Best Route Rodeo, NM to West Yellowstone, MT

Your route is very doable with your RV. Enjoy!

Pinochleman wrote:
Leaving Rodeo, NM on 5/16 for West Yellowstone, MT. Pulling a 41' 5th Wheel with a 1 ton Chevy Silverado diesel dually. I am allowing 4 days for the trip. Here is my proposed route: NM-80N to I-10W to US-191N to US-70W to
Globe, AZ. Then AZ-77N/60 to
Showlow. Then AZ-77 to I-40E at
Holbrook, AZ. Then I-40E to
Chambers and US-191N to
Castle Gate, UT where I pick up US-6N to US-89 to I-15N. Take I-15N to US-20 at
Idaho Falls, ID and follow US-20 to
West Yellowstone. I am familiar with the route from I-15 to West Yellowstone, but not with anything prior to that. Any issues with the route prior to getting on I-15? Thanks.

Having driven all but the southern most roads on your Route I would be fine.

But - because I love the drive through the Mountains i would look over something like THIS .

When thinking more about it, I would actually have a route that was much less straight and would wind back and forth between the Desert and the Mountains - just so much to see and do - would really be fun if you had 4 Weeks and not just four days.

Best of Luck,

Route looks fine, be aware you will drop into the Salt river canyon and have a good pull up out of it between Globe and Showlow. 191 through the reservation was a little rough when we went over it a couple of years ago. As always, you are on the REZ most of the way with limited services and speeds. Pretty scenery though. Always be cautious and watch for stray animals and people on and beside the road. The Navajo nation is watching! We used 191 all the way up to I-70 where we headed east.

Dave

In February, we towed our 5th wheel back from Phoenix using US 70 between Globe and Lordsburg. Very good road, no construction (the construction was west of Globe), some nice scenery. Thatcher-Safford is the "big city" along that route, with lots of restaurants, RV parks, grocery stores, Walmart, etc. We have towed in the past on US 60 between Globe and Show Low and, as harley-dave says, it is a long, very steep downgrade and uphill between those two towns.

Guess if I were doing your trip, I would just get on US 191 at I-10 and stay on it all the way to Jackson Hole. Then you can take US 26 or WY 22 to US 20 and on to West Yellowstone. It is still a scenic route, including crossing the Uinta Mtns.-Flaming Gorge, but you bypass the heavy Provo-SLC-Ogden traffic on I-15. But then, I've been to the Wasatch Front cities plenty of times for work and pleasure, so I prefer to avoid them when towing.

I'd probably go through Lordsburg and use 70 to 78 to 180 to get up to 191 in Alpine instead of 191/70/60 to Show Low. But then I would stay in NM up to Shiprock and CO up to Dinosaur and not pick up 191 until I was in Vernal, Utah.

The only part of that route I am not familiar with is the piece from US 70 over to US 180 via NM 78. The pictures on Google maps look great though. I think I will drive it next time I pass through just for the scenery.

The mountain directory shows AZ/NM 78 as being posted as trucks not recommended and the east bound descent rolls up and down with short 5-6 percent grades w/20-25 mph curves.

Also the mountain directory says 191 from Cliffton to Alpine prohibits trucks over 40ft and has a 12'7" tunnel plus many 10 mph curves and 8-9 percent grades.

fanrgs wrote:
Guess if I were doing your trip, I would just get on US 191 at I-10 and stay on it all the way to Jackson Hole.

L believe there is a low clearance tunnel on US-191 near Clifton/Morenci so tall RVs need to bypass that.

I'd go east on I-10 to Lordsburg, then to Silver City on NM90 and 180 to 191 at Alpine. 191 to US6 all the way to I-15. I-15 to US20 to West Yellowstone.

Thanks for all of the suggestions. And thanks for the low clearance tunnel heads up on 191. We are around 13'6"!

Taking the suggestions into account-here is my new proposed route: NM-80 to I-10E to Lordsburg. NM-90 to Silver City. US-180 to US-191. Stay on 191 with overnights at St. Johns, AZ, Moab, UT, Rock Springs, WY. Continue on US-191 to Jackson, WY then WY-22/ID-33 to ID-32 to US-20 at Ashton, ID then US-20 to West Yellowstone. I also like to avoid the heavy Interstate traffic and am comfortable driving 2-lane back roads. We've driven US-191 from Bluff, UT to Rock Springs, WY before so am familiar with that part of the drive. Thanks again, comments on the revised route are welcome.

You will have some steep grades and slow curves on US 191 north of Vernal, but crossing the Uintas and viewing Flaming Gorge Reservoir far below the highway are well-worth the effort. A couple of suggestions for that area--take time to stop at the wonderful Utah Fieldhouse Museum in Vernal and spend a night at the USFS Firemen's Memorial Campground near the top of the mountains.

Another CG we enjoyed was the USFS Granite Creek CG on US 191 north of Pinedale. However, it may be a little far off the highway for you, so there are several other USFS campgrounds along the highway south of Hoback Junction.

Sounds like a great trip--have fun!

Pinochleman wrote:
Thanks for all of the suggestions. And thanks for the low clearance tunnel heads up on 191. We are around 13'6"!

Taking the suggestions into account-here is my new proposed route: NM-80 to I-10E to Lordsburg. NM-90 to Silver City. US-180 to US-191. Stay on 191 with overnights at St. Johns, AZ, Moab, UT, Rock Springs, WY. Continue on US-191 to Jackson, WY then WY-22/ID-33 to ID-32 to US-20 at Ashton, ID then US-20 to West Yellowstone. I also like to avoid the heavy Interstate traffic and am comfortable driving 2-lane back roads. We've driven US-191 from Bluff, UT to Rock Springs, WY before so am familiar with that part of the drive. Thanks again, comments on the revised route are welcome.

Ugh! I just typed a long one and went to post but it disappeared. :(

So... a shortened version, taking 191 from Globe to Show Low you will not be driving through the tunnel in the above picture. That's on 191 from Clifton to Alpine.

You would only be taking 191 to 70 at Safford, AZ then 70 to Globe then 60 to Show Low. 60 is a downhill of 6 percent into Salt River Canyon and really is not something you should avoid. It's a popular RVing route and semi trucks do it. Just downshift before you start heading down - not in the midst of a downhill. Then after the downhill at the river you'll climb up more gradually to Show Low.

Your alternate plans were to take 191 all the way up to Rock Springs. If you do that north of Vernal, UT is a very steep climb with 10 switchbacks. To me, it's worse than Salt River Canyon.

Instead, take 191 as far as Moab, UT and I-70. Then west on I-70 a short distance to Green River and pick up 6/191 to Wellington to Price and to Duchesne, UT. Then west on 40 to Heber City to Coalville to I-80. Then east on I-80 a short distance to Evanston. Then 16 north to Sage, Wyoming and then north on 30. Don't take 30 to Bear Lake and Garden City. It's steep. Instead, take 30 to Montpelier then 89 north through Thayne and Alpine, Wyoming. Do not continue to Jackson and take 22 to Victor. It's extremely steep and curvy.

At Alpine, head west on 26 - nice and flat along the river - to 31 to Victor and 33 to Idaho 20 north to West Yellowstone. Again, do not get on 22 from Jackson to Victor. You won't like it.