RV trip from KY to Boise-help needed

[cmyUSA]

Hello, everyone. I'm new here.

My husband and I are quickly planning a last-minute trip to Boise, ID from KY. We will travel the Interstate until we get to Grand Island, NE. Then we plan to do some scenic routes from there, passing through Douglas and Jackson, WY.

I have read through many of the threads and I must thank you all for the heads up on the Teton Pass and The Mountain Directory.

We do not plan to sightsee on the way west and we plan to stop each evening no later than 6pm.

So, I would like to ask you to chime in on any other dangers, alternate routes or suggestions on our plan.

Thanks!

[RGar974417]

One suggestion I have is take Rt 36 across Missouri instead of I-70. It's a 4 lane 65mph divided highway. There are two Missouri State parks along this route,one is Perhsing State Park which we stayed at. $19 a night with electric and it's right off the higway. The other is Long Branch which we have not stayed at. At the west end of 36 you can hit I-29 north to get to I-80.We took a short cut from I-29 to I-80 by hitting route 6. Probably saves close to 100 miles . We stayed at Olagalla Recreation are. Nice state park under tall trees by a lake with electric. $23 a night. We also stopped at the Harold Warp Pioneer Museum in Minden,Neb. If you like history,old cars, trucks,tractors or motorcycles, the is a greta place to stop. They have a campground next to the Museum. It was $36 a night,but included one ticket to the museum.

[cmyUSA]

Thanks, everyone, for the suggestions.

We have reached our destination, fairly uneventfully. Husband handled the Togwotee Pass masterfully and there was quite a bit of snow left up there, which we enjoyed seeing.

Our only problem was the loss of the engine air conditioner, but at least the generator and house air kept us cool when needed. Now we have a month in Boise to get that working before we make our trip back to KY.

[fanrgs]

cmyUSA wrote:
The Togwotee Pass is not a problem, then? Do you have any knowledge of any the routes E of the Togwotee Pass to the eastern border with Nebraska? I am considering 26/287 to Muddy Gap, 220 to Casper, I25 to Orin, then 20 into Nebraska.

The pass is not like going over the Continental Divide in Colorado, so has never been a problem for us. Your route to Nebraska sounds fine. All fairly heavily traveled highways and keeps you off the Interstates except for that short stretch of I-25, if that's what you are aiming for. You could even stop at the Ft. Robinson State Park campground for a night and visit the Fur Trade Museum in Chadron along that highway.

But, if you are really interested in Western history, an alternative across western Nebraska would be to stay on I-25 to US 26. Then you can stop at Ft. Laramie NHS, Scott's Bluff National Monument, and Chimney Rock NHS to see some of the most famous stops and landmarks along the Oregon-California Trail. Admittedly that route gets you to I-80 sooner, but can certainly be fun for history buffs.

Enjoy the trip!

[cmyUSA]

Itchey Feet wrote:
It's not absolutely necessary to go to Jackson to get to Alpine Junction. The southern route 220 to Muddy Gap to hwy 20 over South Pass to Farson, north to Pinedale, south of Jackson along Hoback River to Alpine Jct. then west to Idaho Falls, Hwy 20 to Arco, to Craters of the Moon to Mountain Home is a bit shorter. Camp at Twin Pines Campground outside Lander, Boulder (Pinedale doesn't have campground), Craters of the Moon, Snake River RV in Idaho Falls and Mountain Home RV Park in Mountain Home. Depends on how hard you need to travel. If you must "interstate" it, Idaho has excellent state parks Massacre Rocks, Three Island Crossing. Recently travelled that route with our TT and thoroughly enjoyed it. Do watch for deer and elk crossings. Have a safe trip.

Thanks for these suggestions, especially the campgrounds. This is just what I was looking for.

[cmyUSA]

fanrgs wrote:
Not sure why Teton Pass is a concern as it is on WY 22, not on US 26, the major highway west from Jackson. If you take US 26 from Caspar, WY to Jackson, then you stay on it to Alpine Junction and Idaho Falls and take US 20 to Mountain Home and Boise. We did that route several years ago with our trailer. It was great road all the way and had some terrific "windshield scenery"--Jackson Lake and the Tetons of course, but also the Togwotee Pass stretch, the Snake River canyon between Jackson and the Idaho border, and Craters of the Moon NM.

When I originally planned the trip in the Good Sam Trip Planner, it routed me through the Teton Pass. It was only reading some threads here that I found out it was a problem.

So, my new route is the exact route you have suggested. On a previous trip we did the Craters of the Moon and the Snake River Canyon, but we were in a car then.

The Togwotee Pass is not a problem, then?

Do you have any knowledge of any the routes E of the Togwotee Pass to the eastern border with Nebraska? I am considering 26/287 to Muddy Gap, 220 to Casper, I25 to Orin, then 20 into Nebraska.

[cmyUSA]

ChuckV1 wrote:
I would go I-80 to Little America and then go north on US 30to US188, small pass on US188, 30 and 188 is a teo line HWY in goo condition and puts you into the lower end of Idaho ...

That does look like a good alternative, but I have my heart set on getting off I80 sooner rather than later.

[Itchey_Feet]

It's not absolutely necessary to go to Jackson to get to Alpine Junction. The southern route 220 to Muddy Gap to hwy 20 over South Pass to Farson, north to Pinedale, south of Jackson along Hoback River to Alpine Jct. then west to Idaho Falls, Hwy 20 to Arco, to Craters of the Moon to Mountain Home is a bit shorter. Camp at Twin Pines Campground outside Lander, Boulder (Pinedale doesn't have campground), Craters of the Moon, Snake River RV in Idaho Falls and Mountain Home RV Park in Mountain Home. Depends on how hard you need to travel. If you must "interstate" it, Idaho has excellent state parks Massacre Rocks, Three Island Crossing. Recently travelled that route with our TT and thoroughly enjoyed it. Do watch for deer and elk crossings. Have a safe trip.

[fanrgs]

Not sure why Teton Pass is a concern as it is on WY 22, not on US 26, the major highway west from Jackson. If you take US 26 from Caspar, WY to Jackson, then you stay on it to Alpine Junction and Idaho Falls and take US 20 to Mountain Home and Boise. We did that route several years ago with our trailer. It was great road all the way and had some terrific "windshield scenery"--Jackson Lake and the Tetons of course, but also the Togwotee Pass stretch, the Snake River canyon between Jackson and the Idaho border, and Craters of the Moon NM.

[ChuckV1]

I would go I-80 to Little America and then go north on US 30to US188, small pass on US188, 30 and 188 is a teo line HWY in goo condition and puts you into the lower end of Idaho ...

[cmyUSA]

Thanks for the reply. Perhaps I didn't give enough information in my OP.

We are taking the 6 days just to reach Boise. Once we get there, we will be staying for a month visiting family.

We normally only travel off the interstate, but feel we really don't have the time to do the entire distance in the 6 days since we must be in Boise on June 8.

So, in looking at the route, we have decided to get off I80 in Grand Island, NE. We get a little of what we really like to do when driving, the backroads. This route puts us on the Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway and continuing onto 20/26 for the remainder of the trip, through WY and on into ID.

I read through some threads and found where they said the Teton Pass was not advisable for RV's, so I felt I needed to ask for help to see if there were any other things I needed to know, good or bad.

We do boondock, but don't like to wait until 9pm to stop. We are in a 36' gas motorhome with no toad. Unless we are seeing some vista from our front windshield, we aren't sightseeing. We will save that for our return back to KY, which most probably won't be on this route.

Appreciate your help.

[Ivylog]

Guess in my 50 years of RVing I missed what's of interest near Grand Island, NE so I'd get off of I-80 before Rawlins, WY. Also, it does not get dark until 9PM and you gain an hour every now and then going west so we do the 1500 miles to CO in two days...same distance as Louisville to the Tetons.

No way to figure out what type of RV you have, if you boondock, or how long you have for this trip but it sounds like it might be a short trip time wise. I would do the 1400 miles to Lander, WY in two days: even doing the 300 miles to get you west of St Lou the evening before you planed on leaving. At Lander or Riverton I'd leave the RV there and day trip to Thermopolis by PU or car. 286 is my favorite way into the Tetons.

Time to stop guessing.