Cross Country Road Trip Routes

[Buster Highmen]

Black Hills are really cool, some great fishing & mtb. one of those cool overlooked places. You really can't beat the loop from Red Lodge down through Yellostone/JH. Kids love the dinosaur national monument. Flaming Gorge is amazing geology. Moab/Bryce also unworldly cool.

[doebedoe]

I'd personally go Northern if you've got the time.

N. Michigan and the UP are both pretty cool, then you hit N. Wisco which is big ass forest. Great forest/lakes/relaxed vibes all over those parts.

You can resupply in Twin Cities which is gorgeous in summer (even this one), dip down to S. Dakota to hit Badlands, Rapid City, Black Hills, Crazy Horse.

Into Wyoming to Devils Tower, camp in Big Horn Natl forest/Cloud Peak Wilderness, then either Yellowstone->Jackson->SLC or wrap north and hit Bozeman->Big Sky, etc. Close it out with big couple days of driving down south.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

People worried about the heat? Motherfucker's moving to Las Vegas. Better get used to it.

[plugboots]

I’d go Buster’s route, l love the northern bit and I love Yellowstone and then the National Parks in Utah, but you have a dog so that does make the National Parks problematic, so keep that in mind.

[Danno]

Always go with Buster's suggestion, if he offers one. Dude is a road trip gold mine.

[ill-advised strategy]

Which brewery, eh?

Drifa

[MarcusBrody]

People worried about the heat? Motherfucker's moving to Las Vegas. Better get used to it.

Heh, very true. It will be ungodly hot for a quarter of the year, but once we get to Las Vegas, we will be doing our cooking and sleeping from the comfy confines of our air conditioned home rather than a tent/camp ground.

Buster's route seems golden. I'm just not sure we'll have the time unless we manage to extend the trip a bit. Like Whiteroom_Guardian said, things always take a while and if we have too much transit driving, we won't get to see as much. On the plus side, my son is pretty darn good at riding in the car. We pretty regularly do 2 hours and somewhat regularly 3 just to explore different places around here kayaking or hiking. If we can get a couple 6-8 hour days snuck in where we get a few extra hours at night then sleep in a hotel (and so don't have to set up the tent and the like), I think he can handle 4 hours of driving broken up into 2 or 3 chunks, which would allow us a couple of play hours a day at different spots where we can hike/bike/paddle.

[schindlerpiste]

I have done all three (10, 80 and 90). I will do 10 again, this summer.
I-80 is boring as anything from South Bend, or at most Chicago, to Denver.
I- 10 is hot as hell during the summer, but sucks only thru TX.
I-90 (Chi) to I94 (Butte) to I-15, gives you a great look at a lot of different landscapes.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

Heh, very true. It will be ungodly hot for a quarter of the year, but once we get to Las Vegas, we will be doing our cooking and sleeping from the comfy confines of our air conditioned home rather than a tent/camp ground.

Buster's route seems golden. I'm just not sure we'll have the time unless we manage to extend the trip a bit. Like Whiteroom_Guardian said, things always take a while and if we have too much transit driving, we won't get to see as much. On the plus side, my son is pretty darn good at riding in the car. We pretty regularly do 2 hours and somewhat regularly 3 just to explore different places around here kayaking or hiking. If we can get a couple 6-8 hour days snuck in where we get a few extra hours at night then sleep in a hotel (and so don't have to set up the tent and the like), I think he can handle 4 hours of driving broken up into 2 or 3 chunks, which would allow us a couple of play hours a day at different spots where we can hike/bike/paddle.

Night driving was always a good way to make some miles when our offspring were younger and non cooperative during road trips. Wear them out, a big dinner and they'd be zonked out in the back seat. Didn't even need to resort to the Benedryl.

[gatorboy]

Michigan State Parks are very busy, due to being able to open for the 2020 season yesterday.

Hopefully this link will help: https://www.midnrreservations.com/cr...T00:00:00.000Z

It's truly the easiest way to find out which parks have camping available for the dates you want.

[gatorboy]

Drifa

Lucky You!
Hopefully you have the $99 lifetime membership.
When I'm in Marquette, I make a point to stop at Black Rocks...but Drifa will now be on my list. Cheers!

[Danno]

On the plus side, my son is pretty darn good at riding in the car. We pretty regularly do 2 hours and somewhat regularly 3 just to explore different places around here kayaking or hiking. If we can get a couple 6-8 hour days snuck in where we get a few extra hours at night then sleep in a hotel (and so don't have to set up the tent and the like), I think he can handle 4 hours of driving broken up into 2 or 3 chunks, which would allow us a couple of play hours a day at different spots where we can hike/bike/paddle.

You should be able to do more than that. We have taken my kid to OK every year, sometimes twice a year, and that's 750 miles that we do in a single day. We also have driven to Oregon from CO, pulling a camper, with 3 straight 10-12 hour days. As someone else posted, nap time (if he naps) is great driving time. Also, sometimes we get up at the ass crack of dawn and wake her up just enough to put her in the car; she goes back to sleep, and we get a solid 2-3 hours in before she wakes up.

[MarcusBrody]

Michigan State Parks are very busy, due to being able to open for the 2020 season yesterday.

Hopefully this link will help: https://www.midnrreservations.com/cr...T00:00:00.000Z

It's truly the easiest way to find out which parks have camping available for the dates you want.

Thanks for the heads up. That's really helpful. Hopefully some of the crush will have dissipated before we get there in a month or so, but that website is great to have.

[uglymoney]

The first few days of July are typically the hottest days of the year here in Iowa - and unlike Vegas it doesn't cool down at night. Sleeping at night in a tent can be damned near impossible all the way to the other side of Denver and the weather here can be downright hostile to camping in a tent. Just yesterday we had 3-5 inches of rain overnight across my region. At least on I-90 you get to the Black Hills and have a chance at sleeeeeep. 6 hours from there to Red Lodge for more cool sleep. Buy a couple of USB fans. They'll run all night on a phone charger battery - or several nights if you have a big one like I do - and they give you a chance to sleep.

If you do come through Iowa by far the best camping off of I-80 is going to be found at Army Corps reservoirs near Cedar Rapids/Iowa City and Des Moines.

USB fan essential car camping accessory

[DJSapp]

Northern route for sure. If you can cross through Canada over the top of the lakes do so, but I doubt Covid will allow that.

I-90 road trip: Great Lakes, Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Dinosaur (if the kid is into it, I was at age 5), maybe up to Glacier. With a dog and little kid in the car, I'd take a less windy path through the mountains as I recall really hating road trips on US 40 and 50 across CO. Mountain driving just isn't that much fun for a kid looking out of a backseat window. I liked spending time at the NP's, so I'd focus on time at those and hit the stuff north of I-70 as all of Southern UT and AZ is easy striking distance from LV and you can get that later. Not discounting Moab, Arches, Monument Valley, Grand Cayon, Zion, etc., it's just close to Vegas.

Buy some real fireworks on a reservation along the way

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

Northern route for sure. If you can cross through Canada over the top of the lakes do so, but I doubt Covid will allow that.

I-90 road trip: Great Lakes, Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Dinosaur (if the kid is into it, I was at age 5), maybe up to Glacier. With a dog and little kid in the car, I'd take a less windy path through the mountains as I recall really hating road trips on US 40 and 50 across CO. Mountain driving just isn't that much fun for a kid looking out of a backseat window. I liked spending time at the NP's, so I'd focus on time at those and hit the stuff north of I-70 as all of Southern UT and AZ is easy striking distance from LV and you can get that later. Not discounting Moab, Arches, Monument Valley, Grand Cayon, Zion, etc., it's just close to Vegas.

Buy some real fireworks on a reservation along the way

Oh yeah.. the Paiute rez on I 15 has a kickass fireworks store.

[Thaleia]

Take that northern route. It's gonna be hot as BALLS on that southern route. And that middle route? I-80 through Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska? FTS.

I know there's a ton of factors OP is considering, but yeah, that stretch jumped out to me as avoid at all costs. That said I'm not familiar with East-West routes south of I80, just north.

[muted]

Northern route is great, but I'd imagine the detour through Michigan would really wear on you towards the end of the trip. That's a lot of miles.

Once you are around wyoming, i'd try this:



This puts you over a couple sweet mountain passes. The one over the Bighorns is nice and remote (but it's a well-maintained highway, 'remote' is relative), and then there is Beartooth highway at 11,000 feet which is spectacular. Cooke City on the other side is a very cool small mountain town, and then drift your way to JXN. Going through the park is slow with animal traffic/spotting and a low speed limit though. But lotsa easy stops all over the park.

Also, the road from Bridger, MT to Red Lodge on this map is paved and great. It may look like a dirt road on Google but it's not. On this road in Bearcreek there is a place with pig racing weekend nights btw.

From JXN you can beeline it on i15 with lotsa cool stops still to do, or take the backroads of 191 to the middle of Utah then head to vegas via interstate or more backroads. Lotta good stuff in those miles!

[Core Shot]

Take the Northerly route through da UP, Minnestoa, So Dak, MT (Red Lodge, Beartooth, Livingston, Jellystone), down through JH, stay in Pinedale (lots cheaper) and follow the spine of the Rockies: 191 through Rock Springs to Flaming Gorge, Vernal, Dinosaur National Monument. Either split off towards Helper/Price->Green River->Moab, then over to Telluride or stay on the spine through Meeker to Grand Junction->Ouray->Silverton->Durango->Mesa Verde->Bryce Canyon->Mexican Hat->Flagstaff/Grand Canyon then LV.

Stay high, stay cool.

Yup. Perfection.

Mackinaw and up is a detour. But beautiful.

You could also take 80 out to 90 to mini soda and the badlands etc to shorten the trip. But if you have time da u p is so nice in summer. Drink a point double bock at a fish boil and you can claim being in Wisconsin.

[Core Shot]

Oh yeah.. the Paiute rez on I 15 has a kickass fireworks store.

Chicken Wing?

[Djongo Unchained]

If you come down through JH, you're welcome to stay here at the house of 420.
Nestled in metro Jackson, TRGZ ground zero.

You can either camp on the ultra plush lawn, with a fenced backyard for doggage and kiddage.
Or, Gots a guestroom if ya need a bed and/or a futon/pullout couch.
Brewpubs within 4 blocks. GTNP gate about 12 miles, Jellystone 60 miles.

It's hard to stay here for cheap, invitation is open.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I just drove from Orlando to JH in 3 days about a month ago. Southern tier to DFW, then NW to Trinidad, CO. Diagonal thru to JH, was great, easy no traffic and cheap gas.
and a $99 dollar one way rental to boot.
Sightseeing shouldn't be drenching sweat uncomfortable. I guess unless your beside a lake...

[MarcusBrody]

If you come down through JH, you're welcome to stay here at the house of 420.
Nestled in metro Jackson, TRGZ ground zero.

You can either camp on the ultra plush lawn, with a fenced backyard for doggage and kiddage.
Or, Gots a guestroom if ya need a bed and/or a futon/pullout couch.
Brewpubs within 4 blocks. GTNP gate about 12 miles, Jellystone 60 miles.

It's hard to stay here for cheap, invitation is open.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I just drove from Orlando to JH in 3 days about a month ago. Southern tier to DFW, then NW to Trinidad, CO. Diagonal thru to JH, was great, easy no traffic and cheap gas.
and a $99 dollar one way rental to boot.
Sightseeing shouldn't be drenching sweat uncomfortable. I guess unless your beside a lake...

Thanks! Sounds like a really nice set up in a town I hear is alright... Ha Depending on our final route, I may be reaching out!

We're not totally committed to seeing every sight along the way, but if we have to make the drive, we might as well make it fun. Though you're right: if the weather is miserable or other circumstances make things inconvenient, there will be a much greater temptation to just drive straight through, set up at home, then head out for non-migratory road trips when conditions are more favorable.

[ötzi]

I'd take Rte. 2 all the way out to North Adams. And then turn around.

[ill-advised strategy]

How’s it going out there?

[powpig]

Utah Hwy 12 from Capitol Reef down to Bryce is outstanding scenery, love that route.
Then swing south and drive through Zion.