TRAIL & SHUTTLE BUS INFORMATION
THE ROUTE OF THE HIAWATHA is Open
May 26 through september 17, 2023
Reservations Are open for Summer 2023
Shuttle Busses will operate every day the trail is open.
The Trail, Trailheads, & Facilities are open
8:30AM to 4:15PM PDT EARLY SEASON May 26 thru June 9
8:30AM to 5PM PEAK SEASON June 10 thru Sept. 4
8:30AM to 4:15PM PDT LATE SEASON Sept. 5 thru Sept. 17, 2023
It is best to make sure you start your trail ride by 2 pm to insure that you make it to the bottom of the trail to catch a shuttle back up.
Trail Shuttle Bus SCHEDULE
Shuttle buses operate between the Pearson and Roland trailheads only. Public shuttles DO NOT transport guests to or from Lookout Pass Ski Area and the Hiawatha. You will use your own vehicle to drive from Lookout Pass down to the Trailhead which is in Taft, MT. Take exit 5 off I-90 and head 2 miles up route 506 to the sign that directs you to take a left to get to the East Portal Hiawatha parking area.
Most visitors start their ride at the East Portal trailhead which is the top elevation trailhead. It is best reached by taking Exit 5 off I-90 in Montana. A quick 2 mile ride from the exit ramp delivers you to the trailhead parking lot.
From there, you'll park your car and start your journey by biking through the 1.66 mile long St. Paul Pass Tunnel (AKA Taft Tunnel) and exit at the West Portal in Roland. The Roland trailhead is a short distance (1/4 mile) below the West Portal.
The distance from the East Portal trailhead to the bottom elevation trailhead, Pearson, is 14.4 miles. Pretty much downhill all the way. Shuttle buses transport you and your bike from the bottom trailhead at Pearson back up to the Roland trailhead. (This bus ride takes about 40 minutes one way.) After arriving by Bus at Roland, you will get back on your bike and pedal back through the St. Paul Pass Tunnel (again 1.661 miles) to reach your vehicle at the East Portal parking area!
Seating on the shuttles is done on a first-come, first-served basis - based upon when one arrives at the Pearson Trailhead. Busses can hold 24 people with their bikes suspended from hooks in the back half of the bus. Our Larger Busses hold 48 passengers with a truck and trailer transporting bikes behind the bus. Shuttle buses leave as soon as they fill up to minimize any wait times for the majority of our guests. Understandably on busy days there will be a wait for shuttles. Guests that arrive at the bottom after 12:30 or 1:00pm may encounter wait times in excess of 30 minutes and they could be an hour or more. Wait times do get longer as the day goes on.
EARLY SEASON (May 26 - June 9, 2023)
Departures from Roland down to Pearson start at 11 am.
Shuttles from the bottom Pearson back up to Roland start at 11:45 am with last departure from Pearson back up to Roland scheduled at 4:15 pm PDT (Pacific Daylight Time). We will run busses until all guests are transported back up to Roland.
PEAK SEASON (June 10 - Sept. 4, 2023)
Departures from Roland down to Pearson start at 11 am.
Shuttles from the bottom Pearson back up to Roland start at 11:45 am every day with Last Departure from Pearson back up to Roland at 4:15 pm PDT on Non-Holiday Weekdays.
On Weekends or Holidays the Last departure from Pearson back up to Roland is set for 5:45 pm PDT.
LATE SEASON (Sept. 5 - 17, 2023)
Departures from Roland down to Pearson start at 11 am. Shuttles from the bottom Pearson back up to Roland start at 11:45 am every day with Last Departures from Pearson back up to Roland set at 4:15 pm PDT.
Start your ride early 8:30 am to avoid the chance of a longer than normal afternoon wait time for a shuttle.
Shuttles go out on a first come - first served basis.
NOTE Special Shuttle Rates will be charged for ALL: E-Bikes, Fat-Tire Bikes, Recumbents, Trikes & any other specialty equipment we encounter. Their extra size, or weight requires special staffing & equipment accomodations to effectively transport these items.
Operating Season Dates are subject to weather conditions and may be adjusted or extended.
