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The Hiawatha Bike Trail will be open this year through October 4th. For more information please contact our concessionaire, Lookout Pass, at (208)744-1301 or our Avery office at (208) 245-4517.
 It's been called one of the most scenic stretches of railroad in the country. Winding through eleven tunnels and over nine high steel trestles, the 46-mile route crosses the rugged Bitterroot Mountains between Idaho and Montana. The route of the Hiawatha is best known for the long, dark St. Paul Pass or "Taft" Tunnel which burrows for 1.8 miles under the state line. The tunnel, which had been closed for repairs, reopened for use by mountain bikers, hikers, and wheelchair users the end of May 2001. INCREDIBLE HISTORY "The best darn railroad in the world" is the way one old timer referred to the Milwaukee Road. The incredible history of the construction of this line was followed by the unprecedented electrification of several long stretches of the main line, forming the longest electrified mainline railroad in the world. ON THE ROAD AGAIN The first 13 miles of the route were opened to the public on May 29, 1998. When finished, a bicyclist will be able to ride the Route of the Hiawatha between St. Regis, Montana and Pearson, Idaho. Once again, people will be able to travel the Milwaukee Road over the Bitterroot Mountains, soaking up the rich history and enjoying the breathtaking scenery. WORKING TOGETHER Italians, Serbs, Montenegrins, Austrians, Belgians, Hungarians, Japanese, French Canadians, Spaniards, Irishmen, Swedes, Norwegians, and others worked together from 1906 to 1911 to construct the Pacific extension of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad. It took thousands of workers, at a record cost of $260 million, but they managed to do it in record time. Then, generations of railroaders proudly kept the Milwaukee Road running until it finally went bankrupt in 1977. WORKING TOGETHER AGAIN Today, people are working together again on the railroad. The project has captured the imagination of hundreds of volunteers and organizations who have donated funding, labor, materials and equipment to make the dream a reality. The US Forest Service is transforming the railroad grade into the Route of the Hiawatha Rail-Trail. OTHER HIAWATHA TRAIL WEB SITES Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area For more information contact:
Top of the page Last updated: 05/21/09 |
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 Idaho Panhandle National Forests / USDA Forest Service | |||||||||
