I'm planning a road trip to western Montana last week of July and first week of August. Of course Sturgis is a must see on the Way from Indiana. Any advice? I'll be riding out alone, so I won't have any complaints about how long I'm riding each day, so that will be a plus for me.

 

You will be in good country!!! Ride around Flathead Lake. Take the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park. Head down into Lolo out of Missoula and then across 12 to Lewiston, ID. Just ride, you'll be fine!

 

this a great are to ride,I've often thought about taking pics of my ride to work every day,to send to my kids in kansas.when ya get ready to go,send me a message and I'll give ya contact info.I'm south of Missoula and Lolo,and ride into Missoula to work every day.

 

I'll be watching this thread from the shadows, heading that
way in July also.

Jim

 

I am riding from no. California to Whitefish in mid June. Will the "going to the sun hwy" be open then?

 

Great area, Yellowstone, Glacier Park, it would be difficult to not have a great ride in that area.

 

Western Montana is a big place. I'll assume you are coming from the east on I-90.

For the greatest hits of Montana (and a little bit of WY), try:

--get off I-90 at Laurel, take US 212 to Red Lodge. spend a night there. fun town. check out the Snow Creek Saloon.

--ride the Beartooth Highway the next morning, don't take the turn to Cody; head to Cooke City. Enter Yellowstone National Park. In Yellowstone, ride through the Lamar Valley to Tower Junction, go south towards Canyon. Then go west towards Norris geyser basin. Then up towards Mammoth. Exit the Park at Gardiner (stop for a dip in the Boiling River if you like). Take US 89 from Gardiner up into Paradise Valley. Spend the night either at Chico Hot Springs or at the Murray Hotel in Livingston.

--continue on US 89 north towards White Sulphur Springs. This ride is classic Montana. W-I-D-E open valleys into the high plains with mountain on every horizon. You'll see a lot of antelope up there. Continue on US 89 to Great Falls. (If you stay the night in Great Falls, go to the Sip-n-Dip, the last mermaid bar in the west!) Continue on US 89 through Choteau (****. show-doe) and all the way to Browning and to St Mary. You could stay in Choteau, Browning, or St Mary, if not in Great Falls.

--Enter Glacier National Park. Do the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Exit GNP and take US 2 west until you pick up US 93 in Whitefish. This is a fun town to spend the night.

--Take US 93 south along Flathead Lake into the Flathead Valley. Beautiful ride. Take US 93 into Missoula. Spend the night if you like or push south into the Bitterroot Valley and stay in Hamilton (great brewpub!).

--Continue on US 93 all the way to Lost Trail Pass on the continental divide on the Idaho border. Take MT 43 east towards Wisdom into the Big Hole. At Wisdom head south on MT 278. Be sure to take the side trip to Bannack, a ghost town and first capital of the Montana Territory. Take that to I-15, go north a couple miles, get off in Dillon. Take MT 41 north, stop at the Beaverhead Rock (google the history). Go to Twin Bridges and take MT 287 south/east towards Virginia City. Virginia City is a "restored" ghost town. Then cruise down to Ennis. Spend the night in Ennis.

--From Ennis take US 287 (not to be confused with MT 287) south towards Yellowstone through the Madison Valley. Enter Yellowstone Park at West Yellowstone. Go towards Madison Junction, head south towards Old Faithful along the Firehole, then towards West Thumb. Then go south towards Grand Teton National Park. At Moran Junction head south/east on US 287/26 over Togwotee Pass along the Wind River Range. Spend the night in GTNP, DUbois....whatever. Then take US 20 north to US 16 east over the Bighorns towards Buffalo. Then take I-90 back to wherever.

Ask any questions you've got.

 

Maybe we can get more of the "locals" to chime in here, but I was there end of June/first of July in 2009 and the road had just been open a week. I'm sure it depends on how long winter clings to the area each season but mid-June might be dicey!!!!

 

Faber's got the goods and has definitely mapped out a really good trip!

Beartooth


Lachsa River on Hwy 12 between Lolo and Lewiston


Flathead Lake


Glacier National Park, Going to the Sun Road

 

There you go, Faber is the man, great suggestions. Want to do that whole thing myself.