We are riding from Texas to Sturgis 07...we will be in Rapid City Mon thru Thurs...
Thrusday morning we will head for Billings which i figure won't be to bad via Hwy 90 and about 375 miles.

Help here:
We are planning on heading out of Billings early Friday morning towards to Red Lodge to Beartooth Pass to Cooke City to Tower Junction south thru Yellowstone to Moran/Jackson area for the night. looks to be about 300 miles...which i'm sure is breath taking but slow going!

Is this do-able in a day and can anyone give me the scoop on a day trip like this?

Thanks in advance

 

If you can make Billings from Rapid City in one day, you should make Yellowstone from Billings with no problem. Hwy 212 ( Beartooth Pass) is an Awesome ride. After you go over the passbutbefore Cooke City, Look for hwy 296 on yourleft (Chief Joseph scenic hwy). Take the opportunity to ride up to the summit.You will know when you have reached it, there will be no doubt. It , like Beartooth is a GREAT ride. Double back and continue west on 212.
After Cooke City, isvery small town of SilverGate . There is a motel called Ridge Riders Inn, 2nd largest log structure in US and was a brothel house years ago. Still has girls names on the doors. Great place check out and stretch your legs. At that point, yourclose to Tower JCT, entranceof Yellowstone.
Ride Safe !

 

Good stuff

I've been told to forget Billings and head to Cody via 14a from Burgess Junction...from Cody weshould spend the night and next day make a loop from 296 to 120 to Belfry then down 212 BTPback toCJ 296...back to Cody and continue on hwy 14 to Yellowstone...

Once at Yellowstone either shirt the east side and drop down to Moran/Jackson or go up into Yellowstone north-weast then drop south to Moran/Jackson...

Thought's

 

either way is a nice ride.

i'm not really a fan of the interstate so i've gone from sturgis west on I90, leaving 90 at spearfish on 85 north. in belle fouche, hit 212 west into mt and wy. this will take you thru some really pretty country and catches I90 at crow agency. fill up in belle fouche and again in lame deer.

if you stay on 90 into wyo, make sure and see devils tower. nice roads/scenery there too. you'll like the mtns around burgess jct. hwy 14 is shell canyon. very scenic.

hope this helps...

kl

 

If you decide to head for Cody, 14A is a Great ride. After Devils tower you run into I90w. When you get to Gillette, pick up 14/16 northwest to Sheridan Wy. Its about 10 miles futher and is a very nice ride, much better than theI90w. Between Yellowstone and Jackson are the Grand Tetons, you can't miss these. Take the turn off to Jenny Lake. This will take you up close to the Tetons and they are Awesome!

 

We went up that way last year in August and found 4 inches of sleet / snow awaiting us up top. (Bear Tooth Pass) Bikes every where, quite a few went down in the snow and ice, so be prepared for some COLD weather no matter what time of year you go to that part of the country. I love it. If I could I would move there tommorrow. My son worked on a ranch in Wyoming for a while (lucky guy) the life out there is just so much better than back here (ATL) I love it.
Dog

 

All the information and suggestions you are getting sound great. I think your plan is doable. Be prepared for weather! Last time I went over the Beartooth the last weekend in July I got snowed on and it was cold. It can get bad up there anytime of the year. I also heard there is still construction going on in that area to redo the highway. Good luck.

 

Last year we rode from Jackson to Cooke City in one day. To do Billings to Jackson in a day would be tough. It would not allow any time for sight seeing. And there is a lot to stop and see on that route. Don't miss the Beartooth Pass as it is a great scenic ride. There are speed limits inYellowstone so the goingis quite slow. I think the limits in Yellowstone are in the 40-45 mph range. Take an extra day and"stop and smell the roses". Have a great trip.

 

Not really much to see at Billings, but it would be a shame for you to miss Red Lodge and Beartooth pass, we also got snowed on there last year Aug 4th, We went from Billings to Cooke City with the plan to end up in Cody, but they told us in Cooke City we could not get out of Yellowstone after 8pm so we went back through Chief Joseph scenic highway, absolutely awesome ride, going to do it again thisyear, also, the ride from Cody to yellowstone is beautiful, tunnels, lakes, rivers, wildlife. I thought the ride from Billings to Cody in a day was easy, left late in the morn and stopped a lot, still got to Cody early evening, plenty daylight, if you are in Cody, stop at the Irma motel for prime rib buffet, you can just feel the history in that place. Whatever you choose to do, do not, I repeat, do not miss Beartooth Pass. It was the highlight of our trip lastyear and is my favorite ride of all time with spearfish canyon being a close second.

 

I second the recommendation to add an extra day if you can. We rode from the West entrance to Yellowstone to Cooke City in one day and we were beat and very glad to see the Super 8 in Cooke City. We had a nice steak supper in Cooke city at one of the old bars there, but I don't remember the name, but a lot of wood and guns inside. It snowed and sleeted on us in Yellowstone in July - about 2 inches of slush on the road that the cars in the other lane splashed on us several times. The next day we rode from Cooke City to Billings. We had lunch at Bogart's in Red Lodge. You need to be able to take your time on the Beartooth so you can stop alot. It is very beautiful.
Tnicean