Sedona, Az to Mount Rushmore - Best route?

2gypsies wrote:
Brian, there are many routes you can take but you've gotta help us out a little more.... :)

Do you want interstates? Secondary roads? What else do you want to see enroute? Are you leaving now? How much time do you have?

X2 for example if you had time you could go North to Yellowstone NP and then over

Do NOT take 89A north from Sedona to Flagstaff. 13 miles north of Sedona the highway goes up a series of switchbacks that is certainly not recommended for towing! Its a very worthwhile scenic drive with just your TV.

Instead take highway 179 south to I-17 north.

I think I40 to the 25 makes the most sense. We have a friend in ABQ we can visit. We will stay at Hart Ranch while in the Black Hills and then we head towards Washington state.
Thanks again for the info!
Brian

;)

Ah, what you really wanted to know is, 'what is the worst route' so you could avoid it. :)

Well for starters you could take AZ89A north out of Sedona. Then take BIA roads across the Navajo Reservation, US550 north from Durango, etc. (I'm talking about a worst route for RVs here.)

The fastest route that Google Maps gives uses US160 to the NE corner of Arizona, US191 north to Moab, I70 east to Denver, and US25 north. The main problems with that is that I70 is the most mountainous route across the Continental Divide (Rockies), and Denver traffic. But I70 is also the most scenic interstate across the Rockies.

A close contender for shortest time is I40 and I25 all the way (except for some wiggles at the end depending on your exact Black Hills destination).

Wow! Thank you very much. I was concerned pulling the rig getting on some little windy road with low bridges that I would be sorry I was on. Yes I have been through ABQ, but just traveling east to west on the 40.
You have given me several awesome alternatives, and Btw the when will be about May-june of next year. We fulltime but I am an early planner. :-)
Thanks again,
Brian

Looks like you have two great possibilities:

I believe I'd head up to I-40 E to ABQ; I-25 N to Santa Fe to Denver to Cheyenne to US 18 (Exit 126) East to Lusk, US 18/85 North to Black Hills area. We exit 85 to use US 18 East to reach Custer. Via SD 89 to US 385.

or

An alternate route for the Sedona to Denver part....Take I-17 to Flagstaff then Hwy 89, 160, 163 (Monument Valley), 191 to Moab (Arches, Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point), then Scenic 128 up to I-70 east to Denver.

I think it depends on which you may have already visited. Let me confine my comments to the first of these alternative routes. If you have never been there, both ABQ and Santa Fe are worth a stayover. We just stayed at Santa Fe Skies RV Park in July of this year and attended the same Native Artists Festival on the Plaza mentioned in a post by DesertHawk.

Earlier on that same trip we spent four nights in Colorado Springs at Cheyenne Mountain State Park. It is one of the finest--anywhere, but you would have to have reservations, so that depends on the date of your trip.

We stayed at Custer's Gulch RV Park in Custer, SD which we enjoyed and which gave us good access to Custer State Park, Crazy Horse, Needles Highway, and Mount Rushmore.

One variation: if you have never visited Taos, you could go there from Santa Fe, then on US 64 E back to I-25 near Raton, NM. We always like to stay at Cedar Rail RV at the top of Raton Pass for an overnight. OR you could go on up NM 522 to US 160 over to Walsenburg. I must admit I think the Raton version might be more scenic over to Eagle Nest.

This is probably enough for now.

An alternate route for the Sedona to Denver part....Take I-17 to Flagstaff then Hwy 89, 160, 163 (Monument Valley), 191 to Moab (Arches, Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point), then Scenic 128 up to I-70 east to Denver.

I believe I'd head up to I-40 E to ABQ; I-25 N to Santa Fe to Denver to Cheyenne to US 18 (Exit 126) East to Lusk, US 18/85 North to Black Hills area. We exit 85 to use US 18 East to reach Custer. Via SD 89 to US 385.

Sights & Sites in Flagstaff - Gallup - Grants- to Santa Fe Plus an old post some links may not be working anymore.

This was a neat place to camp and visit (have not been to in it many years), even with a museum nearby, all close to Gallup at Red Rock/Churchrock just off of I-40 east of town. It was a state park when we used it.
http://www.campingroadtrip.com/campgrounds/campground/campground/11212/new-mexico/red-rock-state-park

Blue Water Lake State Park, by Grants, west of Albu'que on I-40. Bluewater not a bad area, but more of a fishing site. But not at all bad for an overnight, even some hiking trails. http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SPD/bluewaterlakestatepark.html

NM State Parks are a good bargain. $10 without electric, $4 more for electric. Most have nice showers (no extra cost) & no entry fee or day fee on top of camping fee as in TX & CO. The one by Santa Fe is one which doesn't have showers.

El Morro National Monument is neat to see & has a small campground; there is a private campgound near by as well. Near Grants or can be reached from Gallup. We went from Gallup to Zuni Pueblo then to El Morro (we lingered too long at the Pueblo and didn't get to hike the trial at El Morro, got there too late in the day; its a neat trail too, we had hiked it before). Of course one could go to it from Grants as well.
http://www.nps.gov/elmo/index.htm

A lot to see & do in the Santa Fe & Bandelier Nat'l Mon't area of New Mexico -A Trip Report last summer.

More on Santa Fe (Eating):
We had very good Asian from Jinja Bar & Bistro in Santa Fe last summer. Just stumbled onto it in a thunder/rain storm. We did carry out, but it was a very nice restaurant.

Someone at the AAA office recommended Tortilla Flats in Santa Fe; it prove to be very good as well.

Normally, we would eat on the Plaza, from Cart Vendors, such as Roque's Carnitas. Cart Cuisine, but they were not there that week-end. Due to the 'Santa Fe Indian Market', "a 91-year-old Native art market", we didn't find the normal street food venders on the Plaza. We did eat once at one of the 'Indian' vendors, but the lines were extremely long. Also at a roasted corn vendor.

Bandelier Nat'l Mon't is off US 285. We were there in August last year. Not too hot at all. Cools off quickly after sundown each evening. I believe we were there years ago in July. Warmer during the day, but cool nights.

Los Alamos is a very neat small city in itself. Free bus system with very neat buses. Very pretty setting up in the high country. Somewhat of a gated community as well. We only drove through & stopped at a SuperMarket. A nice town. http://www.visit.losalamos.com/
http://www.losalamosnm.us/transit/Pages/default.aspx

More on the Santa Fe Area Expanded & ABQ.

Overnighting Sites & Sights in the Douglas & Wheatland Area. Includes Guernsey & Fort Laramie Area.

Guernsey State Park ------- Fort Laramie National Historic Site ------ Oregon Trail Ruts and Register Cliff

Of Course if wanting to see the above sites, One would exit I-25 at US 26 E (Exit 92) to US 85 North to Lusk; etc.

Brian, there are many routes you can take but you've gotta help us out a little more.... :)

Do you want interstates? Secondary roads? What else do you want to see enroute? Are you leaving now? How much time do you have?