Route of the Hiawatha and More
When my wife signed up for a week-long training course in Spokane, Washington, I begin researching ways I could fill the seven days I would be hanging out...What I discovered sparked one of my deepest lifelong passions.
You see, I'm crazy about long trails. In my mind any trail that stretches vast distances into the unknown is a marvelous freedom, and it turns out that Spokane is a hub of astounding long-distance rail-to-trail routes.
Today's newsletter shares what I learned about these trails. I hope you enjoy it and consider making a trip to experience some of these places for yourself!
Route of the Hiawatha
One warm, sunny day it came as a shock to find myself shivering in the cold of a pitch-black tunnel on the famous Route of the Hiawatha. But this was no ordinary tunnel, this was the legendary 1.7-mile-long Taft Tunnel, a vast echo chamber of falling water carved through the crest of Idaho's Bitterroot Mountains.
Emerging from the tunnel, I began the glorious 15-mile ride down the gently sloping Milwaukee Road railroad, passing through 8 more tunnels and 7 sky-high trestles as I leisurely bicycled through canyons, forests, and snowy peaks.
It is easy to see why this trail is considered the "crown jewel of America's rail-to-trail system." And the best part is that at the bottom you can catch a shuttle bus back to the Taft Tunnel and parking lot at the top, or else bike back up like I did.
One of the things I loved about the Route of the Hiawatha is that it was slightly challenging but still family-friendly, with lots of families, kids, and people of all ages having the time of their lives on the trail. It made for a fun outing.
Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes
If I've ever found a bike trail that was pure perfection it would be the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes. It's considered one of the top 25 bike trails in the nation, but in terms of wildlife and habitats I would put it at the top of the list.
Imagine spending an entire day on a flat, paved trail biking through riverside forests filled with singing birds, past meadows of native grasses so green they hurt to look at, and across endless marshes (there are 15 lakes and marshes along this trail) that are full of moose and waterbirds. You could even stay the night in one of the small towns along the route and turn this into a multi-day outing.
Stretching 73 miles, and flat for much of its length, this astonishing trail can be accessed from dozens of trailheads with many picnic spots and restrooms along the way, creating countless options for different types of outings. You can bike along the shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene, trace the route of the Coeur d'Alene River, or meander up the historic Silver Valley to just shy of the crest of the Bitterroot Mountains (where you can hop on the NorPac Trail and continue another 22 miles to Saltese, Montana).
The entire time I was on this trail, I kept thinking that it would be worth visiting the Spokane area for the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes alone!
Spokane River and North Idaho Centennial Trail
This 64-mile route (divided into Washington's 40-mile Spokane River Centennial Trail, and Idaho's 24-mile North Idaho Centennial Trail) adds tremendous value to an urbanized landscape as it closely follows the Spokane River through the cities of Coeur d'Alene and Spokane.
While portions of the route follow the freeway as it passes through cities and neighborhoods, this trail has the charm of linking quiet greenspaces along the river for much of its length. Even better, it passes through the heart of downtown Spokane, a beautiful old city built around the river and its awesome cascades.
I usually seek out the wildest and emptiest places wherever I go, but in this case, I would choose to bike the stretches of this trail through downtown Spokane because the parks, flowers, arts, culture, music, and people are all so lovely!
Columbia Plateau State Park Trail
The epic, long-distance Columbia Plateau State Park Trail has a bit of everything so you could call it a mixed bag. Stretching 130 miles from just outside of Spokane, all the way to the Columbia River, it includes sections of paved trail, sections of crushed gravel, and about 100 miles of very tough, expert-level, conditions that pass through vast areas with no water, access, or services.
Being an old railroad route, the trail is flat as a pancake and perfectly straight for as far as you can see. It's an odd experience, and it might be a bit unnerving, but there's one fascinating 5-mile stretch that runs through the fabulous Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge with its unique mix of marshes, intact Palouse prairie, and ponderosa pine forests.
I biked this section on a weekend and had the incredible experience of biking 10 miles through a wildlife refuge with the entire place to myself. It gave me a chance to slow down, relax, and spend time enjoying the many birds on the refuge—I can't imagine a better way to bike!
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