problems, keep asking for another until you get a good one.

It's true that the trail is mostly downhill, so you don't need a bunch of gears to have fun, but at minimum you want a bike that pedals easily, feels comfortable, and has working brakes.

Other than that, we all really enjoyed the ride and the scenery and would recommend the ride in spite of the poor condition of the bikes.

In fact, I would like to suggest they rent out beach cruisers instead of mountain bikes. Keep it simple since most people only ride the downhill and barely shift gears at all.

Beautiful place I highly recommend it. The bikes are okay that you rent but not great and they did the job and the price was right, but if you can take your own bike it would be better.

Truly a special experience to ride through train tunnels, over trestles, and see some gorgeous scenery. I think it's a must do when you're in the neighborhood.

This was really fun to do. The scenery was beautiful. My only complaints are that if you by the shuttle pass it should include bike delivery too, it was another $30 to deliver the bike. At least let us know that when you buy tickets on line. We were in a car with no hitch to put a bike rack in they told us about the cost. The bike guy was very friendly. Also I think that the rangers who ride on the trail should have supplies. We found a couple that the wife had gone off the side of the trail, she wasn't hurt too bad but couldn't get out by herself, the ranger who came to help had no rope or first aid supplies. Luckily we were able to get her and her bike up about the 30 feet she fell with lots of help. They did bring her a truck to ride in the rest of the trail.
The trail was an easy ride and they had water along the trail. I would do it again and I have recommended to friends and family

Be aware NO bike maintenance on ANY of the bikes have been done in the last TWO YEARS (per staff). I rented 5 adult bikes -- 4 recumbent and 1 comfort. They were delivered with none of the tires aired up (one went completely flat b4 the half-way point and had to ride remainder on rim). 2 lights didn't work at all, 1 light working light was taped on pointing far left (no help going thru tunnels), 4th light couldn't b tightened on handlebar and therefore pointed straight down. Thankfully other riders allowed us to ride between them thru most tunnels. A couple bikes had broken water bottle holders, only 1 had a rack, only 1 recumbent had a working seat adjustment (one wouldn't lock in any position and kept sliding forward and backward over every bump). 1 recumbent bike seat back was split in 2 horizontally and pinched when bike was jostled, 2 bike handle grips wouldn't stay on and worst of all 1 recumbent (the one with slide seat) didn't have working front brakes. Oddly there was a large contingent of staff hanging around at the trail head talking amongst themselves or trying to sell something. Unfortunately no staff along the trail to confirm everything in working order AND no cell service.
Beautiful scenery and great trail, but bike challenges made it more of a chore than fun.

I am not a good rider, but really enjoyed riding up and back. The climb up was gradual and easy. We enjoyed the informational placards too. Highly recommend

The trail is great. Very nice scenery, well groomed. An easy ride down hill. HOWEVER, they were only running one shuttle bus when they clearly sold enough trail passes to run 2 or 3 buses. This resulted in an hour and a half wait. Next time we will ride up and back down to the bottom trail head. Ask how many buses are running that day (they hold 24 customers), and how many trail passes were sold...........

We went with a family group of 12 ranging from ages 2-72. Great fun! An easy downhill ride for the lazy ones in the family, dark and spooky tunnels for the thrill seekers. You do need a good bike light for the tunnels; we only had head lamps and found it still very dark. Also, it is very cold in there! Jacket or sweatshirt useful. The shuttle back was easy and everyone had a wonderful time. Highly recommend it.

While the website could use some work, once we arrived it was a great experience. The views you encounter are really breathtaking. If you are interested in the history of the line and the trains that operated along the route there are many markers along the trail that provide information. The tunnels and bridges are really something and you have to marvel at the men who built them. If you can do add this to your itinerary, do so!

Visited on Saturday, August 26th with my daughter Caroline and her husband Cristian. The weather was beautiful. The views are magnificent. You can rent bicycles, helmets and lights (for the underground tunnels) from Lookout Pass and Recreation. It's a little pricey, but well worth it if you don't have your own bikes and equipment. You'll need comfortable clothes and light jackets or windbreakers (the temperature in the longest tunnel is in the high 30's to the low 40's.
Get an early start if possible. We had a 2 1/2 hour drive. Bring snacks, water, sunglasses etc.
Try to get an early start because we experienced a long wait for the bus to transport both the bikes, Cristian, Caroline and me back to near the start of the trail where we could return the rented bikes etc.

P.S. get the comfort bicycle seats.

Trust me, you'll be glad you did.

Bob, Cristian, and Caroline 😃

Our group of six (three couples 63- 73 years old) really enjoyed the history and nontechnical nature of the trail. After reading lots of reviews about the potential dangers of the first tunnel we were concerned enough to alter our starting point to avoid it. That was absolutely unnecessary. Our whole group rode all the other tunnels with absolutely no issues. The lights on the rented bikes were plenty strong enough. We were always riding together so there were plenty of lights nearby, maybe that helped, but take off your sunglasses, point the light at the ground and enjoy. And so what about that first tunnel? Having missed it, because of our starting point, our two least experienced riders wanted to ride back up through it to the East Portal. Off they went, and and upon arrival they both agreed it was a piece of cake, "easiest one of all of them" according to one of them. Final thought, when we arrived at the bottom, an a beautiful Saturday in July, our bikes were immediately put on the bus and five minutes later we were bouncing along back to our car at the Roland trailhead.

This was the most traumatic experience on a bike that I've had. They should've just left the railroad ties in!!! Let me begin with all of the good things I've heard about the trail....(It's family friendly, it's an easy ride, it's beautiful!) Yes it is beautiful if you take a stop to look around, you certainly won't be able to do that while riding. It was so wash boarded and so rocky you had to brace your arms just to keep your tires straight!!! It was down right scary. I took my 13 yr old daughter, and ten year old son, and was legitimately worried they'd get brain damaged. And to think I paid for this is just outrageous! While waiting for the shuttle we saw young children crying and traumatized. Fortunately my husband had to walk back to the trail head due to a popped tire. He missed all the trauma and was able to beat the shuttles and pick us up. I would never recommend this to anyone young or old, unless they paved or at least lay better gravel!

one of a kind experience..not to be missed..scenery and great cycling experience combine to make this well worth the time

Great ride! Good for the avid biker or a less experienced rider/mixed group. Fun combination of views, history (if you stop to read the signs) and dark tunnels. Be ready to get muddy - the first mile long tunnel has dripping water making the floor wet and it will kick up all over legs and back. Just dress ready and it is fun.
Bike rental from Ski resort not clear- that you need to take the bike from the resort to the trailhead yourself- but they do have some bike racks to lend... the trail does not start at the ski resort. You can pay them to have the bikes meet you there, but it is less clear except for the extra charge at check out.

The Hiawatha trail itself is amazing, truly one of the wonders of the world. Our experience was hindered a little by the bike rental at Lookout Pass Ski area. We biked down the Hiawatha in mid September 2020 at the end of the season. The Hiawatha trail closes in late September, so these were end-of-season bikes for sure. We rented two standard mountain bikes with comfort seats. The bikes, though Diamondbacks, were barley functioning. Both bikes had trouble shifting and we were only able to use about two gears. The brakes on one bike stayed permanently pinched against the tire. We did point this out to the staff when returning the bikes. They were gracious and apologized, mentioning end-of-season woes. We weren’t looking for a refund. Definitely do the Hiawatha — it’s life changing. But rent your bikes elsewhere. There’s a mountain bike rental in nearby Wallace. In fact, if you can skip the preliminaries at Lookout Pass Ski area altogether, and bring your rented bikes directly to the trail buying your day pass there — you will be much happier. Definitely pay for the shuttle to bring you back up. Then you will rate the Hiawatha 5 stars.

Magnificent beauty. This is an easy ride for people of all ages as you coast down the trail, which is a 2% grade all of the way. You get to ride through 9 tunnels, which are really cool - literally. It is 38 degrees in the tunnels so bring a light jacket. But the cool tunnels were great for the hot day when we rode. You also get to ride over 7 trestles which where you can enjoy sweeping views of the majestic forest and mountains. You have the choice of riding back up to the beginning or taking a shuttle back. We took the shuttle. Shuttle arrive every 90 minutes, so it is good to plan your time. Our bike ride took about two and half hours, but we stopped frequently to take pictures and also had a picnic on the way.

My last trip on the Hiawatha was a couple of years ago, I loved it! I'm not an athlete, took my time, riding with a 70 y/o friend. I don't have a fancy bike, just a run of the mill mountain bike and I had no trouble navigating the trail. Started at the top of the trail and rode through the "big tunnel" ; fun but once was enough for me. Can't emphasize enough the need for a REALLY bright light to go through the big tunnel. You cannot believe how incredibly pitch black it is inside. Head lamps just don't cut it. Took the bus back to the parking lot; nice ride with pleasant and helpful driver. Next time I'll start at the bottom of the trail early in the morning, ride up and then back down, make a day of the adventure.
Take a sandwich with you and a good sized water bottle, enjoy a picnic in one of the beautiful places on earth. Stop and read the informative signs re: railroad history ; most importantly enjoy the trip; it's not a competition.
Thanks to all of the folks who keep the trail clean, safe and maintained. You do a beautiful job providing the rest of us with a great place to have a "day-cation".

The Hiawatha Trail is a self guided bicycle route that takes you through area that was once a railroad route. You go over tresses, through tunnels, see wildlife and beautiful scenery.

I was on a self supported bicycle tour. I camped on Rainy Creek Rd a mile below the East Portal of the tunnel through St. Paul Pass, and arrived in the early morning. Not a soul was present! It seems the ski area at Lookout Pass arranges all the shuttles and sells most of the tickets ($10 access fee) under license to the US Forest Service. They don't arrive till late morning. Taking my time, I descended to Pearson, 15 miles gently downhill from the tunnel. I saw no cyclists at all until 11:20 AM, almost to Pearson. I elected to climb back up and by then it was a zoo, with hundreds of cyclists coming downhill. I was glad I got an early start, when I had the entire trail to myself. There are many tunnels and trestles. You an see the path hundreds of feet below because the trail loops back on itself. The surface is good firm gravel and dirt. A mountain bike works best. This is the abandoned Milwaukee Road Pacific Extension RR corridor, named after their 1940s luxury train, the Olympian Hiawatha. At the end of the East Portal parking area, you can also ride (free) the continuation of this RR corridor on the Route of the Olympian all the way to St. Regis, Montana.

We have always heard of the scary 2 mile tunnel but if you have a 300 lumens headlamp for each person you will have no problems. It is cold in the tunnel bring a light jacket and maybe some gloves but it is only 2 miles.
I had a bike that has no shocks but sits comfy and it was very pleasant and easy.
We started at exit 5 and rode the bikes (13 teens and adults in our group) down the mountain. It was not difficult at all.
Relaxing 😎 beautiful and memorable.

We had 2 vehicles we all got dropped off at the top and rode to the bottom where the trailer and truck were waiting. Then all that could fit with seat belts rode back and got the other car to come get us. It took an hour and a half. I would not recommend doing that I would just pay the extra $9/person and take the buses back. It was $10/person to bike. With a large group it was $9/person. Well worth it!!!

Another item has been checked off my bucket list 💕and it was amazing!

Not a road bike path. Gravel paths but gentle slope. Nice views, tunnels, trestles, and an enjoyable ride.

If you are in the area, also consider the trail of the coeur d'alene

So the day started out a bit on the shaky side traveling with over 18 riders from ages 4-76 some with ailments and medical issues and with little to no help from the staff at the Lookout Pass, we were a bit confused and frustrated to start out on the day. Needless to say we were all running low on patience and understanding by the time we got to the trail head. Upon our arrival to East Portal we gathered our bikes and Tagalongs etc. expecting a not so great turnout since the shaky start However, things turned around to the good rather quickly when we were greeted with the most pleasant, informative and helpful staff member employed up there. I believe her title to be a Trail Marshal but her name was Charity. Charity was definately named properly as she was just truly AMAZING IN EVERY WAY she made my day she made all our day a great day & not only was she helpful, informative and put us all at ease but later in the day we had a member of our team whom needed some serious medical attention and Charity jumped to our aid to save our entire day when it could of easily gone so far off from a good, Trail Marshall Charity saved our trail ride day. Charity tended to every necessasary medical/Trail need that we encountered that day and was just a joy a true hero of the day. The trestles are so amazingly beautiful and the tunnels are too but the Taft tunnel is a bit scary especially when you have older folks riding that haven’t ridden a bike in so long but they are so enjoyable just need to take your time and listen to the instructions of the Trail Marshall’s such as joyful Charity because they obviously do know a thing or two to ensure a safe enjoyable experience on there “Rails to Trails”. I recommend this trail for all new and novice it’s truly a gift from Mother Earth to be enjoyed and treasured amongst all of us. I highly suggest this trail and make sure to say HI to Charity when your there she’s truly remarkable.

We enjoyed our time here so much. The scenery is gorgeous and the trail descends a slight bit, which is good for us 'non bikers!' smile...the first 12 miles are filled with tunnels, bridges, and trees...the last 3 are the hardest with a worn path and tired legs...as we told our 12 year old daughter, it is something you will always be proud of doing; beautiful scenery and an opportunity to persevere to the end! Thank you!

What a great way to spend the day. If you're traveling with children plan to spend a great chunk of the day. The first tunnel is completely dark, you do need the required headlamps and it is 1.7 miles long! Might be spooky for little ones, but we had a blast!

We bought our tickets and shuttle passes at the Lookout Pass Ski Resort Office. We looked at a map with the customer rep to see options; I was a little freaked out about the 1.7-mile tunnel at the beginning and end. (You can drive around it and park on the other side, but it sounded like several miles of washboard dirt road.) The six of us opted for the tunnel. It was a cool experience, both literally and figuratively, and we’re glad we did it. I recommend a light jacket, gloves, a light for your bike and a head lamp - in addition to your normal bike gear - helmet, sunglasses, etc. (don’t forget to remove sunglasses when you go in the tunnel! It happens...) it helps to ride together to increase lighting (even though they say single file..). It’s neat to see the tunnel walls. There are several tunnels to ride through, and the temperature is always 47-50 degrees. That’s chilly when cruising on a bike. Lots of train trestles too, with spectacular views. You slowly wind your way down to the shuttle point - maybe 13 miles. It’s rocky but not too rutted. I did get a flat tire, but I keep a pump and fix-a-flat with me on bike rides.
We went on a hot, smoky August Saturday, and it was crowded. Lots of people on the trail and we waited over an hour for the 30-minute shuttle ride back to the Long tunnel. If I did it again, I think I’d drive to the shuttle point and bike UP first, then turn around when we’re ready. Or maybe go on a week day. It was beautiful and I’m glad we did it, but it was a long day (we also had a two-hour drive each way to get there).

My favorite part of this bike ride was the initial tunnel (over a mile long) that then opened up to a bike trail that took us over train trestles, through more tunnels, and in the shade of tall evergreens and open sunshine. It was a cloudy day so the temperature in August remained somewhat moderate with a breeze. We took our time reading the historical markers and eating lunch. Some people did a round trip. We chose to take the shuttle back UP the hill. Take lots of water!

This trail is awesome. The people on it are helpful and it is very scenic. Beware it is very popular and isn't like riding mountain trails on your own. Also, you have to pay to use this public land. I know it goes to maintain the structures and signs but it's a park. That's what taxes pay for. Riding a mountain road shouldn't cost $20. Maybe $5 for the shuttle.

My family of 3, including my 10 yr old daughter did this trail in July 2015. I'm glad we did, I had fun but there are things to consider that I would have liked to know before the ride. The scenery is beautiful and it is mostly downhill, very little pedalling if you just want to coast down the mountain. Some of the trail is cliff side and it is a bumpy gravel trail, a little scary for my 10 yr old. She gripped her handlebars so tightly that halfway through the ride she had very sore hands. I noticed the same with other kids on the trail. It is 16 miles in length, the brochure says 3-4 hours for the ride. It took us at least 5 hours with a child pedalling her own bike. Multiple rest stops for sore hands plus waiting for the shuttle and ride back to the parking lot. You pass through multiple tunnels and over bridges, it is very picturesque. The first tunnel is 1.7 miles long. It takes about 10 minutes to go through it. It is dark! You need a headlight and bike lights to see anything. My husband taped 3 small flashlights to his handle bars which really lit up the tunnel for us. The trail is dusty and rough with bigger stones. We noticed quite a few riders with flat tires. Bring a spare tube and pump with you if you can. Don't forget snacks and water as the time required to finish the trail is longer than expected. My husband and I enjoyed the ride but my daughter said she would not go again. I think this trail is more suitable for older teens and adults. There were a lot of younger kids in bike trailers and pull along bikes which probably worked out well as the parents could do all the work!

What an amazing experience! We went as a family (4 generations!)--most of us brought our own equipment, but some rented bikes and a bike trailers. The scenery is spectacular. Take your time and enjoy the trail. We brought our lunches with us and ate on a bridge. Stop and read the signs. While you should exercise caution in the tunnels (the first especially), they are not as scary or dangerous as we thought they would be (based on our web research). We rode down, took the shuttle back to the end of the first tunnel, and rode back through the tunnel to get to the parking lot (this is how the shuttle works--the shuttle does not return to the starting parking lot). Next time we'd like to ride both ways!

For the second time we rented bicyles and too the Route of the Hiawatha ride. This was really fun if you like cycling. Be prepared for a long tunnel in the dark, you must have a very good light on your bike to get through here. It is cold in the tunnels as well. If you rent bikes the lights come with it. You rent the bikes at Lookout Pass, then they put a bike rack on your vehicle and you drive 5 miles to the starting point.
The bridges have a spectacular view. The ride is relatively easy. At the bottom you can pay for a bus to take you back to the top to your vehicle. They put you back at the other end of the long tunnel, be prepared to ride back through it again.
It is all slightly down hill. This is worth doing, make sure it is a sunny day.

We had been thinking about biking this trail for some time, and recently decided to travel the 400-odd miles from our home to finally do it. We read some of the materials available online, but wanted to alert others to a couple of significant things. First of all, take your mountain bike, not your road bike as you will appreciate having the bigger tires and the shocks to withstand the relatively rough, unpaved surface. Second, have substantial headlights for going through the tunnels.

Incidentally, you may not find the trail worthwhile if you are not particularly interested in the experience of biking through tunnels or crossing trestles (the ride is an abandoned railroad line reconstituted into a recreational bike trail), and just want to enjoy scenery, as that can be had on many paved trails in Montana/Idaho.

This is a downhill, hard packed dirt trail that follows a former rail line, so the grade is not a steep downhill. It has several tunnels and trestles...a unique experience but not for those who are claustrophobic or afraid of heights. There are amazing views and a lot of historical educational signs along the way. It is probably too long a trail for young children and babies would be bounced around a lot. There aren't any 'outs' other than either turning around and going back uphill or going to the bottom and taking the shuttle back ($9/adult).

A couple of the tunnels are so long you cannot see the other end. They are pitch black. Even if you take the shuttle back, you will be required to ride through the last tunnel, the longest tunnel, going the opposite direction of those coming down. You DEFINITELY need a good headlight. We rented bikes which were equipped with lights. They were ok, but pretty beat up and the light certainly wasn't as bright as others. So, if you have your own bike with a good headlight, take it. Helmets are required.

Weekends are crazy busy, so the line for the shuttle at the bottom can be more than an hour long. Take your lunch and all the water you might need - there is none for sale or available. If taking the shuttle, place your bike in the line, buy your shuttle ticket and go sit on a rock in the shade and have a snack.

One other note: The pit toilet at the bottom is absolutely gross. There is only one and I was told is seldom cleaned. If you must go, try one along the way. They have to be better!

I know you may wonder why I have made all these comments, but still rate it 5 stars. It's simple, IF you go prepared, you will have an awesome, unique experience. Enjoy!

It's an 18 mile ride, all downhill. It's a little scary at the beginning -- you ride through a very long tunnel that becomes totally dark. You'll need a light on your handlebar or attached to your head. It's a beautiful ride and the history behind the railroad than ran on the trail is very interesting. It'll take you a few hours to complete. Start early in the morning to avoid the crowds. Call to find out when it opens and be among the first to start. Later it gets crowed and as a consequence inside the tunnels scarier. They rent bikes if you don't have one. It's one of the experiences you won't forget.

We were group of three, one adult and two kids. We rented all stuff for our ride at Hiawatha rental shop. While kids bikes were in a fairly good shape, mine bike was one big fail. It was all dirty, worn out shape with pulled chain, which complicated changing gears and pedaling a lot. Fortunately enough, trail is easy to ride so I was able to finish my ride, but considering the price you pay for rental I would expect much better services provided. Not speaking of the guy who helped us to choose bikes. He does not adjusted saddles for kids properly and he was unable to answer easy questions as if the water in their shope is potable or how does the shuttle operates. Trail itself is a very nice and easy ride for family trip. Mine kids are 5 and 8 years old. If you have intermediate biking skills that I would suggest to make a trip out and back as climb is not steep at any part and you can enjoy views for different perspective.

Even in the rain it was a great experience with my family! We have a 3 and 13 year old and the weather provided an opportunity for us to still practice gratitude. My bike tire popped, Pat the volunteer and Trail Marshall Edward were friendly and helpful. Be prepared for a rustic experience and be open to adventure and you are sure to have a memorable time! The views are amazing and we even saw some sun and blue sky in the last half.

Myself and 2 kids (age 7 and 9) completed the full trail. 15 miles with a 2% downhill grade the whole way. Kids needed a little cheerleading towards the end, but were able to complete the whole thing. Many tunnels and elevated bridges. First tunnel is 1.7 miles and is completely dark except for the lights on your bike. Once you get use to it, it is fine (just VERY, VERY cold!) Take a jacket to take on/off. 70 degree day and we could barely feel our fingers when we finally came out of the tunnel.

Get your rental bikes and trail tickets at Lookout Pass. Bikes were in good condition and comfortable. Pack food/snacks for the ride - no services are available anywhere close by.

Trip and trail awesome. The vendor, Look Out Ski Pass, their bikes are dangerous, no brakes, seats won't stay in position, lights stop working, helmets are broken... The vendor needs to lose their permit with the Forest Service... someone is going to get seriously hurt or killed... We have files a complaint with the Forest Service as the situation is dire. Bring your own bikes as the trail is awesome, just stay away from the vendor Look Out Pass

There were 12 of us that went on the ride. 4 rented bikes from Lookout Pass and the rest brought their own. The trail was a leisurely ride. We started at 12:30 and ended up back at our car around 5:00 PM. We packed a picnic and definitely took time taking pictures. The first tunnel is a doosey in that it is cold and long. The headlights attached to the rental bikes were really good in the tunnel. Some of the headlamps that people brought weren't as powerful but as we were all riding fairly close to each other it wasn't a huge problem. I would definitely recommend a jacket for the tunnel. Seriously if you are worried about it being too difficult of a trail don't worry you can do it. :) I am not in shape and did just fine. Make sure that you are keeping track of time so that you don't miss the shuttle back to the beginning.

The Route of the Hiawatha is a fun, and historic bike ride, takes you along the historic train route that was built to help connect Seattle to Chicago. There are many stops along the route with historic plaques to explain things that were going on there. Being able to stand where towns once stood feels invigorating! Knowing that someone who worked to help connect the Pacific Northwest to the Midwest once stood where your are standing gives and awesome feeling!

For my first trip I only went downhill and rode the shuttle back up (I'm getting back into biking and my legs need to be built back up) It is an easy ride down, you will have to pedal as it isn't completely straight down. Children will be safe on this ride as long as they are supervised.

There are sections in tunnels, just take your time through them, they can be wet in there, and you have to have some sort of light in there in order to see. The first tunnel (if you are starting at the top) is 1.5 miles, and is cool, I'm originally from the south and wore Under Armor through it, but I did see lots of people at least putting on a sweater, I would say that tunnel's temperature is about 42F or 5.5C for our metric system users (I believe the metric system is more accurate, but TripAdvisor isn't the place for that debate)

There is a nominal fee to ride, and a nominal fee to take the shuttle, when you don't have to take, you can ride back to where you started if you want.

Just go and enjoy it!

The ride starts with a 1.7 mile long tunnel which is very cool and then you ride 15 miles through some of the most beautiful country I've ever seen. We saw a moose eating in a small pond. Anyone can ride this trail I saw lot's of little kids and older people it is really great!

8 of us rode the Hiawatha Trail and the Coeur D'Alene Trail over three days for one of the best rides ever! We took off from Wallace riding along the Coeur D'Alene until Mullan. Then we rode through Shoshone Park and up to the Lookout Pass Recreation Area where we connected with the Hiawatha Trail. The Hiawatha route is a nice dirt and gravel surface that winds through old railroad tunnels and over scenic trestles. The grade along the railroad right of ways are about 3% up and down, so easy to medium effort with absolutely beautiful vistas. Our first night was spent in Avery, make a booking ahead of time. From Avery you have a choice of either empty gravel roads along the St Joe River or busier paved roads on the other side of the St Joe. The second night was spent in St Maries. The final day we rode over to Heyburn State Park and picked up the beautifully paved Coeur D'Alene Bike Trail at Plummer Point. From there we continued along Lake Coeur D'Alene through small towns and gorgeous meadows and finally along the Coeur D'Alene river back to Wallace.This ride is not to be missed; the wildlife is terrific as are the views!

Totally worth it to experience such a beautiful place. We brought our own bikes and rode the trail both ways. We rode down and then back up. If I could do it over I would have switched by going up and then down. The ascent back up really wasn't hard, our butts just were sore riding back up. The tunnels, tressals, and scenery were awesome. You will get muddy going through the long tunnel (1.7 miles) and you may look like you had a fart go bad, but it is just mud.

Beautiful trail....but horrible shuttle service! We bought same-day shuttle tickets at the trailhead, rode down, and were greeted by a line of bikes waiting for the return that stretched for more than a kilometer. The attendant told us the wait would be an hour, and after that hour had passed with the line only moving about 50 meters a different attendant told us that we'd need to wait another two hours! They were horribly understaffed as we saw four other shuttles sitting unused and only two shuttles running.
After waiting an hour and a half with no real movement in the line we rode our bikes back up the hill. I asked the person who sold us the tickets a few hours earlier for a refund and was denied.
I've since been in contact with the customer service department: they have also refused a refund, saying it's "normal to wait several hours for the shuttle". In my mind the shuttle ride back should not take three times as long as the ride down, and at the minimum they should let us know in advance.
Terrible service and total lack of accountability....I'll contact my credit card company for a full refund.

I recommend that you do this on a weekday. We went on a weekend and it was very crowded. Other friends did it on a weekday and very different experience. No matter when you do it, the views are amazing. If possible, bring your own bikes. The rental bikes have a lot to be desired. The first tunnel is the longest. Go slow to avoid getting mud spattered all over your back.

I tried calling to get information and never received a call back.

We drove up to the top of the pass. The line was long. After getting our tickets we checked out the shop and went to the restrooms. As we were getting ready to leave, there was only one customer, and no line.

We drove to the start of the trail. The hostess seemed to rush through her speech and seemed like she had said it a thousand times too many.

We headed in the east portal and road through. The trail is beautiful on the Idaho side and we greatly enjoyed it.

They could use more bathrooms along the route.

The bus was scheduled to come every hour and a half. They leave as soon as a bus is full. We got in line and were the first to be on the next bus. The bus getting loaded left and maybe 10 to 15 minutes at most later the next bus arrived.

We were driven back up to the west portal and were able to finish the trail.

It may be a little confusing to the newby. You go to the ski pass at the state line and buy your tickets. Then you drive to the east portal. From the ski area go to exit 5 and get off. It is maybe a two mile dirt road that any car can make. You park at the east portal, ride through the tunnel, and continued about 15 miles to the end of the trail. At the end of the trail, a bus will pick you up and drive you back to the west portal at historic Roland, Idaho. You then ride back through the almost 9000' long tunnel to the east portal and then return to your car in the parking lot. Good fun.

If I could do it again, I might purchase two round trips and ride the trail twice.

They make you have a helmet. You need a light. Get a high powered one (or ones.)

It was $19 for the combined bus trip and parks fee. They rent bikes, helmets and lights too. I think the mountain bike rentals are $36.

So there were 11 of us in our group... adults and teens. This was a great activity for us all. This trail is an old railway and now many people from all over have been able to use it on foot or on bike. There's even train tunnels to go through and bridges. The nice thing is that you can rent bikes with lights and helmets our bring your own. They also have bike trailers to rent for the little ones. Pack a little picnic lunch or snacks. And enjoy the wildlife as well as the beautiful Idaho Montana scenery.

Rode the trail for my first time on June 11, 2024. We brought our own mountain bikes and lights. I'll skip the obvious (jaw-dropping views and scenery) and share some "notes to self" for the next ride. (1) Be sure to have a strong light (fully charged!) for each person for the long tunnel. (2) Consider light gloves and a thin layer for the long tunnel. It gets cold. (3) Be prepared to get dusty, dirty and muddy! This includes your bike, shoes, clothes and car. Access roads and the Trail itself are 100% dirt and gravel. The long tunnel is muddy. The shuttle bus has open windows and dust fills the inside. (4) Select a bike with the most comfortable seat. Our rear ends got sore toward the end of the 14-mile ride. (5) Have a place to quickly and securely store your sunglasses before entering the tunnels. (6) Spend more time reading the history kiosks along the way. Fascinating info.

We loved the bike ride and the beauty is amazing. We live in Oregon and see mountains all the time and I was equally impressed with the views off the trail. Nice and easy bike ride although it has been 4 days and I am still sore. A bit lengthy wait at the bottom for the shuttle but we went on a busy day when the told us it would be a bit of a wait. Would do it again in a heartbeat and loved the tunnels and history.

Our group consisted of a 1 year old, 3 year old, 5 year old, mom, dad, grandpa and grandma with a sprained knee. This is not a luxury cruise on the Titanic but it is a nature experience without roughing it too much. Everyone had a great time and the scenery was outstanding. We will do it again and bring others here. We, including the children, are experienced in visiting nature.

We were there during a busy holiday time and the staff at the trail and the rental were great. Lots of people but it went well. I have two suggestions.

1) Make the reservations in advance. When we arrived at Lookout everything was ready for us. Our bikes and Burley trailers had our names on them and the line went reasonably fast. It took 30-45 minutes to get the bikes and load up. The bikes were not fancy but very adequate.
2) Read all the instructions on the website. The problems we saw other people experience were addressed on the website and wouldn't have been a problem if they had read the entire website in advance.

The ride down was not strenuous and the children did well in the trailers. We stopped a few times to look at the scenery and everyone got to stretch their legs. There was a wait at the bottom to get on the bus back, but we were happy to be there. It was a very busy day. I imagine mid week away from a holiday would be nice without as many people, but I am happy we did it.

There is some chatter about the long tunnel. Loved it. The lights they provided were adequate, but we brought another lamp just in case. We gave the children a small flashlight and glow sticks to keep them entertained in the long tunnel. Didn't think it was dangerous. The most dangerous thing were some of the other riders. :-)

This is an awesome ride. We did the bike rental and started from the top and rode to the bottom. From there we caught the bus ride back to the top. It's mostly down hill. There are dark tunnels, high bridges to cross and it is a spectacular ride. You can ride at your own pace, stop for lots of photos, have lunch, look at wildlife. We saw an elk and many chipmunks. What fun!!!

I made my 25th trip on the Hiawatha Trail last month and number 26 is tomorrow. Started around 2008 when my oldest son was 6 and we have gone at least once (and up to 3 times) a summer ever since. The experience has always been fantastic and I have never had a problem that wasn't self inflicted (my only flat tire was the result of an off road trip into goatheads the day before).
Im not a big "review" person but tomorrow we have some friends joining us that have never done the ride before and she called me this morning, worried about the negative reviews she saw here on Trip Advisor.
I have spent the last 1/2 hour or so looking through the negative reviews and I am amazed at how hard some people work to get out of taking personal responsibility.
While it may be true that the trail/tunnel can be daunting or intimidating if you:
A) Have never been on a bike
B) Have severe claustrophobia (you can skip the scary tunnel if you want to)
C) Are elderly, in poor health, extremely obese/out of shape
D) Do not have the right equipment
E) Expect the shuttle busses to be pristine and have air conditioning (some clown seriously complained about this)
If any of these describes you, you probably should know going in that an almost 16 mile bike ride is not your thing.
I saw a complaint from June of this year talking about how horrible the surface is and that the woman was "worried my children would get brain damage", I can only assume that this person has never been off of a flat, straight, paved trail and didn't read the information on the website.
The trail is not paved asphalt, it's gravel and has one section toward the bottom where the rocks are a little bigger and the ride is a little rougher. Expect that this is not an automated Disney ride, you actually do have to do some work. Don't bring a 4 year old with training wheels. Don't bring your 75 year old mom who hasn't been on a bike since LBJ was in office. Don't bring 75 lbs of gear. Don't expect that when your legs get tired, an Uber will appear out of nowhere and whisk you off to the spa.
It's a great adventure for people who want some leisurely ADVENTURE.
Sorry for the rant. Enjoy the trails

This was an amazing lifetime experience. We loved it!! Full of fun and gorgeous views. I would definitely go again, but have learned a few things from the first time around. First, make sure you have a great bike with good tires, good brakes, but most importantly… for the love of all that is good….get a good seat… a big one with TONS of padding. Bring one with you if you have to. OR buy bikers shorts with the built in padding. Not having either of those made it hard and painful by the end. Also I was wishing my bike had high handle bars like the cruisers so I could sit up straight. My back and arms were killing me from being bent over for three hours. The first part of the trail was pretty smooth and I was thinking it was a piece of cake. But after three miles, the path changed to be more rocky and rougher. That’s not bad, I just didn’t expect that. It was glorious to be mostly downhill. The headlights are a must. The shuttle crews were much appreciated as I cannot imagine having to turn around and bike 16 miles UP the mountain. We wouldn’t have made it. I highly recommend at least 60oz of water per person, but I wished I had more. There could be a long wait at the bottom for the buses in the hot sun, so more water is a must. We packed sandwiches and snacks and we were very glad that we did. Make sure that you start as early as possible to avoid long wait shuttle lines. And if you don’t have a reservation for the shuttle, you probably are not getting on so get ready for a hard 16 mile climb back. The bus ride back is about 30 minutes and they take you to the bottom of the first tunnel, so be prepared to get back on your bike for one last 1.66 mile ride through the long tunnel in order to get to your car. We had a blast and felt very accomplished for the challenge. While it’s mild exercise, it’s 3 hours of it so it felt challenging toward the end. I realize others might feel like the whole thing is a piece of cake. Also I recommend checking out the videos that are on Youtube about Hiawatha Trail ahead of time. BTW, we saw a moose on the way up on the bus which was very cool. One more thing, you have to start at Look Out Pass ski resort to get your paper tickets for the trail, rental, and for shuttle. THEN you go to the trail head which is about 5 miles away. The line at the ski resort was pretty long so build in at least an hour for getting those first. It is a long day but a great day.

On our drive from Coeur d'Alene, ID to Bigfork, MT, we decided to do the 16+ mile Hiawatha Mountain bike ride just off I-90 where Idaho meets Montana at Lookout Pass. Even though we are experienced cyclists, I wish I had paid more attention to the negative reviews of this experience and had driven right past it. You should too…

First, the rental bikes are VERY poorly maintained, as noted by many other reviewers over the years. The front wheel of our son’s rental bike was out of line, and the lights they provided for the handlebars (to illuminate the pitch-dark tunnels) were covered with dirt because they likely had been used earlier that day and were not cleaned or serviced (as in battery check) before turning them over to the next riders. The first bike they tried to give me had a faulty brake lever that wouldn’t budge when squeezed, so I switched it for another bike even though the staffer tried to convince me that the brake lever was fine. As a family, we have rented many bikes through the years all over the world, and they’ve always been well maintained and in excellent condition. This is because as soon as a cyclist is done with a ride, the bike mechanic takes it for a diagnostic. Not at Hiawatha/Lookout Pass. They are only interested in quick turnover and raking in the money. Given the number of riders and what they charge, we estimated they might gross $50,000 a day during peak season. Money that is not going for new bikes or to repair old ones, or to pay a full staff, because this concessionaire, as noted by other reviewers, is understaffed. I have read reviews about failing brakes, faulty gears, and dead batteries. Clearly, they need to hire qualified bike mechanics.

The ride itself is easy. It is flat or slightly downhill and not too much gravel. We finished the ride itself in an hour and 20 minutes. We didn’t bother to stop to take photos, because the scenery is no different from what you see driving on I-90 through the pass. If it weren’t for the fresh air and exercise, the ride might be considered boring and unchallenging….and hardly worth the more than $100 per person, which covers trail access, bike rental, and shuttle transport.

It should also be noted, as many others have, that it’s a poorly run operation. At the end of the ride, you get into a long line (of about 300 people) to wait for the old school busses to take you back to the tunnel to ride the final two miles to the parking lot. The wait for us was 45 minutes, but it can be as long as 60-90 minutes. The bus ride itself takes about 30 minutes on a narrow, mountainous road along a steep drop. The bus wait was tolerable due to cloud cover and mild temperatures. But what if there was a downpour or excessive heat and you’re waiting with four kids tired from the long ride?

What makes this ride potentially dangerous is the 1.7-mile tunnel at the beginning and end of the journey. There are no lights in the tunnel; even in broad daylight, it’s a blackout inside. You have only a small handlebar light to guide you. The bikes have no reflectors. The problem is that the lights also are poorly maintained, which puts cyclists at risk should the batteries go dead in the tunnel. And that's exactly what happened to me and to another female in our group. Had I reread the reviews I initially read a year ago, I would have remembered that this problem is common and has caused riders to crash into the tunnel walls, fall, and break bones.

In fact, when we started our ride, an ambulance was taking away a woman on a gurney. She was holding her head. With plenty of cloud cover and cool temperatures that day, it’s unlikely she was suffering from heat exhaustion. It’s more likely she crashed due to poorly maintained equipment. So, if this ride is important to you for whatever reason, bring your own bike and lights. I recommend a head lamp as well.
Another problem is the lack of instruction when the staff hands you the light. They tell you to point it downward, so as not to shine at oncoming cyclists riding in the tunnel. But in doing so, you’re only illuminating six-to-eight feet in front of you. The tunnel road is full of muddy potholes with one-foot-deep gutters on each side, which also are full of muddy water. When her light’s battery died, a rider in our group hit the tunnel’s concrete wall and severely hurt her shoulder.

Others in the past have broken a clavicle or humerus.
Yet, when they’ve shared their stories on TripAdvisor, there are no comments or apologies from management…and no offers to refund those injured. I’ve never seen this before with a concessionaire or business owner. This company obviously doesn’t care.

Therefore, attached are photos of my injuries, extensive bruising, and swelling instead of the usual scenery pictures.
My bike light also died about a quarter of the way through the 1.7-mile tunnel toward the end of the ride. Suddenly, you’re in an abyss and the darkness disorients you. I didn’t stop out of concern that other riders would crash into me and cause a chain reaction. I ended up in the concrete gutter pinned against the tunnel wall because my left leg was stuck between the down tube and the front wheel, which I couldn’t move because the gutter was too narrow. By the time my family caught up, it took my husband, son, and one other Good Samaritan to dislodge the bike and my leg. I was scared and in pain but somehow managed to finish the tunnel to the end. My husband traded lights with me, then rode with our son to guide him through the dark.

When we turned in the bikes, a staffer or two noticed my hand was bleeding. I explained what happened, as did the other rider who crashed into the wall when her light battery died. We both told them that they needed to take better care of their equipment. The 20-something-year-old staffer just stared at me blankly and offered no customer service. I learned later from my Millennial daughter that the Gen Z stare is infamous and not unusual. I’d never heard of this before.

After we headed to our car for a first-aid kit to clean up my cuts and abrasions, another rider told us that an older staffer just laughed and said to the younger one, “Maybe we should have called a 'Whambulance'.”

If only there’d been a lawyer in our group. The next day, I could barely walk due to my injuries. I’m stiff, in pain, and had difficulty getting in and out of our SUV...yet I am thankful I didn’t break any bones like so many other riders have in recent years.

We took our grandkids on a day trip on the Hiawatha Trail. We rented Burleys (Tow behind kid seat trailers) for the two grandkids who are 3 years old and 1year old. Both the kids and the adults had a great time. This is basically a downhill and level ride the entire time. The scenery is spectacular, and there are numerous stopping points and a few restrooms along the trail. Plan for plenty of time, and bring a lunch and enjoy yourself. We were impressed that there were staff frequently riding the trail to help out - one loaned us two lights for the tunnel at no charge, and one repaired a flat in 5 minutes - all on our own bikes! There are also numerous informational and history signs along the trail.

If you like a moderate too easy bike ride this is the trail to take. You get to ride through several tunnels and over several tressels during the 16.1 mile ride. You will need a good light for your bike in order to ride thru the tunnels

Overall, this was a wonderful travel experience. We rented our bikes at Lookout Pass Ski Area, and they hooked up a bike rack to our hitch so we could transport them to the East Portal of the trail. You begin by riding through a 1.7-mile tunnel. The trail advisors tell you to walk the first bit to get accustomed to the darkness, the tunnel, etc.; we should have done that. Riding through the tunnel took a bit to get used to, but was definitely a different experience. The rest of the tunnels are much shorter, and the ride over the trestles and through the mountains was just incredible! Really amazing opportunity to see country you'd likely otherwise not ever see. At the bottom of the trail you can catch a shuttle back up to the West Portal, where you then ride back through the 1.7-mile tunnel to your vehicle. The tunnel ride on the way back was much easier, I think because we'd all gotten used to our bikes and the trail.

Again...really amazing ride. We'd do it again in a heartbeat.

The bikes/rack/helmets we rented were a bit worn, but I suppose that wear and tear is to be expected with daily use. I got a Comfort Ride bike...definitely seemed worth the extra $6.

Amazing ride with family. Mostly downhill if you do the one way and take shuttle back. Scenery is spectacular. We went weekday and not many people on trail. Definitely bring layers for first tunnel and a head lamp. We rented bikes from the lookout pass rental and bike lights aren’t great. We paid extra to have bikes delivered to east portal trailhead which was nice. I’m glad I brought a back pack/camel back because my bike did not have water bottle holder. You will get muddy in tunnel so bring a towel for your car.

We drove 4+ hours out of our way to do this bike trail. I've never experienced a trail quite like the Hiawatha. You need to prepare yourself for this ride. If you are renting a bike you need to be familiar with its operation before starting and entering the 1.7 mile long tunnel. Give your eyes time to adjust to the total darkness of the tunnel. You may want to bring and extra light as the one provided didn't provide enough illumination for my eyes. The route itself is amazingly beautiful as you wind down the mountain through the multiple tunnels and over the trestles . If its your first trip take the time to read the placards placed along the trail. They give an interesting perspective of building the RR right of way and the RR itself. The long wait for the bus back to the top was my least favorite part of the journey. A lively group of teens did make the ride more bearable.

This is a spectacular ride, and all apart from the first tunnel is quite easy. The first tunnel is also the tunnel to get back to the car park, and it really is long, dark, muddy and wet. Not fun for many.

BUT, the rental bikes were terrible and everyone we spoke to was having problems with them. It being the first weekend of the season was given as an excuse, but if they had been serviced properly then it should be the weekend when they worked best. I rejected one bike for brakes that did not work and pumped my own tyres in the end because they were so flat. The bikes seemed old and inadequate for the price being paid.

So if you can take your own bikes, I would give it a 4 out of 5, but if you rent, just understand what you are renting.

Lastly, unless you have a truck, it is best to get our rental bikes delivered to the trailhead and you can return them there. Much easier than taking them to and from the ticket office.

Trail was not too difficult and the bike rental etc, was expertly handled. We loved the trip. Stop by the town of Wallace if you can. So worth the trip! Dress for warmth in later. The first tunnel between Montana and Idaho is very cold and dark

This was our 2nd adventure on the Hiawatha and we had just as much fun as the first time a few years ago. Our kids are 15 and 12 and still think the train tunnels and trestles are awesome. It was a really hot day so we all brought water bottles on our bikes and refilled them along the way using the water coolers the trail workers keep full with cold water. Also had a small backpack with trail mix and my camera in it. You can rent bikes, lights and helmets at Lookout Pass along with your trail passes and for an extra $15 they will deliver your bikes to the trailhead. We had to do this since I don't have a bike rack on my Mazda CX-5. Make sure you buy a shuttle pass it you are just riding from top to bottom and need a ride back up to your car. So if you do all that it does add up and get expensive. If at all possible, bring your own bikes, helmets and light.
I highly recommend this trip to people of all ages!!

Incredible Views - 10 Tunnels - 7 Sky High Trestles - Unforgettable & Best of all it's Kid Friendly as it is all downhill with a Shuttle Bus that brings you back up from the bottom of the trail.

The views were great. We would recommend bringing your own bikes and head lamps. 3/6 bikes broke, 2/4 head lamps didn’t work. Bikes were well used.

We chose to ride as a family of 6, up the Hiawatha and then back down and although it allowed us to see it all twice, I'm not sure it was worth it.
The trail, although says p gravel, is actually more like small road base rocks which makes speed with a hybrid bike more difficult.
If you do it, YOU NEED A GOOD BIKE LIGHT AND HEADLAMP, especially for the final, or beginning tunnel.

I love the Hiawatha Trail. I have gone each of the past three years. It is a great ride. This year, I had family visiting from out of town, so we rented bikes from Lookout Ski Area, the vendor who operates the trail. Big mistake.
The bikes were garbage, poorly maintained, and really expensive. At first we were told that we could rent bikes, but there were not any lights available, but hey, we could buy them at their shop (lucky us!), The web site clearly states that bikes come with lights (and good lights are mandatory for the long, dark tunnels), but they refused to prorate the rentals. We complained, and they magically made some lights appear when they said they had none. They also told us the last shuttle was at 4:15, when the website clearly stated the last bus was at 5:00. We were late enough getting to the trail that this change turned a leisurely ride into a bit of a sprint.
Then the trail-a-bike I rented went flat just a mile into the trail. Pretty sure they sent it out with a leak, I ran over nothing and the bike I was on did not flat at all.
Then there was the wait for the shuttle at the bottom. There were over a hundred people waiting for a shuttle at the end of the riding day, and they only had two of approximately 5-6 buses running to transport everyone. We waited for well over an hour. It was only incompetence or contempt that kept us waiting for so long. It was pretty obvious that there was going to be a big horde of people waiting for the shuttle at the end of the riding day, but they did not give a rip and left us hanging.
They staff at the rental shop was surly, rude, woundn't make eye-contact, and were as flat as could be. Terrible service, but I would probably be pissy too if I worked there.
So, yeah, ride the trail, but if you have to rent a bike, do it somewhere else. Anywhere else.. If you can, do your own shuttle or ride the trail back up. It is a shame that such a jewel is being run by a company that gives such poor service. The Hiawatha trail is an important economic engine for a depressed area. It would be a shame if Lookout Pass killed the golden goose with it's contemptible and contemptuous service.

We rented bikes from the lookout pass ski lodge and were told the wait would be 1 hour for the shuttle. We got up there and rode through the first tunnel. As we exited the tunnel my tire was popped. The girl at the desk had told me the marshals are all over the trail and would fix the tire for free. I walked about 4 miles and didn't see any marshals I finally just rode on the rim. I got to the end of the trail without seeing a single marshal. One was sitting at the end. He did not fix my tire and loaded it onto the bus, the driver said he'd fix it after the bus ride. When we got to the end the driver said he didn't have a pump so again I rode another two miles to the parking lot. When I got back to the front desk the lady said that there were 6 marshals on the trail but I guess they disappeared or had other things to do.

This bike trail was amazing! The scenery was so beautiful and I love bridges! Perfect for families! IT is a very easy trail to ride, if you start at the top its a gradual down hill ride. Going through the tunnels was a real adventure. Very very very highly recommended.

This is our second time going on the trail, we went for years so. It does seem like the trail is more bumpy which can be a little frustrating. With that said we went as a family reunion of 35 and everyone loved it. We had a great time even though it rained on us. The rental bikes worked great. The reservation process for a large group was simple.

The vistas are amazing. The smell of the fir, cedar, and pine is amazing. Great photo opportunities.

A great ride in the mountains it was very easy ride, a 1.5 grade down so it was mostly coasting to take in breathtaking views. It is 15 miles but did not feel like it at all. You do not have to be long distance bicycle rider to do this just coast and enjoy. We saw deer, bear, and lots of ground squirrels on the trip. A must! Lot of tunnels and bridges, very cool.

We had a BEAUTIFUL day to ride this trail! The volunteers are friendly and helpful, and the views can't be beat! We saw kids from 3 years old and up enjoying the ride with their families. It's an easy downhill and the tunnels can be a little tricky but they are wide enough that space wasn't an issue for us. I am what I would call a casual rider, along with my friends, and it was thoroughly enjoyable. I look forward to riding it again. Be sure and pay attention to buying the tickets before you get to the trail. Lots of good information and details on the internet.

We live locally so have the chance to ride the Hiawatha with friends that come. We have previously rented bikes from a bicycle shop in Kellogg and it was excellent. This is the first time we rented from lookout pass, it was an atrocious experience. The bikes were filthy, obviously they had not even attempted to clean them. We had to try two or three before we found one that was marginally acceptable. Most of them had worn out brakes and the gears were not reliable. Made it through the tunnel and about half a mile below one of our bikes rear tires failed. I'm not talkin a flat tire, I'm talking a 4-inch tear in the tire. Because it was a rental betrayal wardens obtained a new wheel. another quarter mile and my grandsons kickstand flipped into a spokes and almost caused a terrible wreck. We had to take the entire kickstand off. Another quarter mile and my wife's bicycle gears would no longer even shift. So at that point we returned back through the tunnel and returned the bikes to lookout pass. I informed them of the problems and was told they would consider a refund. Of course the trail passes and the shuttle passes were all non-refundable to the tune of almost $200. All they would return of our bicycle fees was about one-third which was totally unacceptable.

I cannot emphasize enough how horrible the bicycles are, they are unreliable, in fact dangerous. bring your own bikes or arrange for rentals elsewhere.

The trail of course is wonderful as you can read.

This was my favorite part of our recent trip to Idaho and Montana. It was fun and the views so amazing that words fail to express it. Definitely a bucket list item. We laughed so much and it would have received five stars but there was one minor misunderstanding on my part.

I haven’t ridden a bicycle in four decades and this was listed as an “e-bike” which I understood to be a bike with some sort of motor, like a moped. It was not! Fifteen miles on a bike is a lot with no prep and I did end up having one minor “incident” in the 1.6 mile long pitch black tunnel. While everything turned out perfectly delightful, I wish I had understood that this was a plain old bicycle that I would have to peddle the whole way. (It is not all downhill) ;)

My, wife, I , 11 year old son and my old schoolmate rode this trail in August. What an incredible experience.14 miles of an average 2 % downgrade on an old railroad bed through the high mountains. You go through several tunnels which are nice and cool but dark and ride on several trestles above the tree tops. When you exit the first 1.7 mile tunnel, there is a nice waterfall to your right. Great for a family picture. This is a once in a lifetime experience in my opinion and should be on everyone's bucket list. The company shuttles you and the bikes back to the beginning on a school bus at the bottom of the trail. Staff was great. Good , comfortable bikes too to rent. The scenery is spectacular and breath taking. I would recommend you bring your own miners head lamp for going through the tunnels. They are little tricky and slippery. The lights on the bike handle bars aren't the best. Also suggest one rents or uses the comfort bikes.

What an amazing day. Highlights were the first tunnel (what a welcome!) along with the incredible views from the various bridges. The gradual down-hill made this great for the little ones as well. Only issue was that final could of miles and how rocky that section of the trail was. Definitely a better ride for mountain bikes with good shocks at that point. Incredible day.

The Trail is only 15 miles long, but it has 7-8 tunnels and 5 bridges. The first tunnel is about a mile long and can get a bit chilly and dark. Do bring proper lighting and tire patch kit ! The rental place is convenient, but their equipment is substandard and weathered. They use rechargeable lights which get weak by the end of the return trip thru the tunnel. Border of Montana and Idaho.

We were looking so forward to this bike trail and left it for the end of our week in Idaho. We called ahead the day before to see if we needed to make reservations. We were told no that they could handle up to 1,000 people! The lady told us to just make sure we arrived by 1:30pm. We drove an hour from CDL, and arrived at 12:15pm. We waited in line and heard the desk girl tell the family in front of us it would be an hour wait. We thought that was reasonable but when it was our turn, they said it would be an hour and 45 min wait, and by the time we finished the ride, we would miss the last shuttle and have to ride back the 15 miles uphill on our own! I told her that we had called the day before to ask about times and reservations, and she said it wouldn't have mattered if we had a reservation or not, that they only had 1 truck taking bikes back and forth. Very poor management and communication when people try to call ahead to find out the details! After reading about the danger in the dark tunnel, I'm glad now that we weren't able to go after all.

Such a fun day on the trail! Fun 13 mile bike ride with family. Beautiful views along the way! Lots of history! First part is long tunnel. You need headlamp or bike lamp for all tunnels. Places along the way to stop and have picnic. At end bus brings you back to first tunnel and you ride back to parking lot. You need to buy a pass for trail and shuttle at lookout pass( you can also rent bikes). Highly recommend!

I had been looking forward to doing this for more than 10 years when I first heard about it and finally had the opportunity to plan a special trip to do it. It did not disappoint. Fabulous views, extremely manageable trail (all downhill)! The first tunnel is the biggest surprise - not to mention if you take the shuttle back to the top you have to ride back through it a second time. Relax and go with it. It couldn't be safer or less threatening - just a long time to experience riding in the dark. But as a 60-something, out of shape, claustrophobic, I didn't have a problem at all. YES, I would do this again if I am ever in the area again.

My wife rented a bike and the brakes locked up. She ended up falling and getting a concussion. They had no concern at all. They are also terribly disorganized. If you pay to have the bike transported to the start of the trail, they still direct you to Lookout Mountain. Why? It was a waste of time. One worker got in an argument with a customer about a lost light. The customer ended up storming off. They also told me two different places to pick up my son and wife after their ride. My son thought the ride was good. It seems worth the ride if you don't rent a bike. I bet they rented my wife's bike right after her accident. Another concussion waiting to happen.

If you are traveling to the trail without bikes, you need to head to the ski resort at Exit 0 to rent bikes, bike rack, helmet, light and shuttle pass. It's about $115 for two people. There's no advantage to booking ahead as you will still need to wait in line. Once you've paid, they will load you up and send you off to the site where you will actually ride. The parking lot fills up, and it was very crowded on our day there.

The trail itself is a gravel road, so road bikes aren't an option here. It's beautiful scenery and a unique experience of mountain biking especially through the tunnels. If you ride at a slower pace in the tunnels, you can avoid the "mud."

The downside (besides the cost) is the wait at the end for the shuttle back. It was over an hour wait in the sun plus 30 minutes on a dusty school bus back. As noted in other reviews, you would think they could determine logistics and move faster on this but they don't. While waiting in line, many (about 20 people) passed us to join their friends/family in line who finished ahead of them which is also a bit frustrating.

Even though it's an incline on the trail to ride back to the parking lot, I'd suggest turning around after 7.5 miles (It's 15 miles one way) and cycling back. The best views are at the top, and you can avoid the lines at the bottom to shuttle back (will also save $10 a person).

Simply stunning views and awesome family day! Grab a map when you buy your tickets. Great 15 mile ride down through tunnels and over high old trestles. Mostly downhill on dirt and rock. We took the bus back up, at a cost and then had to ride the first tunnel (1.66 miles) back to the parking lot. We went on a weekday which I’d recommend due to the number of people on the trail. We also rented comfort bikes with lights and helmets. Don’t try to do it on a skinny tire bike. We saw a couple of people with bent rims. Can’t wait to do it again!

We heard great things about this trail, it’s 15 miles, beautiful views, gentle downhill trail over bridges and thru tunnels. It was all true. What we didn’t hear is how long, pitch dark and disorienting the first tunnel is. We rented bikes with a light and helmet. the gears didn’t work, the light was small and dim, the seat hard as a rock. I have transition lenses and poor night vision, so going into the tunnels was like entering a black abyss- terrifying! I couldn’t see and the 1.6 mile seemed to go on forever, riding on muddy, slanted ground with ditches on each side, deep pits and ruts in the ground, in pitch dark. I made it thru the first time, but dreaded the ride back. The rest of the ride was beautiful and amazing!! I loved it! When we got on the shuttle to go back up I asked if we had to go thru the tunnel again and was told yes. By this time my bottom was super sore, i still couldn’t see but tried to follow an e-bike light in front of me. My gears wouldn’t change, I pumped hard to keep up with the light and to get thru but couldn’t keep up, my bike started to wobble side to side and headed to the right wall- I tried to push off the wall to prevent going into the ditch and crashed into the mud and ditch. It was a nightmare walking out in mud with no help from staff, then hours in the ER. I fractured my right humerus, needing an open reduction and internal fixation surgery, Our trip was ended. After two months and alot of pain and physical therapy i hope to be able to use my right arm again.
The emergency room staff said they see patients covered with Hiawatha mud like me frequently- so I’m not the only one injured on this trail.
My advice- bring your own bike, light and head lamp. Dont wear transition lenses. Insist on not riding thru the last tunnel going back up if you aren’t up for it. They do have alternatives they don’t tell you about.

Beautiful bike trail ride. Recommend it, but, check out the any bike you rent carefully. The tunnel is wet and muddy. This cause the bikes to have issues. Of my group of 11, three of the bikes should not have been used. Mine had the most serious problem. The front fork bearings where severely rusted causing the steering to lock. I, being fairly muscular, was able to muscle through the locks although at times it was exciting.

Limited views, the tunnels and trestles are cool. However, the bike rentals were HORRIBLE! Bikes WORN OUT -
bikes are NOT inspected and
bikes are NOT maintained. Couldn’t shift; padded, gel seats not comfortable; and tires worn. Worst of all, rental lights are not dependable.
Beware!
A week before, my family and I rented EIGHT bikes. Same horrible experience with all bikes. One of them, the chain came off! Most of the bikes gears didn’t work! Worst of all… three of the rental bikes lights stopped working! Luckily, the shuttle person had 3 extras. But there was a man that went through the Taft Tunnel without a light and crashed against the wall because his light went out!
BEWARE!

If needed, rent a bike from Missoula or your home town.

My fiancée got me this for my 45th .. we started in Spokane and rented a 4x4 pick up for bikes .. you can also get comp bike rack at the store .. the website is pretty good about directions and process however shoulda checked trip advisor .. i always do .. this time I decided to wing it .. so here’s what you need to pretty much dress to ski ..the peak gets wet and freezing .. gloves and rain proof jacket and pants .. prepare to get mud on al of it .. shoes sling bag pants everything .. this is because the trail goes through tunnels .. the mud when dry dusts off but is pretty alkaline ... get a change of clothes and carry protein bars or trail mixes .. keep your water bottle in your bag that you carry not on bike it will get muddy! Now the fun part .. I love how it went along the railroad you can smell the wooden underlay .. love the smell of train wed mud and green wet trees ... there are several tunnels.. and I zoned out while riding .. very meditative .. you can ride long side of caravan with your partner or friend ..read website instructions carefully .. rent bikes from store on lookout pass exit 0 hwy 90E.. drive to Roland exit 5 ..drop of car and ride 14 miles to Pearson ...get on shuttle and get transported uphill with bikes ..then get your bike and ride the 1.66 mile tunnel again to reach Roland .. say hello to the nice peeps at the tunnel entrance ...load car drive out to exit 0 return bikes and go to Wallace if you can find a place to change prior

We checked in on Friday and we were told it was a pretty light day. We bought the trail pass and the shuttle service back up. We drove up and started our journey downhill, it's a very pretty ride - the first tunnel is cold and a bit wet but it feels great on a hot day. The bridges and view are awesome. Overall it took us about 2- 1/4 hours to get to the bottom of the hill. Once there, we waited in line for the bus...and waited. It took us 2-1/4 hours to get into a bus, and that is a light day!! I asked them about it and got attitude - "you can ride back up" - which I would have happily done if I was told I would be waiting 2-1/4 hours to get on the bus. They were running buses every 30 minutes and made some excuse that they didn't have enough drivers - how a company that sells you shuttle tickets doesn't know what their demand for those shuttles would be ahead of time is terrible. If you do this ride, a couple of recommendations that might make your experience more enjoyable than ours.: Try to get there early - perhaps being down the hill first might get you better shuttle service. There is parking at the bottom of the hill where the shuttle picks up - if you start your ride going up the hill (or the top depending on your preference), you can turn around at the top or bottom and then ride back down to your car and get out of there. Ask them at the lodge how to get to that lower parking lot. Good luck, just don't rely on them to do more than the bare minimum.

My wife and I decided to take a ride on the Hiawatha trail after seeing it advertised on tv and talking to friends who had done ridden it in the past.
The ride did not disappoint, however we found it was a little confusing on where to pick up your tickets and bike rentals, due to lack of signage.
You have to go to Lookout Pass to the Ski Lodge to get your passes and rental bikes, if you don’t have your own.
Go to the upper level of the building and get your passes and bikes and information. You then load up and go several miles down the road to exit 5 and turn right to go to the trail head. Once you park and ride to the beginning of the route, you are met by very helpful staff that check tickets and give you a safety briefing. Then on to the trail.
CAUTION: the first mile and a half are ridden in a tunnel. The only lighting is flashlights on your bike or headlamps.
It is wet, dark and a little scary if you have small children.
It is a fifteen mile ride to the bottom, and even though there is a slight downhill grade, it is still fifteen miles to the end. I would strongly suggest getting a shuttle ticket to ride the bus back to the tunnel portal entrance.
The trail is well taken care of, but bring lots of water to stay hydrated, as there is none on the trail. Be prepared to see some of the most beautiful back country that Idaho has to offer.

It took us close to three hours to ride and we pedaled the whole way. The shuttle bus drops you back at the West tunnel entrance, so you have to ride through the long tunnel again to get back to your car, again it can be daunting for children.

After your ride, you return rental bikes back to the ticket office.

Enjoy this wonderful attraction, and make reservations on line before you go. It can be very busy during the high season. Enjoy.

The bike ride is great, with lovely views. Unfortunately, Covid has made it a hassle. The bike rental process is arduous as they don't have enough employees -- apparently employees would rather stay home and make $600 a week on unemployment than work and the owner won't report them. We had a lot of waiting. The brakes on my bike didn't work and I had to find an employee to fix them at the trail head. And it was expensive: $135 for two people.

We booked this a day ahead (during busy season should probably book more in advance). The day we went was cold and raining, but we still thought it was an amazing experience. The tunnels were really cool to ride through and the views were beautiful. If I’m ever in the area again I would do this again, just not in the rain!

This is an easy bicycle ride on a gentle downhill grade through beautiful mountain scenery and old railroad tunnels. Nearly everyone can do it.  It does not require significant cycling skills  or experience.  If you are visiting the Coeur d'Alene area, the Route of the Hiawatha is a "must do" activity. Do not miss it.

Definitely worth it! Just be prepared with very good headlamps, and bike front headlight, and I would also suggest red reflector flashing back lights on bike itself. Very difficult to see person ahead of you in the dark tunnels, and if someone stops unexpectantly it is almost a potential "domino effect" of falling bikes. Know how to handle a mountain bike if you've never been on a gravel road before, i.e. speed and braking. We encountered two accidents on our way down. One lady fell off a very steep cliff on her bike but survived, luckily. I gave first aid to a young woman who wiped out in front of me while applying her brakes, causing a small hole in her knee from hitting a rock, requiring some basic first aid. Bring good basic first aid supplies in your backpack.

They definitely need better trail communication and trail monitoring with rangers, on the trail, for possible accidents along the way. We never knew when they would come and pick the girl up with her knee injury, and waited a long time. They need more available staff for emergencies with the many large groups of bikers they get on the trail.

I think the trail is great for families with school aged children, 7yr and up. Easy grade, a bit long, but a memorable "adventure" for everyone.
The scenery was spectacular, and the trail full of adventure and variety! Loved it, would definitely do it again. Want to bring my grandchildren next time when they're older.

The trail itself is amazing! The organization that runs it is horrible. Expect in-excess of a two-hour wait at the bottom with a quarter mile of bikes lined up waiting for a shuttle. It was especially frustrating seeing they had numerous unused shuttles sitting idle at the top with half a dozen employees managing their 'extra revenue' food booth and store yet not enough drivers to accommodate their guests. They know exactly many tickets they've sold as they are only good for a single day with the date stamped on the ticket. Any competent management organization could do some simple math and make sure they have enough drivers based on ticket sales.

What an incredible experience! We did this as a family with 2 girls ages 15 and 12, and purchased tickets for the bus back up to the parking lot near the launch point. I agree it is not for young kids, especially if you decide to bike uphill 15 miles (with a 1000 foot elevation climb), but if you go one way, even kids younger than 10 can do it. An amazing experience wearing headlamps and biking through a damp tunnel. The main 1.5 mile long tunnel leaks and you do get a little wet. This was one of the highlights of a 2-week RV trip for my family.

Went biking down and back up the trail, it is a nice gradual 15.1 mile ride, about 1.5% grade. very nice views, tressels and bridges. Make SURE you have a good head/bike lamp. Bring food and water, although you can purchase it at the top. 90% of the people just do the downhill and take the bus back up, it seemed like a good way to do it if you have younger kids.

Rode the trail with a group of four Saturday before Labor Day. The directions to find the lower trail parking are impossible to decipher. We asked for directions and they were no better. One road would have been an hour drive. The other would have been the same road that the shuttles use. A one lane road from the top to bottom of trail and an hour for round trip to leave a vehicle at top and bottom. The shuttle is the best option. Once you get to the trail it is a great ride. 15 miles to the bottom with a gentle slope so it as actually an easy ride. Going from bottom up would probably be more changeling. This was my first time. Looking forward to doing it again now that I know where to find the trail.

This was my first true bike ride and it was AWESOME! I was visiting Coeur d'Alene and went on this ride as a side trip-highly recommend. After an excellent experience with snowboarding lessons, we returned to Lookout Pass to coordinate the ride. You rent a bike for a very reasonable price (spend the few extra $ for the comfort bike) and included is the bike, helmet, and light for the tunnels. Even on the first riding day of the year, the staff was extremely organized and helpful. The trail is a few miles away, so they can shuttle you down or they will provide you with a complementary bike rack for your car and help load on the bikes.

When you arrive, there is a parking lot and staff to give you a quick run down (it also appeared they have first aid set up). The trail is all level or slightly downhill and it begins with a 1.5ish mile tunnel. It is pitch black (which is why a light is required) and freezing-bring a light jacket bc its 40 degrees in there, even if its 80 outside! There is a really pretty waterfall at the end the tunnel. There are some other smaller tunnels throughout, bridges, etc.

This ride is absolutely breathtaking and is easy enough to where you can really take in and appreciate the nature. It is about 15 miles, but suitable for all ages, and stopping is encouraged. There are lots of informational signs and scenic views. When you get to the bottom, you can either take a shuttle back (which I recommend and it is a nominal fee) or turn around and bike back. You do need to ride through the long tunnel again-but I loved this part so I didn't mind!

There are a few camping-type bathrooms along the way, but not many. I recommend bringing plenty of water, a snack, and extra sunscreen, since you may be out longer than you think due to the beautiful scenery! If you are within an hour of this trail, do the ride! It really is suitable for all ages and abilities, highly organized and staffed, and such a blast. I wish I lived closer-I would do this all the time!

This trail is beautiful and a great, easy ride. Very pleasant, and even the mile long dark and damp tunnel was a neat experience.

The shuttle situation worked fine,we went Sept. 21 2019 and the crowds were small,but in the really busy season I could see the possibility of a wait time for the shuttle.

It is well worth the trip to ride this trail, although to me personally, the Virginia Creeper Trail is the crown jewel!

So much fun. We rode the trail down and then took the shuttle back up. The ride wad easy and beautiful. All together it took us about 3.5 hours to get back to our car.

Definitely do this trail!! We rented bikes from Lookout Ski Resort, which was super easy. You pick up your bikes, helmets, lights (trust me, you HAVE to have a light!), bike rack, tickets & a map right at the Resort, then drive 10 minutes to the trailhead. The trail starts with a pitch black tunnel that goes on and on- very cool! Bring a raincoat because the tunnels can be wet and mud gets all over your back! :) It's super fun, an easy ride, the tunnels are neat to go through, the trestle bridges are amazing, make sure to read all of the signs- so interesting! Take a picnic and stop and enjoy the magnificent scenery. There is a shuttle bus at the end that takes you back to the first tunnel, you ride back through to your car and the adventure is over! SO FUN!!

We booked everything online and were super excited about this part of our trip. We arrived and spent 30+ minutes in line to check in but spent another 50 minutes waiting for our rental bike. The majority of the staff we interacted with were rude and didn’t care about their job. If you bring your own bikes and aren’t dealing with this company, the trails are beautiful and a fantastic thing to do at any age. We also had to wait 45 minutes for our shuttle back and the bike my hubby got was a junker. Probably because we got skipped over so many times waiting in line. Even people we didn’t know commented on how long we had been waiting. People were 1 star or less. Path and views were 5 star.

The rental building is a short distance from the interstate. You drive there, rent your bike, and they hook a bike carrier up to your car, (yes, you read that right) and you drive your car to the starting point. You then bike down the trail to the end and a bus, after a considerable wait, picks you and the bike up and carries you to a point a few miles short of your starting point. Y'all will then pedal the remaining few miles back to the trailhead, load the bikes onto your car and drive back to the rental shop.
This section of trail, which you will traverse twice, has the 1.6 mile St. Paul Pass tunnel. It is wet, muddy, cold, and loaded with Morlocks. A family of six, traveling behind us, became a family of four.
If you are wondering how good the trail itself is, I gave it four dots in spite of all this. You will probably need a change of clothes after you finish the trail. Wet wipes, or wet cloths in a freezer bag to wipe yourself off would be a good idea.

This is a beautiful place and a really cool adventure, but there were a few disappointments that overshadowed the whole experience. The latter part of the downhill trail needs maintenance. It was so bumpy that it made it uncomfortable for my children to ride for so many miles. Also, the trail should be marked better or include the mileage and markers on the provided map. We were trying to make the last shuttle time, but didn't know how much further we had to go. This caused unnecessary stress.

This from a seniors point of view. Gravel trail was 1"- 3" rock. Wear 2 pair biking pants and maybe let some air out of tires? The Taft tunnel is very dark, so in addition to head lights let your eyes adjust for a few minutes and avoid transition glasses if possible. Many people rented bikes and there were many people on the trail. There was little common courtesy. After saying that, the scenery was beautiful with trestle bridges and tunnels. The interpretive plaques very interesting. We took lunches along but there are no picnic stops or benches along the route. Only places to stop were by plaques and there were always bikers coming behind us. We are glad that we rode it but will not be back.
We camped in Cataldo and spent 5 days riding the Coeur D'Alene rail trails. Beautiful scenery, paved with gentle elevations, courteous bikers. No fees. We saw a moose nursing her 2 babes.

Wow! Amazing!!! You start off right outside a 2 mile tunnel! Be prepared, you will need a good light on your bike and or a headlamp, the brighter the better. The tunnel is very dark, wet, and cold, a light jacket is highly advised. The 14 mile trail down a gradual hill with views that are simply stunning is difficult to describe. It really is a must do if you enjoy bike riding. Mountain bikes are needed. The trail is dirt and gravel. After mile 7-8, your arms do get fatigued and the bumpy trail becomes a bit hard on the joints. I saw people of all ages riding the trail. If you are not confident on a mountain bike on a dirt and gravel trail, you may want to skip this one. The old train bridges were my favorite. At the bottom of the trail, there are shuttles to bring you back up, which was spectacular. Be prepared to wait awhile if it's busy, about 30/45 minutes average to get on the shuttle. Again, so worth waiting for. The drivers were professional and great with our bikes.

My husband and I agreed that this trip was one of the best things we did on our 2-week vacation. We're experienced bicyclists and enjoyed the novelty of riding across the train trestles and through the many tunnels. Since we visited late in the season, we didn't need reservations, but it's a popular ride and many others were out. The woman behind the ticket counter was pretty snarky. I understand it's tiresome to answer the same questions over and over, but the whole process is rather complex for the first-timer. Drive around behind the facility to load the bikes, drive to the start of the trail and unload. At the end you board a bus to take you back to the longest tunnel, then you ride your bikes the short distance back to your car. Everyone else we encountered was friendly and helpful. It's also pricey. We rented basic bikes and it cost over $100 for 2 of us.

A big bonus that the whole ride is down hill! It was our first bike adventure as a family. Beautiful surroundings.

Totally impressed from where we rented bikes to when we dropped off. Staff were helpful, friendly, and knowledgable!!! I had my bike my sister in law rented a bike.
So family oreiented I want to go back and do this with my nephew and grandson. So easy to do just rent the bike, tag alongs etc and they have the bike racks to go along. Everyone was so friendly and happy and willing to help, very impressive!!! This is a must do for all. I liked how you could stop and read the history and little stories and the scenery was spectaculor!!! Take a little lunch and have a picnic anywhere along the way when the feeling is right!!! Nice downhill grade so it makes it easy to do, and then adventuras when you hit the DARK tunnels, thrilling!!!
So happy we did this and can't wait to take my family back to experience it!! We stopped at all the signs and had a picnic it took us 3 hours. Then the bus takes you back, and on the way we even seen a moose!!!
Super value for my money so inexpensive!!!

The check in process was easy but we had to wait in line for 30+minutes. We rented bikes and a tag along. The tag along wasn't installed properly to the bike (it needed a shim) and the chain kept falling off. There were some people that worked/ volunteered for the trail so they stopped and helped us several times with the tag along. We rented lights for our helmets but got lights for our handle bars. We opted for the comfort seats (thank God!) The ride down was easy. I saw very few people riding back up. It was a good experience that was, for the most part, enjoyable.

We had an excellent day on the Hiawatha Bike Trail. My family of 5, which includes a 12 year old and twin 9 year old girls, had a wonderful ride. We started early and got to Lookout around 830am where we purchased our tickets. Then drove a short 5 miles to the trail head. We were greeted at the entrance by the friendly staff. You will want to bring lights for your ride as the 1.6 miles tunnel calls for it. Lots of fun tunnels to go through while on your ride which is a very easy grade. No hills! My kids all did great! Once at the end they shuttle you back so you can go through the tunnel again. We will definitely be back!

We (adults + may tweens and teens) have adventured down this trail many times. First, in the summer it can get seriously HOT - bring double the amount of water you think you will need. Bring snacks - you will need the energy. Yes the grade is mostly downhill but it is long and its fun to take a break in the shade. The first tunnel is long & dark - bring a headlamp or flashlights - but note: holding a flashlight and steering is tricky (I have the scars to prove it) Scenery is amazing and the air is crystal clean. and the bus ride back up the hill is an adventure unto itself - a Disney E ride on the edge of a cliff! - Awesome long afternoon adventure!
Do not forget your pre-purchase tickets! Ticket purchase is verified as you begin the ride.
Final Note: there is no one to save you if you have problems - cell service is spoty at best - BRING YOUR TOOLS!

We’re visiting friends & one of our friends in particular is is a older gal and does not get out to much but when this adventure came up as a option of things to do she said let’s check it out so, a few days before we stopped up at East Portal to take a peek and see in person if this was something we could all really enjoy and physically do. Well when we got there we were pleasantly greeted by a beautiful lady who they call a Trail Marshal her name was Charity & she was so helpfully informative & just so sweet full of excitement that we were anticipating this extreme adventure. She gave us all the info we needed to put us on course to make this a “TO-DO” Vacation Adventure and boy are we so glad we did!!! So we went back to vacation home base and started the planning right away.

When we arrived 2 days later we were greeted by Charity again & to our surprise she not only remembered our names but again was so courteous & genuinely showed she was there to make sure we had a safe enjoyable time, she is just a amazing person you can tell she loves what she does & I actually felt she cared for each and every one of us making it an experience we will never forget!
The Trestles are just simply spectacular, I mean WOW!! There were a lot of people and the trail was clean, easy, enjoyable to still have a ongoing ridding conversation with our friends and family, it was so relaxing and just a enjoyable experience. We saw Deer, a Moose and Squirrels it was All so GREAT! If someone can tell Beautiful Charity for us that, “she’s amazing & to keep peddling girl & we will see her next year from her newest Canadian Friends the Banks!” I would much appreciate it!

We were in Missoula for a few days and drove the 90 minutes to do this trail as it came highly recommended. It is an old train line through a mountain pass. You can bike it both directions although most opt for the downhill direction and there are shuttle buses waiting at the bottom to take you back up to you car. Spectacular view however, the ride starts with an almost 9000 foot tunnel with no lights. Not for the faint of heart and I would suggest not trying it with those ridiculous led lights as they fail to do the job. Also, we did the trail early in the day and that was certainly the best. It's gets quite busy by mid day. Well worth the visit.

What a brilliant experience! First off it does cost for the shuttle - pay it and smile. You absolutely wont regret it. Bring lights and a helmet (mandatory for the trail and they do check) and a warm top for ridding through the first tunnel.
The ride is almost all on a moderate downward grade. Our boys ages seven and nine were able to complete the ride. It was a perfect length - they were tired but felt a real sense of accomplishment. The scenery is brilliant and the on trail markers tell the history of the area. I was particularly impressed with the fires of 1910 information.
The shuttle bus up was fast, efficient and the driver really loved their job - joking, asking questions and adding to the day. What a great experience for a family.
PS if you are a shred-head racer - give this ride a skip. This ride is about having fun.

This was the perfect way to spend an afternoon. The views were breathtaking the exercise light but the nature and surroundings superb! Rented bikes at the lookout pass ski resort - set us up with everything we needed. Started at the east portal at the beginning of the trail. First thing was a VERY long tunnel which was challenging and uncomfortable for someone who hadn't been in a bike for a while. A shuttle brings you back up - but you need to go through the tunnel again. If you want to avoid this park at the Roland entrance which is right after the tunnel and where the shuttle drops you off.

This is a fantastic 17 mile downhill bike ride appropriate for kids and adults alike. You can rent bikes and lights for your bike (trail goes through old train tunnels) and even order a picnic lunch to take with you. It cost about $350 usd for five people for - trail passes, bike and helmet rentals and lunches. It took my family (kids 11, 17 and 18) about three hours to complete (we stopped for lunch, read information boards and had loads of photo ops). When you complete the bike ride you then get a free shuttle bus back to the top (near the beginning of the ride) and you ride through the long tunnel one last time before returning your bikes. Well organized and a must see trail if you are in the area. Their website is great and explains all about bike rentals, etc.

Amazing rail trail with scenery and views in every direction! One of my favorite bike rides EVER!! Start at the top with the tunnel and just gradually coast downhill, taking in all the trestle bridges and mini tunnels!! A must do if you are in this neck of the woods.

This is a totally lovely bike ride. If someone was claustrophobic the tunnels could be a problem. Make sure to have a very good head lamp and the tunnels will not be too bad. The views are fantastic and the ride is quite easy, it is a gradual downhill.

This trail was an absolute blast. The scenery was stunning! The tunnels and bridges were so much fun! The staff was super helpful! I seriously had an amazing time, and highly recommend taking this ride.

A wonderful way to have a family experience. Packed a lunch ,wine & cheese and sat on the trestle enjoyed the day, exercise included. The forest service personal and others were very friendly and helpful.

What a great experience! Such dramatic scenery after coming out of the first cold and dark tunnel, it will take your breath away. Kids were apprehensive about going because they thought there would be bears, but there are enough bikers out there to not feel alone, but not too crowded either. Most of the trail is down hill or straight so easy riding. Recommend going when they open as we were in a race for the finish line at the end as the last shuttle leaves at 4:15 to take you back to your car. Found out later that they would wait for you if you are a little late!

The first and last tunnel is 2 miles long. I was told i needed a light and had one, but a bike headlight does little to cut the darkness. Pitch black, wet and muddy. A very bright headlight is needed here. I fell in the tunnel and broke my collarbone. The trail staff was helpful in getting me back to my truck and washing my scrapes. I had a friend drive me to an ER. I am now in a sling and in pain. I am on a long RV trip. Not easy. I of course do not recommend this trail.

Riding the trail is beautiful! The scenery diving there was amazing - maybe better than Colorado. The trail is well maintained and crosses several tressel bridges and goes through several tunnels. The ride took under two hours. The big disappointment here was the 2 1/2 hour wait for the shuttle to return to the start. I will not be doing this task again for this reason.

Looking for an easy thrilling 1.7 mile long bike ride through a dark railroad tunnel followed by 14 miles of gentle downhill gravel trail through more short tunnels and across high bridges with no traffic located in the thick forests and hills of Idaho then this trail is for you. Sign up for the bus ride back to the top with your bike and you have the perfect day trip for the most casual of bike riders. Lots of places along the way to stop and rest, relax and enjoy the sweeping views. There are no water or shops along the way so come prepared though.

The bike Rentals at LookoutPass are not being properly maintained. They gave us a bike with a bad tire that kept blowing tubes due to the tears in it. Fortunatly some nice folks took time out of there day to give us a new tube, which lasted a mile. Then some different nice folk took time out of there day to help us patch it. The issue was that the tire was so old and worn rocks easily pushed through it. Once you are on the trail you will have no cell service, so you can end up stranded miles from the end, trail is easily to walk but takes hours to do so. Supposedly there are employees that go down the trail to assistance in bike maintenance but we did not see a single one the five hours we were on the trail. When we arrived at the bottom we found out we were far from the only people to have issues with the rental bikes. One group revived a bike were the rear breaks were stuck on and another who had no breaks at all!
Trail is great but bring your own bike and some spare parts for the poor suckers that rented them.

We had a blast on this trail. We are a family of 6, and we go no the occasional bike ride, but nothing more than around the neighborhood. My 9 year old and my 7 year old were both able to ride (the one way, down-hill) without a problem. We had the younger two in bike seats, and we all had a blast. The tunnels were fun, the bridges were great, and the whole setting was perfect.

Highlight of our trip for some, this is probably the most scenic bike trail we've ever taken. Many train trestles and tunnels that you ride on and through. We only experienced one negative. The bike rental company did not plan for the large number of riders that happened to arrive at the end of the trail around the same time we did. We had to wait about an hour and a half to catch the bus back to the starting point. Also, you have to finish the trail by riding back through the long tunnel at the start; the bus does not drop you back at the parking lot. In general, be sure you can handle the length of this trail before starting it. Some people we passed had to quit without finishing. However, if you are up for it, this is definitely a must for anyone traveling in the area.

The view was astonishing but there were many downsides. My grandma’s bike chain broke and ended up causing her to break her arm. The lights were very dim, making it very hard to see. They really need to mention the mud. My whole family thought it would be nice and not ruin our clothing. I recommend if you are willing to destroy your clothes and take a risk do it, but if not, don't waste your money on this bike ride.

This trail was THE reason for our trip to Idaho, Montana, and Banff. I simply hope I am able to find the words to describe this extraordinary and gloriously beautiful experience as there is simply nothing like it.

We (easily and quickly) rented bikes from the ski lodge and drove the five miles to the start of the trail. Included in the bike rental is the helmet, bike light, and bus ticket back to car. You MUST have a light because the first tunnel is two miles long and dark! The directions from the ski/bike rental company to the trail head were easy.

The trip begins instantly with the two mile tunnel. It's a constant temp of around 50 degrees (I think) so start with a sweatshirt. Though the tunnel is two miles and dark, it's safe and fun. You come out of the tunnel to a very nice waterfall! There just aren't words for that experience alone!

There are several more tunnels all much shorter. Now, what I didn't expect were as many tressels as there were. It was mind blowing, to say the least. It was so beautiful that it was hard to imagine this was real. The whole 18 mile path must be in a large horseshoe shape since you can look across the expanse and see the tressels you were just on or going to be on. We sat down on a tressel about midway through and had snacks and water.

So, when you're not going through tunnels or atop tressels, you are riding at a 2% downgrade slope. The paths take you through trees and along the tops of a mountain and the views are to die for. It's more beautiful than you can imagine. Some of our best pictures were when I pointed the camera straight down from the tressels and got the tops of the trees.

We went on Father's Day and I was expecting it to be crowded. Though there were many others it was open enough that everyone had their own space. It took us about 4 hours. I recommend starting earlier than later in the day because this is one thing you don't want to rush. The other reason is that the park rangers said it gets a bit tense toward the end of the day when everyone is wanting to get aboard the buses.

We started about 10 ended about 2 or 3 in the afternoon and literally stepped on a bus at the bottom of the trail and were taken back to our cars. No waiting.

Though the trail is 18 miles, it's an easy 18 miles. It's downhill. Most anyone can do it. I saw little kids and people older than us. I think the tunnels might be a bit scary for the wee ones so just prepare them for the safe adventure. Its traveled enough that I didn't feel there'd be wild animals popping out. There is also a lot of historical markers. There wasn't a lot of restrooms, so drink light!

Loved it and can not wait to return!

It's been a HOT summer so we did get lucky with the only drizzly day in a long time...neither of us has ridden bikes in decades, but as the cliche' saying goes...Grin...we had so much fun and saw so much beauty...my only sort of complaint was renting the bikes (along with the other fees you have to pay) was a little expensive...would try to bring our own bikes next time...they were really good bikes though...HIGHLY RECOMMEND this to any couple or family...

We rode the Hiawatha Trail yesterday, truly an amazing experience. We rented bikes with lights, picked up lunches and our trail ticket at Lookout Ski/Bike Headquarters. Everyone that we encountered at Trail of the Hiawatha was so happy, helpful and watchful of the trail and the people. We rode both ways to the surprise of many of the staff but they keep a good eye out for us with a big smile. We took a leisurely ride down with only a couple of stops at 1 hour and 30 minutes. We saved the history lesson of the area for our return and it was about 3 hours back up a long slow grade. We were a group of barely senior active women. Love the scenery, history and most importantly time with friends.
Hints: Dress in layers, add a jacket for the long St Paul Tunnel (1.66 miles), bring a change of clothes (may like to have as the tunnels will always have a little mud), good light is a must and aim it at the trail not just out into the darkness. water snacks and sunscreen. There are a few items available at the end points. If the long tunnel is a concern you can bypass and start just on the other side at Roland this might be good for young children and people concerned with closed/dark spaces.

Had a wonderful ride on this 18mile trail. It is very important to have a warm jacket going through the lst 1.7 mile long tunnel and headlamps are critical equipment. There were many informative trail signs along the way that gave a great historical perspective. Many people just rode right by but they were worth stopping to read. We had some incredible views also. A shuttle can be taken for $9 each at the end of the trail. We opted to do that since it was 4:30 when we finished and didn't want it to get dark on us. The shuttle drops you at the 1.7 mile tunnel so you can ride through the other direction. Many tunnels along the way but the lst is the longest and darkest. Enjoy.

My wife and I did this for our ten year anniversary. The trail is pretty easy to do. It took us a couple hours to do and that is with stopping several times to check out the views. If you choose to rent from Lookout pass make sure you test out your bike before leaving. My first bike the chain fell right off. My second bike the front break was broken and didn't notice until we got to the trail.

We rented bikes and did the one way bike ride with our 9 & 12 year old. It is a very easy ride. We loved the tunnels and trestles. It took a lot longer than anticipated because we stopped and read almost every sign along the way. There are a lot of informational signs about the railroad and life in towns along the railroad. It was not a difficult ride as it is at a gentle 2% downhill grade most of the way. It was a nice way to spend a day. We went on the 4th of July weekend and reserved bikes ahead of time. Give yourself extra time for the bike rentals. They were busy, but it was obvious they were working hard to get everyone their bikes shuttled to the start of the trail. We opted to have the bikes dropped off at the beginning of the trail for an extra $20. The first thing you do is ride through a 1.7 mile tunnel. At the end of the trail we took a shuttle back to the tunnel where you ride through the opposite way to get to the beginning. Then we just left the bikes with an attendant and drove away. No hassle of loading them on a bike rack and returning them to the rental place. I would recommend the bike drop-off service.

If we didn't have kids we probably would have rode both ways instead of taking the shuttle back to the tunnel, but at the pace we were going we never would have made it both ways with the kids.

Just LOVED this. Two of my friends and I took a weekend and had a blast biking this trail and others in the area. The views are amazing and the biking was great. It was my first time on a mountain bike and it was great. The trails were easy enough that if you can ride a bike, you can do this trail. Not steep and not strenuous at all (going downhill :) The tunnels were amazing and we LOVED the first tunnel. Nobody told us that the backs of our shirts/shorts would get the "Hiawatha Trail" on them (think muddy lines up your rear end and all the way up to your helmets) because of the wet floors of the tunnels, but it was so much fun that we didn't mind at all.

We will be back and this time I will bring my whole family. Such a fun, adventurous thing to do!

The Forest Service turned this wonderful bit of public land over to profiteering goons. Even if you don't use their crammed school buses, they'll stop you at the public trailhead and demand $40 just to ride your bike for an hour - same price as the bus riders.

Sucks to pay Federal taxes only to be preyed upon when trying to use Forest land. Nice job USFS...

The trail is breathtaking and is easy enough for small kids. There are plenty of places to stop and rest and so much to see. Take a light! The long tunnel is over a mile of pitch black. We rented bikes and helmets from the ski resort and we had them deliver the bikes to the trailhead. Easy, and the staff is very friendly and helpful. We went mid morning on a Friday and it was not crowded at all.

The Hiawatha Mountain Bike Trail was great and a highlight of our trip. We rented standard mountain bikes for all four of us (2 adults, 2 kids (between 8 & 14). They were adequate. Would have preferred having our own bikes with us, but given the easy downhill grade and wide dirt path, the bikes were fine. I do recommend looking them over closely and ensuring brakes and the headlight work. The long tunnel was a thrill, and be sure to check out the sign in the middle of the first tunnel that describes to two work-crews meeting in the middle. The scenery was great and the views as you pass over the old railroad bridges were wonderful. If we had more time, we would have ridden back up the trail, or at least part of it. We were some of the first to venture out on the trail which ensured that it was not crowded and we mostly had the tunnels to ourselves. During the return trip, there was a steady stream of people just starting off, so if you don't like crowds, go early. Also, the shuttle buses back up the trail fill up fast. We were the last ones to get in line for the first shuttle and people that arrived at the end of the trail just after us had to wait for the next bus. The staff indicated that buses leave every 90 minutes, but it sounded like they called in extra buses given the large number of people that arrived at the end of the trail, so I think they did not have a very long wait.

Three of us, all in our 60's, did this bike trail recently, and had a really fun half-day. The bike route is very scenic, all downhill, and no other vehicle traffic to deal with. We rented the bikes, which included a bike rack which the staff mounted onto our car easily, so we could drive to the beginning of the trail. And we paid for the shuttle bus to bring us and the bikes back to our car at the end of the ride. Every detail was easy. This is not at all dangerous, so I highly recommend it to people and families of all ages.

I was worried from some of the reviews of how scary/uneven the tunnel section was. It's not, if you've been on a bike there is nothing to worry about. I felt like the ride got a little more rugged towards the last 3-4 miles but might have just been I was saddle sore from a ride the previous day. We packed plenty of water but next time will definitely bring some snacks. It's downhill but you are still pedaling the whole time. The views were amazing and glad our family of four (kids 9 and 5) could all experience this and hope we find our way back in the area to do it again.

Loved it. Tunnels, tressels and beautiful scenery. Make sure you stop and buy your trail passes and shuttle bus tickets. Pack a lunch and enjoy.

We specifically drove from Utah to Idaho to ride the Hiawatha Trail. I was a great ride. We would do it again if we had the opportunity. We were going to ride round trip, but decided to take the shuttle back to the top.

Wow! Wow! Wow! Had heard of this amazing rails-to-trails bike trail some years ago so it was a "must do" for us while in the area. Spectacular scenery and easy down-hill ride. You feel like you are in back country but on this great bike path. We rented bikes which came with lights (for tunnels), helmets and free use of bike rack to get bikes to start of trailhead. It was a little expensive when we also had to add cost for trail tickets and shuttle passes (for bus ride back to top) but it was worth every penny. Would do it again in a heartbeat. Much cheaper if you have your own bikes. So beautiful and so much fun. HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND for anyone. My husband has heart problems and is afraid of heights and it was easy even for him and the trestles were not scary for him. We loved it!! What a thrill!

Always wanted to do this and we finally did with another couple. We all had our own bikes but my husband and I had to rent helmets and lights. The helmets were grody so try and pick one up if you can. The lights were adequate but our friends had really good lights so I started riding behind them when going through the tunnels. Bring a light jacket as the longer tunnels can be cold. Bring food and beverage as there is nothing to buy along the way. The history of the tunnels and the bridges, etc. was really fun for my husband as his grandpa used to take him on the trains when he was a boy. The scenery was very nice but nothing exceptional... that said, we are locals and therefore somewhat spoiled. The customer service was excellent from the beginning in the ticket/rental office to the end when we caught our bus back. Would recommend for anybody visiting the area. Very easy as it's all downhill... I rarely had to peddle.

Wow this is a bucket list experience! The staff was very friendly and helpful. The bikes were comfortable and the trail is mostly one where you don’t need to pedal! Best kind of ride! The scenery is spectacular. The Taft tunnel when you start can be a little intimidating but keep a slow and steady pace and you are rewarded with a waterfall at the exit!

Based on recent reviews that I have read, folks have different expectations of trails. We TOTALLY loved this trail! We went the last day of the season (Sept 23) and loved everything about the trail and views. It was all down hill, very easy ride, super scenic and just down right run. A couple of mule deer even decided to pop out of the woods and join us. We traveled to Wallace from the east coast for two nights just to be able to experience this and we are so glad we did. I have a lot of allergies and my eyes were burning at various times because of the strong cedar/pine smells but I didn't care. It was great to be outside and witness such beauty. We rented our bikes/helmets and shuttle/trail passes online from the ski lodge. The only negative was the unfriendly attitude of several young female workers at the lodge. Everything else was an A+++. We thought the trail was perfect and really didn't see much repair needed.

We took a shuttle from Harrison with the intention of riding to Wallace after enjoying the trail.
The rail trail was excellent and we very much enjoyed it.
Take the shuttle back up. An employee of the Hiawatha told us to ride to Wallace via the Moon Pass Road. A terrible idea for mature women with all their belongings on the bikes. After three hours of pushing our bikes up mountain passes we were saved by a passing truck. Take the shuttle and go back to the start.

We drove 16 hours from California to Wallace, Idaho to ride the Route of Hiawatha and Trail of the Coeur d'Alene from Wallace to Plummer and back. The last day we did Dobson Pass. Truly a beautiful week of bike riding. If you like a challenge shuttle to the Hiawatha trail head and ride the trail both ways and then ride back to Wallace.

We encountered poor AQ on the first day and a little rain on the last day but overall had great weather. If you can bring your own touring bikes to eliminate bike problems. Visit the Mission at Cataldo which is the oldest building in Idaho.

This experience was the reason we changed our trip from going to the Boise area to exploring the Idaho Panhandle instead. Boy am I glad we did! This is truly a unique and wonderful experience. We went on a morning that had rained and it was a tad chilly. It was still so beautiful to be surrounded by nature and take our time to truly take it all in. Thanks to the prior reviews, we knew to be prepared. We spent time checking out the bikes at the rental place to make sure we had brakes that worked, adequate tire pressure (no too much, not too little) and overall felt good about the bikes. My chain came of twice but my husband easily put it back on.

The staff that helped us at check in and picking out the bikes were very friendly and helpful.

We brought extra seat padding for comfort and extra lights for the tunnels. We also brought water and snacks that we enjoyed along the way. We biked at a leisurely pace and stopped many times to just simply appreciate the views and enjoy the experience. I saw people of all ages and types of bikes. There was about a 30 minute wait at the end to catch the shuttle for a ride back up. You end the trail by riding through the long tunnel back to the parking area.

My advice is to be prepared and know that it is not a smooth bike path and the tunnels are wet and cold. Take your time, be safe and you'll end up making the best memories.

We had the best time riding this trail! The views were stunning, the tunnels and trestles added a sense of adventure to the trail and we loved it so much we rode back up the trail on our e-bikes.

Our whole family loves the Hiawatha mountain biking trail. The views, the tunnels, the bridges, and the overall quality of the trail are amazing! The first tunnel which is over a mile long is so fun. It will leave a strip of mud on your back, but it is totally worth it. We spent almost more time stopping and admiring the views along the trail and bridges than we did riding.

This is a must-see attraction and we highly recommend going. It is good for anyone who can ride a bike. It is very gentle downhill slope for the entire ride. Just remember to bring a helmet and flashlight for your bike.

I read a lot of reviews, and found the ride much less daunting than people suggested. I think any child who can ride a bike in a straight line could do this ride. Bring a good light, water, picnic, and helmet. I bought a good flashlight at Walmart for about $15 and strapped it to the front handlebar. Worked like a charm. My $60 bike light, on the other hand, was worthless. I thought about renting a bike so my bike would not get beat up, but the trail is just fine for all but road tires. The whole experience is quite straightforward and totally enjoyable. The ride took me 3 hours, including half an hour to picnic and plenty of stops for photos. The shuttle wait was about 5 minutes - they fill up the bus as people arrive and leave as soon as the bus is full. It was about 1/3 full when I arrived and completely full only a few minutes later - what a great system.

Leave the leather motorcycle club jackets at home and put on your bike helmets with LED headlights. When was the last time you biked through a nearly 1.67 mile long tunnel with your family? Not only that, where else in the world can you do that?

The trail has a gentle downward slope so there is very little physical exertion needed as we took our sweet time taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the fresh outdoors. The boys enjoyed biking through the tunnels and over the truss bridges. This is a great family friendly outdoor activity that should be a part of your itinerary next time traveling the Coeur d'Alene area.

Really, it's a nice easy bike ride through a gorgeous area. The tunnels were easy to ride through, the path smooth and downhill the whole time, and the trestles amazing to stop at and enjoy the views.

Our rental car, a Ford Edge, could not be fitted with a roof rack according to the bike guys at Lookout Pass Resort (that's where you rent the bikes from) and had no hitch for a bike rack either. But the guys at Lookout Pass deliver bikes to the trailhead, and delivered our (3 bikes) for $15USD total. Not a bad deal.

The only downside is a sore but if you don't ride bikes much, but it's worth it.

This was a really fun. We had two adults plus my parents who are 65 my 3 year old in a burley and my almost 7 years and everyone did great. It is mostly downhill and a mixture of packed dirt and gravel. A couple of tips:
1. Start early, parking was filling up by 10:30 AM and the ride took longer then expected.
2. If you plan to go out to eat or don’t want to get your car seats dirty bring a change of clothes or a towel to lay down. YOU WILL GET MUDDY, especially going thru the tunnels
3. Get a bright bike or helmet light. Ours weren’t quite bright enough so we had to go pretty slow.
4. Pack snacks or a light lunch so you can stop half way and relax for a bit.
5. If you take a trailer for kids make sure you have the plastic covering otherwise they’ll get sprayed with mud from your back tires.
6. Be prepared to WAIT! This was the sole reason I’m not giving this a 5 star review: the shuttle wait was 2 hours. Let me repeat that: TWO HOURS! From the time we got in line to when we got on the bus it literally took two hours. We were beyond tired and frustrated especially because after your board the shuttle it’s a 30 minute shuttle and then another 30-60 minutes back thru the trail and tunnel to get back to the start.

This is absolutely fantastic. It’s important to know that there is mud, especially in the tunnel so go slow. The bicycles do not have fenders; the mud go right up your back. Depending upon the time of year, a jacket is not necessary. I went in August. It is imperative that you bring a light that will shine down at a 45° angle so that you can see the road immediately underneath and slightly in front of your front wheel. The first tunnel is over a mile long and is pitch black. Some say and there is written material that the first shuttle back starts at 11 while others say it is at 11:30. It is neither. The first shuttle comes back when it is full and only when it is full, so plan on getting shuttled back somewhere between 12 and 1230. It’s only a 2% grade so you do pedal but it’s super easy and a child could do it. Just keep them on the inside of the path as there is a precipitous drop on the outside. Arrive between seven and 730 and be ready to be with the first group leaving at eight. Do you want to be back before the shuttles start using part of the path.

We took our 2 kids (4 & 2), they rode in a trailer. We all had a lot of fun. The first tunnel is really cold, you'll want a jacket! Also, make sure you have decent lights, ours weren't quite bright enough. It was a beautiful ride, I did it 5 months pregnant and had no problems.

Renting the bikes and other equipment went well and the people involved were helpful and friendly. The bike ride itself was uneventful. Going through the first long tunnel was stressful and exciting at times and you get to do it again even if you take a shuttle back. The information signs were interesting but after a while the ride become boring. Solid forest but after a couple of hours on the long dirt track I was ready to have it over. It was good but don't need to go back

I hadn't biked in 25 years and never off pavement, but the attraction of the Hiawatha Trail was too strong. Don't fear the tunnels (even the 1.7 mile one) as they were the smoothest and chilliest terrain. I found the rocky parts to be more daunting than the bridges and tunnels, but that was just from inexperience. The views were magnificent and the ride was as leisurely as you wanted it to be. Although it was busy on the last weekend of the season, it didn't feel crowded; and no one was endagered as I meandered all over the wide path. We rented bikes (helmets and lights included) and a car bike rack, and purchased shuttle tickets for the 30 minute bus ride back up to just 2 miles shy of the parking lot. You have to ride back through the long tunnel to get back to your car and then drive a few miles to return the bikes. It is a must do if you are anywhere nearby.

Just called the store to ask about the logistics. The guy that answered was so intolerably rude that I refuse to spend money with them. If your job is to provide a service to primarily out-of-towners, I don’t know why you would be such a jerk to someone who has simple questions and is being polite?

The bridges and trestles are awesome! Such amazing scenery. All the staff were friendly. The seat broke off my husband's bike and the company refunded him the bike rental fee. The long tunnel coming back was very muddy (all up your back) even when riding slow. We were really glad we took this trail despite those little things.

By far the best bike ride my wife and I ever did in the US. It was part of a package we bought & well worth it! The people running the site were very pleasant and then it got better. The tunnel to start 1+ mile long was great, the others were also and the trestles equally cool. The scenery was amazing. It seems a long trip to make this the destination but there are other rides and hikes in the area that make it well worth the trip!

Ride: along historic railway that is now hard-pack dirt and gravel. Probably 20 miles total including a return through a 1.6-mile tunnel at the end. Beautiful scenery and breathtaking views with a good dose of history at stops along the way! Bring a compact camera or, if an SLR I recommend a backpack. Several tunnels (though the one at the beginning and end was the longest) and high trestles spanning deep canyons. You will get muddy in the tunnels! Great fun, largely level to downhill. Generally smooth though gravel and washboard in places.

Service: in a word terrible except for a great trail monitor named David who finally got my seat right. Problems: no sign at the fwy exit for the trail heads that reminds you no bike rental there (the written instructions we were given were confusing to say the least!). After backtracking to Lookout Point to get bikes, a very slooooow process! Apparently there is zero cross-training for things as simple as making a sandwich. I had to ask for my sandwich three times! They don't fit you to the bikes so if you need to adjust anything needing a tool (such as the tilt of my bike seat), good luck! I was over 10 miles into the ride before we came across the first trail monitor, the wonderful David. Another in our party had a non-working bike light -- and lights are essential for the tunnels! She had to ride right behind me -- not fun! Again David saved the day by duct taping a replacement light on top of her non-working light (good ol' duct tape!).

When we returned and reported our problems, they could not have cared less! I would have given this attraction one star except the ride itself was spectacular! And today I sit here with chafed "parts" from the bike seat. BTW unless you ride all the time be sure to get the comfort seat! And ensure the bike is comfortable to you BEFORE you leave the rental place....

Excellent bike ride thru tunnels, over trestles and over the top interpretive guide back up the road from the bus driver! Didn't see any wildlife this time, but since we have ridden this trail over 12+ years, we have seen moose, deer, coyotes, and more! The staffing in the lodge (Lookout Pass) is knowledgeable, informative and get you in and out quickly. The breakfasts are well worth the minimal price they charge and they have cold beverages for afterwards as well! Thanks to all, we had another excellent ride and experience!

This is a fantastic trail. Easy ride. Beautiful views. Unfortunately mismanaged. According to employees on the trail, 1600 people used the trail the day we visited. Staff were friendly but totally unprepared to handle that many visitors. Waits for pre-purchased shuttle rides from the end of the trail were hours long. Lines of 250+ people waiting in the sun with one restroom containing one toilet. Trail is great but tickets need to be restricted to a manageable number of people per day. Selling that many tickets without the capacity to shuttle customers in a timely manner is greedy and shortsighted. Doubt I’ll be back despite this being a great trail.

I loved the trail and its beautiful scenery. The very first thing you do on this ride is go through a 1.66 mile tunnel. You will need a light or two. Most of the people that I saw riding in the tunnel had two lights. Make sure your flashlight that you are using has sufficient lumens 150 or better. I did not check ours and turns out 50 lumens isn't the best for this tunnel, I could see fine but.... I had a light for my bike and helmet and it worked out ok (a little nerve-racking with the insufficient bulbs I had). I thought the ride would be a little harder, it is mostly downhill. I did not work out before the trip and I got through the ride just fine. It took us about 2-2.5 hours to ride. We stopped only once to eat and drink something. Also make sure you at least check your bike before the ride or get it serviced. I saw a few people trying to fix chains, wheels, and etc.....

Stunning, just stunning and easy too. Sing in the tunnel; the acoustics are fabulous. Bridges are breathtaking!

What an awesome trip. I loved every minute of it even in the rain at the end.

We arrived early in the day on Thursday and had the trail mainly to ourselves for the first half. If you are coming from Idaho keep in mind that Montana is an hour ahead so you can actually get an earlier start. I highly recommend starting early when the trail is not busy.

My daughter (8) was rather apprehensive about the tunnels. She walked almost halfway through the first tunnel (1.7 miles) as she was scared of the dark. We finally got her on her bike and she rode through the rest of the way. It wasn't a problem to have her walk so if you have kids who this may be an issue for just embrace it and walk the first tunnel. On the way back her dad sang the whole way and that help her bike through it. The traffic on the way back was heavier as everyone is getting off the shuttle at the same time. She just went slowly and people courteously passed us.

I was concerned after reading other reviews about the gutters in the first tunnel but with proper head lights it's not a problem at all. Use common sense and you have nothing to worry out.

We took our time, stopped lots, had a picnic and enjoyed the scenery. Before your start find out when the return shuttle times are. The last few miles are rather boring. If you are close to catching a shuttle power through and get there in time so you're not sitting at the base for an hour waiting.

If you have your own bikes you do NOT need to go to lookout pass. You can buy your passes and shuttle tickets on the trial (they may not have change so make sure you had the correct cash). We purchased our trail tickets at the Wallace Inn where we were staying and just paid cash for the shuttle when we got on.

Our 10 year old wanted to bike back up as well. When we do it again (that's right when not if) he and his dad will start at the bottom of the trail bike up and then back down again.

We did see one teenage girl with a popped tire so do come prepared. Other than at the top and bottom we didn’t see a trail marshal so don’t rely on them to help you out if you have a problem.

The shuttle is about a half hour ride and bumpy. There are outhouses at the top, half way down (this one is easy to miss as it's off to the side) and the bottom.

ENJOY!

Rode the trail today, and it was fantastic. Gorgeous views, interesting history lessons, cool tunnels, and an easy downhill ride for our group of many ages. The staff was friendly and helpful from the trailhead where we started with our bikes to the support staff that supplied us with a tube when we had a flat that couldn’t be repaired and all the way back up in the bouncy shuttle bus (waited less than a half hour) where we were entertained looking for moose out the window. The five year old loved the chipmunks, and we all loved the ride. Already talking about doing it again.

Rode the trail Friday May 31, 2024. 4 adults , a 10 year old and a 7 year old. 3 e-bikes and two mountain bikes total cost $261. 7 year old rode on back of e-bike. Started down trail about 10:30 am. Started at top and first encounter was the St Paul tunnel. Tunnel was wet with dripping ceilings and puddles of mud through the tunnel. Bikes with fenders keep riders from getting muddy, but the mountain bike riders back sides were covered in mud. We took rain parkas and they worked great. If I ride this again I will definitely avoid this long tunnel and start at Roland. I thought the tunnel was damp, cold, and boring. You have to do this tunnel twice if you ride the shuttle back up to Roland pass. Ok the rest was great. Beautiful scenery and awesome vista’s. Route was slightly downhill except for a couple of very short and gentle upslopes. Actual path was smooth and easy to ride. More like an old logging road that has been well maintained. No washboards and hardly any bumps. The route goes by fairly fast so stop and look around. Enjoy the views. Take a lunch and water. Trail marshals very friendly and ready to help. At the bottom there was maybe 20 people waiting for shuttle. We had about a 15 minute wait. About 3 miles of trail are on a joint use road, however, we never encountered a vehicle. I thought the cost was a bit high but of course value is in the eye of the beholder.

Not on Trip Advisor, because hey, we're honest folks just trying to help fellow travelers find exceptional experiences and not waste their hard-earned money on not-so-great ones...but anyway...doesn't it irritate you when an attraction over-promises and under-delivers? Well....every once in awhile the hype is real, and the hype surrounding the Route of the Hiawatha 'rail to trail' mountain bike trip is 100% right-on.

This attraction ROCKS!

Located at Lookout Pass, a few miles from Wallace, Idaho you'll find the Route of the Hiawatha -- a highly acclaimed bike trail that utilities 15 miles of the abandoned Milwaukee Railroad grade, that not only show cases some incredible Idaho mountains, but OMG...10 tunnels and seven trestle bridges! The first tunnel is almost two miles long. One of the trestles is 230 feet in the air. This is a MUST DO adventure.

Oh, BTW, the entire town of Wallace is on the Historic Register, and well worth a visit.

Granted the views are quite nice and going over the train trestles is fun, but the 1.7mile first tunnel is intimidating.
It's pitch black inside and you definitely need a strong head light as well as a bike light and don't go thru without a helmet! The trail has ditches on each side with running water and the trail itself is domed somewhat, so riding thru this tunnel requires a good sense of balance. Most of the trail on the other side of the tunnel is somewhat medium size loose gravel which will give you a bumpy, teeth rattling ride. I wished it was a hard-packed dirt trail instead!! I had to stop to just listen to the quiet for a while from all the noise that comes with riding on the gravel. Make sure your tires are good and not skinny, because you definitely will bog down in the gravel with skinny tires.

Yes, it's all a gentle downhill, but you still have to apply your brakes once in a while and you should stop to savor the views instead of riding nonstop to the bottom. Some bikers were rude in passing by not announcing themselves and I was taken by surprise by a few of them suddenly passing on my left.

There were more tunnels, but definitely more fun to ride thru even though you still had to be careful and use your lights, but they were short distances.

Even though I enjoyed the mountain views, I couldn't wait until the ride was over. It was too uncomfortable.

Amazing Trail Experience! Do not let the length of the ride discourage you - it is all pretty much downhill and there are buses to shuttle you back to the top! It is an amazing experience and worth every pedal! We camped near the east portal and got an early start so the ride was not at all crowded and the long tunnel by ourselves was super cool - you must have lights on your bike! One thing to note is that the start at the east portal is very close to a time change zone.... so do know what time it actually is! We we over an hour early for the shuttle at the bottom because we were in the wrong time zone on our watches! Super views and lots of history along the way - definitely a bucket list item checked off!

We did the Hiawatha Labor Day 2013, and loved most of it. We then did I it again on the 18th of August 2014 with our granddaughter in a trailer towed behind my bike. Last year we learned a few things from our mistakes that we did not repeats this year. #1 we started out earlier in the morning and on a midweek day, not like last year on Labor day monday. We were on the trail at 9:30 am. The biggest crowds this time started showing up in the early afternoon as we were about done. #2 we took our time going through the east portal tunnel. Last year we had gotten disoriented a number of times. So this year I got brighter lights for our bikes. We stopped a few hundred yards into the tunnel and waited for our eyes to adjust to the darkness, and took our time, which made it funner than last year. This year we took our granddaughter. She is old enough to ride her bike but doing 15 miles will wear a child out only a few miles. And the last 5 miles it's not hard packed gravel, so little tires and little legs will have a HARD TIME. If you are planning on taking little ones, get one of those kiddie trailers to pull them in. Don't use one of those clamp on bikes that make it like a tandem bike either. Little kids were having problems staying upright with their parents driving. And those cute little bikes with the 8 inch tires... there great for riding on neighborhood sidewalks.... not so good for loose gravel. Also you are better off bringing you own bike rather than renting. You have it set up for you, and you know how to operate it. The Hiawatha is a great family ride if you are prepared, and take your time. We are planning on another ride with our whole family in the future.

If you rent bikes and have them delivered to the top, or if you take your own bikes, everyone at the East Portal entrance waits in the same line. We were at the top for almost an hour and a half (maybe more, I lost track). Take your own bikes if you can (put new batteries in your lamps). E-bikes are even better. If you rent bikes, your bikes are serviced as they are assigned to you. No maintenance is done from the previous day and you may end up with something very with missing parts. We had two newer employees working with us and my husband was able to watch what they were doing and request additional action. One bike had a missing seat clamp that they couldn't fix so they traded it out. Adjustments were made for missing bolts, loose or unattached break lines, seat height (of course), tire pressure, etc. I did not thoroughly check my bike before heading out and found my steering was loose and wobbly for the first long tunnel (this tunnel is fun but wet and slippery with big gutters on each side that you need to be very careful to avoid). When we got to the other side my husband was able to adjust. My chain came off twice and my gear shifter would change without me doing anything.

If you order lunch, keep in mind that it's very simple for the price but it saved some travel planning on my end that I very much appreciated (sandwich with a decent amount of meat, chips, apple, rice krispy treat, water). We noticed that most people do not eat on the trail. We think it was so they could get down the mountain and in line for the bus trip back. There are water refill stations in one or two places down the trail. Minimal refreshments are available at the end for a price. The bus trip back is another long line and there is very little shade on hot days. You can stand on the sides of the trail for bits of shade.

All of that said, I would still recommend this trail. It's truly a beautiful experience and there were people of all ages and abilities. Just plan ahead and think about the bike care before you head out.

This is about the 5th time I've traveled the HMBT and I've loved it every time. The views are excellent, the temperature was just right and except for mud in the first long LONG tunnel it was perfect! Mud washes off. Taking along some like minded and similar aged companions doesn't hurt, either. Lunch on the longest trestle is a tradition not to be ignored.

I would highly recommend this bike trail experience to anyone, the tunnels and tressel bridges are amazing the views are breathtaking and the whole history of the trail is really intriguing.

We thought we were prepared, BUT, we quickly realized our headlamps would not get us through the first tunnel, SO we drove to the trail head that would begin just past the 2 mile tunnel. My cross bike worked fine, and my husbands road bike made it, but he was pretty concerned. The trail was a bit rougher than he expected. We biked down and back and enjoyed the views. The ride back up was not as difficult as we had feared. No need for the shuttle. Beautiful mountain views.

It may be downhill the whole way, but the trail was so rough after the last trestle (about mile 9) that it ruined the ride. We paid to ride the shuttle, but I would have rather pedaled back up the trail 9 miles than ride that rough 6 miles to the end. I would expect the trail to be in much better shape, where does the money go? If you want to ride the whole trail, have a mountain bike with full suspension and fatter tires . If you have a non-suspension bike or e-bike turn around half way. Scenery and the trestles were definitely breathtaking. I have ridden many rails to trails across the country and even in Canada, by far this was the roughest trail.

This was an amazing day. I highly recommend it. We booked online so our bikes were already selected for us. The bikes were good quality and perfect fit and they drove them up to the starting point for us. The rail trail was fantastic with all the tunnels and trestle bridges. We saw deer and loved the natural surroundings steeped in history. The signs are informative. Loved the mile long tunnel at the start and finish. I recommend starting early as it got busy when we were finishing at lunchtime. Great experience.

Spectacular ride with beautiful scenery to boot. We rented bikes, and went from the top to the bottom. The ride is mostly downhill. You get to go through old railroad tunnels with just a light on your bicycle, stop on the bridges and learn about the great fire back in the day. It's great you can pack a lunch and stop whenever you want.
When you get to the bottom, there is a shuttle bus to bring you back up to the top. We also saw an elk on the way down.

An easy ride that offers informative kiosks highlighting the history of the area. The concessionaire that rents the equipment and sells the tickets are well organized and effcient. We were out the door in record time! The spectacular wood & metal trestles were exciting to cross and the tunnels eery. Be sure to bring headlights for your bikes or rent them when you purchase your passes as they are required to ride through the tunnels.

This is an easy bicycle ride on a gentle downhill grade through beautiful mountain scenery and old railroad tunnels. Nearly everyone can do it. It does not require significant cycling skills or experience. If you are visiting the Coeur d'Alene area, the Route of the Hiawatha is a "must do" activity. Do not miss it.

We enjoyed every part of this trip! Go early in the daddy or you will spend more than an hour waiting for the shuttle.

We rented three bikes. Before we could pedal through the first tunnel, the chain on one bike broke off. We walked the bike back to ask for a replacement. The replacement had a faulty seat (That is 15 dirt miles on a wobbly seat.) One bike got a flat tire at about mile twelve (That is three miles of walking.)

The staff at the Hiawatha Trail is trained to collect your money fast. They insist that you sign a waiver that you can never ever ever ever sue. (Write a false name.) They send you out into the wilderness on shoddy equipment. There is no cell phone service. There are no check points.

Skip the Hiawatha Trail unless you are equipped with your own bikes, lights, GPS, servicing gear, layers of clothes and a backpack of foods. It is rugged terrain and not recommend for families.

Loved this! Hadn't ridden a bike in over 20 years and was able to do this trail easily, don't let the length frighten you, it's very doable. In fact it inspired me to buy a bike when I got home, now I just have to ride it! Great outdoor activity to do when in North Idaho, fun for a family or a couple. Fantastic views and loved the history markers along the way. A word of advice, bring a change of clothes or put plastic on your car seats as you'll be muddy afterwards if the tunnel has puddles in it, which it probably will, no tire guards to keep the mud off of you. Will try to do this trail again.

Rented bikes at Lookout Pass. We chose the upgraded “comfort ride ” because we read the trail can be bumpy.. and it is!!!! The people at lookout pass are very nice and helpful. They let us borrow a bike rack and even put it on for us. We tested the bikes out and when my husband went to adjust the seat the lever broke so we had to get another bike. Once we got to the trail about 2 mins in my right brake cable broke so I only had a left brake and it kept rubbing in the front tire so I had to keep stopping to adjust it. The trail is benign so it wasn’t all that bad not having working brakes.. my feet did just fine(haha). The ride itself is through beautiful scenery and along they way there are information boards about the railroad. I can totally recommend the ride.. however the rental bikes appear to NOT be maintained very well with other reviews and our experience as well.. but if you are from out of town and want to do this you have very little options. Bring a change of clothes and some snacks for the ride.. we did the 15 miles in a leisurely 2.5 hours. We got to the rental place at 8:30 and started our ride at 9.. we had less than a 10 min wait for the shuttle at 11:45 but was told later in the day people can wait hours to get back to the parking lot.. So start early if you don’t want to be stuck

The Hawaitha Bike Trail follows and abandoned railroad bed18 downhill miles through tunnels and over trestles in the heart of the beautiful Bitterroot Mountains on the Idaho Montana border. Bikes are available; mountain bikes are advisable and bile lights are a necessity. The scenery is drop dead gorgeous and the tunnels and trestles are a kick. Serious folks can ride back up. However, for $9 you can join the line for a ride back for yourself and your bike on a yellow school bus. Really a great ride!

This is an excellent ride for beginners to experts. This has fun and scenery all in one easy 15 mile all downhill ride. Bring BRIGHT lights for the train tunnels. What fun for the kids!

It was a completely spontaneous outing for us and one of the highlights of our two-week camping trip. They've got the whole thing super well-organized and the ride is simply spectacular. Don't wonder if you're in shape or capable of doing it - it's downhill all the way. Prepare to get MUDDY! Just expect it.

This was an amazing experience for our whole family.
We loved it! I actually enjoyed the tunnels way more than I thought I would. The trestle bridges were very cool. The whole experience was just phenomenal. I would highly recommend it. The scenery is just fabulous. I also appreciated the informational signs along the way.
Our seven-year-old was even able to ride her bike the whole way. There is a slight downhill grade so my husband and I didn't have to pedal much we actually coasted a ton of it.
Bring snacks as there is nothing to purchase until you are at the bottom. Also, extra water is a good idea. They do have water coolers along the way you can fill up with, however, some of them were empty and the refill truck hadn't made it up yet.
Be sure you have a light on your bike! The first tunnel is over a mile long. My light ran out of battery when we went thru the tunnel at the end of the day after the shuttle ride- not the greatest.
It was also a little chilly in the first tunnel and water drips on you, so I was glad I brought a jacket for that first tunnel. But didn't need a jacket really much after that.
We rented bikes from the ski resort. It was a little pricey, but much more convenient than bringing our own. I would recommend riding the rental bikes around a little bit at the resort, to make sure they will work for you as it is a long ride. You pick up your bikes from the rental place. And then drive them to the trailhead. You can also pay an extra fee and they will deliver them to the trailhead for you.
A word of caution when you get to the bottom you may wait for over an hour for the shuttle to come. And if you are too late the shuttle may not have room for you. Meaning you have to ride the 15 miles back up the trail.
I would HIGHLY recommend it!

This trail combines the fun of biking with breathtaking scenery and interesting railroad history, including tunnels and trestles and lots of information panels along the way. I've ridden it several times over the last few years and it's my favorite rail-trail hands down. Most people ride the 14.5-mile trail in just one direction, slightly downhill, and then take the shuttle bus back to the top. If you are so inclined, though, don't hesitate to ride it in both directions in order to extend your time on this gem, since the gentle upgrade is quite doable for those in decent shape. And don't let the long tunnel at the beginning of the ride discourage you; if it makes you nervous just walk that section like many other people do. Bonus: You don't even have to take your bike there, since the Lookout Pass ski area rents everything you might need for this trail. As with any outdoor activity, a little preparation makes the event even more enjoyable, so check out their website ahead of time. TripAdvisor won't let me include the web address here, but just search Hiawatha bike trail and you will find it.

I have dozens of great bike trails right outside my door in Colorado, yet the Hiawatha Trail is never far from my mind ...

My oh my was the Hiawatha trail a fun experience! We paid to have the bike rental delivered to the trail head. Well worth it. Directions are clear and easy to follow.
The tunnels are amazing one you get used to the experience of riding in the dark. Plan to get a little muddy on your back side due to the mud kicking up as you ride.
Signs along the trail give the riders a chance to learn the history of the area and take a break. Enjoy the scenery!
The staff is helpful and enhance the ride. It was nice to have “emergency staff” along the trail just in case of an emergency. Water is also available along to trail.
Thank you for an amazing experience!

This is a must do if you're in the area or anywhere close. The ride is incredible and it's all down hill so even folks not wearing spandex everyday can enjoy it. For us, there was confusion that seemed to be shared by some employees that was a tad frustrating, but it seems to be part of the landscape and everything worked out fine. Once you get there things become more clear on how it works with the shuttles and whatnot.

Absolutely some of the most beautiful country that we have seen. A well-organized bike ride that provides fun and activity for all ages. It was on my bucket list and we will go again with our family. Coeur d'Alene is a great place to stay with many friendly people and lots to do such as great bike paths, restaurants, and fishing in the lake. A most beautiful place to visit.

Listed as the number scenic trail ride. The Trail is suited for kids 12 and up if they are bike riders. Half the trail is all downhill (1% or so) and then you can ride a bus back with your bike for a fee. Plan on mud in the tunnels and chilly about 45 degrees.
Great views from trestles as the trail was a railway.
Well worth the cost of the riding permit and the bus fee if you’re not as young as you were.
Surcharge for e-bikes and I hope I mentioned Mud!

Wow! What an amazing trail to bike!!! My two friends and I had so much fun in August on the Hiawatha Bike Trail. It’s gorgeous and there are stops of historical facts along the way. Warning... the paths are dirt so you need to be aware of your braking so you don’t skid out. It’s a 15 mile ride. The tunnels are chilly, so have long sleeves or a light jacket on. The first tunnel is super long and dark. Be sure to have lights on your bike. We rented bikes at Lookout Pass which were equipped with lights. The trestles/bridges that you bike over are very cool! 10 tunnels & 7 sky high trestles. Be sure to have a camera or a working phone camera so you can capture the scenery!! We brought snacks, but there is food at the bottom of the mountain. It’s breathtaking 😃 The best part is that it is downhill and then you take a shuttle up the hill when you finish the trail 👍🏼 I recommend this if you are in the Spokane, WA, Coeur D’ Alene, ID or Montana areas. I loved it!! ❤️👏🏼

The Hiawatha trail is full of history, stunning Mountain Views, and a full day of biking. Cons- the rental bikes are not in optimal condition.

My husband and I are not active bike riders, but on a friend's recommendation we did this bike trail, and boy are we glad we did! We rented our equipment from the ski lodge, and everyone there were incredibly helpful and courteous, as well as efficient. Right away you go through a long tunnel, so we would recommend bringing an additional light, as the bike light does not shine very far ahead. The scenery was amazing! We will definitely be recommending this to everyone we talk to!

Pros and Cons

Pros:
*The trail ride is beautiful. It is a serene, quite easy bike ride. There are informative signs along the route with history about building the trail, fires, trains, etc. Very helpful. Fresh air, can see miles of scenery.

Cons:
*We rented bikes that were delivered to the trail head. The bikes were all dirty and poorly maintained.

*The chain on my husband’s bike came off at least 19 times which constantly delayed the ride for our entire group and was frustrating to fix.

*On the last ride through the 1.5 mile tunnel the light on my bike stopped working, even though I had turned it off at the end of each of the 10 tunnels to preserve the battery. Because of this I was trying to ride in the dark without any light and ran into the side of the tunnel and injured my hand.

*We called the bike rental requesting a refund, but they are not responding.

What a fantastic outdoor activity! Beautiful area of the state, great value for the price, and so fun!

This was a bike ride both my husband and I enjoyed! We went in early June and the trail was clear but wet. You will need a headlamp and we had reserved one that we picked up before getting to the trailhead.

This ride was everything we hoped for. We rented bikes from ridethehiawatha.com. We had no way of getting four bikes there on our own, so we paid about $25 extra and met the staff (who transported the bikes for us) at the trailhead. Everyone was super nice and friendly. No problem with the bikes at all. The first tunnel was super dark (and super cold). I am so glad we brought two extra headlamps. The ride was incredibly beautiful and super easy. I can't recommend this ride enough. It is a once in a lifetime experience. Right when we finished, it started raining like crazy. So glad we didn't have to ride in the rain.

We loved riding the Hiawatha trail! The staff was very friendly. The scenery was beautiful! The lights were attached to the bikes making it nice when you went in the tunnel. We arrived at look out pass at 8:00 and were on the trail by 8:30 and finished by 11:15. We then had to wait till 11:45 for the shuttle bus to come. It was very fun. All down hill riding.

My review is not based on the experience but on the customer service. My family and I would have loved to experience what looks to be an amazing time however after being denied entry to the USA from Canada we called customer service to explain the situation and were completely given the shaft. Zero compassion, zero understanding and they basically stole a bunch of money from us. So even in the future we will make sure that we do not ever use this service. They have given us an idea of who they really are.

We loved this amazing, scenic bike trail - a great family experience with beautiful views and fun tunnels. The let-down was the bike rental: it's 7 miles away from the trailhead at the nearby ski hill. The whole set-up is not explained properly in their leaflets or website, so I suspect the staff have to endlessly deal with people like us not expecting to have to load bikes onto their cars and travel 7 miles down to the trail itself, then return them at the end. The staff were grumpy and badly organized which did't help. However we had a lovely adventure, enjoyed the trail and informative panels posted regularly en route and were very glad of the shuttle return to the start.

This is a great place to take a bike ride. We rented our bikes which included a bike carrier from Lookout Pass. The bikes were okay, but nothing really special. We then drove to the end of the trail. We rode up the trail as far as we wanted and then returned to the car. Going this way is uphill to start with but makes the return trip very quick. This saved us having to pay extra to ride the shuttle and we avoided the long (1.6 mile) dark tunnel that is at the beginning of the trail. There are several tunnels on the trail and after riding through one you get the idea; they are dark, damp, and sometimes muddy.
You must have a headlamp to ride this trail; it is required and wanted.
The vistas are incredible and the informational signs along the way make for a very interesting ride.
We rode this trail in July 2011.

I hope earlier in the season is a better experience. We went on the trail at the end of their season.
They were very short handed and the staff that was there was not super informative.
We called in advance and no one mentioned that the trail did not start from the lodge where you get your bikes. That would have been helpful on which vehicle we took.
*** you have to transport the bikes you rent to the trailhead that is a few miles away.
They will transport them for a fee, but they didn't volunteer that either.
*** the "comfort" bikes only refers to the seat I think. Check your bike before you leave. The trail is a crushed rock base. Don't let them give you a skinny tired road bike. Tires need to be a mountain or fat tired sort.
**** the "shuttle" is a verb, not a noun. They had a shortage of "shuttles" which means the old school buses. So we had about an hour between shuttles and missed the one we were in line for. Had to wait for the next. Which would not be terrible if there was food to buy. Unless you consider the mainly crushed granola bars that I think were crushed by the afore mentioned "shuttle". So bring some snacks.
****and if you have a bike helmet, bring it. They rent them but they are not much better than the snacks at the end of the trail.
*****And make sure you have a warm jacket. It is chilly in those tunnels.

We, over-all, liked the ride. It was expensive for what we had to put up with. Between the bike rental, helmet rental, and the trasport fee, we were almost at $400 for 4.
I had heard this was an amazing trail. I'd say is was a pretty trail ride and informative if you read the plackards along the way. But it was interesting to read the history of the railroads and all that entailed. They should have had the "end of the season" special like rent one-get one free and the price would have been on point. Those bikes were TIRED.

We had an amazing time! The kids handled this ride great! We started at the east end and loved every minute of it. The first tunnel was super chilly and good lights were worth it. The rest of the tunnels were pretty short. Such beautiful scenery! The wait for the shuttles was a lot longer then we had hoped for. It was pretty hot waiting in line. That would be our only complaint.

I have ridden the Hiawatha Trail on several occasions and have thoroughly ennoyed every mile of every ride. The tunnels and trestles are amazing but a good bike light is a must to enjoy the tunnels. The trail surface varies from as smooth as gravel can get to small stones which can be a bit rough. I have ridden it on a cross bike with 32mm tires with no problems though I prefer a hybrid with slightly larger tires. The scenery around the trail is beautiful and the history depicted on the trailside signs is very interesting. I can not comment on the shuttle as I always ride back up for a total ride of 30 miles of very pleasant cruising at less than a 3% grade. Everyone with any interest in bike riding should absolutely ride the Hiawatha.

Everyone should do this 14.4 mile mountain bike ride with a steady 4% decline gravel trail over 200 foot trestles and through short and long train tunnels. Rated one of the top ten bike trails in the US. You can get tickets, rent bikes with lights for the tunnels, bike racks for your car, easy peesy, even a box lunch that is worth the $8. The scenery is spectacular and we were joined by a dozen chipmunks for our trail lunch stop and saw a deer exiting one of the tunnels. Only one caution. the start of the complete trail is a 1.7 mile long tunnel. If you are new to bikes, this can be nerve wracking getting the feel for your bike in the dark. The tunnels are very cold, so put on a sweater or jacket to ride through the long ones. Also if you do the whole trail, when they shuttle you back to your car, you must bike BACK through the 1.7 mile tunnel to your car. Not so fun after long afternoon of biking. You can choose to skip the first tunnel, and other than a "been there, done that!" bragging rights, it can be skipped, in my opinion. Lots of good vantage points to take great photos, (IPhones won't do it justice) and there are history plaques all along the trail to give you the story.

Group of 4 adults and 2 teens. We brought 2 bikes and rented 4. We had booked the rentals and trail/shuttle passes on line. Also got bike delivery. Arrived at the trail head around 11:15Check in and pick up bikes went very smoothly. Very long tunnel at the beginning is a bit daunting. Not very busy. Stopped half way for lunch. Arrived at the shuttle stop around 2. We had many picture stops. The shuttle service worked great. There was a line but we got on the second shuttle. A couple of things to note. It is wet and muddy in the tunnels. You will get dirty so if doing something afterwards bring a change of clothes and shoes. Also we weren’t aware that the shuttle drops you off at the end of the long tunnel so you have to ride it back out. Overall a great experience. Very easy ride and beautiful scenery.

I absolutely loved it. It took us about 2 hrs. There are quite a few stops on the way that has information to read. We didn't stop to read. If you don't like being cold bring a long sleeve shirt to wear through the 1st tunnel. It's in the dark and was 47 degrees. I can't stress enough that this is a Must do. Breathtaking views. Pack a snack. Keep in mind it's about a 15 mile ride. Towards the end, there's more pedaling to do. We paid extra to take the shuttle back to the top.

My husband and I did this ride a few days ago! Soooo much fun!! Highly recommend going early; that's what we did, and had the trail to ourselves. Later in the day got much busier and you also share the trail with the shuttle bringing cyclists back to the trail -- that does not seem like it would be as fun. We loved this trail and highly recommend it!

A very unique and amazingly beautiful bike ride. The route is slightly downhill taking you thru old train tunnels and over massive wooden bridges. We drove an hour out of our way to take this one in and we would do it again in a heart beat.

What a great day to spend biking in the country. We started with the Taft tunnel and went almost 2 miles in the dark. Bring a good light. When you first get going, it is wet -- water running down the edges and dripping down. It was cool and fun..... really enjoyed it. Then when you're out there is the cutest waterfall. As you proceed there are shorter tunnels to ride through. There are many old railroad tressels that you ride over (they are wide and not scarey). Best of all--it is all slightly downhill. To ease your mind--there are helpful trail attendants coming down the trail to help you with your every need. Bring water and your camera.

What an enjoyable bike ride! We rented our bikes, which included the helmets and light. I took the bus back up to the top while my husband rode his bike back up the trail. Everything was perfect! Will be doing this again!

Although the ride was fun and very beautiful, DO NOT let them put a bike rack on your car, bring a towel or extra padding to put down first to protect your car, they do not care one bit and make you sign a waiver for equipment that does not have reliable padding. My trunk lid will have to be completely re-painted.

If you like gorgeous pine covered mountain views, railroad history and cycling this is a total no brainer. If you are traveling within a couple hours of this bike trail you need to add this to your itinerary...period. To make a long story short, we found this by accident when researching a route between Spokane, WA and Kalispell, MT and boy are we glad we did. We took the advice of making a reservation which I would strongly recommend. Since we were traveling by rental car without our own gear, we made use of the full service available. We rented the bikes, helmets, lights, bike transportation and we signed up for the boxed lunch. I can't say enough about how wonderful the entire experience was. From the greeter at the registration line to the mechanics that made sure our bikes were ready for the trail, everyone at Lookout Pass was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. The ride is amazing, the views, the trestles and the tunnels all make for an unforgettable bike ride. The ages of the riders we encountered looked to be from around 5 years old to over 65 years old. With that said, there are definitely places where there is nothing preventing someone from riding off the edge of the trail and down a rather steep slope or cliff so bike control and knowing how to stop is absolutely important. The trestles are less intimidating with a curb and railing on both sides. The trail is wide and there is more than enough room. It truly is a gentle downhill ride as the brochure says (unless you want to ride back up vs taking the shuttle). We took our time, stopped often to enjoy the views and take photos and we finished the ride one way in about 3 1/2 hours. It's self paced so you can do it as fast or as slow as you like. You only need to finish in time to catch a shuttle. Amazing time! Just do it!

We have ridden the Hiawatha Trail 3 times now. Twice with our grandchildren. It is an easy 15 mile downhill ride (with a shuttle back to the top available) with spectacular views. It is an old railroad line so you go through several tunnels and over trestles. Fun for all ages!

The trail itself is great. This is a rail to trail system. The trail cuts through beautiful forest, and you get to ride through tunnels (one over a mile long) and over old train trestles. It's all downhill to, so your muscles may not be sore from exertion, just from the constant jostling of going 15 miles on dirt and gravel. The ride should take 3 or 4 hours, depending on how relaxed you are.

Some things to keep in mind. This is a really popular attraction. We went on Saturday, a crowded day. Picking up the rentals wasn't so bad, but when we arrived at the trailhead parking by late morning, it was pretty well packed. We got one of the last 3 spots available, and the other two were right behind us.

Now, the way it works is you bike down and then can take a shuttle back up, if you don't want to ride your bike back up the hill. So you get to the bottom and there's a line. We were waiting almost an hour, and that's with them filling up the busses on after another non-stop. With the shuttle and riding back to the trailhead and then driving back to drop off the bikes, that's an empty two hours of processing after the ride is essentially over.

Not sure if I would do it again, and if I did, I would come up with some plans to avoid these pitfalls.

We have ridden the Hiawatha Trail twice, round trip 18 years ago and 4 days ago. What a difference! 18 years makes!! There were 4 of us, we never saw another person. Last week it was very crowded! If you are not proficient at riding a bike, have small children or animals you should not ride it. There are about 10 tunnels, the first is 1.66 Miles, which you ride twice if you are only going 1 way, it is dark, wet, cold and long. Not a problem if you are proficient, have no small children or animals. However, it can be very dangerous if you are not prepared for this. On our 2 trips we have seen one person break their collar bone, one break their wrists and one have to have 12 stitches in her leg, all because of people who were either creating hazards or not prepared to ride the trail safely. The trail is amazingly beautiful but it is not for small children on training wheels! Animals in baskets! or trailers! All of which we saw!! Or people who are not proficient on bikes! Don’t forget ... you need helmets and very bright lights as well!

Visiting the area and friends. Said it was a must do. Took family. It was abnormally hot. We had a great time. Scenery was beautiful. Stopped when we were tired and continued on. Brought snacks and water. For four it was $215.00. Not sure about that but everyone had a good time. If you have your own bike, helmet, and night cost is drastically reduced. Worthwhile if this part of country is new to you.

We took our own bikes and rode both ways. I cannot speak to the shuttle or rental, but the ride itself was GORGEOUS! My husband wore transition lens glasses (where they become sunglasses in the sun/regular glasses inside), which didn’t work for the tunnels, but his vision was good enough that he could go through the tunnels without. Just be aware-the tunnels get very dark. We took our 15 year old and 17 year old daughter as well as our daughter’s 17 year old boyfriend-it was fine for all of us both ways. However, we had good bikes. We did it twice in one week. :)

We loved this trail! But it could be so much better if the concessionaire who runs it made improvements to their process.

When we bought our tickets, the vendor was inclined to charge us more for one ticket because a pedal-assist Brompton was part of our group. We happened to bring a conventional mountain bike as well, so said we'd switch to that rather than pay more for the crew lifting our "e-bike" into the school bus. We did not pay extra, and used the Brompton (sans assist, bc…downhill). We had zero issues. Many aren't familiar with Bromptons and the e-assist is comparable in weight to a conventional MTB and far more compact, and I later observed it was a breeze for the crew at the bus.

We parked at the trailhead, unloaded our bikes and went to the welcome kiosk and were helped by a woman who was very kind. She explained the route and the procedures for return. She had a very heavy accent, and while her English was good enough to understand us well, we had a lot of trouble comprehending her, particularly a hearing-impaired member of our group. Eventually we were all on the same page.

The first tunnel: very wet & muddy, as promised. I strongly recommend a bike with fenders, you will be a lot more comfortable if you aren't a regular MTBiker. The mud stripe from fanny to shoulders others contended with didn't seem to add fun, but YMMV. Maybe waterproof coverage in lieu of fenders. Your bike will be v muddy at the end of this ride when wet, we rode a Saturday in July.

We were glad we'd brought our own bikes. We passed several riders pulled over with rentals that were not performing well.

It was a warm morning and the tunnels were wonderfully cool. Very fun, very refreshing. There were no traffic or other issues with fellow riders, everyone had at least a headlight. Lotsa fun!

On a downer note, part of the beginning of the trail is shared with the school buses (and some pickups) transporting riders or rentals. There can be traffic, as we experienced. I can not overstate how unpleasant it was to ride a long, narrow, dark tunnel after the bus/buses went through. Huffing raw diesel exhaust on an otherwise gorgeous ride in the Idaho mountains was super nasty. Rank. That was a man-made problem and one the concessionaire should fix. It's unpleasant and unhealthy, esp. for the kids. It was bad enough to trigger an asthma attack. It seemed downright rude and inconsiderate to riders.

FYI: The trail is sharp gravel on hardpacked track ballast. Very stony. Your wide-tire, MTB tires will be much more comfortable than our small-diameter road tires were. Very few flats were observed during our 15 miles. The Bromptons rode v bumpy. I'd do it again on them, though. On balance, the convenience makes up for a lot.

The trestles are the same surface. Wonderful trail, lots of stunning vistas, dramatic drop-offs! We initially paused to read the educational displays along the way, then stopped. The content is a little dry and riding is more fun. Brought lunch, plenty of water, took photos of the ride and for other groups. Great family fun.

The end of the ride was another down side. We waited in the sun for an hour to get on a return school bus, that drives the riders and their bikes (almost) back to the trailhead. There was a line of 100 or so tired kids, babies and adults waiting along the hot, dusty bike trail. It was not the ending we hoped for. Be prepared. Ironically, there were lovely, shaded picnic tables on the road parallel to the trail, unused, and riders were not invited to take advantage of them. Seating, sturdy shade structures and tables...that was what was needed to make it more pleasant, and it was puzzling that they weren't offered for use. The school bus ride is about 45 minutes (?) winding uphill, so the afternoon dragged. My advice to the concessionaire would be to put folks in the shade, and fix the bus system so people don’t have to wait.

Overall we enjoyed the ride, but would not do it again due to the unpleasant, unconsidered or indifferent vehicle operations, and anticlimactic wait at the end. ($40 one way per adult, on their own bike, including shuttle service.)

The bikes we rented were awful. The gears did not work. The gears changed very often on their own. It was an awful trip. Could not enjoy the views because we never knew if the bike was going to crash. This is a big safety issue.

Had I not ridden the Iron Horse State Park, John Wayne trail at the summit of Snoqualmie Pass, I would say, awesome trail! Having ridden the 2.3 mile tunnel and the 5 trestles I have to say I much prefer the latter for its smoother ride and equally beautiful scenery. easy round trip rides.

The Hiawatha Trail is a 14+ mile bike ride and managed by a local ski resort. The path has 10 tunnels (one over a mile and void of any light) and 7 trestles. The trail is on a downward slope and easy ride for young and old. The mountain views, rivers/creeks and all types of foliage is great. The day we rode, it rained all day, so bring gear and wear layers. Just a note that the longest tunnel is a crisp 40 degrees all year and you'll need lights. There's trail monitors cycling always if you have issues, mechanical problems or questions. Highly recommend it for groups, families and individuals who like a great ride.

Only poor because of the employees and poor reflectors inside tunnels and no reflectors on rental bikes and poor lights on rental bikes! Very hard to see inside those tunnels with their lights and most were duct taped on too! One lady had a panic attack inside the first 2 mile tunnel and stopped half why thru , got off her bike to breath and caused a crash as she fell on the slippery wet dirt inside and crash caused her to fall with bike into the rock wall. She was helped out badly bruised and had to make it down the trail to end, where we me up as I crashed head over bike due to front brake on rental was too tight and locked, so I was skinned up on hands and elbow and knees badly swollen, after an hour an employee rode by and didn't even have a first aid kit! She said she would let them know at bottom that I would need a transport to my car but I had to make it to bottom. I was shocked this is private company company at lookout running it, not the State of Idaho. Anyhow at the bottom, they had no first aid either, an employee got her own ziplock out of her lunch to give me some ice cubes from where they were selling sodas. No one was in a rush to be kind or helpful. And wondered why even the lady that crashed in tunnel had to wait for me to get off the trail before she was taken to her car, there was plenty of time, as its a 8 mile road to car ...but they made her wait. Just not good customer service and one can only imagine if someone was really hurt, bleeding bad or broken bones, what they do?? Lookout Ski resort leases this land for this business and it really is unorganized. And we did try to get more info from the phone first and that person was rude, just come here and we will explain. The trail is NICE, but bring extra lighting for tunnels and don't stop in tunnels! One family stopped to check out a snake! Its dark in there and even with lights you do not see people til last minute! Well this was on our bucket list, glad to have done it, don't plan on doing it again and mainly because of the employees! And lack of reflectors too! Bring your own extra lighting and first aid kit! And yes, most of people where families having a blast and they were prepared but we weren't. Enjoy!

I booked all things online - bike rental, shuttle, and added delivery. The night before our ride, I searched everywhere online regarding the “delivery” process (on the official website, here, numerous blogs) and nowhere does it say - “if you purchase everything online including delivery - and up to 4 bikes are included for 1 delivery fee - you don’t have to go to Lookout Pass at all - just go to the East Portal and they will have your bikes, helmets, lights, and shuttle passes! It was so easy! They were very organized (contrary to the reviews on here), the bikes were in good working order, the people working there were extremely helpful and friendly.
Loved the ride. Epic scenery. We stopped to read most of the signs that teach you about the trail. We brought our own headlights to supplement the bike light and could see just fine!
We went on a Wednesday after Labor Day and the number of people riding were not too many! Most of the trail we were alone and could enjoy the nature!

We went on a Saturday morning and there were a lot of people, but while on the trail, everyone spreads out. The tunnels and trestles are super impressive. We did have to wait awhile to get on the shuttle, but they did an excellent job of working through the people and getting us back to the top, to go through the LONG tunnel again.
When they say it is required to have a light to go through the tunnels, they mean it, especially the long one. We did not have adequate lights and next time will get ones that fit on the handle bars of our bicycles. You will enjoy the tunnels and be much safer if you get a very strong LED light. We are looking forward to doing it again.

Riding the Hiawatha is a unique and memorable experience! Combine the mountain scenery with the tunnels and trestle bridges on the trail and this is worth the effort. If you start at the top (east) side and ride down, it is an easy enough ride for all the family. If you want more of a workout, start at the bottom (west) and ride up. Or ride both directions!

This was our second time to ride the trail and this time we rented bikes from the Lookout Pass Ski area where you purchase the trail permits. The online purchase worked out great, but unfortunately the bikes were in need of cleaning and maintenance. We had trouble with brake cables coming loose, chains skipping and coming off, and miss-shifting. It was annoying, but we still enjoyed the ride.

To dress appropriately, you may want a jacket going through the long tunnel as it is quite cool, but after than you spend time in the sun. Don’t wear white because you will get mud splashed up your back. There is water and mud in the tunnels even on dry, sunny days.

So worth the drive to experience this amazing ride. You start at the top and just cruise to the bottom through dark tunnels, over trellis bridges and beautiful forest vistas. If you want some exercise, you can ride back to your car, or you can catch the shuttle bus. Pack a lunch and make it a day trip. You won't be disappointed.

We had a horrible experience. We were a family of 5 and brought 3 of our bikes as we couldn't fit all five on our bike rack. No problem, we thought, we can rent a tag along for our 5-yr-old and one youth bike for our 9-yr-old. We arrived at Lookout Pass at 11:00 PST and after getting through the ticket line, the rental shop and loading bikes, we didn't get on the trail until 1:00 p.m. PST. Staff had lost our paperwork while running around looking for allen wrenches, etc. It was just very disorganized. No problem, we thought. We're patient. We reminded ourselves that we'd have a wonderful time on the trail. We got to the trail head, parked way in the back, and started our ride. The rental tag along was almost in bits - the connector barely stayed tight. The youth bike shifting cables were loose and frayed, but since we were all down hill, my son didn't need to shift all that much anyway. The rental gear was in horrible shape. However, the trail itself was stunning. We were in great spirits despite the delayed start and dealing with crappy gear - until we arrived at the bottom. The line waiting for the shuttle was INSANELY long. I realize we went on a very busy day; however, the fact that they had 2 shuttles running for over 600 guests was ridiculous. We waited in line for 3 HOURS. Their excuse was they couldn't find any bus drivers. That is just poor, poor management. If they don't have enough bus drivers and are only running 2 shuttles at a time, then they need to tell guests UPFRONT that the shuttle ride will take that long. We would not have gone if we knew we were in for that long of a wait. Or, if they capped the ticket sales based on the capacity - that would have worked too. But no, they sold us our tickets, rented us barely usable gear, and made us wait for 3 hrs to get back to our car. Next time - we will figure out a way to shuttle ourselves.
In closing - the trail is an absolute MUST. But, be forewarned - the shuttle and gear situation is extremely dicey. If it looks remotely busy, I'd pass it up in a heartbeat. They just don't have the infrastructure to accommodate crowds.

Loved, loved it! Great experience for all of us. Family trip for sure. We stayed at the Wallace Inn and the people were so friendly even locked our bikes away for save keeping. Would stat there again. The trail was a great experience. I have told everyone about how great it was. Beautiful scenery! The trail is down hill so great for all ages. Bus trip back to our cars was also great. Helpful crew and awesome bus driver. Can't wait to go again next year.

This ride was even better than expected. It is a gentle downhill ride. The scenery is beautiful. We took the shuttle back to the parking lot and was glad we did. Everything was well organized, well maintained and well done!

First time riding this trail. To have a first rate experience like we did.... You MUST MUST MUST.. Did I say must?
Have a GOOD bike. Don't dust off the one in the garage. It's down hill but a bike with a higher handle bar, will keep your neck and shoulders from kinking up. LED head lamp or bike lamp ... REALLY you need this. The tunnels are pitch BLACK. You can rent bikes and helmets at the start of the trail. Head lamps can be rented in Kellogg Idaho. Take a back pack with snacks or lunch. Water is available along the trail to refill your water bottle.
Take a light jacket for the first tunnel. It's cold!
When you take the bus back up to where you started, you will be dropped off in front of that same 1.7 mile tunnel. You will have to bike that once again back to the parking lot.
Spectacular scenery breathtaking photo opportunities.

It is an experience I fondly remember, and beforehand was nervous about the length of the ride, since I don't ride a bike often, but ended up being a fabulous experience. The trail is a gradual downhill, so easy enough to do, all 15 miles. I highly recommend the experience and it is helpful to read various reviews so you know what to expect, its a different and beautiful experience that we are fortunate to be able to enjoy in our country.
I hope that someday they can open up more of the trail headed west for a more awesome adventure.

what happened to the road?? it was so bumpy and rough!! we are in good shape and have great bikes! but the road is not being maintained properly! it wiped us out..and our bikes!! but..still a beautiful place, great scenery, nice ride? not sure.. it was our third time and a big difference from the last two earlier this year! national forest? take care or our rides!!

Absolutely beautiful and fun time for our family of 9. We rented bikes which were rough and ill equipped but they made the 15 mile ride, and there were folks riding the trail to help with mechanical issues if you didn’t have a basic understanding of bike mechanics.

The view was amazing but the volume of people, the overwhelming majority of which had no trail etiquette was definitely a hard swallow.

We left by 10AM and only had to wait 20 minutes for a shuttle. Our shuttle driver was an unexpected plus of the trip as she gave us all the history we hadn’t stopped to read along the way.

The tunnels were muddy. Kids were covered! Definitely bring a change of clothes and shoes!