Community Forums

Pmedalen · 02-16-2013, 10:04 AM

Hubby and I are heading east in June from Central California. Going to West Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore, Deadwood, etc. then back home through Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. Can anyone advise if there are roads we should avoid? I.E. steep grades, narrow roads, and so on. Any advise would be appreciated. This is our 1st "big" trip outside of California. We plan to be gone a month, maybe more...Also, any recommendations were to stay would also be helpful.

Dupdyke · 02-16-2013, 10:39 AM

I am going the other way from deadwood to glacier then park and ride cycles into calgary then back 2 to mn. Was nasty construction last time I rode bike thru yellowstone

Pez · 02-16-2013, 11:57 AM

Pmedalen, We are doing the same trip as you in June. I am sure the weather will be a factor in June but going anyway. Google, RVcruzer.com
and click on RV Driving Routes. It is a very interesting read. Also other info here that might spark your interest. I tried to attache the site but when I preview post there was no attachment. You have to google it, sorry about that.

Pez

Pusherpilot · 02-16-2013, 12:29 PM

We did those stops a couple of years ago. I looked for the routes saved in our GPS but they are gone. We found the route over Donner to Salt LakeI80, then up I15 to Idaho Falls and over to Yellowstone to be good. We stayed at a KOA and the price4 was high but it was vacation season and really crowded so we had to take what was available. If you are going after school lets out you'll be deluged with tourists with kids so be prepared. Also check for weather that early in the season. Are you towing a car? If so when you get to Rapid city and are unhooking to explore ask about the "back way" into Mt Rushmore. There is a road that approaches the monument from the east and has tunnels situated so thatas you pass thru them the monumnent is framed in the exit. Also there is a section of that road that is basically a log road, not primitave but not suitable for a large MH like yours. We have an 04 HR Imperial which is the same basic coach as yours and had no problems with grades etc. If you stick to the US hwys you'll be ok and should check before runing on state rtes. We got on one in Neb that turned into a dirt road for about 20 miles. Wouldn't have been too bad but it was washboarded to the point where I couldn't go faster than about 10mph in many areas. We spent 4 days touring around Rapid City. There is a lot to see there. We try to trave the US hwys in order to see the most of the country we can. I really hate having to read the same stuff off the back doors of the semi in front of me!!!

In Washington and Idaho there are many scenic rtes that are US hwys that we've traveled but have no record of in our GPS files. We never hd any problem with steep grades as the ISL is able to handle them quite well. Advise is when going down the grades stay on the Jakes and off the service brakes as much as you can. Start slow at the tops of the grades and let the Jakes hold you till speed builds then apply the service brakes sparingly.. You don't want to heat them up unnecessarily.
Enjoy the trip!!!
Ron

K7JV · 02-17-2013, 06:41 AM

We spent a couple of weeks at Grizzly RV Park, in West Yellowstone, and it was very nice. Also, whenever we are in the N. Idaho area (Coeur d'Alene), we stay at Blackwell Island RV Resort. Both of those parks are great bases for branching out and seeing the beauty of the area. A great place to stay in or near Salt Lake City, if you come that way, is Pony Express, in N. Salt Lake City, right near Flying J and I-15.

The suggestion about making best use of your Jake/Pac brake is good. Use it early and often. :-)

Enjoy your trip. There's a lot of beauty up in our part of the country.

Pmedalen · 02-17-2013, 11:09 AM

Thanks to everyone who came such wonderful suggestions for our Yellowstone trip. Special thanks to Ron! The RVcuzer.com site was great. We'll be checking the weather reports for mid-june. I got the message on the Jake brake. We travel a lot to the Tahoe area so we're no strangers to steep grades.
All your replies were very informative and appreciated. I'll let you know how are trip went when we get back.
Pat

Groovy · 02-17-2013, 01:31 PM

We have traveled those states quite a bit with our fifth wheel and there are few roads that are impassable. You might want to look into getting the Mountain Directory West for Truckers, RV, and Motorhome Drivers: Richard W. Miller: 9780977629015: Amazon.com: Books. It lists all the roads in the western mountains and gives you an idea of which ones you might not want to use...

Radarman · 02-18-2013, 04:09 PM

The back way road up to Mt. Rushmore from South to North that Pusherpilot refers to is called Iron Mountain Road. You begin it in Custer State Park. You will see it on the local Black Hills maps you find all over that can be torn from a pad--be sure to get one. It is a local favorite to travel to Mt. Rushmore from the South if you are in no hurry. It also has "Pig-tail" loops and tunnels that everyone likes. You will see Mt. Rushmore thru the tunnels as you approach it. TOAD only--not a MH road. My suggestion is to plan a day trip--or 2 around the West Black Hills--Mt. Rushmore to Crazy Horse to Custer, then down thru Custer State Park, and back up Iron Mountain Road---long 1 day trip or 2 easy days. Blue Bell Lodge in Custer State Park for Buffalo Burgers is the best. The Alpine Lodge in Hill City for a great dinner some night. PM me for any further Black Hills info---I grew up there.