This week, we’re in Coeur d’Alene Idaho, and we’ve come to the area with one primary goal in mind. To ride the  “Route of the Hiawatha” mountain bike trail.

The Hiawathata, which is located near the panhandle of Northern Idaho, straddles the Idaho/Montana border, and is part of the Rails-to-Trails conservancy program.

Children ride their bikes along the Route of the Hiawatha Mountain Bike Trail

What an experience for the kids!

Rails-to-trails converts sections of defunct railroad tracks across America into some of the finest, most scenic, and most visited mountain bike trails in the country.

And The Route of the Hiawatha, some say, is the program’s crown jewel.

Father and children read the caution sign at the mouth of a tunnel along the Route of the Hiawatha Mountain Bike Trail near Roland, Idaho

Riding through the tunnels of the Hiawatha was a little nerve-wracking, and a ton of fun

This epic ride (downhill, the whole way!) is 15 miles long, and includes 10 train tunnels, and 7 high trestle bridges.

And the experience was just unforgettable.

A father and daughter look down from high above the forest floor, atop a trestle bridge along the Route of the Hiawatha Mountain Bike Trail near Roland, Idaho

The views, man!

We lost our senses inside of long, dark (save for our handlebar-mounted flashlights) tunnels, drank in signboard after signboard of captivating local history, and peered off of sky-high trestle bridges,  enjoying some of the finest scenery available in Idaho, Montana, and all of the Pacific Northwest.

The excursion wasn’t even all that expensive. And even less so, if you have your own bikes.

A woman stands on a high trestle bridge of the Route of the Hiawatha Mountain Bike Trail, and watches two more bikers ride by

A rare shot of the photographer, herself!

So, the next time you find yourself near the panhandle of Idaho, or northwestern Montana, be sure to check out the Route of the Hiawatha trail.

We had SO.MUCH.FUN. And we’d do it again in a heartbeat. We hope we get the chance to visit again in the not-too-distant future!

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