The Yaak & Lake Koocanusa

Motorcycle Roads & Rides > Routes > United States > Montana

Average Rating - This road has been rated by 3 visitors

State: Montana
Date Submitted: June 1, 2009
Submitted by: DeDe
Motorcycle Road Length: 115 Miles

Written Directions

From Hwy 2 (east of Bonners Ferry, ID or West of Troy, MT) is FS rd 508, Yaak River Rd., it is well marked and you can only head North on this road. Head north on the main road to Yaak, MT. Once in Yaak, continue straight ahead and follow the signs that keep you on FS rd 92 - stay on the pavement and you'll be fine. (There are a few short cut roads that are gravel but it's easy to take a wrong turn and go many miles in the wrong direction). You will begin to climb over the pass and then descend to Lake Koocanusa. At the bottom of the hill you will have your choice to go left across the bridge and right onto Hwy 37 or stay to your right on Libby Dam/Yaak rd. FS 92/FS 228 (can one road have so many names) head generally south and you'll find Libby, MT.

Scenery

This is one of the most scenic wild roads in the northwest. From Hwy 2 you'll head up the Yaak River Rd. passing the Yaak Falls on your right. This is heavily forested terrain with an abundance of wildlife. Marshy meadow areas are home to moose and a Black or Grizzly bear may be seen when the huckleberries are ripe. Several herds of elk can be found in the basin along with a multitude of deer. As you climb up over the pass on FS rd 92 you will have excellent views of Montana, British Columbia, and North Idaho. Once you're over the pass you'll have some excellent views of Lake Koocanusa and further south, Libby Dam. So much to see, but you'll need to keep your eyes pealed for those furry creatures.

Note: this route can be connected with several other great roads depending on your starting point. We start from Coeur D'Alene, ID heading up Hwy 95 to Hwy 2 to reach Yaak rd. On the way back we take Hwy 2 west from Libby to Bull Lake Rd heading south, then west on Hwy 200 into Sandpoint and South on 95 to get back to Coeur D' Alene. This is approximately a 430 mile loop, a great ride on a long summer day. .

Road Quality

The pavement is in excellent condition from Hwy 2 to the town of Yaak, with great sweepers and just a few tight turns. FS 92 from Yaak is a narrow winding mountain road with a few steep hills. The higher elevation areas have significant frost heaves, pot holes, rocks and always a possible downed tree. This is truly wild country (even by local standards) with no services or cell service, so use caution and good commonsense while riding these roads. On an August Saturday afternoon, we saw 2 cars and 1 group of bikers on FS 92 - a busy day. Once you are over to Lake Koocanusa the west side road is in good shape with a little gravel here and there in the corners; it has a posted 55mph speed limit and the local sheriff does make his daily rounds on this side of the lake. On the East side of the lake is Hwy 37 - 2 lanes, a 70mph speed limit - with many semi trucks and motor homes. We prefer the "twistier" west side (Libby Dam/Yaak rd.). Both roads will take you to the same location and back.

Roadside Amenities

There are several camp grounds along this route and you can primitive camp anywhere on Forest Service land though fire restrictions do apply at certain times of the year. Be sure you are on FS land and not private property. There is a renowned bar "the Dirty Shame Saloon" in Yaak; along with, the Yaak Mercantile that sells regular gas, basic groceries, ice cream and cold drinks. Be sure to stop at the Libby Dam view points. The small town of Libby has full services, with motels, gas, and places to eat.

Additional Info

- View the weather forecast for this area from Yahoo weather .

Nickname (optional) DeDe

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Reviewed by MurderBurger on July 30, 2011 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: 2011
motorcycle_year: 2007
motorcycle_make: Ducati
motorcycle_type: Sport
Comment: I can't believe I hear more about the road to the sun than this. Absolutely stunning. I think the speed limit is 45 mph, but the curves are the radar there. Come from the south end. Have a smoke at the dam, then make sure your Gopro is on before you leave the parking lot. It's like a young Mike Tyson punching you in the face with curves. Some stones here and there, plenty of blind corners, and some tar snakes, it's not for the faint of heart. I would need to grow a mess of extra thumbs to rate it that way, so I'll give it 23.5 out of 10.
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Reviewed by Guest on September 10, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Jake from Canada
motorcycle_year: 2006
motorcycle_make: Ducati
motorcycle_type: Sport-Touring
Comment: We just came back from a tour of Montana and Idaho and it was amazing. This particular section we did on the first day and it was hard to top after. It doesn't get any better than this, twisty roads, excellent pavement speed limits for grownups and a great beakfast at the Libby Cafe on Mineral street. The road from kookanoosa to Yaak is a hidden gem. it doesn't even show up on any map yet it's motorcycling heaven. Apart from the occasional skiff of sand and wandering cow it's perfect. The road going east to Idaho from Yaak is a challenge at the speed limit of 70. Thank you Montana and thank you DeDe, for letting us in on the secret.
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Reviewed by Guest on March 1, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Mike
motorcycle_year: 1998
motorcycle_make: Honda
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: West side of Reservoir is excellent. Condition of road is adequate for spirited riding (tar snake alert). Has a s**tload of tight turns and very few straightaways. Fantastic views and light traffic. My personal favorite road in the NW of Mt. Have yet to see any other bikes on it when I have ridden it. Don't miss this one!
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