Mackay, Idaho: Mo' betta than Moab?

MACKAY, Idaho -- Move over, Moab. This scenic Idaho ranching town -- founded on mining long ago yet rich today in outdoor recreation and small-town charm -- is hot on your wheels.That's the impression I gained during four days of riding adventure motorcycles in the lofty mountains surrounding this yet-to-be-discovered rival to Utah's mecca for dirt-road adventure.

Located on the Big Lost River in Custer County (Google Map), in the shadow of Idaho's Lost River Range -- Idaho's highest -- little Mackay (MAC ee) is accommodating to ADV and dirt-bike riders, ATVs, SUVs, mountain bikes and hikers alike.

So a fellow adventure-motorcycle rider, Dave, and I allocated four days to exploring the region's mountains and valleys via a vast network of dirt roads that rivaled the best of the northern Rockies. We traveled on dual-sport motorcycles ... he on his Honda 650, I on my Kawasaki KLR 650.

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Wagon Wheel Motel

We unloaded our bikes and checked in at the Wagon Wheel Motel -- convenient, comfortable, reasonably priced and well-kept. After a long day of exploring, we could sit out each evening and gaze at the towering, 12,000-foot-plus Lost River Range just east of town.