As promised several weeks ago, here are some possible routes through and around Montana and northern Wyoming. Maybe this needs to "sticky'ed" or possibly just stuck, lol, but here it is. Oh yeah....this is based on my experiences and opinions only. Somebody else's experience and opinions are sure to be different than those posted here.

Coming from Sturgis or other points east: When you hit Sheridan, Wyo, ride the interstate to the Ranchester exit. This will start you on a loop over the Big Horn Mountainsand into Cody, Wyo. Once you are off the interstate, you willbe onHwy 14 all the way to Cody. But in between you will ride the switchbacks over the pass into Burgess Junction. Last I knew, they had good burgers at the bar there. From there you will ride throughShell Canyon, through the little town of Shell and on to Greybull. Oh yeah, you are going to want to fuel up in Ranchester or Dayton (several miles apart) and Greybull. From Greybull it is a pull across the flat lands (be ready for wind)to Cody, Wyo. This pull isabout 135 miles.

Once you hit Cody, you have several options. One option is leaving Cody on Hwy 120,towhere it hits Hwy 296. Take 296. This is the Chief Joseph Highway. This is another great mountain ride. Lots of switchbacks, awesome views, and cooler temps. This will take you to the intersection of Hwy 296 and Highway 212. If you go left, you go to Cooke City, Silvergate, and the northeast entrance to Yellowstone Park. Cody to Silvergate (and Yellowstone Park) is about 80 miles. Cooke City (just a couple of miles before Silver Gate) and Silver Gate both have very expensive, but necessary fuel, small, tasty places to eat, and, depending on time of year, good lodging. These are both very small, high elevation towns.

If you hit the intersection at 212 and go right, it takes you over the Beartooth Pass and into Red Lodge.Red Lodge is about 90 miles from Cody. Ok, about the Beartooth Pass. This is switchback riding at over 10,000 feet. I have ridden insnow on the pass in July, it can be really windy, gravel in the corners, "tar snakes" on the Wyoming side which can be dangerous (road patchesthat are long, skinny, and slick) but the ride is, without question, worth every bit! The views are incredible and the road is a blast. From Red Lodge you can go to Billings (it's a big town, I live there, it sucks)or loop back to Cody via Hwy 308 through Bear Creek to Belfry. Take a right out of Belfry onto Hwy 72 (turns into Hwy 120 in Wyo) and back into Cody. Its about 65 miles back to Cody. This is a great day trip if you staying over in Cody. Make sure you check the construction situation on this last part of the loop.

Cody is a nice place to spend a night, or maybe two. Lots oflodging. The Erma Hotel is an old hotel in the middle of town that is very biker friendly. Good restaurants of all kinds on the main street.There is a small Harley shop on the main street, as well..

Yellowstone Park. You can go in through the Silvergate route or go in the east entrance out of Cody. If you go in through Cody, you will take Hwy 14 from Cody to the East Entrance and ontoFishing Bridge inside the park. They have been doing construction on Sylvan Pass for the last two summers but it's never been a big problem. Cody to the park is about 55 miles, Cody to Jackson, Wyo. is about 176.

I dig riding to Jackson Hole. You ride through most of Yellowstonegoing south and the Tetons are just plain awesome.Jackson is all abouttourism and the cost of living there is endured mostly by millionaires, but even with that

 

Great post. Got my 1st HD this spring & haven't taken most of those trips yet.

But what do you mean Billings sucks? It's a quaint town with 2 oil refineries within the city limitsspewing sulphur dioxide intothe air (very scenic at night)and a sugar factory burning off the pesticides & herbicides from sugar beets for about 4 months a year. The city sometimes even plows the streets when it snows, although making them safe to drive on in icy conditions is out of the question, but, hey, that costs money.

See you out there.

 

I've taken many of those rodes, Budd, and been to many of those towns. Cody was quite tourist trap-ish. My grandfather said that in the 50's he took a travel trailer through there and it was a trap then too. The local farmers would wait at the bottom of a steep hill on the main road and tow you up the hill with their tractors for a fee.

The road through the Wind River Range (120?) down into Thermopolis is breathtakingly beautiful, as in, damn, I gotta watch the road to not fall off that cliff.

I wanted to move up there. My wife wanted to move to Arizona. We settled on Arkansas.

 

itileman, LOL, you pegged it. I swear, every time I get outta town on the bike, at least going west, you almost have to physically drag me back here.

Dr. Hess, yeah, I agree with you about Cody being a little on the touristy side...ok, a lot on the touristy side. I just like being there when the place is full of bikes. Plus, a buddy of mine from Minn.comes out here and we spend about 4days flying hot air balloons out of Cody in August.

 

Except for Glaicer, it sounds about like the ride my brother and I did last summer. Beartooth is awsome and fully agree with the Tetons. Just don't expect to see much until you get into western part of Wyoming.

 

I would suggest turning right in Ashton(if headin North)and taking the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway... Its an awesome road and the falls are great... It enters Hwy 20 again just south of Island Park... And if time is not an issue turn left on Hwy 87 ride along Henry's Lake and into Mt. that way..A right turn on Hwy 287 will run you along Quake and Hebgen lakes..Its a beautiful road right on thewaters edge and also hassome awesome Vistas... Be sure to stop by The Slide Inn and say Hello and have a soda or beer, its owned by friends of mine and is about 1.5 miles from the 87/287 junction, they have great little cabins and campsites if you need a place to stay... Man can't wait to get back up there this summer

 

Great post Buddah. Rode many of those roads in 2006. Another really scenic ride if someone wants to go further west is to head south out of Missoula on 93, then head west on 12 (NW Passage Scenic Byway) and go over Lolo pass and through the Bitteroot National Forest. Really beautiful through there.

 

As you go through the Big Horn Mountains on Hwy 14, stop at the North Tongue River for some of the best fly fishing you have ever experienced if you are into that sort of thing.

Bill

 

I rode through several of the areas described. The pictures (and from other trips) are my screensaver and I daydream every day about going back there - but with more time for sightseeing. I've been bouncing around the idea of shipping the bike out and flying to meet it so I could maximize the time off from work. There's a whole lot of flat grassland & corn (yawn) between Ky. and the west side of S. Dakota, riding through those states again would be a waste of vacation time (no offense intended).

Anyway, +1 for killer riding in Montana & Wyoming. I advise everyone to visit some time, and take their kids when they get old enough to appreciate the beauty of nature.

 

thanks for the info