'Route of the Hiawatha' opens Saturday

The "Route of the Hiawatha" opens Saturday. The acclaimed 15-mile "rail-to-trail" mountain bike or hike trail utilizes the abandoned Milwaukee Railroad grade between the old town site of Taft, Mont., and the North Fork of the St. Joe River near Avery.

The "Route of the Hiawatha" opens Saturday.

The acclaimed 15-mile "rail-to-trail" mountain bike or hike trail utilizes the abandoned Milwaukee Railroad grade between the old town site of Taft, Mont., and the North Fork of the St. Joe River near Avery.

The St. Paul Pass Tunnel is 1.7 miles in length and is one of the highlights of a trail that has been described as one of the most scenic stretches of railroad in the country. The Hiawatha includes 10 tunnels and seven trestles as high as 230 feet.

The trail is considered the "crown jewel" of all rail-to-trail projects in the country and delivers a one-of-a-kind adventure for riders from around the world. The gentle 1.6 percent average grade drops 1,000 feet over the 15-mile length with shuttle buses available to transport you and your bike back to the top.

Trail passes, shuttle tickets and mountain bike rentals are available at Lookout Pass Ski Area located adjacent to Interstate 90 at the Idaho/Montana border 12 miles east of Wallace.

Call (208) 744-1301 or visit www.skilookout.com or www.ridethehiawatha.com for trail information. The trail will operate daily from May 22 through Sept. 26 this summer season.

Lookout Pass Ski Area operates the trail under a Special Use Permit from the Idaho Panhandle National Forests.