Trip Planning - Ontario - BC

[hometown45]

This is the projected route: Rock Island, Illinois

Omaha, Sioux Falls

Corn Palace, Badlands - a least a day Rapid City Devils Tower

Mt. Rushmore

Yellowstone Park

Craters of the Moon

Ontario Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Mt St Helen; Seattle

anything I should add? I have 8.5 days to do this.

[hometown45]

Anyone? Looking for insider tips for destinations.

[Robby321]

Thats not enough days,2 weeks be better then ya see it all. Done Illinois to Seattle on month longs on my motorcycle, but had time.
Badlands just a "ride through", 2 hours most off I 90 then hit Rushmore same day. Devils tower is also a hour most stop. Spend time in Yellowstone but remember, if no reservations, no where to crash in the park. And you can hit Mt.St Helens and Mt Rainier but gotta get a early start as a long day. Also Craters of the moon not that impressive and just a drive by. Try to hit south of Portland around Bend, "Newberry lava fields" . Just go for it.

[Robby321]

OK, want "scenic"? After Devils Tower, hit 90 and head to Sheridan, WY. After a bit farther is ALT 14. Go left. Now work yer way up to Red Lodge, MT. Now get a room and up morning? Take 212 over the famous "Beartooth" Hwy. Top is 11,000 feet (twisty hairpins, suggest if a motor home, well don't). After the "Tooth" it takes you into the Northeast entrance Yellowstone. Just do that straight down to Jackson Hole. You will see the best of Y/S, and I've road the whole park. BUT? You going south soon see those "Grand Tetons"? Take yer breath away! Then after Jackson hole, go west over the mountain..(12% grade) into Twin Falls Idaho and call it a day.

Next tell ya what to do in Idaho..........(and show some pix 'morrow in the house puter.).

[hometown45]

THANK YOU! This is exactly the type of info I am looking for. Much appreciated.

[Robby321]

OK, first off, I meant Idaho Falls, Or Pocatello as Twin Falls is quite a stretch for the day.
But lets back up to South Dakota. The Badlands are simple same thing no matter how much ya do. Still neat, but gets old. Just search Badlands images and it all looks the same. Best to waste time in the Black Hills. But of course ya HAVE to stop "Wall Drug". Don't worry as going down 90 you will spot hundreds signs the road! Now south Rapid City is the "real roads", and some the best biker roads nation! My Rushmore, and for SURE do the "Needles Hwy". Trust me, as its FAR from a "HWY" and get a sore neck looking up!
BUT A WARNING. If you will be there 2nd week August thats Sturgis bike week, and be a MILLION bikers there that week, week before and after too. And there within 150 miles all ways, and zero rooms to get as all reserved year in advance.

OK, after Y/S and into Idaho again. You won't have enough time to take the route (93 out Blackfoot) north east side Sawtooth range as its a long ride, and have to go up to Missola, then take Rt 12 (Lolo pass, Lewis and Clack hwy) into Lewiston. You could go to Boise and take 55 north to New Meadows, and back on on 94 to Interstate 84. Then take that to the Columbia river gorge and follow the river all the way to Portland. Jump a bridge and do the 2 lane Washington side. Both sides a great scenic ride. And do the coast either OR or Wa, as worth it! Anything else ask away, as I "done it all".

[hometown45]

The route you describe is basically what I had already planned. The week we are doing this leg of the trip is May 28 - june 7 so no worries about bikers. I mapped out what you posted in #4 and we had a similar route planned except we were going to stay in Greybull, so the jog up into Montana may be off the plan unless we change reservations.
Is it possible to camp in Yellowstone without a reservation? We are in a Jeep Grand Cherokee and were hoping to spend one or two nights in it under the stars.
Here in Canada we have what is called Crown land that everyone is free to camp on, but it is very remote and hard to access. Is there anything similar in SD or WY?
Thanks again for all of your help!

[Robby321]

The route you describe is basically what I had already planned. The week we are doing this leg of the trip is May 28 - june 7 so no worries about bikers. I mapped out what you posted in #4 and we had a similar route planned except we were going to stay in Greybull, so the jog up into Montana may be off the plan unless we change reservations.
Is it possible to camp in Yellowstone without a reservation? We are in a Jeep Grand Cherokee and were hoping to spend one or two nights in it under the stars.
Here in Canada we have what is called Crown land that everyone is free to camp on, but it is very remote and hard to access. Is there anything similar in SD or WY?
Thanks again for all of your help!

HA! Ya nailed it on Greybull! YES! But you MUST still do Red Lodge and then do the 'Beartooth" and that takes you into N/E entrance YS. Yes there are campgrounds just in, but TRY (you MUST HAVE SOMETHING RESERVED) TO GET RESERVATIONS! I "thought" one time I might just sneak in like a tourist and get lost among the other campers, but HA! Damn Rangers are everywhere! I was shown the way out fast. BUT? After the Beartooth and just before entrance YS is Nat forest campgrounds (where I stayed as to late to do YS down. Back tracked and they are around either Cook City, or Silver city. Forgot. And far from cities, more like a village with food and gas, etc. Nat forest are cheap, maybe (was) like $20 a nite. If not a YS rez, stay there and "do the park". Good route ya got planned! You will love it!

Also if "puter on the road", post here the trip so far as I can tell ya more as ya travel. I simple LOVE ROAD TRIPPING! And I'd skip the "Corn Palace", as it only "corn" Spend time at Wall Drug instead, park, and walk around. And on that, I always stayed in Kadoka before hitting Sturgis for a week, then keep on trucking. All my trips were planned around time in Sturgis. From there (Kadoka) do the Badlands (you will see it all) and then hit 240 back to 90 and Wall drug. And after the Badlands, that "Free ice water" YES! Wall Drug is ..well, ya gotta see the "town", and you WILL buy something! Couple links, pix..

Needles Hwy..

https://www.google.com/search?<wbr>q=needles+hwy+images&client=<wbr>gmail&sa=X&rls=aso&biw=1600&<wbr>bih=771&tbm=isch&tbo=u &source=<wbr>univ&ved=0ahUKEwj-<wbr>5rTo9YTMAhVHx2MKHeb6AGQQsAQIGw

Yellowstone

https://www.google.com/search?<wbr>q=beartooth+highway+images&<wbr>client=gmail&rls=aso&tbm=isch&<wbr>tbo=u&source=univ&sa= X&ved=<wbr>0ahUKEwjM3q6q9YTMAhUC42MKHTMXD<wbr>2IQsAQIHw&biw=1600&bih=771


Grand Tetons..


https://www.google.com/search?<wbr>q=yellowstone+images&client=<wbr>gmail&rls=aso&tbm=isch&tbo=u&<wbr>source=univ&sa=X&ved= <wbr>0ahUKEwjIhbbo9oTMAhUM2mMKHXUcA<wbr>mQQsAQIHA&biw=1600&bih=771

[Robby321]

Heres the Badlands pix..

https://www.google.com/search?q=badl...h=482&dpr=1.25

[Robby321]

One more Newberry lava fields.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newber...canic_Monument

https://www.google.com/search?q=newb...a+fields+image

[hometown45]

We are going to be going right past your area, perhaps we could buy you a beer?

[Robby321]

We are going to be going right past your area, perhaps we could buy you a beer?

Well, I'm rural Olympia, north 20 miles on Olympic peninsula side, and another 10 miles out to the end my peninsula. Hell, I only go town once a week stock up and can't wait to get away from the masses! And I don't even function before noon either. The perfect bum 22 years now! I'm hard to pin down as usual out in the boat or lost somewhere. But if ya swinging by on I5 (and traffic always a mess Oly to Seattle..heck I aint been that way years), and I'll be in town, heck who knows. Best to just keep on trucking as I got plenty beer, and I aint THAT interesting anyway!

[FMP]

Beautiful place to be. You have had a load of rain this winter . Seafood , fresh air , the occasional BigFoot .

[Robby321]

Also looking back here, I had the Tetons and Y/S links reversed..whoops! And heres the road to take Badlands. Spend time Wall Drug..

Take the 240 ride off 90..

[Robby321]

Beautiful place to be. You have had a load of rain this winter . Seafood , fresh air , the occasional BigFoot .

Yep, unusually wet for a El Nino year. But plenty snow in the mountains, ski resorts still open, and plenty fresh water summer for everyone. Rainy season over, summer coming and next will be wild fires. Way earth works out here!