Northern Tier States, Best time for trip

We're planning the exact trip for August-Oct this year. The word from a friend that has done this is - don't be in the Rockies after September.

The plan is to leave Aug 1 and make our way to Dayton where I'm crossing the Air Force Museum off the bucket list, then up the UP to Mackinaw and across US 2 to Glacier NP. Current thinking is down I-15 to Idaho Falls to the Craters of the Moon the back up US95 to Couer d'Alene and back on US 2 to Grand Coulee and continue onto the Puget Sound Area.

I haven't planned the trip back yet, but it will be roughly south on I-84 and I-15 to the the Grand Canyon and then east on I-40, maybe north on I-25 to Denver where I can pick up I-70 or one of the US routes east. A stop in Lee's Summit MO to visit the DD and then home for Halloween.

Not much I can do about potential fires, not that I thought about such, Just try and stay flexible I guess.

Have experienced this a couple of times. You are right in not worrying about them-just keep a "bug out" bag handy and pay attention to all warnings.

Thanks folks, I'll stick to my original time frame, Aug - Oct.

Not much I can do about potential fires, not that I thought about such, Just try and stay flexible I guess.

By mid-August things start calming down in the parks as kids are getting ready for return of school.

Have been out that way in the summer months. Had snow on the ground in CO, WY & MT late May/early June. LOVE late August/early September in that area. Kids are heading back to school around mid-August in a lot of areas so after that point it does quite down SOME. And I emphasize SOME because it can still be busy. The bear jams and the like don't bother us-it adds a certain social aspect to the experience. Come September the male elk are bugling away, have their big racks and are beginning the rut. Baby animals aren't newborns anymore but are still babies and more visible than in the spring. If I had that kind of time I'd think about Jasper and Banff as well, but if you want to stay stateside don't miss WY and MT. The Rockies in CO are beautiful as well.

I remember our Alaska trip and we drove thru Montana in late May. Great crisp, cool days, lots of green grass, no crowds. On our return in last August, Montana was great again. Later trips to Oregon, Washington, Idaho, S.Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan were all in the late summer and into October. Great weather and no crowds--school was back in session. So--IMO--we like the fall travel best.

Agree with above post and more info from Washington State: The spring months through May can be pretty wet. June is cloudy but it doesn't rain as much. After the 4th of July, the weather stays sunny and warm through the end of September. The best pass for the shoulder season is Snoqualmie Pass. You can check pass conditions at http://www.wsdot.com/traffic/passes/

A couple factors to think about in your decision on when to visit out here. (1) Spring: Snow at the higher elevations...some Mt. passes are closed until late spring/early summer because of the snow pack (e.g. the N. Cascades Highway (WA-20) here normally does get plowed for opening until about Memorial Day, the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier NP is even later. Mt. Passes in CO, UT, etc. are at higher elevations than these two.) Snow pack in Washington Cascades is currently at 120% of a normal year. The main highways get plowed, but research campgrounds for snowpack and opening dates. (2) Autumn: Fires. Each year the summer fire season in the mountains out here and in the arid regions in between seem to get worse and last longer. Last September the day before were to leave home to pull our TT to West Glacier, the fire near their exploded and the entire region was evacuated. Needless to say, our plans changed immediately. The huge region between and including the Cascades to the Rockies is prime each year. The Olympic Mts. not so much so.

Padlin you have targeted the heart of the watermelon.
The spring can also be a great time to out there.

The spring snow on the mountains is nice.

The fall colors and the elk horns is nice.

Less people when kids are in school.