Hello,
Has anyone done any touring in Eastern Idaho that doesn't include mountain biking trails? Gravel trails are ok. I just moved out here from Massachusetts in September and really want to some bike trips and have no idea where to start. On the drive out we stopped in Northern Idaho and rode the Hiawatha Trail and the trails around Coeur D'Alene but am looking to go South from Idaho Falls area.
Thanks for any help or ideas you have!
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Was thinking about the Custer Motorway (https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/scnf/about-forest/districts/?cid=fsbdev3_029695#main_content). What do you think?
Lynne.... if you don't know where to start you haven't tried very hard... yet. You're in Idaho surrounded by thousands of miles of gravel roads with mountains on all sides, sprawling valleys, friendly little towns, lava fields, and a whole bunch of hot springs to explore. I'd start at your back door. You have Chesterfield/Bancroft area, Blackfoot Reservoir, Bear Lake, Heise/Kelly Canyon, Ashton to Tetonia rail trail, and even parts of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. Most well-traveled Forest Service roads are rideable with a gravel bike so you can get out of the valleys without it getting too rough.
If you want official routes there's:
Wydaho 100 (https://ridewithgps.com/ambassador_routes/2167-wydaho-one-hundred-official)
The Great Rift Dirt Tour in Craters of the Moon (https://ridewithgps.com/ambassador_routes/2245-great-rift-dirt-tour-craters-of-the-moon)
Idaho Smoke and Fire (https://bikepacking.com/routes/idaho-smoke-n-fire-400/)
Idaho Hot Springs Route (https://www.adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/adventure-cycling-route-network/idaho-hot-springs-mountain-bike-route/) ....one of the best routes anywhere!
If you're on Facebook there's an active group called East Idaho Bikepacking. (https://www.facebook.com/groups/384976862292205)
You picked a good place if you like gravel. I lived in Ashton for a while and am not too far north of you in MT, so I visit your neighborhood often. I'm mostly a weekend warrior but I do a couple weeklong trips each year in MT or ID. Drop a line if you ever want to ride. Don't pass up all those hot springs!