Trip Summary Trip Dates: Jun 13 - Jun 18 Start - End Locations: Plummer, ID - Days: 6   Rest Days: 1   Level of Support: Full Miles: 69 Average Miles Per Day: 17 Surface: Bike Trail/Paved Riders: 40 Type: Supported   Meals: Catered meals Airport: Spokane, WA Cost: $799 Booking Status: Almost Full

This trip takes in two of the most heralded car-free pathways in America, which just happen to be in close proximity to one another toward the top of Idaho. And, though you might not necessarily think “history” when you think of the Gem State, this trip is packed full of it—along with fabulous riding past marshlands, lakes, open meadows, and dense forests.

Trail number one is the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, one of the most spectacular paved bicycle pathways in the western U.S. Following an abandoned Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way, the route stretches from the mining town of Mullan, situated near the Montana border at the foot of the Bitterroot Mountains, to Plummer, near Idaho’s border with Washington state. In between the two towns lies a 72-mile stretch of smooth asphalt that first takes you through the recovering Silver Valley, where mining activities took a serious environmental toll in an earlier day, when this was the largest silver-producing area in the world. Farther along, the Coeur d’Alene River section of the trail is rich with wildlife and bird life, including osprey, bald eagles, great blue herons, moose, and beaver. Later, after skirting the shores of sparkling Lake Coeur d’Alene, we’ll pedal to and through the stabilized silt dunes that make up the undulating Palouse Prairie.

The other trail, the Route of the Hiawatha, actually has its eastern terminus in Montana. From there, it follows a lengthy stretch of the Milwaukee Road’s Route of the Hiawatha that ultimately connected Illinois and Washington state. The section of the line between Harlowton, Montana, and Avery, Idaho—which includes the 15-mile stretch we’ll ride—is legendary among train historians for having been the longest stretch of electrified railroad in the country. The railroad saved a lot of money by taking advantage of gravity: On long mountain descents, electric motors became generators, driven by the train’s momentum. On a descent, the engines could store about 50 percent of the energy needed for getting up hills of equal grade and duration. (Unfortunately, this strategy doesn’t work for us bicyclists, even through we’ll ride a downgrade on the trail!)

A highlight—or perhaps we should call it a “no light”—of the Route of the Hiawatha is the spin through the 1.7-mile-long Taft Tunnel. In the middle of the chilly, damp tunnel, the darkness is absolute, so don’t forget your bike light. In all, the Route of the Hiawatha features ten tunnels and seven high trestles.

And there’s more history yet, including Cataldo Mission, the oldest structure in Idaho, built in 1848–1853 through the combined efforts of missionaries and some three hundred Coeur d’Alene Indians who had converted to Catholicism. We’ll also visit Kellogg, home to the Silver Mountain ski/summer resort and the world’s longest gondola, and richly historic Wallace, with its lively lore of mining, railroading, and “bordelloing.”

With its gentle terrain, average daily mileages of just 25 to 30 miles, and gorgeous scenery, this trip is a great choice if you’re a beginner … or if you’re simply craving a kinder, gentler bicycle-travel experience.

For more detailed information, see Supported trip logistics.

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