RIDE THE ROUTE OF THE HIAWATHA SCENIC BIKE TRAIL

The Ski Area is located adjacent to I-90 at the Idaho-Montana state line at Exit 0, 12 miles east of the historic town of Wallace, ID.
The actual Trailhead for the Route of the Hiawatha is located 5 miles down I-90 into MT (Take Exit 5 Taft, MT) and then go 2 miles up (Rte 506), a dirt road to the Y and make a left to go up into the Hiawatha parking area. This area is called the Taft Trailhead and is located 500 yards off Rte 506.

Bikes, helmets, and rental lights, as well as breakfast, lunch, and picnic food service, are all available at Lookout Pass Ski Area. Visitors can also access a retail and souvenir shop, along with purchasing day use passes and shuttle tickets. Both cash and credit cards are accepted. The Lookout Pass Ski Area base lodge is open from 8 am to 4 pm (PDT).

Bike rentals are only available at the East Portal Trailhead with prior reservation and payment of a delivery fee. The main trailhead (East Portal, also known as the Taft Trailhead) is located 7 miles to the east of Lookout Pass off I-90 at Taft, Exit 5 in Montana. To get there, follow the signs to cross the small wooden bridge and go up the Route 506 dirt and gravel road from the exit ramp to the East Portal trailhead. There is a large parking area and two restrooms at the East Portal—one restroom at the front, closest to the trail, and one at the back of the parking lot about 1/2 mile away. This option is understandably less used and may be preferable if you are in a hurry.

If you do not wish to transport bikes using your vehicle, you can arrange for delivery of bikes to the trailhead when making a reservation. There is a fee charged for delivery service. See the Rental Page of the website for details and fees. Please provide at least 48 hours notice for delivery requests so they can be added to the queue and delivered by 8:30 am. Later requests may be delayed due to other orders already in the queue that need to be handled first. Same day delivery can be accommodated, but please be aware there will be a wait time for all same day deliveries.

YES, lights are required. You may bring your own, or rent a 300-400 lumen light and/or helmet from us. The use of Helmets is highly recommended for all trail riders and REQUIRED for those younger than 18yrs of age, to stay in compliance with Idaho state law.

E-Bike Use on the Route of the Hiawatha
Class 1 e-bikes—and Class 2 e-bikes with fully disabled throttles—are permitted on the trail, subject to the requirements below. Lookout Associates operates under a Special Use Permit with the USDA Forest Service. Under this permit, only Class 1 e-bikes are authorized. A Class 1 e-bike is defined as a bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only while the rider is pedaling, and that ceases assistance at 20 mph.

Class 2 e-bikes may be used only if the throttle is fully disabled for the entire ride and the bike is inspected and approved by Hiawatha Trail staff as meeting the Class 1 definition.

Class 3 e-bikes are not permitted at any time.

Shuttle Fees & Handling
All e-bikes and other oversized or heavier bikes are subject to an additional shuttle fee. Due to their weight and size, many e-bikes do not fit standard shuttle racks and require special handling or alternate loading.
This fee will be applied in advance when possible, or at the time of shuttle use if prior notice was not provided.

The ride from East Portal (top) to Pearson (bottom) is 14.4 miles and is a very gentle 1.6% to 2% downhill ride most all the way. You will then ride back thru the St. Paul Pass Tunnel after the shuttle drops you off at Roland, which ads another 2 miles to your ride. For most riders, the ride from East Portal to Pearson represents a leisurely 2.5 to 3.5 hour pedal. Add to this the time to get on your shuttle (average wait time is ~ 45 min. for a shuttle at Pearson), it will then take 30 minutes for your shuttle to drive you up to Roland. You then bike back thru the St. Paul Pass Tunnel adding another 15-20 minutes to your round trip ride time.