• Welcome Guest! If you are already a member of the BMW MOA, please log in to the forum in the upper right hand corner of this page. Check "Remember Me?" if you wish to stay logged in.

    We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMWMOA forum provides. Why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the club magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMWMOA offers?

    Want to read the MOA monthly magazine for free? Take a 3-month test ride of the magazine; check here for details.

  • NOTE. Some content will be hidden from you. If you want to view all content, you must register for the forum if you are not a member, or if a member, you must be logged in.

Rally Routes

9

99052

Guest
To the riders who are asking about routes to the Spokane rally, I would be very disappointed if any of you choose to ride the interstate slab! If you are coming from the east or south east you need to go through Cody Wyoming, Chief Joseph highway and the bear tooth pass and Yellowstone park all in the Northwest corner of Wyoming ( South west corner of Montana). Next Central Idaho, Ketchum/Sun Valley north to Stanley, Salmon, North to Lolo pass west into the panhandle of Idaho. North to Spokane. If you want to see some country, ride twisties and have a great vacation DO NOT RIDE THE INTERSTATE. We have the best riding in the states in this area. Welcome and be safe.

Dormer.
 
I can cast a vote for Yellowstone, Chief Joseph, Beartooth Pass and the surrounding roads as being some of the best I've ever ridden. Specatularly beautiful and challenging roads make you decide whether you want to look or ride. We spent a lot of time looking between thrilling rides.
 
I would add to that, a note about the last 100 miles of I-90 in MT and from MT through the panhandle of Idaho: If you're short for time or riding two-up on a fully loaded LT and your passenger has had enough twisties, then don't overlook riding this particular stretch of the superslab - it literally is SUPER! It is mountainous, along the rivers and over the summits, divided two-lane with highspeed sweepers, and corners where you run the risk of running off the road and down into a ravine if you aren't paying attention.

There are no bad options in this area. I-90 is pretty nice cruising from the junction with I-15 and it doesn't get boring again until you're practically at the fairgrounds exit. (No offense to the rest of WA - it's pretty at the Cascades, too.)
 
Yellowstone, etc

As mentioned before, you miss a lot of the real beauty of this country plus you forfeit some of the true riding pleasure by traveling by way of the super-slab. However, if you have come too far and you're dead tired and can't wait for Spokane to come into view then maybe the highway is your best bet. One thing about the super-slab is certain .......... it saves time.

Question: For those of us traveling from the East and wanting to check out the parks and the backroads with their twists and turns and yet want to live out of a tent, are there plenty of campgrouds along the way after you pass through Yellowstone? The Rand McNally map shows they are far and few between.
 
"Plenty of campgrounds?" Yes.

Any space available? Maybe. Mid-July is high season and lots of folks go to BLM sites and live there all summer, only moving because they stayed the limit. Then they move to the next BLM site and live there. I've seen 'em have astroturf and container gardens at their camp sites.

My recommendation is always to look ahead at least a day if not two, and call ahead to where you want to be, if you are wanting commercial/private/developed campgrounds. Otherwise, plan on stopping early in the day if you want State/Forest Service space, and anything on a lake will probably be full Thurs-Mon.

In Glacier Park I've found the best thing is to cruise through the campground around 9:30 am and claim a space as someone is pulling out, set up, and then ride locally all day. Next morning, move out early. I pack along bright orange surveyor's flagging and tape off the parking spot for my site, to show it's occuppied; being on a bike means very little stuff is visible and the site looks available.
 
Thanks, Montana, for the good information on camping. I'll remember what you said about "checking-in" early in the day. I'll also be sure to get the latest, updated map when I cross the state border.

My main concern with camping facilities is finding a place to pitch my tent at night during my trip from Indiana to Spokane. Past experience tells me it is hard to determine where I'll be from one day to the next while sight-seeing since the terrain is often new and unchartered plus the hours can slip away. If I alter my route to make my first-ever trip through Yellowstone Park it is hard to estimate how many hours will pass while I gawk and snap pictures. Also, there's the unexpected July rains which can slow down [or stop] the rider's progress and make it challenging to figure ahead.

Maybe it's time to open the wallet and be prepared to find a motel room from time to time. Hard to do for an aging "mizer." What do you think?
 
When we went to Yellowstone, we camped out side the west gate (if memory serves) at the KOA. We had a full day to ride around the park and gawk without having to worry about where we were staying. Forget about camping in the park unless you make reservations right now.
 
Oh yeah, there's a corner of the park (southeast?) that has all the geysers, paintpots, pools and the like. It also has the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, which is well worth the hike down to see. I should try and find some of my pictures and scan them.

That corner also seems to have all the traffic, so get your "I'm riding in traffic" Mojo working before you head out. Despite the traffic and the bearjams, it's still a fabulous place to visit.
 
Allow me, please...

Bear jams and buffalo jams and elk jams. Sounds like lunch.

This is Yellowstone:
76344.jpg


So is this:
76343.jpg
 
Awsome pictures, Montana! Looks like someone could easily lose themselves in the beauty and magnitude of the park for more than just a couple of hours. I'm truly looking forward to the ride and the scenery.

Thanks for sharing.
 
Black Hills of South Dakota

Hey don't forget about the Black Hills BMW Buffalo Roast ( www.blackhillsbmw.com ) as we are going to be putting on one heck of a rally. The city of Spearfish is closing down main street Friday evening for a Bug-N-SPLAT (show and shine if u must) with an open container during the welcome ceremony. Saturday: morning there is a scheduled poker run with fabulous prizes to be given away. That evening there will be a prize ceremony and WILD WEST BUFFALO FEED, not to mention a LIVE band. Don't miss out on the best SD has to offer. How many places can you go to see what we all have to offer...Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse monuments, ride three canyons, see water falls, explore some of the biggest caves in the world..ex Jewel and Wind Cave, see historic town such as Deadwood(recently shown on HBO), Hill City, legendary Stugis...and get to experience a real life wild west buffalo feed. Don't miss out on this one! You can check us out at www.blackhillsbmw.com . Hope to see you all there!
 
Pics of Black Hills BMW Rally Roads

canyon
 

Attachments

  • bridal1[1].jpg
    bridal1[1].jpg
    8.5 KB · Views: 679
Pic

were was that pic? Was that in the Black Hills of SD?
 

Attachments

  • dark[1].jpg
    dark[1].jpg
    3.3 KB · Views: 640
more pic

more pic
 

Attachments

  • tn_10030027_jpg[1].jpg
    tn_10030027_jpg[1].jpg
    4.3 KB · Views: 366
more pic

more pic
 

Attachments

  • tn_10030011_jpg[1].jpg
    tn_10030011_jpg[1].jpg
    8 KB · Views: 363
Yellowstone

If anyone has questions on Jellystone, you can email me off-list at dkaag@turbonet.com. My wife does research there, and we have been going to the Park, winter and summer, for over 30 years, so we know the Park pretty well. Here are a few hints on camping: Most of the primitive campgrounds, like Indian Creek near Mammoth, and Pebble Creek, have the advantage that they are pretty small for "hard-siders", don't allow them to run their generators, and have special sites for motorcycle and bicycle campers (bear-proof storage containers), which tend to be open when all of the other sites are filled up. Otherwise, if you are planning to camp in the Park, it is best to camp outside the night before, and then hit the campgrounds in the Park at about 0930-1030 to find a recently-vacated spot.
 
WestYellowstone Hotel

When we went to Yellowstone in 98,2000 and 2001 we stay in restful accomodations.
MADISON HOTEL,MOTEL,GIFT SHOP - 139 Yellowstone Avenue.
Box 1370 West Yellowstne,Montana 59758
phone 406-646-9766 or reservations only 800-838-7745
email: MadisonHotel@wyellowstone.com
Surprise low price it wasnÔÇÖt worth pitch tent in KOA and not too many people know about it.
Just take it ease; we planning stay one night this year on the way from Paonia.:dunno
 
Yellowstone, KOA's and etc.

In 2001 I had good luck with our old friends at KOA. Nice thing about KOA's is that you can call ahead in the morning and make a reservation for that evening. There seem to be quite a few in the northern Rockies. Also, they often have a little spot that nobody can squeeze a class A motorhome into.

Re: Yellowstone. I showed up on the way home from Redmond with no reservation, and hit the main desk at the visitor's center about lunchtime. They had an early check-out, and some cancellations available. Unfortunately, you have to go to the reservation desk at the visitor's center in person, but the folks there told me they usually have some spots open up every day. But of course, it's a gamble. :dunno

To echo Chris' comment about the Madison Hotel/Motel/Giftshop/LiveBait, I've spent many pleasant nights in old motels in small towns, all of which were more comfortable than my tent. The AAA guide is helpful in finding some of the inexpensive, independent motels along the way.
 
Back
Top