Driving cross country, looking for route suggestions for views

[Maineman]

I am leaving in about ten days to begin my Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike. I'm driving from Maine to Northern California (Redway specifically) and leaving my vehicle there for the duration of the hike.

I'd like to choose a route that optimizes views. The rough plan I-90 without a lot of sightseeing until South Dakota, then slowing down for a couple of days to see some sights. Was hoping to drive through Jackson, WY and see the Tetons. I liked a route that got me to Twin Falls Idaho but then I'm not sure which way to go.

I'd prefer not to go south through Salt Lake City/Reno etc. and take a different route across Oregon (US 20?) and then go south to NoCal. I was told that you can pretty much camp as you please in the National Forest land you cross going through OR which is appealing.

I have been a longtime lurker and anonymous conditions poster for over 10 years - it's great to finally be a member.


Jason
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Follow me on my upcoming PCT thru hike: http://www.jasonhikes.com

 

[Michelle]

Welcome!!!

Though I can't give you any driving cross-country suggestions, I can say....... Have a blast on your PCT hike, it was by far the most beautiful and rewarding hike I have ever done!! So many amazing sights and such easy walking compared to here in the East, you will LOVE it!! Good luck and have fun!!

 

[Lost Dad]

Welcome,
I too was a long time lurker.
I can't give big picture recommendations, but from experience, I suggest getting to Billings, MT on I-90 and then dropping down into Red Lodge MT and into Yellowstone. The drive into Yellowstone through Cooke City is beautiful. We had a great meal in Cooke City, outdoors on the deck right off of Main St. Then you enter Yellowstone through the Lamar Valley, which, IMO is the most beautiful part of Yellowstone. I would then follow the east side of the Yellowstone loop down into Teton National Park. We did a great 1/2 day hike on Avalanche Peak in Yellowstone.
I can tell you that crossing Northern Nevada & western Oregon is pretty desolate. It was interesting to me as I had never been through that area before. I would guess that it could get really boring pretty quickly.

Enjoy the PCT!

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Have driven cross-country many times, and I'm sure you'll get some good pointers. A couple off the top of my head - rather than taking the NY Thruway, consider I88 from the Albany area and then I86 across what is called the Southern Tier of NY state. Much more scenic, and perhaps faster. There's an amazing rest area near Chautauqua, NY. I don't usually call attention to rest areas, but stop there and you'll see why.

A must-see is the Chief Crazy Horse memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It's not far from Mt Rushmore. Mt Rushmore is worth about 15 minutes (try to find the original viewing area so you won't be grossed out by the crass commercialism of the newer one), and then a few hours at the Crazy Horse memorial. The Badlands aren't bad if you've never seen seriously eroded land, but they don't begin to compare to the beauty of places like southern Utah.

Enjoy your PCT adventures. I can see a portion of it from my house, and frequently use parts of it for dayhikes. Yesterday did Mt Skinner on it from Bird Spring Pass, and there was some serious trail magic at the TH - about 50 gallon jugs of water stashed under a Joshua tree.

 

[Chip]

If you do drive through Silver Gate, Yellowstone to Tetons (great idea), I'd allow a little more time and continue through Lamar to Mammoth and then south to Norris, Madison and Old Faithful. You'd miss a couple things on the east side, but I think that'd be acceptable. If you have time, detour towards Gardiner and swim in Boiling River.

 

[Dunbar]

Driving through the Tetons is beautiful. Route 20 west of Idaho Falls is also pretty nice as you pass a lot of Idaho mountain ranges. I haven't done Route 20 into Oregon, but from what I know of the area I wouldn't expect much from it (I believe it is desert similar to the east side of Washington). If you do go that way, I would turn off on US 395 into California, then take the back roads across northern Cali. Most of northern CA is scenic and there are lots of great dirt roads you can cruise along on. It's worth driving past Mt Shasta or Lassen Peak - it's a cool feeling when you're driving down a road and 80 miles away from the mountain you say "Oh, that's Shasta."

An entirely different route would be to take I-80 to I-76 to Denver. Follow I-70 through Colorado to get a full taste of the Rockies. The drive across Utah also has some great views as you cross the San Rafael Swell and get a taste for the desert. Then drive the "Loneliest Road in America" (Route 50) across Nevada. Nevada isn't as bad as it sounds as there are lots of mountain ranges along the way. Plan ahead for this part, though, as there are some sections of Route 50 where you go 170+ miles without any services (you see a couple ranches, that's pretty much it). Head for Mammoth Lakes and a look at the High Sierra. Work your way north past Yosemite/Tahoe. Depending on how much time you want to spend you can stick to back roads and enjoy the fantastic Sierra Nevadas or you can hop on the interstate and save some time. Most of the drive from Mammoth Lakes to Redway will be fantastic scenery.

As for camping, it is pretty easy to find free spots - in National Forest and BLM land you can camp anywhere you can pull off the road. I did a 5 month road trip out there where I didn't have to pay for a campsite once.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Yellowstone is a fascinating place to visit, but I'd be cautious about the opportunity to visit it in early April due to snow. Definitely check with the Park Service before making it a destination.

 

[Chip]

Yellowstone is a fascinating place to visit, but I'd be cautious about the opportunity to visit it in early April due to snow. Definitely check with the Park Service before making it a destination.

Excellent point, Kevin.

check this http://www.nps.gov/yell/conditions.htm

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Excellent point, Kevin.

check this http://www.nps.gov/yell/conditions.htm

Thanks, Chip.

At the risk of hijacking this thread - living in the Eastern Sierra (the East side of Sierra Nevada range) means always factoring in whether the road is open due to snow. For example - I live near Walker Pass, which is one of the few East/West passes though the Sierra. If I want to go to a location on the "westside", like Sacramento, I either have to use that pass or drive 350 miles north to the next year-round pass (Donner Pass, on I80, west of Reno). That's the equivalent of driving from Boston to Millinocket.

So when someone mentions a western National Park, my first thought is - will the road be open? This also applies to the Tetons - I think the road from Moose south to Jackson Hole is maintained in winter (I have a dim recollection of being on it in January about 12 years ago) but again - double-check on it.

 

[weatherman]

I am WAY envious.
Couple thoughts:
1. Kevin's points about snow closures are important. Though the Eastern Rockies and areas west to Utah are absolutely parched and will probably have the earliest pass openings in years (as opposed to last year!!), the Cascades and Sierras are likely a very different story. Hear about the big snows in Alaska this winter? They have been heading south lately. Don't know of any posters on this board from the Northwest, though you could check out nwhikers.net (they are very friendly and full of great info).
2. If you do head south at all, I-70 from Ohio west across the Plains and into the Rockies is way better than I-80 in terms of scenery, traffic, tolls, and road conditions. You miss things like the Black Hills (a detour north in any case), but you get more mountains in total. Consider banging a right in Empire, CO to take US 40 the long way through Steamboat to SLC, then up to Idaho and west from there. Depends on your preference for mountain driving vs. vast expanses of not much.

Enjoy!
Weatherman

 

[Raymond]

Route 20 through the North Cascades is pretty scenic, but may be too far north for you.

 

[Snowflea]

Have driven I90 across South Dakota twice and enjoyed the "Dances with Wolves" scenery. Winds can be crazy though, pulling your car around and adversely affecting gas mileage. The high pt. of SD, Harney Pk. In the Black Hills, is worth stopping for a leg stretcher. You will see 4000 billboards for Wall Drug...

Devils Tower is very close to the Black Hills and is a must see IMO. The circumnavigation (paved!) is only a mile.

There's some cool stuff in the Bighorn Mtns... Cody WY is always fun though a tourist trap.

It's not on your route, but if you happen to detour south through Death Valley, remember to gas up beforehand. I paid $5.90 (not a typo) a gallon in Furnace Creek a couple days ago - got 4 gallons to get me to Ridgecrest, where it's a more "reasonable" $4.29/gallon. Yikes!

Wondering if you considered Amtrak?! ;-)

 

[Puma concolor]

Good suggestions all around. I'd also say that I wouldn't be too quick to snub a route that takes you through Salt Lake City and Reno. I-80 east of Salt Lake City is pretty nice and Route 395 south of Reno is spectacular once you get into California. I haven't taken I-80 between SLC and Reno but definitely enjoyed my drive through central and southern Nevada a few years back. Good luck on your PCT hike. Should be an awesome adventure!

 

[Scotzman]

Glad I found this thread; I am planning on moving out to Colorado in a few weeks and am driving out and towing a trailer. I also was looking for the most scenic option and have pretty much decided on getting around Chicago then going up to 90 and through the Badlands, over to Wyoming and then south on 25 to Denver. Any specific thoughts on this route and must see sites along the way? I am also looking to do campsites along the way when available and wouldn't mind some detours to hit some state high points up along the way.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Glad I found this thread; I am planning on moving out to Colorado in a few weeks and am driving out and towing a trailer. I also was looking for the most scenic option and have pretty much decided on getting around Chicago then going up to 90 and through the Badlands, over to Wyoming and then south on 25 to Denver. Any specific thoughts on this route and must see sites along the way? I am also looking to do campsites along the way when available and wouldn't mind some detours to hit some state high points up along the way.

I have a few -

1) Avoid the NY Thruway by driving 88/86 across the Southern Tier. Much more interesting/scenic, and also avoids tolls (and Buffalo). Make a point to stop at the rest area at Chautauqua Lake - not to be missed.

2) Shortly after the Badlands, turn SW and visit the Crazy Horse exhibit. It's like Mt Rushmore on steroids - the sculptor who began the project - Korczak Ziolkowski - was gifted, regardless of the medium he worked with. The scale of Crazy Horse on his horse is immense.

3) Rather than taking US25 from Wyoming down to Denver - take US25 to Cheyenne, and then turn west on I80 towards Laramie and travel thru the Medicine Bow NF and Roosevelt NF - it will take a bit longer, but Medicine Bow in particular is a gem.

Enjoy your trip -

 

[Scotzman]

I have a few -

1) Avoid the NY Thruway by driving 88/86 across the Southern Tier. Much more interesting/scenic, and also avoids tolls (and Buffalo). Make a point to stop at the rest area at Chautauqua Lake - not to be missed.

2) Shortly after the Badlands, turn SW and visit the Crazy Horse exhibit. It's like Mt Rushmore on steroids - the sculptor who began the project - Korczak Ziolkowski - was gifted, regardless of the medium he worked with. The scale of Crazy Horse on his horse is immense.

3) Rather than taking US25 from Wyoming down to Denver - take US25 to Cheyenne, and then turn west on I80 towards Laramie and travel thru the Medicine Bow NF and Roosevelt NF - it will take a bit longer, but Medicine Bow in particular is a gem.

Enjoy your trip -

Great feedback, thanks! I'll definately look into that. I was planning on trying to avoid the Thruway, I'd like to keep the drive as scenic as possible, without getting to messy of a drive given the fact that I'll be towing a trailer.

 

[Stan]

The I-86 option over the NY Thruway is a good one and passes through three major drainages ... one towards the Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico, one toward the Chesapeake and the Atlantic and one towards the Great Lakes (it is this kind of geographic detail that inspires me on our trips along with the history accompanying it). However, the scenery along thre Thruway is nice, too and my route would be that way and through Canada (bring a passport), Flint, MI, I-75, across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and onto I-94 with plenty of time in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

If you do go I-90 and visit Crazy Horse (which is a long way from completion ... I also saw it 40 years ago) you might as well visit Mount Rushmore but the gem in that area is the Black Hills where there is a bison herd and some worthwhile hiking at Harney Peak and the area.

Let us know your route and timing and maybe we can make good specific suggestions along the way.

 

[weatherman]

I like Stan's idea. The default "fastest" way gives you too much I-90 then 80- which is expensive re: tolls, and takes you through too many metro areas, then Iowa and Nebraska which are waaay boring and tend to be windier (not great with a trailer, though less wind this time of year). Go through Canada- what the heck. MI is really pretty.

 

[Pat T]

Cross country travel

I got to drive cross country once (kind of a long time ago). Three things stick out in my mind:
Yellowstone
The Grand Tetons
Standing on top of the continental divide

And it is great to pay attention to how you cross the Mississippi River. We deliberately went off the beaten track and found a ferry to cross the Mississippi. Great experience for lots of reasons.

Happy travels --

Pat T

 

[Scotzman]

I like the idea of going far north, just don't think I'd have time to renue my passport for that to be an option; also not sure how much of a hastle taking a trailer through customs would be. I may look into going up to the UP and over that way, then dip down.