Taking a three week trip starting the end of July heading West from NH?

Places I plan on hitting are:

Badlands
Sturgis (during the rally)
MT Rushmore
Crazy Horse
Beartooth Highway
Yellowstone
Grand Tetons
Arches NP
Canyonlands
4 Corners Monument
Million $$ Highway
Rocky Mountain NP
Estes Park

St Louis Arch
Mammoth Caves in KY

Home

Friend at work was telling about how awesome the Glacier NP was so since I can't extend my trip I was thinking about hitting Glacier and maybe skipping out on Utah, 4 Corners, Million $$ HY and just hitting Rocky Mountains NP and Estes Park then back east bound.

Thoughts from those of you who have traveled there?

Ps. I plan on camping 99% of the way.

 

I am biased but I would do Glacier another time. The trip you have planned sounds awesome and all the places you have mentioned are great except for 4 corners. Unless you have a desire to say you've been, I would route past that stop.

 

glacier is really going to be crowded that time of year...the same for yellowstone. even without doing glacier, i think you are trying to squeeze too much into one trip. figure a week out to sturgis and back home, 4 or 5 days doing sturgis, 2 days to yellowstone, 2 days in yellowstone, couple of days down to southwest colorado, 3 days sight seeing in colorado, 3 days in utah, couple of days to st. louis, 2 or 3 days to get to get to/see mammoth cave...you are talking a lot of riding. can it be done, of course.

august is the hottest month of the year, and you can hit hot weather just about any where. you will probably spend some time riding in the rain too. i think you would enjoy the trip a lot more if you don't try to do so much. you might never make it out that way again and you should take the time to really see the country and not just roll up the miles. JMO

 

Glacier N.P. is Beautiful, Going to the Sun rd. is also awesome, but is a short ride over the Mt's. You can ride around the park which is nice also. In the Southern Lodge trees are used for columns around the giant lobby! BUT IMO the best ride in the country that I have been on is the San Juan Skyway Loop 232 mi.... 5 Mt. Passe's...AWESOME!!! (includes MDH)

 

I have been to Glacier, Yellowstone and Utah NP and the Million $$ Hiway. They are all great. However, in my opinion, Glacier is much further north and much further west than the rest of your trip. Getting to Glacier would be more of a diversion to the rest of yor plan. I say this knowing that the park is great and a great place to ride. Also, doing Road to the Sun (east or west bound) and circling around on RT 2 only takes on day. If I was doing Glacier, I would go further into Canada and Banff, etc, when done.

Otherwise, I would go from Sturgis, west to Yellowstone, south through Jackson Hole and onto Utah. I would start at Bryce and follow UT 12 to Torrey, on to Moab and then down to Monument Vally. From there, head to CO.

 

Just cause your here, might as well swing by Devil's Tower.

 

I love Glacier and will be going through there next month, but I would not skip Utah and the Million Dollar Highway if I had to make a choice. As has been said, the Four Corners would be an easy skip. It was free and without trinket sellers when I was a kid, but not so, now. I did take my wife there, though, and now I don't have to go back.

If you are going to be on I-70 in western CO, a quick side trip through Colorado Nat'l Monument is worthy.

 

I just got back from Yellowstone and Grand Teton. It was still snowing there last week, bring warm clothes. Glacier is truly beautiful, but way out of the way. Save it for a different trip. I would also skip 4 corners, cool, just to say you were there, but little else. I would also recommend Devils tower. A great day ride from the Sturgis area.