MotorcycleJazz - Tour of Idaho Index

The Tour of Idaho

The Tour of Idaho (T1) is a 1300-mile dirt bike ride that begins in the Malad Range of southern Idaho and ends in the Selkirk Mountains near the Canadian border. The Tour is approximately 5% single track trail, 15% double track, 70% dirt road and 10% pavement. Though street legal dirt bikes are highly recommended the Tour has been attempted on every type of knobby-shod motorcycle imaginable as well as a few that are not. Idaho has some new requirements for off road motorcycles. If your bike is plated out of state you should be fine. Click here to check the rules.

Most of the week normally taken to complete the Tour is spent in wilderness areas far from the nearest town including the Frank Church, the largest designated wilderness in the lower 48 states. Cell phones are useless much of the way. Water, food, emergency supplies and fuel must be carried and bikes and riders must be capable of a 200+ mile range. Radios, satellite phones or an emergency beacon are prudent insurance in the event of emergency as you are often very far from assistance. The Tour of Idaho is at least as much of a wilderness adventure as it is a dirt bike ride.

The Tour encompasses extremes of elevation (1486' at Lowell to 10,300' at Twin Peaks Lookout) and temperature. The variety of plants, animals and geological features found along the way is nothing short of amazing.

The Tour is generally passable by mid July and remains ridable through early October during most years. There is a distinct possibility of extreme heat, rain or snow along the route during the entire riding season. As ofthe Tour is not yet open for the 2010 season.

Some highlights of the Tour are shown below. For maps and a detailed route description click here, and check out the FAQ. There is also a 500 mile dual sport friendly East-West Tour of Idaho known as T2. Related reading: TID 2008, Go West Young Man, Sunglasses at Night, Utah to Wallace in 32 hours. Interested in more information, finding someone to ride the Tour of Idaho with or help with a shuttle? Check out the reader forum or visit us on .

Oxford Ridge The breathtaking Oxford Ridge trail straddles the Oneida/Franklin county line 31 miles from the start of the Tour (8281'). The city of Clifton, ID and Twin Lake Reservoir lie in the background some 4000' below.	map	Topo
Chinese Peak/Scout Mountain Scout Mountain (8700') from Chinese Peak (6459') near the top of Blackrock Canyon. This location is just outside of Pocatello 134 miles from the start of the Tour.	map	Topo

Big Butte Springfield Road A view across the Snake River Plain (5151') at the intersection of Cedar Big Butte Road and Big Butte Springfield Road 310 miles into the Tour. The Snake River desert is large and criss-crossed by hundreds of miles of roads and trails. It's a very easy place to get lost, except for...	map	Topo
Big Southern Butte The view in the opposite direction from the previous photo. Big Southern Butte, a prominent landmark along the Oregon Trail, rises 2500 feet above the desert floor and dominates the Snake River Plain for a hundred miles in any direction.	map	Topo
Big Southern Butte The view from the lookout on top of Big Southern Butte (7517') in June. The road to the top is steep in sections but suitable for all motorcycles. The summit of Big Southern Butte is 323 miles into the Tour.	map	Topo
Big Lost River The view north toward King Mountain 20 miles beyond Big Southern Butte from the Arco-Minidoka Road 10 miles south of Arco.	map	Topo
Arco Arco, ID - population 1026, elevation 5325', 351 miles into the Tour. Plenty of submarine parking. US 20 is in the foreground. The road out of town toward Arco Pass is in front of the sail. Arco is a full-service, dirt bike friendly town.	map	Topo
Arco Pass Road The road approaching Arco Pass about 7 miles out of Arco. There are a couple of variants of the Tour in this area. One goes north over Arco Pass and up the Little Lost River valley east of King Mountain, and another that goes west over Beverland Pass into the Lost River Valley. The former is a little more scenic but has a few miles of pavement.	map	Topo
Arco Pass For dirt purists the Arco Pass Road winds it's way north along the eastern slopes of the Lost River Range through the Little Lost River Valley.	map	Topo
Beverland Pass Near the summit of the Beverland Pass, 364 miles into the tour (7416'). The Lost River Valley is in in the background and the west shoulder of King Mountain on the right. The route takes farm road in the valley at the base of the mountain north to Pass Creek.	map	Topo
Pass Creek Entering Pass Creek canyon 386 miles into the Tour (6222'). Pass Creek road climbs 7 miles to Pass Creek Summit at an elevation of 7722' some 393 miles into the Tour.	map	Topo
Massacre Mountain Loop Beginning the Massacre Mountain loop, 409 miles into the Tour (7753'). Mt. Breitenbach and the Lost River Crest are in the background. This optional 16.5 mile loop is not for large or heavily loaded bikes but should not be missed by anyone else.	map	Topo
Long Lost Creek Castle Peak in the background, 5 miles into the Massacre Mountain Loop (8416').	map	Topo
Massacre Mountain Looking east down into the Long Lost Creek watershed, 7 miles into the Massacre Mountain Loop (8302'). Massacre Mountain on the left and Castle Peak on the right.	map	Topo
Long Lost Creek The single track that climbs out of the western side of the Long Lost Creek valley to the headwaters of Dry Creek, 7.5 miles into the Massacre Mountain Loop (8455').	map	Topo
Copper Lake Just above Copper Lake, 10.5 miles into the Massacre Mountain Loop (9613'). One of the highest elevation encountered in the Tour.	map	Topo
Dry Creek A mile below Copper Lake (8942'). The peak in the background is 11,500' in height and is so homely by Lost River Range standards that it doesn't even merit a name.	map	Topo
Burnt Creek/Dry Creek Looking down into the Little Lost River Valley from the same spot as the previous photo.	map	Topo
Pahsimeroi River Approaching the Lost River crest from the west in the just south of Mt. Borah (12,662'), the tallest peak in Idaho. This loop up the east fork of the Pahsimeroi river is 452 miles into the tour. The elevation is 7946'.	map	Topo
Lawson Creek The Pahsimeroi Valley, 500 miles into the Tour, from the headwaters of Lawson creek in the Pahsimeroi Mountains (7500'). One of the two routes out of the Pahsimeroi Valley to Grouse Peak.	map	Topo
Trail Creek Looking east into Pahsimeroi Valley from the top of Trail Creek (7500') in the Pahsimeroi Mountains - the alternative route to Grouse Peak.	map	Topo
Grouse Peak Looking south from the summit of Grouse Peak (8307') along the crest of the Pahsimeroi Range above Challis, 505 miles into the Tour. A steep dirt road descends west into Leaton Gulch which leads to the the Salmon River outside of Challis.	map	Topo
Darling Creek Climbing out of Darling Creek about 10 miles north of Challis (6200').	map	Topo
Morgan Creek Crossing the divide between Darling Creek and Morgan Creek (7291'), 534 miles into the Tour.	map	Topo
Morgan Creek The descent into Morgan Creek (6400'). The dirt road up Morgan Creek to Panther Creek lies in the valley below and to the left.	map	Topo
Panther Creek Inn Cobalt, ID (5500') The official middle of nowhere, 566 miles into the Tour. Wolves welcome.	map	Topo
Salmon River Crossing the Pine Creek Bridge (4298') over the Salmon River a few miles below Shoup, 603 miles into the Tour.	map	Topo
NFD 038 The spectacular 4200' climb from the Salmon River at Shoup to the Montana border, 610 miles into the Tour (7000').	map	Topo
Beartrap Ridge NFD 044 along the Idaho-Montana border (8230'), 620 miles into the Tour. The Salmon River valley is in the background.	map	Topo
Midnight Carburetor Repair Kim Creek Saddle (6000'), 695 miles into the Tour. Smack dab in the middle of the largest contiguous wilderness in the lower 48 and 80 miles from the nearest outpost. Kim Creek Saddle is very cold after dark every month of the year. It is home to many large, curious and hungry carnivores. It is entirely possible to rebuild the carb of an XR600R at night with a flashlight and a Leatherman tool if one's motivation is sufficiently high.	map	Topo
Magruder Saddle The beginning of the "primitive road" section of the Nez Perce Trail in the Magruder Corridor (7040'), 697 miles into the Tour.	map	Topo
Salmon Mountain The view at the top of the 4000' climb from Magruder Crossing in the headwaters of the Selway River to Salmon Mountain (8228'), the high point of the Magruder Corridor, 703 miles into the Tour.	map	Topo
Dry Saddle The vista from Dry Saddle (7796'), 717 miles into the Tour. Beyond Dry Saddle the Nez Perce trail descends some 2700' in just 7 miles to Poet Creek.	map	Topo
Elk City Main Street Elk City (4200'), 759 miles into the Tour. All the comforts of home.	map	Topo
NFD 443 Beginning the long descent into the Selway River Valley at Horse Creek (5400'), 780 miles into the Tour. Three miles beyond this point the road ends and a spectacular double track trail descends nearly 4000' to the Selway River valley in less than 5 miles.	map	Topo
Selway Falls Nearing Selway Falls (2000'), 788 miles into the Tour.	map	Topo
Pete King Creek Trail The top of the steep, 1500' single track climb out of Pete King Creek (3322') near Higgins Hump, 816 miles into the Tour (note: as of 2008 the Pete King Trail is subject to seasonal closing to motorized travel).	map	Topo
Lolo Motorway Entrance The entrance to NFD 500, the Lolo Motorway, at Canyon Junction (4524'), 833 miles into the Tour.	map	Topo
Fourth of July Creek This variant of the Tour bypasses the Lolo Motorway (NFD 500) and instead goes north to NFD 250 which follows the North Fork of Clearwater river toward the Montana border. It's a shorter and faster way to get to The headwaters of the St. Joe River than the Lolo Motorway but should only be considered by those short on gas or time.	map	Topo
Lolo Motorway The vista at the headwaters of Bald Mountain Creek (6526'), 865 miles into the Tour.	map	Topo
Lolo Motorway The view from Indian Grave Peak (6300'), 872 miles into the Tour. Yes - most of the Lolo Motorway does look like this.	map	Topo
Toboggan Ridge Descending Toboggan Hill on NFD 581 (4778') toward Cayuse Creek 911 miles into the Tour.	map	Topo
Fly Ridge NFD 715 on Fly Ridge (6074'), 952 miles into the Tour nearing the headwaters of the St. Joe River.	map	Topo
State Line Trail Spectacular scenery abounds along NFD 391 near Craddock Peak (6518'), 1013 miles into the Tour.	map	Topo
Moon Pass An old railroad bridge viewed from Cliff Creek road near Roland (5309'), a side trip from NFD 326, 1025 miles into the Tour.	map	Topo
Moon Pass Tunnel on Cliff Creek Road, NFD 326 (5000').	map	Topo
Hoodoo Mountain Looking north toward Priest River from the summit of Hoodoo Mountain (5119'), 1178 miles into the Tour.	map	Topo
Upper Priest Lake The Tour ends after 1280 miles in the Selkirk Mountains north of Upper Priest Lake a few miles south of the Canadian Border (4000').	map	Topo