Walla Walla to Boise
Three States in One Day
Take the scenic route. The ride from Walla
Walla to Boise is 4 hours on
the interstate, but when riding a
motorcycle, there is almost always a more interesting way to go. If
you’ve got 8 hours to spend on a great ride, there are backroads,
state roads and highways that transform
the routine commute
from Walla Walla to Boise into a spectacular two-wheeled ride.
If you are arriving in Walla Walla from
out of town, the Best Western in downtown on Oak Street is a
"motorcycle friendly" establishment, with the hotel staff ready and
happy to provide clean-up towels to wipe down
the bike after a long day’s ride. It’s also within walking distance
of
several downtown
restaurants,
and conveniently close to the first in the series of
roads that lead to
Boise.
Hwy 125 is a due south highway out of
Walla Walla. Within a scant 6 miles, you arrive at Washington’s
southeast border with Oregon, and the road becomes OR11 at the state
line. From that point, it’s only another 12 miles before reaching
OR204. Take the turn left on 204 going (south)west, and for the next
46 miles, kick back and enjoy a very nice,
two-lane,
well-paved rural
highway as it rolls, curves and elevates through the Umatilla
National Forest. With the exception of the occasional road
repair crew stopping you for road maintenance and infrequent logging
trucks carrying timber, you’re basically free of traffic until you
reach the small town of Elgin, Oregon.
At Elgin, SR82 goes east then southeast
toward Joseph, and although SR204 runs through national forest, SR82
is the first marked "scenic route" on the map, running north of the
Wallowa Mountain Range.
On open stretches of the road, the
mountains are visible on your right as you ride. Joseph is good
sized tourist town with an "old-west" flavor. It's
a great
place to take a break and grab a bite to eat, and since the next
section of the route runs through some very unpopulated forest and
wilderness areas, it would also be a good idea to fill up the bike.
Near the southern end of Joseph, pick up SR350 going east (also
called East Wallowa Avenue) for 8 miles, paying careful attention
around the eight mile mark for the small sign reading "Wallowa
Mountain Loop Road" which marks the right turn on a road that is
also designated as Forest Service Road 39 (FS39).
Once you make the turn on Wallowa Mountain
Loop Road, settle in for a 53 mile ride through a very twisty,
forested road that leads into the Hells Canyon National Recreation
Area. Don’t expect to make time here, as the pavement is a bit rough
with a slightly course texture, and the road has few guardrails and
sections with steep drop-offs or trees growing right at the
edge. It would not be a good time for a miscalculation. Average
speed through the Wallowa National Forest and Wilderness Area will
probably be no higher than 35mph. But don’t miss the turn to ride up
to the Hells Canyon overlook, which is the "high spot" on this
road. The last 10 miles that runs along the Imnaha river are
also
particularly picturesque.
At the end of Wallowa Mountain Road
(FS39), make a turn south (left) on SR86 for a few miles and you
will reach Scotty’s Hells Canyon Outdoor Supply Store. Scotty’s is
the only opportunity to get fuel for many miles going forward, so
unless your bike has a large fuel tank, take a break for a fill up.
While you’re at it, grab a bite to eat and a sports drink or a
bottle of water to ward off the desert heat.
A short ride further south on SR86 brings
you to ID71, also known as the Brownlee-Oxbow Highway, and a turn on
the highway going south starts you on the jewel of the day’s ride.
It’s an excellently paved two-lane highway that winds its way around
mountains, overlooking both the Snake River and the reservoirs
created by the Brownlee and Oxbow dams as it elevates into the
foothills. As the road elevates, it gives the rider an opportunity
for some moderate curve carving, while "wowing" the observer with
unobstructed views of the deep blue reservoir surrounded by the
yellow, tan, orange and gold of the desert landscape. Don’t miss the
opportunity to stop at a few roadside pullouts and riverside camping
areas for some photographs.
Settle back for the 40 miles until
reaching Hwy. 95 at Cambridge, where taking that rural highway south
for another 50 miles leads back to I-84, where you can lock it down
for the last 30 miles into Boise.
If you’re staying in town for a
few days, take the ride up SR21 to Stanley, one of the best scenic
roads in the Boise area, which runs through the Boise National
Forest and parallels the Sawtooth Mountains on its way up to Hwy.
75. Taking Hwy. 75 north leads to Hwy. 93 which
runs along the Salmon
River all the way into Montana. Going south on Hwy. 75 leads to the
Galena Summit, which rises to 8701 feet above the valley floor
below, and on to Sun Valley further south. On the way back to Boise,
take the Banks-Lowman Highway for a beautiful ride through Wildlife
Canyon. Check out our
Idaho Scenic Byways
piece for more details.
Taking the road less traveled is not only
a philosophy, but also one of the more enjoyable options when
touring on a motorcycle.
The ride from Walla Walla to Boise is a
truly exceptional one when you choose the lesser-known country roads
and highways that connect these two towns.
So next time, take the
scenic route.
Philip Buonpastore
Philip Buonpastore is a freelance moto
journalist living in Washington State. His latest book,
Shifting Gears at 50 is available now.
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