Note: Not a sponsored post.
I went on a fun international trip earlier this summer (I’ll show you guys some pictures from that in another post) so for our family summer vacation we decided to stick a little closer to home. We live in southwestern Idaho, in the Boise area, so we ventured up to the Northern part of the state. I love Northern Idaho because it’s so lush and green, and it reminds me of western Washington, where I’m from originally. We checked off lots of things on our Idaho bucket list, but one in particular was the Hiawatha bike trail. It runs through the top of the state of Idaho and a little into Montana.
This trail was once a functioning railway. It was called one of the most scenic stretches of railroad in the country, and now it’s open to bikers and hikers. The trail is a little over 15 miles, but with a slight downgrade, so it’s really pleasant and family friendly (including pregnant ladies!) You can bring all of your own gear (bikes, helmets, etc.) or rent them all at the trailhead. Since we had enough to pack with us on a road trip, we reserved everything online and it was all ready and waiting for us when we got there. My 8 year old rode a bike, I pulled my youngest in a trailer (which was nice because then we could pack gear in the trailer, like snacks, my camera, etc.).
And for my middle son, we rented a tag-a-long, which is a bike that attaches to an adult bike, creating a sort of tandem. It was great since he could just coast along if he got tired.
The coolest thing about the Hiawatha is that because it was a functioning railway, the trail traverses through old tunnels burrowed through the mountains, and trestles hundreds of feet above the forest floor. This was the first tunnel, the longest, at over 1 1/2 miles long!
Inside was cold and pitch black, so headlamps or bike lights are required, which my kids thought was awesome.
It was also really wet inside the tunnels, since there’s moving water around many of them.
We were biking on a hot summer day so those cold tunnels felt amazing. The trail goes in and out of tunnels and then over trestles like this one, seen across the valley.
I’m not a fan of heights,
and some of these were REALLY high, but totally safe and secure. It was actually really awesome.
Other times the trail passes through meadows and past creeks. It really is a nice, comfortable ride.
The whole thing start to finish took about 2 1/2 hours. There are tons of stopping places where you can get off your bike, read some history facts, or simply enjoy the view.
And when you’re all done, there’s a shuttle at the end that takes you and your gear and shuttles you back so you don’t have to ride up the 15 miles again. My kind of bike ride.
All in all, it was a great experience and my kids loved it. There is lodging and camping available near the trail if you’re interested in taking a trip that direction. You can bundle a lot of other things in there too, as it’s close to Silverwood Theme Park, and the beautiful cities of Coeur d’ Alene and Sandpoint, Idaho. Check out the Hiawatha web page for all the deets! Have any of you done it? Wanted to do it?
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Note: Just a reminder of this actual giveaway we have going on. Check it out and get snapping pics to win $$$!
Questions & Reviews
I’ve ridden it & love it!!! My family & I rode it several years ago before we all had kids but I’ve been wanting to get back there & experience it w/ my kids now-esp since my 3 yr old is wild about anything to do w/ trains 😉 It was awesome & so amazing. So beautiful & incredible! Your post is wonderful & spot on! I totally stayed in the middle over the trestles 😉 we live in MT so I’m hoping to go next year. My aunt & family has done it down & up-whoa! But we all waited for my dad at the bottom & sent him on the shuttle to get the truck-he’s cheap 😉 It’s so fun & perfect for families, so glad you got to enjoy it! Oh I don’t think you can have too many or too big of flashlights for those tunnels!!! 😉
If your son loves trains I hope you stopped by the Northern Pacific RR Depo in Wallace, ID. It’s all about trains. Lots of cool things for him to learn and look at. A museum of sorts and there is even a reading room with books.Sounds like he would love it.
wow.. this looks amazing! I’d love to travel there someday.. I think it would be a lot of fun!
I found this trail last summer, and we love it so much that we bought season passes this year! IT IS NOT SCARY AT ALL!!! There are so many people saying the trestles look scary, but they are so wide, that it doesn’t matter. I am petrified of heights and I enjoy this ride. The long tunnels are so cool. I actually found a sign once in the Taft Tunnel (the 1.66 mile) and it is the border of MT & ID in the middle of that tunnel… kinda neat! I have taken the most amazing pictures and thoroughly enjoy myself as does my family. Glad to hear you loved this enough to blog about it!!
I love the look of that trail! The hubby would not be a fan of the trestles (petrified of heights, that one), but I don’t think we will be heading to Idaho anytime soon. However, you have inspired me to find something similar here close to home. There have to be places like that that will rent you the gear and drive you back, right? Thanks for sharing. Love this idea.
I would love to see your Idaho Bucket List as well! I’m from SE Idaho and we are always looking for more areas to explore and enjoy!
This is right in my neck of the woods! I’d love to try it out !
That’s awesome! What a fun idea for your family. I admire your active outlook and approach to life. And, you look amazeballs! Can’t wait to see what your little guy looks like. 🙂
We have a family reunion every summer at spirit lake, id. We have done the Hiawatha trail a few times. It is so much fun! Such beautiful country up there. We listen to john Denver every time we drive that way. 😉
You’re so brave for doing that with kids! Awesome. I’d love to see Idaho.
We just started riding bikes, and while it was challenging at the beginning, I have come to love it. I look forward to going on our weekly rides and checking out new places! This trail looks like so much fun!