Cover photo courtesy of Bri Loveall
One brisk fall morning, my husband and I (along with two teenagers) headed north to Ione, Wash., to experience rail-biking. Also known as rail riding, this unique form of adventure travel gets guests out on a pedal-powered, open-air quad bike on deactivated railways. I’d seen advertisements for rail-biking tours in out of reach places (like the Blue Ridge mountains), and then I learned about this tour in Ione just north of Spokane.
The North Pend Oreille Valley Lion’s Club operates the current Railrider excursion. Not too long ago, the club offered actual train rides. From 1981 until October 23, 2016, guests could ride along the railway from Ione to Metalline Falls, following the original line that was constructed from 1909 to 1911 and transported goods like lumber and cement.
Now, the railway is utilized for pedal-powered rail riding. The 6-mile round trip pedal adventure starts at the Ione train station and ends at the trestle overlooking the Box Canyon Hydroelectric Dam. At the end of the tour, guests are offered the chance to tour another 3 miles roundtrip south of the station through farmlands.
While I’d briefly worried about the activity level (our two teens weren’t exactly thrilled about exercise on such an early Saturday morning), I found the pedaling itself relatively easy. We did, however, make it a game to see if we could tell when one of us wasn’t pedaling (we could). The landscape was awash in fall glory and the reward at the end of the line, the view of the dam, as well as the architecture of the trestles themselves, was impressive to behold.
While this tour isn’t suitable for small children, it is an incredible opportunity to experience nature in a different way. A little leg power aside, it is easily accessible for most, making it the perfect family bucket list item for your spring, summer, or glorious fall adventure. Tickets must be purchased in advance and sell out at times. Visit Lionsrailriders.com for more.
