Last year I posted a possible extension of the IHS route, following a loop around the Frank Church Wilderness.
Now that the snow will roughly have melted away and wild fires are not yet spoiling the awesome views, it may get more interest.
The total distance is 553 mi and the elevation gain 53700 ft.
A map and altitude profile that can be zoomed-in can be found on
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/10783744 Here is a listing of the services along the route, following the direction from Stanley to Warm Lake.
Stanley (0 mi) : grocery, restaurants, lodging, see IHS map
Sunbeam (13 mi) : no services
Custer (ghost town, 23 mi) : some food & drinks
Challis (56 mi) : grocery, restaurants, lodging
Morgan Creek Rd – Panther Creek Rd (65-129 mi) : no services ; Deep Creek CG at 109 mi
Confluence Panther Creek – Salmon River (129 mi) : restaurant, lodging (Mother Chucars Café)
Shoup (137 mi) : small store & café
Idaho/Montana state line (158 mi) : about 10 mi off-route Horse Creek Hot Springs CG
Alta Montana (174 mi) : lodging (Alta Montana Ranch), Alta CG
Painted Rocks Lake (177 mi) : several CG’s
Nez Perce Rd (187 mi) : lodging (West Fork Lodge, about 5 mi off-route) and grocery (Conner ; about 12 mi off-route)
Magruder Corridor : no services between turnoff to Nez Perce Rd (187 mi) and Elk City (293 mi)
Nearest grocery at Montana side : Conner (12 mi off-route)
more extensive guide of Magruder Corridor Rd, see
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsm91_055707.pdf Campgrounds with good running water sources
- Deep Creek CG (217 mi ; Deep Creek)
- Selway Bridge CG (221 mi ; Selway River)
- Salmon Base Camp CG (236 mi ; Shovel Creek)
- Poet Creek CG (256 mi ; Bargamin Creek)
Elk City (293 mi) : grocery, lodging, restaurants
Elk City (293 mi) to Riggins (395 mi) : no services
- Rocky Bluff CG (351 mi ; Slate Creek)
- Allison Creek CG (385 mi ; Salmon River)
Riggins Hot Springs (385 mi) : lodge only available for private parties, weddings, etc.
Riggins (395 mi) : grocery, lodging, restaurants
Burgdorf (440 mi) : lodge with hot springs, restaurant
Secesh (446 mi) : café (Secesh Stage Stop : burger restaurant)
Warren (457 mi) : café (Baum Shelter, often closed)
South Fork Salmon River (470 mi) : no services ; Shieffer CG
Edwardsburg/Big Creek (497 mi) : possibly food & lodging at public airstrip (Big Creek Lodge rebuilt 2016?, 1 mi off-route)
Yellow Pine (519 mi) : grocery, restaurant, limited lodging, CG’s
Landmark (544 mi) : no services
Warm Lake (553 mi) : restaurant, lodging, CG’s (see IHS map)
I never rode the Loop in its entirety. Mid-June 2014 I rode from Stanley to Shoup, but the Horse Creek Pass was still blocked by snow, as was the Magruder Rd. In late August 2015 I rode from Alta Montana to Warm Lake, except for the section between Riggins and Burgdorf that was blocked by wild fires (detour from Riggins over New Meadows and McCall to Burgdorf).
If you want a paper map covering half of the Loop, look for the Butler Motorcycle Maps - Idaho Backcountry Discovery Route. It runs in the opposite direction and covers most of the route between Warm Lake and Alta Montana in detailed maps at a scale 1 inch = 5 mi. It has some additional Points of Interest, but does not have the detailed list of services as the above.
