Lolo Trail Motorcycle Trip

Riding The Lolo Trail

As we paused alongside the river to watch white water crashing over the rocks, a quintet of Honda Gold Wings rounded the curve and passed, their riders giving us a friendly wave before they leaned into the next bend in the road and were gone. Again we were alone with the towering tree covered mountains and the rushing water. I don’t think we’ve experienced a happier moment in our years on the road.

We were cruising the scenic Lolo Trail, a beautiful route that winds across the mountains from Missoula, Montana into Idaho, offering some of the best riding to be found anywhere in the country. The road follows the old Lewis and Clark Trail through Lolo Pass, along the wild and scenic Lochsa River, and then the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River .

As we entered the pass, a road sign advised us we had 77 miles of winding road ahead of us! It is one of the most spectacular trips you will ever make. We had ridden this route seven years earlier, and it was just as beautiful as we remembered. The towering pine covered mountains, the rushing whitewater river alongside the road, and frequent pullouts to stop and soak up the scenery. We saw dozens of motorcyclists on everything from big touring bikes to crotch rockets, some leaning deep into the curves and accelerating hard down the straight-aways, others like us, taking it slow and easy and enjoying the scenery along the way.

At one point we paused to watch two rafts full of adventurers shoot the rapids. This is a popular area for rafting, and several outfitters in Missoula, and others further west around Kamiah, Idaho will be happy to set you up with a trip down the river.

The Lolo Trail is a gorgeous ride, but one that requires a certain amount of caution. This is U.S. Highway 12, and a popular route with RVers, truckers taking a direct route to Lewiston, and bicyclists, who seem to think nothing of crossing in front of you at the last minute.

Riders also have to be alert for deer, moose, and other wildlife. We watched a younger rider on a Yamaha sport bike do an excellent job of keeping control in a panic situation when a huge buck bounded from the heavy cover at the shoulder of the road and ran into his path. By the time he got the bike stopped and we pulled up beside him, his face was a white as the deer’s rump that was the last we saw of that particular four legged road hazard.

“Are you okay,” I called and he nodded, took a deep breath and twisted the throttle to shoot off down the highway, his confidence and belief in his own immortality restored.

It is about 135 miles from the town of Lolo, Montana, just east of Missoula, to the friendly little town of Kamiah, Idaho. There are a couple of resorts along the way, and some Forest Service campgrounds, but not much in the way of creature comforts. You would be advised to make reservations ahead of time if you are riding the Lolo Trail and want to overnight in the area. Everything seems to fill up fast during the peak season. From Kamiah, it is another 65 miles to Lewiston, with U.S. 12 hugging the river. But the water moves slower here, the road is straighter, and the scenery is just not as spectacular. It’s a nice ride, but anything would pale in comparison to the Lolo Trail.

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