Best Route West from Wyoming

Very little difference between mountain driving and other driving on the Interstate system. Hills can be longer but have pretty much the same standards as do curves. My own choice would be to avoid Interstates all together unless you have time constraints. The back roads through Idaho and Oregon take you through fantastic scenery. WE liked to travel along the Salmon River to Stanley Idaho then on west to Boise, but only if you're comfortable with true mountain driving.
Good luck and have a great trip home / Skip

Geobiker wrote:
Leaving Wyoming on I-25 south to Denver

I make that commute daily.
From Wyoming to a few miles north of Denver should be smooth sailing. Depending on the time of day, getting thru Denver will be a bit slow. But traffic here isn't bad, I've lived places with much worse traffic.

I-70 west is *mountainous*. High passes. That said it's a freeway and if you're not in too much of a hurry, take it. Avoid the weekend when you do, however. Past the Eisenhower tunnel it's 6% downgrade then back up again as you crest Vail pass. Then down again and pretty much down hill all the way to the ocean.

There is some amazing scenery on I-70 and if you haven't done it before, I'd recommend it.


I've done I-25 down to Santa Fe, Albuquerque, etc. Much less grade. Raton pass is a cakewalk, IMHO, compared to I-70.


There's also heading North from WY and up to I-80 and then west. But I guess it depends on where in CA you're heading to.

I-70 is the most scenic although with two good high passes to go over. Use I-76 to cut over from I-25 to I-70 and avoid the traffic through downtown. Stay in the right lane on I-25 as you approach US 36 as the exit to I-76 is pretty soon afterward. If you've never travelled I-70 through CO and UT, do yourself a favor and take this route. The mountain views through CO are spectacular and the desert scenery through UT is magnificent.

I-40 isn't a bad road, but I-25 from Ft. Collins all the way past Colorado Springs is a very busy section. Even on weekends there is a lot of traffic.

If the wind isn't blowing too hard, I-80 is the quickest as it avoids driving through Denver.

I-70 is definitely the more interesting scenic route. Google maps is showing several construction zones now, so you might want to check that out.

Are you doing any sightseeing along the way, or just want to get to the West Coast fast?

I don't like I-40 west of Albuquerque to Gallup because of the HEAVY 18 wheeler traffic that goes way over the speed limit.

At least I-70 will be beautiful scenery, even if traffic is heavy. Try and avoid Saturdays as it is always busy from Denver to Summit County.

Either way is pretty easy driving except for the inevitable construction zones. It would be a much more interesting drive to go through Yellowstone or wind down through Moab, if you have the time.