Routes through Montana

Highway 2 would be my choice of routes thru Montana, I also like highway 12. the interstate is my last choice. Now I want to ask everyone to stop dis'ing eastern Montana. There are lots of recreational opportunities. Starting with the little town of Ekalaka on highway 7, the first county museum in the state, awesome paleontological exhibits. Then a few miles north to Medicine Rocks state park, wild sandstone formations with dry camping and lots of hiking/climbing. Then North to Wibaux on 7 then hit I94 to glendive. There is a dinosaur museum there then out to Makoshika state park, dry camping again but some really wonderful badlands to explore. All of this is on the Montana dinosaur trail. Oh while at Glendive you can fish the Yellowstone river or look for Montana moss agates. Then on north and west to Fort Peck Dam camp on the lake with hookups. Head for highway 2, plenty of fuel stops and rv parks. We overnight at the city park in Malta for $3, big cottonwoods for shade, but Havre and Cut Bank have rv parks, I think some of the other small communities have rv parks also. Thru all this there is great wildlife viewing and bird watching opportunities. Oh and I can't forget the sunrises and sunsets that this country offers. So please don't just speed thru thinking there is nothing there, you will miss some awesome country and people. OK done venting enjoy your rv'ing.LOL

Eastern Montana is flat grass and range land with few recreational opportunities. On US2 that extends all the way to Glacier. I94 follows the Yellowstone River to I90, and then passes through settled valleys and passes all the way to Idaho. So you hit the mountains sooner, as well as the recreational options that are a spin off of the mountains (National Forest), towns and Yellowstone. Since you already did Yellowstone and Glacier, you presumably have an idea of what's available along the mountain spine that connects the two.

trailertraveler wrote:
We drove MT-200 from Glendive to Great Falls in the fall of 2010. Good two lane road and virtually no traffic. Also few choices of places to stop/stay. The campground in Jordan was closed when we went past. It is a long drive so make sure you have fuel to get to Great Falls.

We drove this route this past Oct. I agree with most of what you say except the fuel. There are several bigger towns along the way to get fuel in. It is a days drive from Glendive to Great Falls, 350 miles, and there are rest stops along the way.

Since I've driven well, every one of those, more then once, in all kinds of weather (lived there for many years)

MT-200, steep climb west bound from Great Falls to Lincoln, great from then on. Of course then you have to take either I-90 or US-12 to get to Idaho. In some ways the GF to Bonner is the most scenic (the "River Runs Through-It" is this area)

US-12 four lanes over much of the steeper grades, often the preferred route for truckers

US-2, lowest pass (PERIOD) on the Divide, least amount of grades (not NONE, just fewest), then a really easy (if windy) road to Idaho

I-94 (ehh?) Do you mean I94 to Billings then I-90 to Missoula and then over the pass to Idaho. The most heavily traveled, most gas-stations, campgrounds, everything. Good for quick trips, not much fun.

Continue on rte. 200 west from Missoula (have to go a few miles north of that city to get back on 200) west following the Clark Fork River to Lake pend O'reille and on to Sandpoint. A lovely road. Just 8 miles west of the town of Clark Fork ID you will see a turn off to Sam Owen Camp ground (USFS). That is one of the nicest forest service cgs in the west. Enjoy.

We drove MT-200 from Glendive to Great Falls in the fall of 2010. Good two lane road and virtually no traffic. Also few choices of places to stop/stay. The campground in Jordan was closed when we went past. It is a long drive so make sure you have fuel to get to Great Falls.

If you're heading to Bonner's Ferry, Sandpoint, Coeur d'Alene areas then I'd take US2 across MT. If you're going more in the direction of Salmon, Orofino, or Lewiston ID; then follow MT 200 to Missoula and then pick up US12 or US93 depending on your ID destination.

pistolpeter55 wrote:
This summer we will be heading West from Roosevelt NP in N. Dakota to Northern Idaho. To help determine our route I am looking for comments, suggestions, places to see, CGs, etc, on the following choices:
1) US RT 2 to Kalispell
2) RT 200 through Great Falls to Missoula
3) Rt 12 from Forsyth, to Helena, to Missoula
4) I94 through to Idaho
We are not planning at stopping at Yellowstone or Glacier as we were there last summer. Any suggestions on hikes, bike trails or places to kayak would also be helpful.
Thanks you all in advance

In 1975 I rode a GoldWing up there from Az. and then rode about 50 miles south of Helena jumped on the gravel going west and rode a hundred miles or so and then down to Salmon Id. Remenber, you never get a pickup truck to small.