#24: Emerson Loop Road • 10.6 mi • 1046 ft • paved

Like a mirage in the dusty grasslands, Emerson Loop Road cuts a line of smooth tarmac through the rolling palouse hillsides between Eightmile and Fifteenmile creeks. I fondly remember this road as a smooth oasis in a grass desert after rattling my brain out of my skull down Wrentham Market or Roberts Market roads — back in the days of road bikes, rim brakes, and 25mm tires.

If you’re looking for an all-tarmac or mostly-tarmac ride through the open hillsides East of town, this is a great road to include.