// scenic road
Lolo Pass / US-12 (Lewis and Clark Highway)
- Category
- scenic road
- Region
- idaho
- Distance
- 175.0 mi
- Avg ride time
- 3 hr 53 min
175 miles of US-12 from Lewiston up the Clearwater and Lochsa Rivers to Lolo Pass — Lewis and Clark's hardest stretch, hot springs in the trees, and one of the great untrafficked motorcycle two-lanes.
// highlights
- mile 2.3
Lewiston, ID (west end)
Western terminus at the WA/ID border — fuel, food, and the last big-town services before 170 miles of canyon two-lane.
- mile 44.8
Orofino, ID
Riverside town on the Clearwater with a small downtown — gas, lunch at Riverside Cafe, and the Dworshak Dam visitor turnoff.
- mile 74.6
Kooskia, ID
Last real town before the canyon proper — fuel, food, and the gateway where US-12 leaves the Clearwater for the Lochsa canyon.
- mile 97.5
Lowell / Three Rivers Resort
Confluence of the Lochsa, Selway, and Middle Fork Clearwater — fuel, food, lodging. Last reliable services for 75 miles.
- mile 148.9
Jerry Johnson Hot Springs
Free riverside hot springs 1 mile downhill from the Warm Springs trailhead — soak, then climb back to the bike.
- mile 170.6
DeVoto Memorial Cedar Grove
Old-growth western red cedar grove dedicated to historian Bernard DeVoto — short loop trail, shaded picnic area.
- mile 175.1
Lolo Pass (MT/ID border)
5,233 ft Continental Divide crossing — visitor center, the Lewis and Clark crossing point, and the gateway into Montana's Bitterroot Valley.
// Why this road
The Clearwater and Lochsa Rivers do most of the work here — US-12 follows their canyon for nearly the full 175 miles, so the road rarely leaves the water. That means consistent, readable curves shaped by river bends rather than switchbacks, moderate elevation gain until the final push to Lolo Pass at 5,235 feet, and almost no towns once you're past Kooskia. Traffic is genuinely light on most days. This is not a secret road, but it doesn't draw the volume that comparably scenic routes do elsewhere in the region.
The Lochsa section, roughly from Lowell east to the pass, is where the canyon tightens and the riding gets more engaging — tighter radius turns, steeper walls, and the river right beside you. The surface through here is generally good but varies; the shoulder drops away in places and there are blind crests where the road cuts around rock outcroppings. Elk and deer are common, especially morning and evening. The canyon shades out early, so visibility can drop faster than you'd expect on fall afternoons.
The history is real and worth knowing. Lewis and Clark crossed this corridor in 1805 and called it the worst stretch of the entire journey — the Bitterroot Range nearly broke the expedition. DeVoto Memorial Cedar Grove is a quiet pullout in old-growth forest named for the historian who edited their journals. Jerry Johnson Hot Springs requires a short walk from a roadside pullout and is worth the stop if you're not in a hurry.
Before you go: The road is typically clear from late spring through October; check conditions if you're riding early or late season, as snow can close the pass without much warning. Fuel up at Kooskia heading east — there's nothing reliable until Lolo, MT. Cell coverage is essentially gone through the Lochsa canyon. Lowell has food and lodging at Three Rivers Resort if you're splitting the ride.