Best Route From Rapid City, SD to Yellowstone

Great article - on Yellowstone - the routes and places to stay, things to do,


http://www.rvtechmag.com/travel/4_yellowstonebyrv.php?pg=all

Decided to stay on I-90. Want to see Devils Tower and Custer Battlefield and then on to Livingston. Plan to stop probably at Livingston overnight or so. Then to Bozeman and down to West Yellowstone. See some of that part of MT. Have been to the north but not the south. Thanks for all your help folks.

To get over the Bighorn range you have 14 or 16. We took 14 East and 16 West last summer and 16 seemed a bit easier as far as grade and curves. Both roads are fine to drive. Stayed at KOA in Greybull to split the drive back to Yellowstone in half.

Hi from AZ. . . we loved going US 16 from Custer to I-90 to Buffalo back on 16 to Cody & on to East entrance. 16 thru the Bighorns was as pretty a drive as anywhere we saw. . . Regards, Craig

We also take 16 when in the area. Remember...there are even brake check areas on the interstates! :)

Newk is right, I-90 is the road you want for the Badlands. If you really don't want to use US16, you can take the longer way around via I-90 to Laurel, Montana, then south on state/US routes to Cody (all decent roads, relatively flat but scenic) and west into the park from there on US14/16. At Fishing Bridge Junction inside the park, turn left and continue past Lake area and West Thumb for Grant Village - by the way, it's easy to miss the turn into Grant so be on the lookout for it, only a fairly short distance past West Thumb Jct.

I assume you meant "across on I-90 to Badlands", correct? Because that would be the normal route.

Unless you're really frightened of mountain driving, I'd also recommend Hwy 16 from Buffalo to Worland. Much of that is mountainous, but it's all a good, wide 4-season highway used by vehicles of all kinds. Take it easy, use lower gears descending and DO NOT RIDE your brakes, and you should be fine.

As Mr Shoe noted, there will be at least a couple pull-offs where you're encouraged to stop and check for overheated brakes. Do it. Use that time for a little break, take some photos, maybe have a sandwich. I've hauled my campers up and down and over both Hwy 14 and 16 dozens of times. In my opinion 16 is the easier route. Scratch that. EASIEST route. Just use some common sense.

I also encourage you to spend some time in the Black Hills -- Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, Custer State Park, Jewel Cave and Devils Tower, just to mention a few. Also plan on a day in Cody for the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, etc.

It all depends on your comfort level driving over mountains - not hills. I'm a flatlander from Ohio. I drove over 16 and didn't enjoy it. And that's the "easy" one. I will never again drive on any road that has pull outs with signs that tell you to stop to check your brakes before going down the next hill. I take CloudDriver's route but continue west to Bozeman, then south on 191. I'm always headed to Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone anyway. On the way home, I head south through the Tetons and on to I-80 and head East for home.

Personally, I would take either 14 or 16 over the Bighorns. We have done 14 twice and 16 once, but only in the eastbound direction. Whatever you do don't take 14A down the west side of the Bighorns - 10% grades & sharp curves.

If you want to avoid mountain driving, consider taking I90 up to Laurel (just past Billings) then routes 212, 310, 72 and 120 down to Cody. This route takes you around the Bighorns and is pretty much flat. The Little Bighorn Battlefield (Custer's last stand) is adjacent to I90 just before Crow Agency in MT.

Last summer we took I-90 north of Sheridan and then 14 across the Big Horns pulling a 32' TT. I got concerned when all of the signs around Buffalo said to take 16, but based on the advice I got on here from many experienced travelers I proceeded north to 14. I'm glad I did as it is a very scenic route and I had no issues at all. I did stop in Sheridan a fueled up. This was also my first experience towing over mountains.