we are in the planning stages for next summer!! me and cpl good friends are going to head west and I am looking for some good sites to see, some advice on my route or ways you would change it as I know the locals where we go have better insite on the roads I have got alot info from some memebrs here on Hdforum thru pvt msg but after looking thru a Cali thread and seen the town Bodie then I decided I need way more locals help on this long trip.....

here the plan we have 3 weeks and any xtra time we will land in sturgis in the end with a deal if we have any spare time it will be spent in sturgis.....



here is the route.....



hwy 2 across MN ND into MT hit Glacier Nt park and road to sun..then maker our way to wash\OR border to take a road the locals call "ratttle snake rd" this gets us into OR from there we will head to Portland then make our way to the coast onto hwy 101 down to PCH1 into Cali. we plan to land in LA for a cpl nights with a relative and see some sites there then we will hit Donner over to reno (this is where i need some good advice) like to hit Bodie and also see lk Tahoe I see alot roads that will get us from la to Bodie then up to Tahoe but like to here what locals think is best route.....from reno we plan to hit salt lk city then north to Idaho falls and over the mt into Jackson Hole, we will then hit Yellowstone and make our way to sturgis.........so that the route

we plan on hotels and cabins most the time but bringing gear to camp a few cool places

here what we are most looking to see

Glacier road to sun

mt st helens and some water falls there "friend seen in a pic"

the coast

PCH

redwoods....like to camp in redwoods

also like to camp on coast somewhere

yellowstone cheif joesuph hwy

thats what on the list now......

I could use help with times and days of travel we can make good time as the 3 of us spend alot time riding together I hear PCH and 101 can be real slow riding if thats the case we can hit mostr of it but try and take some inner land rds that might be local fav.......

 

Sounds like a great trip! You shouldn't experience slow going on 101 or PCH unless it's a Friday or Sunday. We had no issues at all. If the Rattlesnake thing doesn't work out the John Day Highway was pretty amazing and it heads west from Boise-ish. Try to get up to Crater Lake too. Very worth it.

Other question is why are you heading back north from LA when there is so much you could catch on your way back to SD? Places such as Death Valley, Vegas, Rt 66 (the one cool part), Grand Canyon, Four Corners, Monument Valley, Million Dollar Highway or north earlier through Zion, Bryce and Moab?

Been to Lake Tahoe and thru Donner - nice, but from SLC east it's pretty bleak.

 

We are going to hit yellowstone area the last part of trip Cooke city,west,the park etc then what we have left we will go to sturgis on way back and see old friends....chit I forgot about moab like to check that out.......vegas was ther route we where going to go the hit grand canyon but I like to see more of the seira\nevada border mts and lk tahoe looks like some good riding, was told cali thru death valley is not best ride......

rattle snake grade in Wash is a must after i took google maps thru it....has more turns in less miles than the dragon and less traffic the locals try and keep it secret on internet from what i see but i was lucky enuff a local from here told me to check it out.....


wash-129

 

did route 50 ,kings canyon, Yosemite, the giant trees are a must see, badlands, minuteman missle silo, I camped on the ocean at half moon state park south of San Fran. had ocean front property for one night.lol In utah see the arches and escalate that is by Brice canyon. Zion Park. You will find out you will not have enough time to do it all. in Colorado mount ebans.

 

I meant to say mount Evans or pikes peak in colorado. if you are going to that many parks get a park pass.worth the money. Talk to other campers they will have more info when u r camping. They will give u places that u night have forgot all about

 

nope we are saving CO for another summer trip alot to see and do just in CO alone.....red mt road is next summer........



here a pic of Rattle Snake Grade........

 

He's not heading East from Salt Lake.
North thru Idaho's nice.
Also you might wanna travel hwy 50 thru Nevada. I-80 is pretty boring.

 

North on US 395 on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada is a good ride from Southern Cal. It takes you through the Owens valley with nice views of Mt Whitney and the Sierras. It will take you to 270 which heads to Bodie north of Mono Lake. Depending on when you go, the temps through the Mojave desert can be pretty high. I always leave early in the morning to get through the desert before it gets too hot.

 

Your plan is good. On your way to Portland, Multnomah Falls is our "signature" waterfall and is right on I84 about 35 east of Portland. As an alternative, try the Washington side of the Columbia River to get off of Interstate 84. Take Bridge of the Gods in Stevenson in order not to miss Multnomah Falls.

There is no "circle" route to St. Helens. It is 2 1/2 hours northeast of Portland and you have to back track.

For the coast, in Oregon it is US101 and it huges the coast (mostly) to CA. In CA, US101 cuts inland so you cut over to US1 near Ft Bragg. This is PCH. It will take you to LA (joining US101 north of Santa Barbara). Once in California, there are some great roads over the Sierras. Look up CA 20 across the wine country, through most of the Sierras, where it joins I80, to Tahoe. Other routes are also great rides. Since Bodie is just north of Lee Vining, go the Yosemite Valley from the west, go over Toulemne Meadows to Lee Vining and then Bodie.

Too much to see. Too many great roads. You could see 'em all in about 3 months.

 

great info guys.....

yeap we have a friend in Hood river and plan to stay there cpl nights and go up to see mt st helens and the falls you speak of then off to coast.......the Bodie info is awsome thanks that is what i was looking for should be a great ride.....

no moab how do i fit this in.......hmmmmm