Trail and Shuttle Schedule

THE TRAIL

Trail & Shuttle Bus Information

Shuttle buses operate every day the trail is open between the Pearson and Roland trailheads

Facilities open at 8:00 AM and Trailhead opens at 8:30am (PST).
It’s best to make sure you are peddling down the trail no later than 1:00 pm to insure that you comfortably make it to the bottom of the trail in time to ride our shuttle back up.

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Early Season (May 22 – June 5)

Facilities open at 8:00 AM and Trailhead opens at 8:30am (PST). Shuttles from Pearson to Roland start loading at 11:00 AM, with the last shuttle loading at 4:15 PM.

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Peak Season (June 5 – August 30)

Shuttles from Pearson up to Roland start loading at 11:00 AM, with the last shuttle loading at 4:15 PM. On Saturdays, shuttles start loading at approximately 10:45 AM. Last shuttle up is at 5:45 PM. On Sundays, shuttles start loading at 10:45am and the last shuttle will be at 5:00pm

Sundays with a holiday the following Monday, the last shuttle will be 5:45pm.

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Late Season (August 31 – September 20)

Facilities open at 8:00am and Trail opens at 8:30 AM. Shuttles from Pearson to Roland start loading at approximately 11:00 AM, with the last shuttle loading at 4:15 PM.

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

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How the Shuttle Works

Shuttle buses operate between the Pearson and Roland trailheads only. Hiawatha shuttles do not transport guests to or from Lookout Pass Ski Area.

Seating is first-come, first-served. Some buses hold 24 people, larger buses hold 48. Buses leave as soon as they fill up. On busy days, guests arriving at the bottom after 12:30 PM may encounter wait times of 30-45 minutes or more.

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. Based upon the day we usually have 4-8 shuttles operating at the same time.

Operating Season Dates & times are subject to weather conditions and may be adjusted or extended. The Trail operates 7 days a week in season, rain or shine!

NOTE: Special shuttle rates apply for e-bikes, fat-tire bikes, recumbents, trikes, and other specialty equipment due to their size and weight requiring special staffing and equipment.

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Getting to the Shuttle

You will use your own vehicle to drive from Lookout Pass down to the Trailhead which is in Taft, MT.
Take Montana exit 5 off I-90 and head 2-1/2 miles up route 506 to the sign that directs you to take a left to get into the East Portal Hiawatha parking lot.  

Most visitors start their ride at the East Portal trailhead which is the top elevation trailhead. The ride is mostly downhill from there. It is best reached by taking Exit 5 off I-90 in Montana. 

From there, you’ll park your car and start your journey by biking through the 1.661 mile long St. Paul Pass Tunnel (AKA Taft Tunnel) and exit the tunnel arriving 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 known as Pearson, ID 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!