Top Ten reasons you will love to motorcycle in Idaho

If you love to motorcycle “off the beaten path” Idaho has over 20 Scenic Byways that feature stunning landscapes & unique history. I’ve included my Top Ten List with links to learn more.

1) Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway: The Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway starts in Boise, Idaho. It follows Idaho 21 north to the historic mining town of Idaho City, where you can still pan for gold in a nearby stream bed. Campgrounds and fishing opportunities dot the route from Idaho City to Lowman along the South Fork of the Payette River, as you slowly climb along the byway’s northeasterly route. A narrow, winding road with some steep grades and beautiful scenery. 130.9 miles, allow 3 hours.
2) Sawtooth Scenic Byway: The Sawtooth Scenic Byway has the distinction of being the 100th National Forest Scenic Byway. Beginning in Shoshone, the southern leg of the byway features the new Black Magic Canyon geological attraction. The route then rolls north through fertile agricultural land to the resort towns of Hailey, Ketchum, and Sun Valley. 115.7 miles. Allow 3 hours.
3) Hells Canyon Scenic Byway: The Hells Canyon Scenic Byway winds its way along the east side of this massive rift that separates Idaho from neighboring Oregon. The surrounding area was the home of Chief Joseph’s band of Nez Perce Indians. Other tribes, including the Shoshone, Bannock, North Paiute and Cayuse Indians, were frequent visitors to the area. These tribes were drawn to the region by relatively mild winters, lush foliage and plentiful wildlife. 22 miles, allow 3 hours round trip.
4) Northwest Passage National Scenic Byway: In 1803, President Jefferson commissioned Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to find the Northwest Passage – the link between the Missouri River and the Columbia River through the unexplored Rocky Mountains. This 202-mile byway, stretching across north-central Idaho, follows the explorers' route through the ancestral homeland of the Nez Perce people. From the west, this beautiful route begins on U.S. 12 at Lewiston, and traverses the winding Clearwater River Canyon, passing through the Nez Perce National Historical Park areas of Spalding and Kamiah and the towns of Orofino and Kooskia. At Kamiah is the Heart of the Monster, a geologic formation and legendary Nez Perce site. Was coined the “Highway to Heaven” by Harley Owners Group. This Scenic Byway begins in Lewiston, Idaho and winds 202 miles to the border of Montana. Allow 4 hours.
5) Payette River Scenic Byway: From the junction of Idaho 44 and Idaho 55 west of Idaho’s capital city of Boise, this byway heads north on Idaho 55 to Horseshoe Bend where it meets the Payette River. From there, it passes through the Boise and Payette National Forests and the popular resort towns of Cascade and McCall before reaching the northern end of the byway at New Meadows. For motorists, it can be a distracting drive as the river crashes and tumbles its way over the rocks through this narrow river valley. Depending on where you are on the river, it can be a mild ripple or a wild torrent. There are occasional pull-offs where you can view the wilder parts and treat your senses to the sight, sound, smell, and rhythm of Idaho’s famous whitewater. 111.7 miles, allow 2 hours.

6) Western Heritage Historic Byway: When President Lincoln turned his attention from the Civil War to proclaim Idaho a U.S. Territory, migration south from Fort Boise had already begun. Huge silver and gold discoveries had been made in the Owyhees. Emigrants trudged trails south and twenty-horse teams moved mine machinery over rattlesnake-infested volcanic rifts and down the steep sides of the Snake River Canyon. 30 miles. Allow 1 hour for travel.
7) Wild Horse Trail Scenic Byway: The Wild Horse Trail Scenic Byway, part of the International Selkirk Loop, starts on the northwestern shores of Lake Pend Oreille in the resort community of Sandpoint. Heading north along the eastern side of the Selkirk Mountains the roadway follows the Kootenai Tribe’s historic path to fishing grounds at Lake Pend Oreille. In 1808 the first white explorer David Thompson also utilized this trail. The "Wild Horse Trail" became more than a path in 1863 when gold was discovered in “Wild Horse Creek,” 120 miles to the north of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, in British Columbia. There was a large movement of men and pack animals along the “Wild Horse Trail”until the gold rush ceased circa 1880. Upon arrival of the Northern Pacific railroad to this region, David Thompson’s old route became a main freight line for the railroad. 48.2 miles from Sandpoint to junction of U.S. 95/Idaho 1, 11 miles to the International Border at Porthill. Allow 1.5 hours.
8) Salmon River Scenic Byway: The route follows the Salmon River – also called the River of No Return - through the Salmon-Challis National Forest through the historic city of Salmon. The deer, elk, and moose that often graze along the hills and meadows that line this road provide a glimpse of the wild country beyond. 162 miles allow 3.5 hours.
9) Thousand Springs Scenic Byway: From the Snake River Plain Aquifer, an abundance of natural springs gush from the steep canyon walls and cascade into the river below. In fact, the aquifer creeps through an area of several thousand square miles under southern Idaho’s porous volcanic rock before emerging from the springs in the cliffs of the Snake River Canyon. 67.8 miles, allow 1.5 hours.
10) Sacajawea Historic Scenic Byway: Sacajawea, an "Agaidika" Shoshone woman born around 1788, is known around the world as a trusted and valuable member of the famed Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery. A lesser-known fact, however, is her historical tie to Idaho's Lemhi Valley where she was born and raised until the age of twelve. Captured by the Arikira Indians and forced to live among them in the Mandan Villages of North Dakota, Sacajawea would not see her home again until becoming part of the Corps of Discovery in 1805. It was during this expedition that she would help Lewis and Clark find the Salmon River and revisit her people. 132 miles, about 2.5 hours.