Suggestions for WY/MT/Idaho good to ride region?

[Kiry]

Working a trip for next year, honey and I going on our week ish long trip. We've planned as far as Jackson, WY...from there we have a few days to get to Lolo pass then head towards home.

There's that 2 ish day gap where not really sure best route to take towards Missoula/Lolo.

Any suggestions? There seems like a lot of different places.

Have about 2 days (ish).

 

[Rob Rodriguez]

Just did a similar ride this summer. Beartooth pass is a MUST DO, go from Jackson through Yellowstone and leave the park at Cooke City, MT. That will take you to Beartooth. We just rode the interstate from there to Bozeman, MT and then took back roads through Helena to Missoula then over LoLo.



Also the Sawtooth mountains near Sun Valley, ID are very nice.

 

[pegasus1300]

Or ride to Cody then pick up the Chief Joseph Highway from Cody to the Beartooth. Go north out of Red Lodge on MT78to Columbus and follow the I 90 to Missoula then US 93 down to Lolo over the Lolo pass and you can find your way home from there. If you have the time pick any set of blue dot roads going in your general direction,but as you said there are a lot of choices. Since you are in the area Chief Joseph and Beartooth are a must do. And Cody and the Cody Museum are great also. So much to see,so little time.

 

[GOZFST]

Check this site out.
http://www.motorcycleroads.com/best/?c=88
and
https://www.travelwyoming.com/listing/yellowstone-national-park/chief-joseph-scenic-byway

 

[UtahPete]

Just did a similar ride this summer. Beartooth pass is a MUST DO, go from Jackson through Yellowstone and leave the park at Cooke City, MT. That will take you to Beartooth. We just rode the interstate from there to Bozeman, MT and then took back roads through Helena to Missoula then over LoLo.

Also the Sawtooth mountains near Sun Valley, ID are very nice.

:agree: about the Sawtooths. Crowds can be a problem at Glacier N.P. that time of year.

The roads and towns around Flathead Lake are worth visiting

 

[Kiry]

Defiinately want to do Beartooth, not sure we can fit it this time. Work has a bit of a claim on us both still. Mostly trying to figure out different routes through ID/MT area from Jackson.
Sawtooth is a good target.

Wondering if south Idaho is that barren, seems like not a lot of motorcycle highlights through that area.

 

[easysuper]

Beartooth Pass is a Not to Miss RYDE if at all possible. Also there is a great Bike Friendly Motel in Red lodge MT called the Alpine Lodge .

 

[easysuper]

South Idaho can be HOT and Barren depends what your looking for.

 

[pegasus1300]

so out of Jackson ride south just a hair to Hobart Junction and take US26 west until you reach Swan Valley.Not blue dot but a beautiful road.At Swan Valley go North on ID 31. Stop in Driggs for ice cream and shakes.Then take ID33 to Rexburg then ID 28 to North to Salmon and pick up US93 north to LOlo. Again much is not marked blue dot but it is beautiful. My friend and I had a wreck along that road back in 1976 running too hard along the Salmon River early in the morning when the road was still damp.He was on a BMW R90S and I was on a BSA Lightning. The folly of youth. There is so much to see along that route you really wont know where to go first until you get there and have to make a choice.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Wondering if south Idaho is that barren, seems like not a lot of motorcycle highlights through that area.

Pardon the stereotype, but it long has been said that all you find in south Idaho are sagebrush, jack rabbits, and Mormons!

Actually the rides down there can be quite nice. They just won't be among curvy mountain roads and trees! Believe it or not, the sagebrush desert can really be enjoyable to ride through. The roads in East Idaho paralleling Wy are really great for scenery. Roads such as SH 30 & 34 in Idaho, and US 89 & 24 in Wy. In central Idaho SH 55 and US 95 are must ride roads. From Lolo MT west US 12 is a must. Up farther north loops around Lake Coeur d'Alene and Lake Pen d'Oreille are super. I-90 is even quite pretty riding, especially if you stop at the Old Mission of the Sacred Heart near Cataldo. It's the oldest existing building in Idaho.
To really get the most out of Idaho riding you need to add a '0' to your 2 day plan! hyea:

If you haven't done it, there's a great way to get an idea of what a particular road will be like for riding. Go to Google Maps and then do a Street View of the road you're wondering about. I find the street view gives you a super good idea what you will see on that route.

 

[canamjhb]

so out of Jackson ride south just a hair to Hobart Junction and take US26 west until you reach Swan Valley.Not blue dot but a beautiful road.At Swan Valley go North on ID 31. Stop in Driggs for ice cream and shakes.Then take ID33 to Rexburg then ID 28 to North to Salmon and pick up US93 north to LOlo. Again much is not marked blue dot but it is beautiful. My friend and I had a wreck along that road back in 1976 running too hard along the Salmon River early in the morning when the road was still damp.He was on a BMW R90S and I was on a BSA Lightning. The folly of youth. There is so much to see along that route you really wont know where to go first until you get there and have to make a choice.

I agree that is a beautiful ride. Another option is to work your way to Idaho Falls. From there go towards Arco on 20 and 26 and up to Challis on 93. This is a little boring but then the fun begins BIG TIME. Follow 75 thru Stanley, Lowman and on up to McCall, ID. From there work your way up to Coeur d' Alene and Priest River. Pick up 20 and stay on that all the way to Mt. Vernon, WA. From there you can find your way back to Seattle. We have been on all the above listed roads in the last few years and Idaho is now one of our favorite states to ride in

 

[Kiry]

Thanks all.

We got convinced to hit beartooth pass. Modifying our route to go through that and Cody then down to Jackson. From there heading into Idaho.

Will work through the Sawtooth route and home using the above suggestions. :2thumbs:

 

[easysuper]

Thanks all.

We got convinced to hit beartooth pass. Modifying our route to go through that and Cody then down to Jackson. From there heading into Idaho.

Will work through the Sawtooth route and home using the above suggestions. :2thumbs:

We stayed at a great place in Cody called Cody Cowboy Village Hotel and Cabins. They had a great Dinner show . We stayed in one of the cabins and it was first class.

 

[foxtail1]

Thanks all.

We got convinced to hit beartooth pass. Modifying our route to go through that and Cody then down to Jackson. From there heading into Idaho.

Will work through the Sawtooth route and home using the above suggestions. :2thumbs:

All great routes! Beartooth is amazing.

Two other quick notes: There is another wonderful pass in Wyoming that is much less traveled (but not as consistently spectacular as Beartooth). If you go northeast out of Cody on Alt 14, after Lovell you start climbing. A good part of the ride is through Bighorn National Forest. Like Beartooth, the weather at the top is unpredictable, and I've seen huge snowbanks by the road even in early July.

The other thing is about southern Idaho. Craters of the Moon National Monument is on Rt 26 and is worth a visit. It's a giant caldera and different from anything I've ever seen. But I think that's probably off your planned route. Sawtooth and Rt 93 are really nice rides. I stayed at a motel right at the edge of the Salmon River, before 93 climbs into the mountains, and we could hear the river (and the hunting nighthawks) all night long.

 

[UtahPete]

I agree that is a beautiful ride. Another option is to work your way to Idaho Falls. From there go towards Arco on 20 and 26 and up to Challis on 93. This is a little boring but then the fun begins BIG TIME. Follow 75 thru Stanley, Lowman and on up to McCall, ID. From there work your way up to Coeur d' Alene and Priest River. Pick up 20 and stay on that all the way to Mt. Vernon, WA. From there you can find your way back to Seattle. We have been on all the above listed roads in the last few years and Idaho is now one of our favorite states to ride in

:agree:

 

[UtahPete]

Defiinately want to do Beartooth, not sure we can fit it this time. Work has a bit of a claim on us both still. Mostly trying to figure out different routes through ID/MT area from Jackson. Sawtooth is a good target. Wondering if south Idaho is that barren, seems like not a lot of motorcycle highlights through that area.

Yes, it's rather barren and uninteresting except for the occasional POI like Craters of the Moon.

 

[Kiry]

I saw Craters of the moon on the map, it's possible we'll be able to stop and take a look around. Still working out the details of the last few days. Amazing how booked up hotels get in many of the areas.

Overall, should be looking at about 2500 miles of road. I'm super excited. Thanks all!:clap:

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Amazing how booked up hotels get in many of the areas.

Especially in the vicinity of Yellowstone Park. I stayed in Idaho Falls three years ago in September. Not a lot of choice for motel rooms. I noticed signs in the dining room written in what looked to me like Chinese language. I asked the desk clerk if there was some sort of conference going on involving Chinese. Nope. Just Chinese tourists. He said they have a steady stream of 2 and 3 buses of Chinese tourists every day from the first of May to the end of September!

 

[canamjhb]

Been through Yellowstone several times the last of which was a year ago in July. It was so crowded we only got off the bikes at the lodge for Old Faithful. Very slow going with traffic and road construction. No place to park at any of the other major attractions. Stop and go traffic almost everywhere. Wife and I both agreed that we will no longer contribute to the Yellowstone congestion in future years.....

 

[UtahPete]

Been through Yellowstone several times the last of which was a year ago in July. It was so crowded we only got off the bikes at the lodge for Old Faithful. Very slow going with traffic and road construction. No place to park at any of the other major attractions. Stop and go traffic almost everywhere. Wife and I both agreed that we will no longer contribute to the Yellowstone congestion in future years.....

Suggest you not go to western National Parks at the height of the tourist season...