Seasonal conditions
May to October — the gorge road opens with snowmelt; the upper lake can hold gravel into June.
ROUTE
Priest Lake Loop: Priest River to the Upper Lake via the Cavanaugh Drove
The Selkirk deep dive: 136 km from Priest River up the river gorge to Priest Lake's Lion Head shoreline and back — the quietest big-lake ride in Idaho.
scenic-road136 km6.6 hmoderate
S.hammarlund / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
ABOUT THIS ROUTE
The route in detail
SH-57 leaves the farming flats of Priest River and climbs the Priest River gorge into the Selkirk Mountains, ending at a true wilderness lake: Priest Lake, ringed by the Lion Head ridge with roadless Canada beyond. Ride the full lakeshore, stop at Cavanaugh Bay or Elkins Resort for lunch, and return the way you came — the gorge road is the only paved way in, which keeps traffic near zero and curves unreasonably good.
SH-57 leaves the farming flats of Priest River and climbs the Priest River gorge into the Selkirk Mountains, ending at a true wilderness lake: Priest Lake, ringed by the Lion Head ridge with roadless Canada beyond. Ride the full lakeshore, stop at Cavanaugh Bay or Elkins Resort for lunch, and return the way you came — the gorge road is the only paved way in, which keeps traffic near zero and curves unreasonably good.
PLAN RESPONSIBLY
Season & safety
Key hazards
- Narrow shoulder along the gorge with rockfall after rain.
- Winter closures above Priest River roughly November to April.
- Wildlife: deer, moose and the occasional black bear at dawn.
Required gear
- Certified motorcycle helmet and full protective riding gear.
- Warm layer — the Selkirk lake sits at 760 m and cools fast.
MAP & ROUTE
On the atlas
Elevation804 m high point643 m low point881 m total climbing9% steepest stretch (km 76.2)
DESTINATIONS
Places on this route
Priest Lake
Idaho’s “Crown Jewel”: a gin-clear glacial lake under the Selkirks, ringed by old-growth cedars and quiet — the far-north lake most visitors never reach.
Northern Idaho
Sandpoint & Lake Pend Oreille
An artsy small town on a bridge-crossed glacial sea, under Schweitzer’s ski runs — North Idaho’s most beautiful base camp.
Northern Idaho
INTERESTS
Why riders & travellers love it
WEATHER
Weather along the route
Forecast data from Open-Meteo. Updated regularly.
REGIONS
Explore the region
KEEP EXPLORING
The atlas continues
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