Ride planning

[PoorUB]

This summer I will be out in Red Lodge and Cody area. We will be leaving Cody and heading for Colorado Springs. Excluding the Cody area as he have been out there many times, but farther south on the way to Denver, is there anything to stop and see? Any interesting rides? Tourist traps? Unusual landscape?

We will most likely run down through Thermopolis, then Rawlins and stay west of the Denver metro area, but the route is flexable. I have driven out there in a pickup, not a lot of desire to do bumper to bumper on I-25 at 80 MPH on a motorcycle!

Maybe from Thermopolis to Casper, then south? Again, it depends on roads and scenery.

We stopped at Thermopolis a couple years ago, so we don't need to do that again, so it will be a gas and food stop.

 

[PoorUB]

Seriously? Nobody has any input about good rides in the area?

 

[pglaves]

Pay particular attention to the weather forecast for that ride from Thermopolis to Rawlins. The last (only) time we rode that we encountered gusty crosswinds with gusts up to 60 mph. And places to seek shelter are few and far between. We rode it in the morning and arrived at Rawlins about noon. We were so wasted from the effort needed to stay on the road we found a motel and checked in about 12:30. Rawlins is noted for having high winds. I have avoided going anywhere near Rawlins ever since.

CO14 from Walden to Fort Collins along the Poudre River is a delightful ride.

 

[6322]

This summer I will be out in Red Lodge and Cody area. We will be leaving Cody and heading for Colorado Springs. Excluding the Cody area as he have been out there many times, but farther south on the way to Denver, is there anything to stop and see? Any interesting rides? Tourist traps? Unusual landscape?

We will most likely run down through Thermopolis, then Rawlins and stay west of the Denver metro area, but the route is flexable. I have driven out there in a pickup, not a lot of desire to do bumper to bumper on I-25 at 80 MPH on a motorcycle!

Maybe from Thermopolis to Casper, then south? Again, it depends on roads and scenery.

We stopped at Thermopolis a couple years ago, so we don't need to do that again, so it will be a gas and food stop.

Have visited Dinosaur National Monument over in the NW corner of CO? Definitely worth a visit. That whole route from Vernal over through Steamboat is nice route if you’re not trying to make time.

 

[glenfiddich]

You don’t say how much time you have, but assuming plenty here’s how I would go
From Red Lodge over Beartooth and Chief Joseph Passes. Pick up ALT14 near Cody and ride past Lovell up that incredible twisting climb into the Bighorns. Check out the Medicine Wheel at the crest and have a Buffalo burger at burgess junction before turning right onto 14 down through the geological wonder of Shell Canyon. South to Ten Sleep where you pick up 16 eastbound through Ten Sleep Canyon where you’ll likely see climbers scaling the vertical cliffs. Leave the Bighorn Range and pass thru Buffalo WY. Stay on 16/14 to Gillette, then angle over to Devils Tower. From there to Belle Fourshe then down to Spearfish SD which has a magnificent city park for camping. Ride Spearfish Canyon into the Black Hills. Be sure to catch Iron Mountain Rd, Sylvan Lake, Rushmore if you can handle throngs of often inconsiderate tourists, and Custer State Park. From there to Cheyenne WY and over the Snowy Range to Centennial, then down to CO 14 and the incredible ride down Cache la Poudre Canyon. From there it’s three hours of traffic to Colorado Springs

 

[pglaves]

You don’t say how much time you have, but assuming plenty here’s how I would go
From Red Lodge over Beartooth and Chief Joseph Passes. Pick up ALT14 near Cody and ride past Lovell up that incredible twisting climb into the Bighorns. Check out the Medicine Wheel at the crest and have a Buffalo burger at burgess junction before turning right onto 14 down through the geological wonder of Shell Canyon. South to Ten Sleep where you pick up 16 eastbound through Ten Sleep Canyon where you’ll likely see climbers scaling the vertical cliffs. Leave the Bighorn Range and pass thru Buffalo WY. Stay on 16/14 to Gillette, then angle over to Devils Tower. From there to Belle Fourshe then down to Spearfish SD which has a magnificent city park for camping. Ride Spearfish Canyon into the Black Hills. Be sure to catch Iron Mountain Rd, Sylvan Lake, Rushmore if you can handle throngs of often inconsiderate tourists, and Custer State Park. From there to Cheyenne WY and over the Snowy Range to Centennial, then down to CO 14 and the incredible ride down Cache la Poudre Canyon. From there it’s three hours of traffic to Colorado Springs

I agree with every word of this post. Voni and I have ridden each of these roads several times (we lived in Kansas) and there is not a bad one among them.

 

[52184]

That’s a great route, loot of great roads and interesting stops along the way. If you stop at Crazy Horse, and you should, plan enough time to walk through the extensive gallery of Ziolkowski’s works.

Best,
DeVern

 

[bigjohnsd]

You don’t say how much time you have, but assuming plenty here’s how I would go
From Red Lodge over Beartooth and Chief Joseph Passes. Pick up ALT14 near Cody and ride past Lovell up that incredible twisting climb into the Bighorns. Check out the Medicine Wheel at the crest and have a Buffalo burger at burgess junction before turning right onto 14 down through the geological wonder of Shell Canyon. South to Ten Sleep where you pick up 16 eastbound through Ten Sleep Canyon where you’ll likely see climbers scaling the vertical cliffs. Leave the Bighorn Range and pass thru Buffalo WY. Stay on 16/14 to Gillette, then angle over to Devils Tower. From there to Belle Fourshe then down to Spearfish SD which has a magnificent city park for camping. Ride Spearfish Canyon into the Black Hills. Be sure to catch Iron Mountain Rd, Sylvan Lake, Rushmore if you can handle throngs of often inconsiderate tourists, and Custer State Park. From there to Cheyenne WY and over the Snowy Range to Centennial, then down to CO 14 and the incredible ride down Cache la Poudre Canyon. From there it’s three hours of traffic to Colorado Springs

From Custer State Park ride West on US 16 to Newcastle WY, then https://goo.gl/maps/2JNcmWWzdMrYFYsT6 The Burgers at the Wayback Burger place are really good.

Spend a little time at the Virginian Hotel in Medicine Bow WY checking out the old photos on the walls and the preserved rooms upstairs.
Then head to Encampment WY. I highly recommend the Lazy Acres Campground in Encampment, and the food at the Bear Trap Bar and Cafe is excellent.

From Encampment take WY 70 to Baggs WY then South on CO 13 all the way to Rifle CO.

From Rifle take I-70 East to Glenwood Springs,(Great food choices off of grand Ave between 7th and 8th) then take Grand Ave/CO 82 East over the pass to US 24, North on 24 to Leadville, then North on 91 to Copper Mountain,
Back on I-70 for a few miles to Frisco, then take this route to ride US-6 over the summit. https://goo.gl/maps/nCLDR6ZT98pHCwhE6

Get back on I-70 and head East to Idaho Springs, take CO-103 the Mt Evans scenic byway and ride to the top. The highest place you can ride in the USA.

Ride back down the hill and head into Denver on I-70.

Hope this is of benefit to you.

 

[PoorUB]

You don’t say how much time you have, but assuming plenty here’s how I would go
From Red Lodge over Beartooth and Chief Joseph Passes.

Pete, thanks, but I have ridden those roads several times. I have ridden Beartooth and Chief Joseph over twenty times, maybe close to 30 times! The Big Horns almost as often but I divide the ride between 14 and 14A and 16. Every place on your list I have ridden several times. Keep in mind it is sort of in my back yard. This will be the 16th year we ride to Red Lodge so we have covered the northern part of Wyoming, southern Montana and North and South Dakota thoroughly!

A couple years ago we rode down to Thermopolis, then south to Hwy 26, then over to Jackson and north.

Looking for farther south.

 

[drneo66]

I've always heard that if you're close to Cody, you should plan to spend a day (as there are 5 museums) at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.

 

[pauls1150]

˄˄˄˄˄ ABSOLUTELY!

 

[PoorUB]

I've always heard that if you're close to Cody, you should plan to spend a day (as there are 5 museums) at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.

I have been to the museum 3 -4 times! Yes if you are in Cody it is worth the stop.

After 15 years in a row of traveling that area I know most of the hot spots, but looking for farther south into Colorado.

 

[52184]

There are a lot of good paved roads in Southern Colorado. To name just a few:

SR65 over Grand Mesa
US550 from Montrose to Durango (the “Million Dollar Highway”)
SR149
742 from North of Gunnison over Cottonwood Pass to Buena Vista-now fully paved.
US50 from Salina to Canon City

and more. How or if you route through them is up to you. Other than going over South Pass and hitting 191 down through Flaming Gorge to Vernal then 139 over Douglas Pass to Fruita, CO and Grand Junction, I’m not familiar with any particularly scenic or winding way to get from Thermopolis to southwestern CO. And parts of that route don’t really fit that description, too.

Enjoy the ride,
DeVern

 

[glenfiddich]

Pete, thanks, but I have ridden those roads several times. I have ridden Beartooth and Chief Joseph over twenty times, maybe close to 30 times! The Big Horns almost as often but I divide the ride between 14 and 14A and 16. Every place on your list I have ridden several times. Keep in mind it is sort of in my back yard. This will be the 16th year we ride to Red Lodge so we have covered the northern part of Wyoming, southern Montana and North and South Dakota thoroughly!

A couple years ago we rode down to Thermopolis, then south to Hwy 26, then over to Jackson and north.

Looking for farther south.

In that case I’d do that route, but from Cheyenne pick up 130 west to Encampment WY, down to Paonia or Rifle CO (possible side trip along Grant Mesa) and Montrose. South to Ridgeway then 145 over the San Juans, catch 160 to Durango, 550 north (Million $ Hwy) to US 50. East to Black Canyon of the Gunnison, then south on 149 over Slumgullion Pass to Creede, then back on US 160 east which will put you in the neighborhood of your destination

Pete