• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

THE 2021 Montana MOA Re-Schedule (previous 2020 Great Falls Thread)

Much appreciate your perspective and advice Kevin. I'm wondering though, did you folks just suffer the 1st day of through opening "extra" chaos?

I believe that with our dates of the Great Falls Rally, many will be east to west through the Park... and it likely will be Sunday June 28th, day of rally departure.

Mostly because, those out riding/traveling for the event the preceding weekend (near your date yesterday)... cannot assure the road is open by then!

There are two other viable choices that should result in more pleasant travel...

1. If Eastbound for the ExpoPark: "Hope" to ride over/through possibly Monday 6/22...better yet, Tuesday or Wednesday of Rally Week.

2. If Westbound after Rally: Lag around and stay on the East side (Glacier/Waterton) Sunday... then cross through Monday OR... on a weekday.

"travel'n" John
 
We are a day-ride away from Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. Both are becoming intolerable due to the summer crowds and the rude behavior of people. We are fortumate to be able to visit Yellowstone in the early spring and fall when there are few people. In the summer both parks are reflections of the cesspools that are modern American cities.

---KLH

I feel your pain. Here in UT we have 5 national parks. Two—Zions and Arches—have become all but impossible to enjoy due to the overwhelming crush of tourists and vehicles, especially the tour busses disgorging reams of passengers. Our local club used to enjoy spring or fall campouts at those locations but had to give up on them years ago due to the overcrowding. Arches now routinely has vehicles lined up for over a quarter-mile waiting to enter the park, and there are plans to extend space for the line. Zions bars private vehicle entry and requires parking outside the park and riding a shuttle bus into the park.

Since US2 bypasses Glacier around the south end, my prediction is that you’ll eventually see a Zions-style bussing solution applied there. And Yellowstone, with it’s flow-through traffic, is just a hopeless case unless some new bypass routes are created.

Best,
DG
 
I've always had the best rides over Going to the Sun later in the fall when the crowds have died down. Early morning is still the best time to get on it as even then it gets busier later in the day. Unfortunately, this will not help those wishing to enjoy it during the rally.
 
Since US2 bypasses Glacier around the south end, my prediction is that you’ll eventually see a Zions-style bussing solution applied there.

If we every go back to Glacier I would like to take one of the old tour buses.

P8210026.JPG
 
Washington DC to Great Falls

After the fun ride from DC to Nashville almost entirely on back roads, and the fun there getting into my first MOA rally since Charleston, WV, and the not-miserable (wasn't quite fun but was a ton better than sitting in an office chair) ride home mostly on Interstate through the hills/mountains of KY and WV, I'm starting to fantasize about going to the rally in Great Falls. No way I can swing the time to ride out and back (work, family, etc...and to be honest slogging for hours on end to cover over 2000 miles each way is not my idea of good fun), so I'm contemplating a ship/fly/ride scenario. Got family in Colorado Springs, which would make a really fun 3-4 days riding up to the rally).

Might consider a rental somewhere under a 500-800 miles, if one exists.

Still early but it's going to be fun way to keep warm this winter.
 
A couple of years ago Voni and I rode it east to west starting at daybreak. We passed only one car and when we reached the west gate traffic was lined up two lanes wide for 3 blocks. East to west is indeed the best, as Kevin said, and early is when to do it.
 
A couple of years ago Voni and I rode it east to west starting at daybreak. We passed only one car and when we reached the west gate traffic was lined up two lanes wide for 3 blocks. East to west is indeed the best, as Kevin said, and early is when to do it.

So despite what my wife says, there are advantages to waking up at 5am and being on the road by 6!

Pete
 
A couple of years ago Voni and I rode it east to west starting at daybreak. We passed only one car and when we reached the west gate traffic was lined up two lanes wide for 3 blocks. East to west is indeed the best, as Kevin said, and early is when to do it.

I would expect the time of day had something to do with it. If you head out at 6AM but the time you got to the west gate is had to be 2 hours later and all the tourists were awake. East to west is probably faster, but ride it mid day and I bet you will fight traffic.

I have ridden Going to the Sun several times, all west to east. The last time was July '16. Have I had to wait for traffic, sure, but not much, nothing I would not expect for the situation. In the middle of the day, no matter which direction you ride it you will have to stop for traffic and pedestrians. I have seen plenty of traffic going either direction.

Same with any large National Park. We have been to Yellowstone a few times. We like to get out early, and pack it in by mid afternoon. The traffic is almost nonexistant until 10 AM, then it gets worse until mid day and stays that way until late afternoon. The times we have been at the Sturgis Rally it is the same. We get up early and are riding when the sun comes up. The roads are empty, by noon all the alcoholics have finally crawled out and decided to ride through the Black Hills at 20 MPH. We bail out and head for Sturgis and people watch.
 
National Park Traffic

Same with any large National Park. We have been to Yellowstone a few times. We like to get out early, and pack it in by mid afternoon. The traffic is almost nonexistant until 10 AM, then it gets worse until mid day and stays that way until late afternoon. The times we have been at the Sturgis Rally it is the same. We get up early and are riding when the sun comes up. The roads are empty, by noon all the alcoholics have finally crawled out and decided to ride through the Black Hills at 20 MPH. We bail out and head for Sturgis and people watch.

Absolute agreement!! The trick to any National Park (we live near RMNP and ride it often) is to get up early!! The tourist seem to want to sleep in (they are after all on vacation) and don't get moving much until about 1000 hrs. Then look out!! We have actually ridden over Trail Ridge in peak season with minimum traffic by using this plan! HOWEVER, we NEVER come back across later in the day!
 
planning trip from Alaska

I'm thinking of making the trip on my Bagger from Alaska. I think the planning needs to start now.
 
NorthEastern California

Well, I would be riding in from the far NorthEastern corner of California, and I am looking forward to the ride and to the event. I’ll ride through Eastern Oregon, into Idaho and then into a Montana, all without freeways! It’ll be my first National rally, and now the waiting begins! :)
 
That my friend...

Well, I would be riding in from the far NorthEastern corner of California, and I am looking forward to the ride and to the event. I’ll ride through Eastern Oregon, into Idaho and then into a Montana, all without freeways! It’ll be my first National rally, and now the waiting begins! :)

... will be a popular route! It may actually comprise a posse of BMW riders on that general routing, about Saturday through Tuesday of Rally week.

"travel'n" John
 
Expo Grounds Visit

I had a chance to ride around inside the Expo Park grounds today. WOW. What a neat place. Trees and green grass everywhere. Plenty of shade trees to relax or camp under. All roads even the small ones are paved and appear to be well taken care of. It has a lot of similarities to the MN State Fair grounds except more trees. All the grass sites appear to be flat so no sliding out of your tent. Also guessing the RV parking should not have to be in a dusty area like in Minnesota. There was an area I could not get in to but probably more the rodeo grounds based on seeing at a distance.
 
I had a chance to ride around inside the Expo Park grounds today. WOW. What a neat place. Trees and green grass everywhere. Plenty of shade trees to relax or camp under. All roads even the small ones are paved and appear to be well taken care of. It has a lot of similarities to the MN State Fair grounds except more trees. All the grass sites appear to be flat so no sliding out of your tent. Also guessing the RV parking should not have to be in a dusty area like in Minnesota. There was an area I could not get in to but probably more the rodeo grounds based on seeing at a distance.


Hope you put up your tent to reserve the best site! You can never be too early on these things! :ha
 
I had a chance to ride around inside the Expo Park grounds today. WOW. What a neat place. Trees and green grass everywhere. Plenty of shade trees to relax or camp under. All roads even the small ones are paved and appear to be well taken care of. It has a lot of similarities to the MN State Fair grounds except more trees. All the grass sites appear to be flat so no sliding out of your tent. Also guessing the RV parking should not have to be in a dusty area like in Minnesota. There was an area I could not get in to but probably more the rodeo grounds based on seeing at a distance.

Thanks Darrell.
 
My recommendation for the Going to the Sun road is to always take the free shuttle (before or after you ride it on your motobike). That way you get to see all the stuff you missed!
 
Is this official??

Joe
It better be. We're booked :)

Rooms at Lebanon filled up fast and there are only a couple of walking distance hotels in Great Falls. Rates will likely go up as well once word gets out. Great destination, and we need another trip out west.
 
Back
Top