In a couple of weeks I will be starting a trip with a few friends from Eugene, OR to Cody, WY (Thru eastern OR towards Bosie to Idaho Falls ID then on to Cody)at which point I will split with them due to lack of vacation time and have two days to head back home towards Eugene, OR. I would like to head up to Glacier National Park in Northwest MT and then head home. I am used to and will ride a long day and was wondering about my best route and how feasable this plan is. I have been thru Cody and yellowstone as well as Red lodge beartooh pass before but have never hit Glacier before and really want to ride thru it even if it is a quick ride just looking for the best most enjoyable route atleast from Cody to Glacier. Any input on routes from Glacier back to Eugene, OR would also be great. Thanks for any input you guys may have.

 

It sounds like you'll just want to get there and that you've already seen some stuff on the way.

So, the *quickest* way is:

Cody to Red Lodge

US 212 from Red Lodge to I-90, go west

get off I-90 at Three Forks and take US 287 North towards Helena. At Helena, US 287 and I-15 are the same road. Keep going north.

Get off I-15/US 287 at Wolf Creek and follow US 287 North/West all the way to Choteau (****. show-doe).

At Choteau, take US 89 North to Browning. At Browning take US 2 west.

That'll take you right to Glacier NP.

Folks who have time prefer to take I-90 all the way to Missoula and then go up the Flathead Valley, but the ride from Three Forks to Browning is pure Montana, and few tourists get to see it.

And it is the quickest way.

Ask if you have questions

 

Forgot...

For Glacier NP back to Eugene, the fastest way...


take US 93 south from Whitefish all the way to Missoula. this is scenic, around Flathead Lake. (check MT DOT website for construction on US 93 on the Flathead Res.)

When you run into I-90, take it west.

At Ritzville, WA, take US 395 south towards the Tri-Cities, where you can pick up I-82, which takes you to I-84. You should know the way from there.

If you have more time and are interested in more off-the-beaten-path routes in MT, WY, or ID, just ask. But, I told you the quickest.

 

You should really try to squeeze another day so that you can enjoy that trip. You cannot miss the Going to the Sun Road. You want to do that before it gets too late in the day, and it's going to be at least 8, and probably more like 10 hours getting to the east end of the Going to the Sun. I'm assuming that in the interest of time you'll only want to go over that road once, so I would suggest heading to the east entrance, going west over the GTS road, and then spending the night in the Whitefish/Kalispell area.

I would (and have) go to the HD Ride Planner and play around with various routes. See how the time and mileage vary, and then decide what things you want to see and what you can give up.

According to HD Ride Planner, the route suggested by Faber is not the quickest. However, I agree that it is a beautiful route, and it IS Montana. Last week I rode from Whitefish to Cooke City, through Helena, Three Forks, Red Lodge and the Beartooth Highway. Our group took 2 days doing it. If you're going over the Beartooth and Chief Joseph highways you'll be pushing it to get to Whitefish in one day, without even considering the time you'll want to spend in Glacier.

If you've already done both of those roads, the quickest route may be from Cody to Bridger, MT, then to Billings. From there head north to Lavina then west almost to Harlowton, following the signs to Great Falls. At Great Falls you'll get on I-15 north to Shelby, then on US 2 West to the park entrance. Following this route, you should be just over 10 hours (not including stops) to Whitefish. That stretch is 571 miles.

If you haven't ridden Chief Joseph before, you might want to take that road to Cooke City. Then head west through the northern part of Yellowstone to Mammoth Falls, thence north to Livingston and then west to Three Forks and then follow Faber's directions. This will be faster than taking the Beartooth to Red Lodge. It's not many miles longer, but it will add about an hour and a half to your trip.

If you do want to go over the Beartooth to Red Lodge, the ride planner says the quickest way from there is to go on to Billings from Red Lodge and follow the route I described before. Doing so increases your distance to 640 miles and your travel time to 12 hours 8 minutes -- almost two hours longer than skipping Chief Joseph and Beartooth and going straight to Billings -- but man, the Beartooth at least is a fabulous road (I've yet to do the Chief Joseph).

Finally, if you do the CJ and the Beartooth, hit Red Lodge and still want to do Three Forks to Helena, you add another 25 minutes. That would be one fantastic day of motorcycling. You'll have to leave early so as to be in Glacier in time to enjoy that road.

From Whitefish to Eugene you've got 716 miles following the route Faber outlined, and I think it is the quickest. If you handle 15 hours in the saddle, which might not be safe, sane or prudent, the road from Missoula to Kooksia, ID is awesome. From there you'd head northwest to Lewiston, ID, on to the tri-cities and on home. It adds about 100 miles, which doesn't sound bad, but the additonal travel time is almost 3 hours. Considering the road construction on 93, which you miss if you follow Faber's route, The additional ride time will probalby be 3 1/2 hours stretching your travel time very close to 15 hours (not including stops).

If it were me, I'd want to do Chief Joseph, Going ot the Sun, Beartooth, and the Lolo route. I'd maybe try to push myself to get to (and therefore depart) Cody a day earlier or get an extra day of vacation somehow, so that you could take three days to cover those nearly 1400 miles. Those are still three really big days of riding.

Here's a link to a map of the long route: http://rideplanner.harley-davidson.c...r/share/241308

And here's the shorter, more direct, route: http://rideplanner.harley-davidson.c...r/share/241308

Good luck, and have fun. (Wow that turned into a really long post. Sorry.)

 

Guys thanks for all the advice, I am finding that this maybe a little difficult unless I do one of three things, add a day of vacation, skip Glacier, or head out from Idaho Falls direct up to Glacier and skip going to Cody with my friends. I might just have to try and see if I can get one more day of vacation and like you guys said do it the right way and enjoy it. I do not mind along day on the bike, but you also have to be safe and enjoy it. Guys thanks again for all the great tips and advice I will keep you posted on what I decide and how it turns out.

 

Cody to St. Mary/East Glacier in one day will be a helluva ride, in terms of length! I wouldn't do it.....only an out-of-stater would even think of it (j/k)

Gmsumsion sure did his homework and enjoyed a great ride.

I'm guessing the HD Ride Planner computes for posted speed limits and doesn't account for road conditions, likliehood of tractors, etc. in the road, etc. US 12 across the middle of MT is a great ride. It's rural. Great ride, but not for those in a hurry. (Though, you'd pass by a fair few missile silos.)

I also don't think going up the CJ to the Beartooth Hwy and down to Red Lodge will be significantly quicker than going through Belfry. Before noon, 90% of the traffic on the Beartooth Hwy is coming up from Red Lodge, not going down. Plus, in Red Lodge, you can get a pretty good breakfast, which you'll need for the rest of that marathon.

You'll put a few more miles going the I-90/I-15 way, but it will be faster in terms of time. Trust me.

 

Guys thanks again for all the information this forum rocks. I love that so many people come here to get and give answers. What did we ever do before the internet. I am still working on my route as I really want to enjoy the sites and have fun so I do not want to burn myself out trying to force something. It looks like I will be taking another day of vacation and may not even head all the way to Cody before going north, I have to talk to the other guys on the first part of the ride. Again thanks for all the great input and I will keep you posted.

 

I second that. If you have never ridden hwy 12 from Lewiston, ID to Missoula, MT via the Lolo Pass, you are missing a great ride. Whether you head straight to Glacier or come back from Glacier, try to include hwy 12 (the Lewis Clark trail) on your ride. Have fun and be safe.

 

This is good info, Faber. A couple of my buds and I are planning a trip from New Jersey to Yellowstone NP, then up to Glacier NP, then over to Sturgis on our way back east. I will be sure to use your directions on my itinerary. Thanks

 

The one major difference I'd make, since you're including the Park, is to decide on your exit.

If you exit the Park from...

--the NE Entrance (Cooke City), you'll take the Beartooth Hwy down to Red Lodge. Then follow my earlier directions to Glacier NP.

--the N Entrance (Gardiner), you'll enjoy a great ride up Paradise Valley on US 89 along the Yellowstone River. A few great roadhouses in Emigrant and Chico.......Livingston is a great town to spend a night, too. From there, take US 89 north through the Shields Valley in the shadow of the Crazy Mts. until you hit US 12. Take that west to Townsend, where you hit US 287. Go north to Helena, then follow the directions I posted to Glacier

--the W Entrance (West Yellowstone), two choices: 1) take US 191 north through the Gallatin Canyon past Big Sky towards Bozeman. Bozeman is a fun town (though I may be biased, but it is), then pick up I-90 west towards Three Forks; 2) about 8 miles north of West Yellowstone, pick up US 287 and take that along the Madison River past Hebgen Lake and Quake Lake into the Madison Valley towards Ennis. US 287 will go all the way to Helena from there.

If you and your buds are into fishing, you'll kick yourselves for missing the Madison River.

If you're interested in more backroad Montana, let me know....