July 21st to August 15th
969 miles
Summary of Road Conditions
Numbers in parentheses refer to the page number for the relevant map in the Rand McNally Road Atlas. The mileage figure next to each city is the distance from the preceding city. Mileage is calculated from city to city based on Google Map’s routing engine.
Starting in Spearfish, SD (93)
N 85 Belle Fourche, 13 mi
Follow Main St. through downtown Spearfish and it will take you to Hwy 85. As you leave Spearfish, there is a McDonald’s with electrical outlets on your left. You will also pass the main post office on your left shortly before you reach Hwy 85. Hwy 85 is a divided highway with full paved shoulders all the way to Belle Fourche. Continue on Hwy 85 through downtown Belle Fourche to the intersection with Hwy 212. Just before you get to the intersection with Hwy 212, there is a small grocery store on your left.
I don’t usually recommend particular motels, but I make an exception for the Ace Motel in Belle Fourche. A short distance before you get to the intersection with Hwy 212, turn right on Custer St. and proceed one block to the motel. On the outside, the Ace Motel presents itself as a modest example of a mid-century American wayside motel. This property has been transformed, however, by the love and attention to detail lavished upon it by the very charming lady who owns the motel. Perhaps you have stayed in older motels where you attempt to turn on a lamp and nothing happens or the freezer compartment in the mini-fridge is a solid block of ice. The Ace Motel is the exact opposite. The beautiful lamp on the polished wooden table lights the room with a comforting glow. Every detail in your room is pristine and of the highest quality. Be sure to ask the owner to tell you the story of how the motel was named. Also ask her about the time the rock band Steppenwolf stayed at the Ace Motel. Finally, be sure to check out the beautiful display of petrified wood outside the motel office.
W 212 Alzada, Montana (61), 38 mi
Turn left onto Hwy 212. Immediately after you turn left there is a nice convenience store on your right. After a few miles, you enter Wyoming. After a few more miles, you enter Montana. I always feel like I am pedaling into an abyss when I enter Montana. There is a vast emptiness in the landscape that is somewhat frightening. Hwy 212 generally has paved shoulders although there are a few stretches with mini-shoulders. Traffic is very light. When you enter Alzada, there is a convenience store on your right. Be sure to top off your water supply. There are no services between Alzada and Broadus.
W 212 Broadus, 58 mi
In Broadus, stay on Hwy 212 to the only traffic signal in town and then turn left. The intersection where Hwy 59 separates from Hwy 212 and heads north is a few miles outside of town. There is an IGA grocery store on your right just before the traffic signal. There are no services between Broadus and Miles City except for a country store next to the post office in Volborg. This store may be closed, however.
Desert mode from Broadus to Miles City, make sure all your water containers are full.
N 59 Miles City, 79 mi
Turn right onto Hwy 59. Hwy 59 has paved shoulders and traffic is very light. This is an incredibly beautiful bicycle ride. The rugged, western landscape offers a variety of seductive vistas. You pass hay fields, rugged canyons, foothills, and rocky buttes. The roadsides are lined with sunflowers. The occasional grove of cottonwood trees provides a hiding place for a weary stealth camper. The cottonwood trees have leaves that shimmer in the wind and make a pleasant sound. If you are wondering how many miles remain until you reach Miles City, simply read the next mile marker along the highway to find the answer. The highway mile markers count down the number of miles to Miles City. Stay on Hwy 59 through Miles City. Your full, paved shoulder continues through town. You will pass a McDonald’s on your right. Across the street from the McDonald’s is a laundromat. City Brew Coffee is a bit further down on your left. City Brew Coffee has electrical outlets and comfortable seating. Finally, there is a Walmart and a Wendy’s on your right.
Desert mode from Miles City to Jordan, make sure all your water containers are full.
N 59 Jordan, 84 mi
From the Walmart in Miles City, turn right onto the main drag. Almost immediately, you will see a sign that says “City Center Next Left.” Get in the left turn lane and turn left onto Main St. Follow Main St. through historic, downtown Miles City. You will see lots of interesting, old buildings. Main St. curves sharply to the left. Signs for Hwy 59 will direct you to turn right onto Seventh St. You are now on Hwy 59 northbound towards Jordan. Soon, you will cross a bridge over the Yellowstone River. The bridge is safe and comfortable for cyclists. This is a very impressive river crossing. The river is wide and grand but also haunting and austere. The landscape is reduced to the bare elements of earth, water, and sky. Do you remember crossing the Tennessee River many months ago? The lush, green river banks and the reflections of trees on the water are now a distant memory. The Yellowstone River bears little resemblance to the Tennessee River. Nevertheless, I would describe both rivers as “beautiful.”
After you cross the Yellowstone River, there is a long, steep climb. Look to your left to the top of the bluff overlooking the river and you will see the silhouette of a cowboy on his horse looking down on the river. You have a full paved shoulder, light traffic, and no services all the way to Jordan. This section is the most isolated on the entire route. The scraggly roadside sunflowers get smaller and smaller and then disappear entirely. The last few cottonwood trees are the size of rose bushes and then also disappear. The name of your destination, “Jordan,” makes this section feel almost biblical. A north wind blows hot and hard. It is eighty-four miles to Jordan. I feel inspired and happy!
When I finally get to the intersection with Hwy 200, I turn right into Jordan. There is a convenience store a quarter mile down on the right where I purchase two gallons of cold, refreshing “Big Spring” water. This is the best water I have ever tasted in my life! After drinking half a gallon, I fill all my water containers. There is a nice city park across from the convenience store with a water spigot and picnic tables. Unfortunately, the city water has a very bitter taste.
Desert mode from Jordan to Winnett, make sure all your water containers are full.
W 200 Winnett, 76 mi
Head west on Hwy 200 towards Winnett. Your paved shoulder and light traffic continue all the way to Winnett. As you leave Jordan, there is a country cafe on your right if you want to stop for a rest break and a meal. You will pass through the tiny town of Sand Springs on your way to Winnett. Sand Springs has a country store on your right if you need water, cold drinks, or snacks. This store is closed on Sundays. The tap water in Sand Springs is also bitter tasting. About twenty miles before you reach Winnett, you will see a large, painted sign on your right with the words “Old Stage Road.” Turn right at this sign and you will find great camping spots under the pine trees in a national forest recreation area. A short distance west of Old Stage Road on Hwy 200 is a rest area with interesting historic markers. Unfortunately, the water in the rest area is also bitter tasting. As you approach Winnett, you will see the town’s sign on your right, “Go ahead and blink, we’re still here!” The town’s slogan perfectly captures the resilient spirit of Montana’s small towns! Turn left just past the sign and proceed down a hill into Winnett. There is a grocery store on your left at the stop sign a half mile down. The grocery store has a small indoor seating area. Winnett is very beautiful. The town sits under rugged, dramatic cliffs.
W 200 Gilt Edge turn off
You lose your full shoulder between Winnett and Lewistown. At times there is no shoulder. Other times there is a mini-shoulder. There are no outside rumble strips, however, and traffic is very light. About an hour after departing Winnett, look west towards the horizon and you will see the outlines of the Judith Mountains. These mountains are about forty miles away. Lewistown sits just behind these mountains. As you approach the foothills of the Judith Mountains, you will see a sign indicating a right turn toward the town of Gilt Edge. Don’t turn at this sign. I mention the sign because it marks one of the most magnificent views in America. Look to your left at this sign. Glorious meadows sweep up against the foothills. Pine trees mark where the snow melt flows down from the mountains in the spring.
W 200 Lewistown, 54 mi
Continue a bit further on Hwy 200, past the sign for Gilt Edge, and you will see a sign that says “Chain Up Area.” This sign suggests there is some serious climbing ahead! The climb is very easy, however, and you soon begin your descent into Lewistown. When you enter Lewistown, Hwy 200 becomes Main St. At the first traffic signal, turn left onto First Ave. There is a very nice Albertson’s grocery store a short distance down on your right. The Albertson’s has a Starbucks with a seating area. The seating area has electrical outlets. If you turn right from Main St. onto First Ave., you will find a laundromat half a block down on your right. Follow Main St. westbound through Lewistown. You will pass an original Carnegie Library (1905) on your left and a very beautiful, historic courthouse (1907) on your right. Then you will pass a McDonald’s with electrical outlets on your left. Proceed westbound two miles on Hwy 200, past the McDonald’s, and there is a free Kiwanis Campground on your left. This campground has excellent water and clean restrooms.
W 200 Great Falls, 106 mi
Most of the way to Great Falls you will have paved shoulders. There are a few sections with mini-shoulders, however. Traffic is light and the scenery is beautiful. You are crossing the Judith Basin which is surrounded by mountains. There is a truck stop on your left about an hour and a half from Lewistown at the intersection with Hwy 191. The truck stop has an excellent restaurant and a nice convenience store. There are also outside water spigots and a picnic table. After another two hours, you arrive in the town of Stanford. There is a Sinclair station on your right in Stanford. There is a green plastic dinosaur outside the Sinclair station. Someone has applied red toenail polish to the dinosaur’s toenails! Adorable! About an hour past Stanford, there is a parking area with a historic marker and two picnic tables on your right. There is also a grassy area with trees adjacent to the parking area. The local sheriff told me that camping is allowed in this area. There is a major highway rest area on your right with restrooms, water, and covered picnic tables at the intersection with southbound Hwy 89. There is excellent stealth camping on the right just past the rest area. As you enter Great Falls there is a Walmart on your left. Hwy 200 becomes 10th Ave. Continue west on 10th Ave. There is a Starbucks on your right at 32nd St.
The Great Falls city map on page 61 of the Rand McNally Road Atlas is not very helpful. Here are bicycle friendly directions to northbound Hwy 89 without getting on I-15:
Proceed W on 10th Ave to 2nd St.
Proceed N on 2nd St to Central Ave.
Proceed W on Central Ave. to cross the bridge over the Missouri River. Be sure to use the protected bikeway.
After crossing the river, immediately turn right onto 3rd St. Proceed N on 3rd St to NW Bypass Rd.
Proceed W on NW Bypass Rd crossing under I-15.
There is good stealth camping on the right just past I-15. NW Bypass Rd becomes Vaughn Rd.
Vaughn Rd is locally referred to as Frontage Rd.
Proceed W on Vaughn Rd approximately 15 miles.
Pass a Sinclair station on your left.
There is a stop sign when Vaughn Rd gets to Hwy 200. There are no signs indicating Hwy 200.
Turn left on Hwy 200 towards the Conoco Station. Continue 8 miles on Hwy 200 to Hwy 89.
Turn right onto northbound Hwy 89.
N 89 Fairfield, 35 mi
After you turn onto Hwy 89, there are no shoulders for the first ten miles. After this tense stretch, conditions improve. You have mostly paved shoulders. On some stretches you have comfortable mini-shoulders. Traffic is light. A massive collection of grain elevators greets you on your left as you enter Fairfield. Yellow wheat stubble, seemingly as soft and smooth as corduroy, stretches into the distance in every direction. Just past the grain elevators, turn right on Central Ave. There is a small grocery store a short way down on your left. Finally, there is a Cenex convenience store on your right if you need water or snacks. Across the street from the Cenex is a small Welcome Center with covered picnic tables.
N 89 Choteau, 18 mi
Between Fairfield and Choteau, the landscape has a surreal beauty. The turquoise water of the Freezout Lake Waterfowl Preserve complements the golden wheat fields. Look to the horizon on your left and you will see the dramatic, blue silhouettes of the Rocky Mountains. As you approach Choteau, you pass massive, towering buttes. Look up to your right and you will see the silhouette of a cowboy roping a calf. In Choteau, you will circle the courthouse square and then continue through town.
Rex’s grocery store is visible on a side street to your right just past the town square. There is a convenience store on your left just past the town square. Books for sale in the convenience store include “Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance” by Stephen Herrero and “Wild West Women: Fifty Lives That Shaped the Frontier” by Erin H. Turner. The book titles are touristy but compelling. The cashier must have observed me looking at the book about bear attacks. When I was paying for my items, she asked, “Would you like to hear my favorite bear joke?” I smiled and nodded in the affirmative. “What does a bear call a man in a sleeping bag?” “I don’t know.” “A burrito!” Bear attacks are in the back of my mind the whole time I’m at Glacier National Park!
N 89 Dupuyer, 33 mi
In the small town of Dupuyer you can order a fancy meal at Buffalo Joe’s Eatery located on your right. Just past Buffalo Joe’s is the Dupuyer Grocery, also on your right. There is a covered picnic table next to the Dupuyer Grocery. It is thirty-eight miles from Dupuyer to Browning. Be sure to fill your water containers before leaving Dupuyer. This is a very tough section with lots of long, steep hills and vicious winds.
Bicycle Cowboy
Cows are used to passing traffic and barely look up even when large trucks roar by. Occasionally, however, they take one look at my red shirt, bicycle helmet, sunglasses, and silent approach, and decide a strange looking predator is stalking the herd! I have inadvertently started several major stampedes! Running parallel to the highway, the stampeding cows are able to surpass my usual ten miles per hour pace for quite a distance. I was gratified to see that they slowed markedly on hills, however, just as I do.
I was on my way to Browning from Dupuyer when I noticed three cows grazing on the shoulder of the highway. I guess the grass really is greener on the other side of the fence! These bad boys had escaped their fenced enclosure and were in danger of being hit by passing traffic. Drivers slowed when they saw the cows. I was headed up a steep hill when the cows noticed me. They started running uphill away from me on the grassy shoulder. Trapped between my presence on one side and the fence on the other side, they were tiring as they ran uphill. I was very surprised when two of the cows decided to break through the fence to get back into the field where they belonged!They seemed to be old hands at making their way through barbed wire fences!As I passed by, the third cow was also looking for a way through the fence!
N 89 Browning, 38 mi
Turn left towards Browning when you get to Hwy 2. It is four more miles to Browning after you turn onto Hwy 2. You have a full paved shoulder. As you enter Browning, the Glacier grocery store is on your left. This store has a nice inside seating area next to a welcoming fireplace. There are electrical outlets on the adjacent walls. As you depart Browning, you will encounter a roundabout. Follow the signs to continue west on Hwy 2 to East Glacier.
W 2 East Glacier, 14 mi
You have a full paved shoulder. The mountain scenery is spectacular. You will pass a buffalo preserve. Notice the double barbed wire fencing used to contain the buffalo. These powerful animals can break through ordinary fences. The long legged buffalo calves are rather comical looking. In East Glacier, turn right under the railroad tracks onto Hwy 49. This intersection is clearly marked. A short distance down on your right is a restaurant serving the “world’s best” French toast and omelets! They are telling the truth!
N 49 to Two Medicine Campground
Hwy 49 has light traffic and beautiful scenery. The hills are moderate with just a few tough sections shortly before you arrive at the Two Medicine Campground. The ride takes about two hours. Proceed to the hiker/biker area and set-up your camp. I recommend spending two nights so you can fully explore the Two Medicine Campground. A boat ride in a vintage wooden motor boat allows you to view the mountains from a beautiful alpine lake. The rangers give very informative lectures in the evenings. Best of all, the camp store has Ben and Jerry’s ice cream! Glacier National Park is the crown jewel of our national park system and the Two Medicine Campground is the crown jewel of national park campgrounds! Enjoy!
N 49/89 St Mary, 30 mi
It takes about half a day to ride from the Two Medicine Campground to St. Mary’s. St. Mary’s has every amenity including a small grocery store. The young people who staff the restaurants and shops are from all over the world.
W Going To The Sun Road to Rising Sun Campground
It is a short uphill ride from St. Mary’s to the Rising Sun Campground. Again, there is a hiker/biker area.
W Going To The Sun Road to West Glacier, 50 mi
There is a section of the Going To The Sun Road near West Glacier where bicycles are not permitted until after 4 pm. If you depart the Rising Sun Campground at noon, you will arrive at this section just when it opens to bicycle traffic. This is one of the world’s most spectacular bicycle rides. The climb is exhilarating. You will receive friendly “victory” signs as cars pass you. The climb to Logan’s Pass consists of long 6% grades. It is a lot of work but completely doable. The climb takes about two hours. There is a large ranger station on your left with informative displays and restrooms as you approach the summit. Notice the removable guardrails. The guardrails are removed in late fall to prevent them from being destroyed by avalanches. It is downhill from Logan’s Pass to West Glacier. West Glacier has every amenity including a small grocery store on your right. There is a Sinclair gas station on your left with a public water faucet located on the grassy median between the station and the street. The water quality is excellent. Turn right onto Hwy 2 to depart West Glacier. Immediately after you turn right, there is a truck parking area on your right. There is excellent stealth camping on the other side of the highway opposite the truck packing area. You will have to wade through waist high grass to access my favorite camping spot hidden behind the row of trees.
W 2 Columbia Falls, 19 mi
Traffic is heavy between West Glacier and Columbia Falls. There is a paved bike path on your right. I recommend following this bike path to the town of Corham where the bike path becomes an ordinary city sidewalk. After a short distance, the bike path resumes on the opposite side of the highway. I decide not to cross the highway, however, and continue on the paved shoulder the rest of the way to Columbia Falls. There is a tall bridge across the Flathead River. Be sure to use the protected walkway to cross the bridge. After you cross the bridge, conditions are tense for the next several miles. At times, you have only a narrow mini-shoulder next to a guardrail. Fortunately, as you approach Columbia Falls, your full paved shoulder resumes. There is a traffic signal at Nucleus Ave. in Columbia Falls. Turn right at the traffic signal to visit downtown Columbia Falls. In downtown Columbia Falls, you will find a nice grocery store on your right. Across from the grocery store is a small park with a picnic table located under a pavilion. Next to the park is a laundromat. If you prefer to bypass downtown Columbia Falls, there is a Montana Coffee Traders with electrical outlets and a full breakfast menu on your left at the Nucleus Ave. traffic signal. Montana Coffee Traders closes at 2 pm. Hwy 2 becomes Ninth St. Continue straight ahead on Ninth St. and you will pass a Super 1 grocery store on your left just before you depart Columbia Falls. The Super 1 grocery store has a very nice indoor seating area with electrical outlets. It also has a filtered water machine inside the store.
W 40 Whitefish, 10 mi
Just outside Columbia Falls, Hwy 2 turns left. Continue straight ahead on Hwy 40 to Whitefish. This intersection is clearly marked. You have a full paved shoulder all the way to Whitefish. Approaching Whitefish, turn right on Hwy 93. This intersection is clearly marked. Proceed north on Hwy 93 (Spokane Ave.) to downtown Whitefish. Again, you have a full shoulder. You will pass a Super 1 grocery store and a McDonald’s on your right. A little further down there is a Safeway store on your left. Look straight ahead and you can see ski runs carved into the side of Whitefish Mountain. The road narrows in downtown Whitefish. Turn left on Second St. to continue on Hwy 93 north to Eureka. This intersection is clearly marked. Whitefish is a very beautiful resort town with nice coffee shops and restaurants. You will pass the excellent Glacier Cyclery on your right about half way through the downtown area after you turn onto Second St.
N 93 Eureka, 51 mi
You lose your full shoulder as soon as you leave Whitefish. Traffic is heavy and you have only a narrow mini-shoulder. Be careful on this section. Later, conditions improve as the traffic thins down. The crumbling road surface reflects the harsh winters. Magnificent pine forests hug the shoulders of the road. Every now and then the view opens up and you see beautiful meadows and pristine lakes. There is surprisingly little climbing as you wind your way through the Salish Mountains. Approaching Eureka, you have a full paved shoulder which continues through town. Montana Market is a small grocery store located on your right in the middle of downtown Eureka. There is a park with a picnic table next to Montana Market. Just before you turn left on Hwy 37, near the northern edge of town, there is a large grocery store on your right.
S 37 Libby, 69 mi
This section is one of my favorites. It is surprisingly isolated and wild. You have a full paved shoulder all the way to Libby. A dam located near Libby has created a beautiful lake called Lake Koocanusa. The name of the lake combines the name of the river that feeds the lake, “Kootenai,” with “Canada” and “USA.” The name makes sense because the Kootenai River flows into the United States from Canada. Beautiful Lake Koocanusa sits to your right as you pedal towards Libby. Primitive camping is allowed in the Kootenai National Forest. Select a camping spot with a view of the lake. Heavenly! After you pass the Libby dam, the river resumes it’s rough and rowdy ways. I am always amazed by the sheer volume of crystal clear, icy cold water endlessly flowing down the magnificent Kootenai River! In Libby, Hwy 37 becomes California St. Continue on California St. through Libby. Turn right on Hwy 2. This intersection is clearly marked. On Hwy 2, you will pass Rosauer’s grocery store on your left. There is a filtered water machine inside the store. There is also a nice seating area in the store with electrical outlets and free coffee refills!
W 2 to Hwy 56
Hwy 2 follows the Kootenai River. Starting a few miles outside Libby, you have a full paved shoulder. About eight miles outside Libby, you will see a vista point on your right announcing the spectacular Kootenai Falls where the Kootenai River drops through a rocky gorge. Walk above the falls on a swinging bridge and take pictures of the falls. There are beautiful hiking trails on the other side of the river. The suspense movie “The River Wild” with Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon was filmed along the Kootenai River. Rivers are wild and free. They touch something elemental inside of us. Maybe that is why there are so many great songs about rivers. My favorite is Leon Bridges’ “River.” Also superb are Joni Mitchell’s “River,” Bruce Springsteen’s “The River,” Neil Young’s “Down By The River,” and the New Basement Tapes’ “Lost On The River.” A few miles past Kootenai Falls, there is a rest area on your left. It has a water faucet located on the exterior wall of the restroom building. The water is cold and delicious. This rest area sits at the intersection with Hwy 56.
S 56 Ross Cedars Scenic Area
Turn left onto Hwy 56. Traffic is light. You have a substantial mini-shoulder with no rumble strip. Be sure to watch for logging trucks. There is surprisingly little climbing on this section. This section takes you by Bull Creek Lake and along Bull Creek. You are in a peaceful valley surrounded by the imposing Cabinet Mountains. The ancient cedar trees in the Ross Cedars Scenic Area provide an oasis of deep silence with majestic trees, moss covered ground, and beautiful ferns. If you are worried, discouraged, or worn down by civilization, this is the perfect place to disconnect and experience the wonder and beauty of the natural world. The Ross Cedars Scenic Area is seventeen miles from the intersection with Hwy 200. If you camp at the Ross Cedars Scenic Area, you can still make it to Sandpoint, Idaho the following day.
S 56 to Hwy 200
After you pass the Ross Cedars Scenic Area, Bull Creek becomes Bull River. At certain points, Bull River winds through grassy wetlands. I stop to look at the beautiful landscape. How different it is from the sparkling Kootenai River with its rapids and falls! The peaceful Bull River has a different kind of beauty. It is still, quiet, and green. The tall grass, marshes, and shallow lakes provide a refuge for wildlife.
W 200 Clark Fork, Idaho (31), 68 mi (from Libby)
Turn right onto Hwy 200. This intersection is clearly marked. As soon as you turn onto Hwy 200, look to your left. A short way down, there is a small natural foods store serving incredible sandwiches made to order on homemade bread! Their pecan pie is also a favorite of mine! Sit on the store’s front porch and enjoy yourself! Hwy 200 has much heavier traffic. Road conditions vary. Most of the time you have a generous mini-shoulder. Occasionally, conditions improve and you have a full shoulder. On bridges and along guardrails, however, even your mini-shoulder may briefly disappear. Exercise caution, Idaho drivers can be aggressive in my experience. There are a few short hills, but for the most part this section is flat. You are following the Mosquito River and skirting Lake Pend Oreille. The views of the lake are breathtaking. A historic marker describes the geological events that formed the lake. The lake is surrounded by mountainous foothills. During a distant ice age, glaciers formed on these foothills. As things began to melt, enormous quantities of ice began to pile up in the valley below. Eventually, with an otherworldly rumble, the ice dam broke and the resulting flood gauged out the lake. Lake Pend Oreille is over a thousand feet deep in places and has been used to test submarines! All these events seem very distant on this peaceful summer afternoon! There is a laundromat on your right just as you enter Clark Fork. There is a Citgo convenience store on your left with indoor seating.
W 200 Sandpoint, 26 mi
Kootenai and Ponderay are small towns located immediately adjacent to Sandpoint. For all practical purposes, they are part of Sandpoint. Continue west on Hwy 200 to the town of Kootenai. There is a slab of stone on your right with the words “Welcome To Kootenai.” The three foot tall stone sign is located in the grassy drainage area next to the highway. I mention the sign because there is excellent stealth camping in the pine forest immediately adjacent to the sign. Continue west on Hwy 200 and you will enter the city of Ponderay. I always smile when I see signs for Ponderay. I think to myself, “Ponderay was founded for people like myself who are unable to spell or properly pronounce Pend Oreille!” You will see a nice paved bike path to your right which runs parallel to Hwy 200. Continue west on the bike path to a traffic signal at the intersection of Hwy 200 and Kootenai Cutoff Rd.
Continue on the bike path running alongside Kootenai Cutoff Rd. You will pass a Walmart on your left and a laundromat on your right. After a short distance, you will arrive at the intersection with Hwy 95. There is a Starbucks on your right across the highway at this intersection. Kootenai Cutoff Rd becomes Sweitzer Cutoff Rd and will take you to a ski resort that overlooks Sandpoint. Across the meadow adjacent to the Starbucks parking lot, is a grove of mature pine trees. There is excellent stealth camping under these pine trees. This area looks like it is likely to be developed in the future, so this stealth camping spot may not be available for long.
On the east side of Hwy 95, where the Walmart parking lot empties out onto north bound Hwy 95, there is another bike path running parallel to Hwy 95. Head south on the bike path. After a short distance, you will arrive at a McDonald’s. The bike path appears to end but actually continues on the other side of Hwy 95 next to a Subway restaurant. Continue on the bike path about three miles and it will take you to City Beach in downtown Sandpoint. City Beach has paved walkways, covered picnic tables with adjacent electrical outlets, and outside water faucets. It is a wonderful place to rest, to people watch, and to enjoy views of beautiful Lake Pend Oreille. While I am in Sandpoint, I use the handy bike path to travel back and forth from the Walmart part of town to the City Beach part of town.
Take a one week rest break in Sandpoint, Idaho.