St. Joe River Scenic Byway

3 McR Points

Motorcycle Type : Other

This is a fun ride on an ADV bike. You have 2 options from St. Maries to Avery. One side of the river has a nice paved road. The other is an old railroad grade, which is a really fun ride on an ADV (both sides are nice). Calder (mile 24 IIRC) has a good little restaurant. Avery (about mile 48) has food and a couple options for food (one with great Huckleberry ice cream). From Avery to Gold Creek is an absolutely fantastic street/adv road. Nice twisties for about 30 miles, all following the scenic St. Joe. From Gold Creek, I recommend dropping south to the historic Red Ives ranger station. From there you can come out over Heller Creek (ADV only) in Superior. Alternatively, go back N. to Gold Creek, and head east to Superior. There is about 12 miles of somewhat loose gravel this way. Not an issue on an ADV, and very doable on a street bike if you have experience on dirt roads.

45 McR Points

Motorcycle Type : Touring

Once past Avery longest straight section was 3/4 of a mile. Otherwise curves, a few sweepers, mostly scrap the foot pegs.

24 McR Points

Motorcycle Type : Sport - Touring

This is a great ride as many of the other reviews have stated. The first time we did the full ride we came from St. Regis down the hard pack gravel road, gravel added since then, and hit the pavement at the Idaho border. There were signs saying some road was closed, couple letters and the number 50 if i remember correctly. unfortunately there was never a road sign that matched that description and it wasn't until shortly after we hit the pavement that we found it was the road we were on. The first bridge which was being replaced and so no crossing there. We asked the flagman, through the dope smoke around him, what our options were. He said there was a route around the bridge that we could take and only one vehicle had got a flat that week using it. Asking how it compared to the gravel road we had just ridden he said it was comparable. Obviously he was pretty high if he ever did follow the detour route as the previous gravel was an interstate in comparison. I think a grader had hacked it out of the mountain the week before. No signage either unlike what our helpful flagman had indicated. VTX 1800, Bandit 1250, Vstrom 1000, and several other street bikes all made it safely, with no flats, to St. Maries. Have done the route once more that way and as an in-out from St. Maries just on the pavement. Relatively interesting bar and museum in Avery if you need a stop en route.