Ma. to Custer SP

[Padlin]

Heading out Aug 28th figuring on 7 days travel, would like to try out avoiding highways for most of the trip. If any of you can comment on any portions of my route or the whole thing, either pro or con, I'd appreciate it. This is our 1st try with non highway distance travel, trying to avoid the long boring highway. Of course back roads through the midwest may prove just as boring.

I84W from Hartford to Scranton
I81S Scranton to I80W
I80W to roughly Akron and pick up 224W
224W to 24W south of Ft Wayne to Peoria
I74W to 34W to outside Omaha (used to live there)
Take 275 out of Omaha to 20 across Ne.
Then either 83 or 385 depending on if we decide to stop at the Badlands or go right to Custer.

Note: we do not have reservations for stops on the way out or back, hopefully this won't be a big problem as we'll be traveling through the holiday weekend...

[SDcampowneroper]

US 20 across Ne. is quite scenic through the sandhills and along the Niobrara River. 385 N out of Chadron ,Ne is a fine route to bring you to the Hiils, then stay on it through Hot Springs to Custer City, then e. on 16/16a into CSP, or continue n. on sd79 from the junction of 385& 79 to sd 36 direct into CSP.
MAKE RESERVATIONS for a site in Custer State park. Do not 'wing it '.
Visit Badlands NP on your way back east out of the Black Hills. Use sd 44 to Interior,SD, then back up through the 'Wall' to I 90 E.

[CloudDriver]

We have not done route 224, but have used I80 to I76 to I71 to Mansfield OH then route 30 across OH and IN. Route 30 is a good divided highway with not a lot of trucks. We picked up 224 to avoid Fort Wayne and then joined 24, which is divided highway as far as Logansport.

We have also used 34 from south of Omaha to Grand Island then 30 across NE to Ogalalla then 26 on the WY. Good 2 lane with occasional slowdowns for small towns.

We came home from Yellowstone over the recent 4th of July holiday weekend and had no problem getting sites with a call a day or two in advance. Lots of college kids should be back in school at the end of the month so you should be OK.