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US 59 from MO to Canada and beyond?

1100Sabre
Explorer
Explorer
This year our annual cross country motorcycle trip will be going to Canada. I've checked the map and I see US 59 runs north and south and we could pick it up in north MO. Any one travel along this route? This trip will only be on the motorcycle and tent camping every night so we will be looking for campgrounds along the way. Let me know of any experiences along this route.
Oh BTW, this is our 7th year for our annual cross country ride. We are gone around 10-12 days, tent camping only and average around 450 miles per day. The most we've done is 10 days and 5100 miles. Since the truck and camper stay at home on this trip the wifey stays home too. Guys only go on this ride.
2015 4X4 Chevrolet Duramax/Allison 3500HD Crew Cab SRW
2007 Sportsman Sportster KZ 33P Toy Hauler
"It's not the destination, it's the journey."
4 REPLIES 4

1100Sabre
Explorer
Explorer
We try to stay off the interstates anytime we travel. We've really seen some cool stuff taking two lanes through small towns. My inlaws won't even consider traveling anything but interstate! Once they called us at home asking us to find a place for the night. The wifey searched the internet and found a campground close to their location but when she told her mom it was about 8 miles from the interstate they freaked out!!!!! Lol!! I think they stayed in a flying J that night.....
2015 4X4 Chevrolet Duramax/Allison 3500HD Crew Cab SRW
2007 Sportsman Sportster KZ 33P Toy Hauler
"It's not the destination, it's the journey."

paulj
Explorer II
Explorer II
On GMaps it looks like many miles of straight flat riding past cornfields, with an occasional curve as it passes through towns. And a cluster of lakes in the Detroit Lakes area. Northern Minnesota has lots of lakes and woods, but most of that is further east (along US71). But if you get tired of US59, you could always skip west a bit and take I29. 🙂

tatest
Explorer II
Explorer II
I regularly drive US-59 between eastern Oklahoma and St Joseph because it does a good job of avoiding major urban areas, however this is one of the routes that did not get selected for upgrades when the national trunk highway plan was updated in the late 1980s so you will go through the middle of every small town, and small to medium cities will have you in urban and suburban traffic.

I used to take 59 north from St Joe into SW Minnesota, remember it as mostly rural (expect slow moving equipment in season) but like Bumpy, for me this section was a long time ago, and some of the places along the road have grown. Was not camping then, so can't help on CGs. It is an area where there are flood control facilities for Mississippi tributaries, so check recreation.gov for Corps of Engineer campgrounds inthe areas you will travel. Those are usually nice for tenting and seldom restrict motorcycles.
Tom Test
Itasca Spirit 29B

Bumpyroad
Explorer
Explorer
we used to take 59 from SW Iowa to SW Minnesota all the time. seemed less truck traffic than on 71. been years since I have been on it however.
bumpy