St. Joe River Scenic Byway - By GoCougs

Ride update. This route is amazing, but a few notes need to be made. **WARNING** If going west and starting from St. Regis you need to know you will riding uphill on a dirt, dusty, loose gravel (NOT HARDPACK) road for 15 miles, up to the top of the mountain, to the Montana/Idaho border. Inexperienced rides and those without physical stamina would be better served taking I-90 or the Lolo pass (U.S. Rte 12). The 15 miles on a sport bike, tourer or sport tour will be exhausting. Dual sports will love this road. Having said all this, you will be rewarded when you get to the top and to the Idaho border. Beautiful views stretching for miles. The road in Idaho is amazing!! Well maintained for the first 20 miles or so. A few rough patches here and there as you get down in elevation and ride along the river. This is a bit of a technical road. Lots of blind corners, but it is a lovely ride, especially at a spirited pace. Not much traffic. I only passed 1 car in the first 30 miles. After you get to Avery, you will find a few more cars. I highly recommend this route in conjuction with the Lolo pass if you want to do a loop, but plan on a 12 hour day with some stops and grabbing a good bite of food in Missoula.