TRAIL & SHUTTLE BUS INFORMATION

THE ROUTE OF THE HIAWATHA will

Open May 24 & Run daily through september 15, 2024
Reservations ARE BEING ACCEPTED FOR Summer 2024.

Shuttle Busses will operate every day the trail is open. 

The Trail, Trailheads, & Facilities open at 8:30AM. It's best to make sure you start your trail ride no later than 1:30 pm to insure that you comfortably make it to the bottom of the trail in time to ride a shuttle back up.

EARLY SEASON (May 24 - June 7, 2024) 
Shuttles from Pearson up to Roland start loading at 11 am (Mon. - Fri.). 
Mon. to Sun. Early Season last shuttle up from Pearson would be 4:15 pm. PDT (Pacific Daylight Time).

PEAK SEASON (June 8 - Sept. 1, 2024)
Shuttles from Pearson up to Roland start loading at 11 am (Mon. - Fri.) with the last shuttle loading at 4:15 pm. 
On Sat., Sun. (Unless Monday is a Holiday) Shuttles from Pearson up to Roland start loading at ~ 10:45 am.
Last shuttle up is at 5:45 pm. 
On Sundays that. are not followed by a Holiday, Last Shuttle up is at 5 pm.  

LATE SEASON (Sept. 2 - 15, 2024)
Shuttles from Pearson up to Roland start loading at 11 am (Mon. - Fri.)
Monday to Sunday Late Season last shuttle up from Pearson would be 4:15 pm PDT (Pacific Daylight Time).

We will always run busses until all guests are transported back up to Roland.  

Trail Shuttle Bus SCHEDULE

Shuttle buses operate between the Pearson and Roland trailheads only. Public shuttles DO NOT transport guests to or from Lookout Pass Ski Area and the Hiawatha. You will use your own vehicle to drive from Lookout Pass down to the Trailhead which is in Taft, MT. Take exit 5 off I-90 and head 2 miles up route 506 to the sign that directs you to take a left to get to the East Portal Hiawatha parking area.  

Most visitors start their ride at the East Portal trailhead which is the top elevation trailhead. It is best reached by taking Exit 5 off I-90 in Montana. A quick 2 mile ride from the exit ramp delivers you to the trailhead parking lot.

From there, you'll park your car and start your journey by biking through the 1.66 mile long St. Paul Pass Tunnel (AKA Taft Tunnel) and exit at the West Portal in Roland. The Roland trailhead is a short distance (1/4 mile) below the West Portal. 

The distance from the East Portal trailhead to the bottom elevation trailhead, Pearson, is 14.4 miles. Pretty much downhill all the way. Shuttle buses transport you and your bike from the bottom trailhead at Pearson back up to the Roland trailhead. (This bus ride takes about 35 minutes one way.) After arriving by Bus at Roland, you will get back on your bike and pedal back through the St. Paul Pass Tunnel (again 1.661 miles) to reach your vehicle at the East Portal parking area! 

Seating on the shuttles is done on a first-come, first-served basis - based upon when one arrives at the Pearson Trailhead. Busses can hold 24 people with their bikes suspended from hooks in the back half of the bus. Our Larger Busses hold 48 passengers with a truck and trailer transporting bikes behind the bus. These bikes are also suspended by the back tire. Shuttle buses leave as soon as they fill up to minimize any wait times for the majority of our guests. Understandably on busy days there will be a wait for shuttles. Guests that arrive at the bottom after 12:30 or 1:00pm may encounter wait times in excess of 30 minutes and they could be an hour or more on 5 or 6 of our busiest days a year. Wait times do get longer as the day goes on and then start to diminish again late in the day. 

Start your ride early 8:30 am to avoid the chance of a longer than normal afternoon wait time for a shuttle.

Shuttles go out on a first come - first served basis.

NOTE Special Shuttle Rates will be charged for ALL: E-Bikes, Fat-Tire Bikes, Recumbents, Trikes & any other specialty equipment we encounter. Their extra size, or weight requires special staffing & equipment accomodations to effectively transport these items.

Operating Season Dates are subject to weather conditions and may be adjusted or extended.