Biking the Idaho Panhandle on Rails to Trails

Program Registration. After you have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the Wallace Inn Meeting Room at 5:45 p.m. to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of dinner and our Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived.

In our private dining area at the Wallace Inn.

Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Each full day of the program, our expert leaders will shuttle participants to the trailhead. At least two will be on the trail with us at all times, one in the lead and one as the sweep. Occasionally, we will be joined by a local expert who will accompany us and provide historical and local information at designated spots. Routes and biking field trips are subject to change based on local conditions. Breakfast is daily at 7:00 a.m. Be sure to carry snacks, water, warm clothes, and rain gear in daypacks while riding. A selection of snacks will be provided prior to departure. Please bring your own personal reusable cycling water bottle. New bottles are available for purchase at the bike rental shop. We will ride to trailheads by shuttle that will carry our gear and be available at our lunch spots with extra water and snacks. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

At the Wallace Inn.

We will have a pre-cycling orientation, then take a quick shuttle trip to the bike shop in Kellogg to get fitted for our personal bike and helmet (included in the program price) for the week. We will then shuttle to our starting point in Mullan, and begin our biking field trip — each at our own pace — on the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. The first leg of the journey will bring us to Kellogg where we will make any needed adjustments to our bikes.

At the Kellogg City Park.

From Kellogg, we will continue biking on the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes to Cataldo. Here, we will gather and load our bikes and shuttle back to the Wallace Inn. The Rails to Trails Conservancy named this 72-mile trail one of the top 25 in the United States. In Wallace, we will gather for an expert-led walking field trip with a local expert known as the “Prime Minister of Wallace.” Founded in 1884, the town is nicknamed the Silver Capital of the World for the silver mining that dominated this region for about a century. We will see local architecture, hear more local history, and learn how a manhole cover in the town came to be declared the Center of the Universe. Our walk will end at the Northern Pacific Railroad Depot Museum, where we will have a presentation by the museum director in period costume.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like in Wallace. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Returning to the Wallace Inn, we will gather with our Group Leader and a local expert for a presentation on local history.

At the Wallace Inn.

We will shuttle to the trailhead at Plummer, then bike the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes according to personal choice. The first 8 miles of this route are through beautiful forests. We will stop at Heyburn State Park for a brief presentation on the area from an Idaho State Park Ranger (as available) as we enjoy beautiful views of Chatcolet Lake. From there, we will cross the lake on the trail bridge and follow the lakeshore to Harrison for lunch. Keep an eye out for the diverse wildlife that may be present such as beavers, eagles, osprey, and moose.

At Kellogg City Park.

We will have some time for independent exploration in the quaint little town of Harrison, where the Great Ice Cream Parlor is a favorite attraction. We will finish biking to Medimont on flat, paved trail. Those with the legs and desire can bike past Medimont a little further and return to Medimont at an announced time. We will shuttle back to Wallace with some time to freshen up before dinner.

At the Wallace Inn.

While enjoying our dinner at the Wallace Inn, we will watch a movie on The Great Fire of 1910, better known to locals as The Big Burn. This fire had a huge impact in the Pacific Northwest as it burned 3 million acres spanning 10 forests. It swept right through Wallace Idaho. The impact of the blaze and its historical significance are still felt all around.

At the Wallace Inn. After breakfast, we will make our own sack lunches to take with us on the trail today.

We will shuttle to the Route of the Hiawatha trailhead in East Portal Montana. This is the crown jewel trail of the Rails to Trails movement. We will then bike trail distances according to personal choice. This Rails to Trails route includes 10 former train tunnels and 7 trestles — some as high as 300 feet — from which we can enjoy spectacular views of the Bitterroot Mountains. We will ride through a 1.5-mile tunnel, using a provided headlamp, and may choose to stop along the way at small parks and waterfalls according to personal choice. We can choose to ride the 29 miles down and back, meet up with the shuttle before the tunnel, or feel free to turn around at any time to create our own length and duration of ride. Those who wish to bike to the end of the Route of the Hiawatha (15 miles) can take the park shuttle back to the trailhead at a cost of $15 (not included).

Along the trail, we’ll have the sack lunches we prepared.

We will finish riding the Route of the Hiawatha trail at our own pace, returning to our shuttles by 2:00 p.m. for transfer back to Wallace. The remainder of the afternoon is free for personal independent exploration in town. Possible choices include points of interest such as the Sierra Silver Mine, the historic Wallace Stairs, the Pulaski trail, and more. Or, just relax.

At a local restaurant.

At leisure.

At the Wallace Inn.

We will shuttle to Higgins Point on Lake Coeur d’Alene and start biking the North Idaho Centennial trail along the lake on paved roads and bike paths according to personal choice. We will stop at McEuen Park, our rendezvous spot for the evening. Next, we will go through the historical Fort Sherman area of Coeur d’Alene, after which we will have lunch at Riverstone Park.

At Riverstone Park.

Next, we can choose to cycle or shuttle back to McEuen park, or ride the rest of the trail to Post Falls and on to the Washington border to complete the long ride. The rest of the afternoon is free to enjoy as we choose in Coeur d’Alene. You might like to stroll in the local hills, walk the longest floating dock in the world (3/4 of a mile), take a boat ride on the lake, or visit the Museum of North Idaho, among many other activities.

On your own to enjoy the local fare in Coeur d’Alene.

Returning to the inn by shuttle, the remainder of the evening is at leisure.

At the Wallace Inn.

In the Wallace Inn meeting room, we will watch a short video on the Cataldo Mission with expert commentary. We will then shuttle to the Trail of the Couer d’Alene in Medimont and bike varying distances on paved roads and bike paths according to personal choice, rendezvousing at the Cataldo Mission.

At Cataldo Mission.

We will set out on a self-directed exploration of the historic Cataldo Mission, the oldest standing building in Idaho and part of the Old Mission State Park. The current mission was built by Jesuit missionaries and local Native American tribes between 1850 and 1853. We will then return to Kellogg, by bike or shuttle according to personal choice, and return our bikes. We will then shuttle as a group back to Wallace.

At the Wallace Inn. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

We’ll gather for a closing session to share stories, photos, and experiences from the week. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

At the Wallace Inn. This concludes our program.

If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!