Mount Rushmore to West Yellowstone

[Commander05]

We are traveling from Rapid City SD to West Yellowstone in September. Need advice on the best route to take. I have a 38 ft Bighorn..

Thanks,
Commander05

 

[jimtoo]

Hi Commander05,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and to the family. We have a great bunch of folks here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge when needed.

Be sure and check out our Heartland Owners Club. Join us at a rally when you can and meet lots of the great folks here and make friends for a lifetime.

Enjoy the forum.

Jim M

 

[klindgren]

Not sure I can help you Commander05. We are at Mr. Rushmore now and are headed to Yellowstone, but we are going to Billings first for the national Gold Wing rally, then down to Yellowstone

 

[codycarver]

Are you looking for scenic and memorable, or interstate and easy driving? What's the tow vehicle?

 

[dlw930]

We are traveling from Rapid City SD to West Yellowstone in September. Need advice on the best route to take. I have a 38 ft Bighorn..

Thanks,
Commander05

I can't speak to the eastern half of the routing, but in early August, we pulled our 40' Landmark from Denver to Cody, WY, then took US 20/14 into Yellowstone's east entrance and across the park on the Norris Canyon Loop to West Yellowstone. We didn't have any problems and the grades and curves weren't bad. I would avoid towing on the Mammoth to Norris Geyser road since there's road construction north of the Norris Geyser basin and traffic was down to one lane. The Tower Falls to Canyon Village road past Mt Washburn seemed pretty winding w/ a couple tight switchbacks; personally, I wouldn't want to pull a big rig on that road either. Good news is by September traffic in Yellowstone should be less congested. Although you will probably be ok, weather can get a little dicey in late September, especially at the higher elevations. We spent a week in the area and enjoyed it thoroughly. Check out the loop from West Yellowstone around Hebgen Lake, Quake Lake, Henry Lake and back to West Yellowstone.....interesting recent geologic history and very scenic! Enjoy!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[wdk450]

Many of us made that trip one or both ways for the 2012 Heartland National Rally in Gillette, Wyoming and the first Wyoming chapter rally in Cody the following week. The big problems here is either crossing or avoiding the Bighorn mountains range passes. Many of us chose Wy. Hwy 16 between Buffalo and Cody, a road that has a 10,000 foot pass and is pretty steep, and somewhat windy. I ended up with an overheated transmission going East, and other Heartlanders blew out turbo hoses going West. If I had plenty of time, I would think very seriously going North or South to drive around this natural North-South wall getting to Yellowstone. It may be a 200 mile detour, but be worth it for your rig and your peace of mind.

 

[8amps]

We drove last year from Denver to Devils Tower then spent a night in Billings with a stop at Little Bighorn en route to last year's West Yellowstone rally specifically to avoid Bighorns (oh the irony). Never gone thru them but didn't want to find out the hard way. We are headed to West Yellowstone again as soon as we pick up our rig in Elkhart. We're going the long way thru Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota (just to see something we haven't seen before). Then probably across North Dakota onto Billings and in the same way thru Bozeman.

 

[codycarver]

We drove last year from Denver to Devils Tower then spent a night in Billings with a stop at Little Bighorn en route to last year's West Yellowstone rally specifically to avoid Bighorns (oh the irony). Never gone thru them but didn't want to find out the hard way. We are headed to West Yellowstone again as soon as we pick up our rig in Elkhart. We're going the long way thru Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota (just to see something we haven't seen before). Then probably across North Dakota onto Billings and in the same way thru Bozeman.

Are you going to be there over labor day? We have reservations at Yellowstone Holiday Sept 3rd to the 6th. Meet ya at the Wild West Saloon for some Kick'n Mac & Cheese.....

 

[8amps]

Hi Dave,
We hope to get there to see you and Amy. Would be lovely. Just got to Elkhart, still have to load camper, etc, we've been out of it for about 2 weeks. Should know later today or tomorrow our timetable!

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[dlw930]

Are you going to be there over labor day? We have reservations at Yellowstone Holiday Sept 3rd to the 6th. Meet ya at the Wild West Saloon for some Kick'n Mac & Cheese.....

I think we ran them out of Mac n Cheese. Hope they get in more ingredients by the time you get there. We also put a big dent in West Yellowstone's huckleberry ice cream supply!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[8amps]

Ate all the Huckleberry Ice Cream??? Those are fightin' words!

 

[klindgren]

I think we ran them out of Mac n Cheese. Hope they get in more ingredients by the time you get there. We also put a big dent in West Yellowstone's huckleberry ice cream supply!

Man are you two in trouble. We have planned a week in Cody to explore Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons AND eat huckleberry ice cream every chance we get...You sure hadn't better have eaten all of it. I've been thinking about huckleberrys ever since I started planning this trip last year. We'll be there from Sept 2nd to the 9th so hopefully they will have restocked their supplies before we start our ice cream binge.

 

[8amps]

Man are you two in trouble. We have planned a week in Cody to explore Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons AND eat huckleberry ice cream every chance we get...You sure hadn't better have eaten all of it. I've been thinking about huckleberrys ever since I started planning this trip last year. We'll be there from Sept 2nd to the 9th so hopefully they will have restocked their supplies before we start our ice cream binge.

If you make it to West Yellowstone, say howdy. We'll be there 9/4-9/18

 

[codycarver]

I think we ran them out of Mac n Cheese. Hope they get in more ingredients by the time you get there. We also put a big dent in West Yellowstone's huckleberry ice cream supply!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Called to check. they are resupplied. would of had to cancel otherwise.

 

[dlw930]

Called to check. they are resupplied. would of had to cancel otherwise.

Great news, Dave! I was beginning to think I might have to develop a guilt complex.....not! Enjoy your Mac n cheese and Huckleberry ice cream.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk