This Magruder Corridor bisects the largest wilderness area in the contiguous United States, with the 2,100-square-mile Selway-Bitteroot Wilderness to its north and the even larger 3,700-square-mile Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness to its south. Combined, they make up an untouched wilderness larger than Connecticut, and the only road that goes through them is the Magruder. This makes it an ideal route for riders wanting to explore some truly remote backcountry.
Planning Your Ride on the Magruder Corridor
The Magruder Corridor is single-lane dirt track most of the 125 miles from Darby, Montana to Elk City, Idaho. It’s possible to finish the ride in about eight hours, but it’s a lot more comfortable to split it into two days and camp for a night in the middle.
Once you finish the ride, if you don’t want to backtrack along the Magruder, just head northeast from Grangeville, Idaho to Missoula, Montana along Highway 12.
Safety
The Magruder is not a complicated ride. It’s not too rocky, sandy, or muddy during the summer months, and the temperatures are relatively pleasant. The biggest danger is its isolation; traffic is sparse, and if something goes wrong, you’ll be waiting a long time for help to come.
Another thing to watch out for is forest fire, a yearly occurrence in this region. Check fire reports for the area before setting off on your adventure, and if you see smoke, proceed with caution.
Fuel
There is nowhere to fuel up along the Magruder Corridor. The only options are at each end of the route in Darby, Montana and Elk City, Idaho. You’ll need to carry a jerry can of fuel with you.
Food and Accommodation
On the eastern end of the route is Darby, Montana, where there are a few places to spend the night, which are rather expensive for what they are. A better option is to stay further north in Hamilton or set up camp in the forest, near the beginning of the ride.
The only accommodation option on the western end of the route is the Elk City Hotel , which isn’t much to look at, but only costs $50/night. For more options, you’ll need to go 50 miles down the road to Grangeville, a town of about 3,000 residents that only has a few more hotels, but more places to eat.
Along the Magruder, the camping options are near limitless, so just pick a spot off the road and set up your tent. But know that large sections of the region have burned up in forest fires. Be careful about where you pitch your tent, and avoid trees that are leaning.
There’s no potable water along the Magruder, so you’ll need to carry all of your drinking water with you or bring a filter and collect it from the streams the route crosses.
Sights
The variety of wildlife is probably the most fascinating thing to see along the route. Mountain goats, wolverines, bighorn sheep, deer, and wolves can all be spotted, especially if you get off the bike and hike one of the many side trails.
Burnt Knob Fire Lookout is the highest point that can be reached from the Magruder. It requires a side trip down a 1.5-mile spur road, but you’ll be rewarding with an amazing log cabin lookout and the most beautiful views of the trip.
Big Horn Sheep – Photo Credit: Bureau of Land Managemen t / CC BY Trail Entrance to Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness – Photo Credit: Rex Parker / CC BY Nez Perce National Historic Trail near Darby, Montana – Photo Credit: Forest Service / CC BY Featured image is of Gold Mill near Elk City, ID – Photo Credit: RPShelton / CC BY
