World-class riding on the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. Photo courtesy of Silver Mountain Resort
An easy hour-and-a-half drive from Spokane, Idaho’s Silver Valley makes for one of the most rewarding spring weekend getaways in the Inland Northwest. Centered around the historic towns of Wallace, Kellogg and Mullan along I-90, this narrow mountain river corridor delivers a mix of early-season biking, short hikes, river and fishing access and deep-rooted mining history.
Spring is when the valley starts to open up. Snow still hangs on in the high country, but lower elevations are ready for riding and exploring. You can spend the morning on a rail trail, head underground for a mine tour in the afternoon and still have time for a local craft beer in Kellogg or Wallace before dinner.
Rail-Trail Riding That Defines the Valley
For many people, the main draw is the Route of the Hiawatha, which opens for the season May 22. This 15-mile ride runs through a series of tunnels and across high trestles near Lookout Pass. It’s a steady, mostly downhill route on a compact gravel surface that’s accessible to a wide range of riders, but the setting is what stands out—long, dark tunnels followed by open views across the Bitterroot Mountains.
Equally steeped in scenic beauty along the valley floor, making it ideal for a spring weekend is the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. This paved, 73-mile path that runs right through Mullan, Wallace and Kellogg. You don’t need to commit to a long ride to enjoy it. Short out-and-backs from any of those towns offer smooth riding along rivers and wetlands, with easy access to food, coffee and trailheads.
If you’re looking for a little more challenging gravel-riding route, the Nor-Pac Trail heads east from Mullan toward Montana. The Nor-Pac is more off the radar, with lighter use and a more remote feel.
Photo by Ryan Zimmer, courtesy of Silver Mountain Resort
Short Hikes and Valley Views
Just outside Wallace, the Pulaski Tunnel Trail is one of the best short hikes in the area and is ideal in spring before summer temps heat up the valley. The trail follows part of the route taken during the 1910 fire, when U.S. Forest Service ranger Ed Pulaski led his crew to safety inside a mining tunnel. It’s not a long hike, but the history behind it gives the place weight.
While the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes is known as a world-class rail trail for biking on its smooth, paved sections, there are several scenic stretches that also make for excellent walking and wildlife spotting. For a scenic walk in the Silver Valley, start near Cataldo and follow the trail along the Coeur d’Alene River, where shaded stretches, canyon walls and steady water views make for an easy out-and-back. Farther east, the section between Wallace and Mullan trades river bends for a wider mountain valley feel, with historic mining-town character and big, rugged scenery throughout.
In Kellogg, Silver Mountain starts spinning its gondola again in late May or early June. The ride to the top is quick and gives you a clear look at how the valley is laid out, along with access to higher-elevation terrain without much effort.
Rafting the St. Joe River. Photo courtesy of ROW Adventures
Silver Valley Fishing and Whitewater Boating
The South Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River runs alongside much of the Silver Valley and offers some fishing opportunities, while the legendary native trout waters of the North Fork attracts fly-fishing enthusiasts from around the region and beyond. The nearby St. Joe River, accessible from Wallace over Moon Pass once lingering mountain snow gives way, is another strong option if you want to build a day around fishing or just spend time near the water.
Even without a rod, these river corridors are worth a stop, or, for whitewater boaters, several fun spring kayaking or rafting options. There are plenty of informal pull-offs and access points where you can stretch your legs and enjoy just being along a river.
Wallace Is Known for Its Rich History
Wallace is the place where the outdoor side of a trip blends directly into the valley’s past. The downtown is compact enough to explore on foot, with most of the key stops within a few blocks.
The Sierra Silver Mine Tour is the most direct way to understand the area. You’ll head underground with a guide and then ride through town on a narrated trolley that fills in the bigger picture of how mining shaped the valley.
A few blocks away, the Oasis Bordello Museum offers a different slice of that history. Preserved much as it was when it closed in the late 1980s, it’s a reminder that Wallace has always been a little rough around the edges—in a way that still feels genuine.
The Hiawatha Spring Trail Run put on by Negative Split happens June 7, 2026 on the Route of the Hiawatha. Photo courtesy of Negative Split.
Spring Events in the Silver Valley Worth Planning Around
Spring in the Silver Valley gives you plenty of reasons to time a trip right. In Wallace, the Historic Wallace Craft Beer Pub Crawl returns April 25, turning downtown into a walkable afternoon of North Idaho craft beer tastings, raffle prizes and lively pub-to-pub wandering for the 21-and-over crowd. A couple of weeks later, Depot Days Car Show and Northern Pacific Railroad Museum event lands on May 9, filling the streets around the museum with classic cars, vendors and live music.
For cyclists, one of the biggest seasonal markers is the reopening of the Route of the Hiawatha on May 22. The scenic rail-trail runs daily from May 22 through Sept. 13 this year, making late May a natural time to plan a ride if you want to catch the trail early in the season. The next day, May 23, Kellogg’s Kegs & Kickstands brings a more casual bike-town vibe, with riders cruising a family-friendly route through town.
June stacks up fast after that. On June 7, the Hiawatha Spring Trail Run put on by Negative Split sends runners and walkers onto the Hiawatha for a rare foot-travel day with 10K, 15K, 25K and 50K options. Then from June 18-20, the Silver Kings Hard Enduro returns to Silver Mountain Resort, bringing one of the region’s most intense off-road motorcycle race weekends to Kellogg. That same third weekend of June, Wallace celebrates Gyro Days and the Lead Creek Derby, a longtime community tradition built around a street carnival and the famously oddball derby finish in Wallace.
Easy Drive to the Coeur d’Alene’s Old Mission State Park
The I-90 stretch through the Silver Valley is straightforward and scenic, linking the three main towns with river views and trail access along the way. It also makes it easy to add a short detour without overthinking it. A stop at Coeur d’Alene’s Old Mission State Park adds a deeper historical layer, with the oldest standing building in Idaho located just west of Kellogg. If you want to extend the drive, a cruise from Kingston up the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene is an excellent scenic drive in the spring, with wildlife sightings including moose likely along the way.
Close-to-Home Adventure without the Hype
What makes the Silver Valley work for a spring weekend is how little effort it takes to put together a solid trip from the Spokane area. You can ride uncrowded trails in the morning, explore museums and mining history in the afternoon and still have time to catch an event or find a place to eat before heading back out the next day.
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