Michigan to Oregon - least mountain grades

[picker]

These folks all have good advice.

In addition..............read this : https://preview.tinyurl.com/qqopala

.....and consider changing your route(s).

In any case.......ENJOY.

[mwk50]

Originally Posted by Midwestman

We're going to be traveling from Michigan to Oregon this next summer. The route we'll most likely take is US 80 to 84 to Oregon 26 to Oregon 20 to Bend, Oregon. I'd like to avoid any serious grades or mountain passes along the way if possible. Is anyone familiar enough with these highways to tell me if this is a good route to take, or is there is a better route, even though possibly longer, that would be easier on the ol' coach? Any suggestions welcomed.

Thanks

The route you've planned is as good as any for limiting mountain travel, but keep in mind you can't travel the West and avoid it. The Interstate highways are usually the "the flattest" if not especially interesting. US 26 is very pretty all the way to Portland, US 20 from Vale to Bend is also a great drive and less mountainous than 26. Bend is one of our favorite places anytime of year. I've lived in Oregon for over 40 years and traveled it extensively for work with the State, my wife has lived here since 1952. The major Cascades Mountain passes are easily traversed and are truck routes. Safe travels and Welcome to the Great Northwest!

[jkorn]

Avoiding the mountains is crazy. That is where all the beauty is. We are based out of seattle and I make it a point to take 2 lane highways thru the mountains as much as I can. The highway south out of Missoula. I90 thru northern Idaho. Out of Denver heading west thru Vail and beyond. . Thru Moab. The highway north out of Flag Staff. The pacific coast on 101. The highway heading east out of Jackson hole across Wyoming. The black hills. Glacier national park. Yellow stone. The Tetons. Breckenridge.

Ok you’re not going to do 70 on a lot of uphill grades.

Take your time, watch your speed on descents, use your engine brake, and enjoy the amazing scenery. Stop often. This how you make every penny you paid for your coach worth while. Jeff

[Ampedspyder]

Hi, native Oregonian here, I hope you will enjoy your time with us. 80 to 84 is your best bet then 97 south if your going to Bend and central Oregon or continue on 83 for Portland, the willamette valley and the coast. No real passes on that route to worry about. Cheers.

[oregonbadger]

I-84 between La Grande and Pendleton has a 6 mile downhill that drops 2000 feet. Here is the warning for truckers. https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/MCT/Docu...igranthill.pdf

[Roadgypsy]

We take this route regularly since we have family in Hermiston, OR.
From Indiana, we catch I-80 in Davenport, IA. I suggest you stop there at the Iowa80 truck stop. It's the largest truck stop in the world, has overnight parking for RVs and a wonderful buffet as well as a huge truck museum and pick of fuel stops.
We traditionally use Flying J/Pilot truck stops; register with them as they offer much to RVers from $.03-.05 off on fuel prices and other accomodations for RVs. See: https://pilotflyingj.com/

I-80 is pretty easy from here to western Nebraska when you would start the grades through the Rockies. Wyoming is all high plains. Then, a very scenic drive through Utah where you pick up I-84 at the junction of

80/84 at Echo, UT. The only other grade is Cabbage Hill, just northwest of LaGrande, OR and before Pendleton, OR. Check Wiki.
We haven't driven any further west of Hermiston so no help here, but we hear driving the Gorge is wonderful.
We usually don't use RV parks/cgs, but stop at aforementioned truck stops. One very nice campground is in North Platte, NE is the Holiday RV Park (Welcome to Holiday RV Park Campground) for an overnight stop.

Hope this helps-

[Twin]

We spent Oct through Dec in Bend and drove from Bend to Colorado between Christmas and New Years. So we are familiar with the route from Laramie to Bend.


We took Hwy 20 East from Bend to Ontario. Then I 84 to I 80 to cross Wyoming.


We have a 39 foot gas Class A and we had no issues with grades and I thought the roads were in good shape.


Now it was way too cold. 15 below at times and I did have some freezing that we dealt with.


But I would travel that route again.

[Kountry_star]

Originally Posted by Midwestman

I have a question. US-2 looks interesting. My only question is when you get to Glacier
nat park, the road goes over some passes. How are those, steepness-wise?

Thanks!

US 2 goes around Glacier. If you want to do Glacier it's a breathtaking trip but only in your toad. If I remember right there is only one pass going around Glacier and it's not much of a pass think maybe 5500. If you still have your DS there are no issues regardless of which way you go. It's built to handle pretty much any pass it will fit on. Enjoy the drive out. take a different route back.

[Rambeau]

Originally Posted by Midwestman

Thanks for the info! Yes, they know we're coming and I asked him about 20 or 26. He said they have never been East of Bend even though they have lived there about 15 years 😮 Seems hard to believe!

Let's face it...not much to see east of Bend. (We are based out of Bend)

[T12]

I would take I80 until you get to Salt Lake City. Then take I84 through Idaho into Oregon. The only place there is any real grade this way is what is called cabbage. It heading west is a stretch of I84 on the Oregon boarder with Idaho. It has an 11 percent grade. Aside from that there are many benefits. Lots unknown stops along the way. A it fat interstate to travel on. For the most part a fairly flat drive. A little fyi, i would stop on the broader of Oregon and get one of their free road maps. Oregon can be fussy about large vehicles in their state. Better free advice than a big honking ticket!

[heytechlady]

We took Route 2 from Michigan out to Montana last summer. Pick up Route 2 in Michigan's UP. Route 2 is the northern most US Highway crossing the U.S. We found it to be a scenic route and is an easy, restful drive. Highly recommend it!

[Spikes]

Another native Oregonian here. I think you would enjoy driving down 84 along the Columbia river and then catch Hwy 97 south at Biggs junction which is about 2 hours short of Portland. There is a steady climb up 97 out of Biggs for about 15 minutes then you will be on top of the hills and be in the high desert. It’s a beautiful drive south on 97 all the way to Bend. Lots to see in that area. Have fun!

[shootist]

Marias pass on highway 2 isnt bad at all. I live there , driven it 100s of times. I would stay on 2 west out of Kalispell until Spokane, drop down to tricities, across the Columbia river and head west along the river. I turn south to Bend at The Dalles. Every other route I've taken to Bend from Montana has been twisty and steep at times. Not saying it's better than i80 but the highline is a nice drive, generally really well maintained. Check the conditions after spring thaw, some winters tear the roads up.

[Flarpswitch]

I have driven coast to coast more times than I can count every inch of all the Interstate Highways. From Michigan to Caldwell, Idaho is pretty much I-80 to I-84. Make certain to pick up I-84 at Echo, Utah to Ogden and don't go down to Salt Lake. At Ogden, pick up I-15 north. You can't get lost, but if you are distracted, it is easy to go the wrong way. Mountain grades never go much more than 6%, but some can go for quite a distance, so get a running start going up and don't hit the downgrade too fast because many are longer than you think and I have been overtaken more than once by rigs that ran out of brake. The high altitude and ambient heat in the summer can be an issue if the cooling system is prone to run hot. The highest point on I-80 is just east of Laramie, Wyoming. It is about 8,000' and there is a good rest stop at exit 323 with a good view. Don't pass it up, it is a good spot for stretching your legs. We use Caldwell, Idaho as the place to decide which route to take when coming and going to Salem, Oregon. I like I-84 to Pendleton and Portland by way of the Columbia River. Sometimes we will take our time and stop at Wildhorse near Pendleton or Emigrant Springs on the way out weather permitting. When the snow flies, the pass between Emigrant and Pendleton can be a white knuckle experience. Even if you and your rig is up to the task, remember you are sharing the highway with plenty of folks that are not using common sense. The other route I take is by way of Burns and Bend on US 26, US 20 and OR 22. I use WWW.tripcheck.com and the cameras to get a look at road conditions especially when the weather could be a problem. One time we took an alternate route across Oregon because of wildfires in Columbia Gorge. By now this thread should have accumulated plenty of useful information. Happy trails.