Route of the Hiawatha Sets New Record

From the Coeur d'Alene Press:

The Route of the Hiawatha continues to grow in popularity. Another attendance record was set in August as riders flocked to the world-renowned bike trail that follows the historic Milwaukee Road rail line in the Bitteroot Mountains of Idaho and Montana.


Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area, operators of Route of the Hiawatha, reported 12,844 visits last month. August’s rider total was a 4.4 percent increase over 12,301 riders recorded for the same month last summer. This summer, the momentum continued into September with a record Labor Day weekend crowd of just over 3,000 riders.

“August 2011 was the biggest single month we’ve ever had since we partnered with the U.S. Forest Service to operate the Hiawatha trail in 1999,” said Phil Edholm, president and CEO of Lookout Pass. “With cooler temperatures and fall colors, September is a great time to ride the trail and we expect attendance to remain strong until we close for the season on Oct. 2.”

In addition to the foliage and weather, Route of the Hiawatha in September features the Ride & Slide Package, an unprecedented partnership with Silver Mountain Resort’s Silver Rapids Waterpark in Kellogg. Lookout Pass and Silver Mountain are teaming up to offer the Hiawatha trail in a bundle with the Silver Rapids Waterpark. The $29.95 package is good for both attractions on the same day and is available online at skilookout.com and silvermt.com.