Burlington, WA to Rexburg, ID Road Trip

exmx_racer

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We are planning a long road trip at the end of the summer with our Fleet. We live in the SF Bay Area and are going up the coast to Whidbey Island, WA. We have done this the last 3 years and have that part nailed down. Will take 6 days to get there. From Whidbey we are ultimately ending up in Rexburg, ID so a leisurely trip to Rexburg, some time around western Yellowstone & Tetons then home to the SF Bay Area. We have about 3-4 weeks. Too ambitious? Don't want to spend 5 hours driving a day.

Also, would it be more scenic with more available camping taking 90/15 thru Montana or 84 thru Oregon?

Last question since we are on Whidbey would it be reasonable to take 20 thru the mountains instead of driving back thru Seattle to Spokane?
 
I am not familiar with travel in WA or most of central/southern ID, but I have lots of familiarity with southwestern MT. I would individually view your origination/destination points as grand opportunities to see lots of southwestern MT and adjacent snippets of ID.

From Lookout Pass where I-90 enters MT from ID, you're just short runs from all grades of NF CGs and disbursed camping for most of the distance to Missoula.

From Missoula, US 93 south takes you through the rather heavily developed (by MT standards) Bitterroot Valley, but you pass by many highly glaciated canyons entering the Bitterroot Valley from the Bitteroot Mountains on the west.

At Lost Trail Pass go east on MT 43 and in a short distance enter the Big Hole, arguably the most spectacular alpine valley in the Lower 48. Bannack, MT is a well-preserved ghost town which was the original capital of Montana Territory in the 1860s. From Bannack you may connect with the Big Sheep Creek Backcountry Byway, a 55 mile gravel road excursion looping over to I-15 at Dell, MT. South on I-15 for 25-ish miles past Lima to Monida and hook east on MT 509/South Shore Rd all the way through the Centennial Valley for 60 miles to Red Rock Pass and return to ID there by Henry's Lake, just north of Island Park.

On this route you'd want to top off fuel in Hamilton or Wisdom MT and Lima MT, as I've recently read there is no longer fuel available in Jackson MT and it's been decades since fuel was available in Grant MT.

A very nice alternate would be continuing east on I-90 for 25 miles past Missoula, then south up Rock Creek via Rock Creek Rd. The first 10 miles of Rock Creek Rd are paved and somewhat developed, but that's followed by 30 miles of graded gravel FS road 102, steep and with tight switchbacks in a couple of places (but not so tight I couldn't get my longbed CC Superduty with 19' popup camper in tow through them), to MT 348 west of Philipsburg. MT 1 is a paved 2-lane highway from Philipsburg to Anaconda MT where you can pick up MT 569 over the Divide and back into the Big Hole at MT 43. Turning east for a few miles there gets you to Wise River and the northern end of the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway, a 40 mile paved, smooth parkway cutting through the middle of the Pioneer Mountains. Its southern end is at Polaris MT where it connects to MT 278 not far outside of Bannack. The "rub" about this alternate is you don't get to see the full majesty of the Big Hole between Wisdom and Jackson, so turning west/south towards Wisdom at the southern end of MT 569 out of Anaconda is a fine route, too. For either of these alternates you'll want to top off your fuel in Anaconda. I think fuel is available in Wise River but not positive. There is definitely no fuel along the Pioneer Byway nor beyond it, all the way to Lima, as described above. I think Wisdom always has fuel, albeit likely rather more expensive than in Hamilton, Anaconda, or Lima.

Oh, and going through the Big Hole between Wisdom and Jackson gets you reasonably close to Twin Lakes and Miner Lakes, two spectacular NF CGs on the west side of the Big Hole. Twin Lakes is about an hour's drive for the 20 miles to get there from MT 278, but it's SO worth the time/distance. On the other hand, the Pioneers Byway accesses 7 or 8 NF CGs along its length. But there, you may expect rather more larger campers and RVs given the high-quality paved access. Twin Lakes and Miner Lakes are 20 and 10 miles, respectively, up gravel roads and are each at the "end of the road" where there are no drivable through routes into ID from either access road off of MT 278.

Foy
 
I would defiantly take 20 over the Cascade Highway through Winthrop, lots of camping and scenery up there. Follow the Columbia River South on 97 to Bridgeport where you can catch 194 to Grand Coulee Dam. From here continue on 174 to Wilbur and catch 2 into Spokane, the back way. From Spokane it’s 90 east, where Foy had some great suggestions .
Upon returning through Oregon, I would choose 20 to Bend with a side trip on the 372 loop pass the 3 Sisters Mt’s, lots of camping back there. Follow the loop South back to 97 where you can cross over the Cascades at 138 and visit Crater Lake or continue back on 97 to California.
Have a great trip which ever way you go it will be beautiful. Gets me wanting to plan my next trip.
 
What ever it takes to drive over Deception Pass (likely again for you) rather than take the ferry gets my vote!
 
Wow - thanks for all the info! Spending the day in beautiful Marin for Easter so will read thru these when we get home. Thanks for the ideas. (And yes we would be departing Whidbey Island via Deception Pass Bridge which is an amazing site).
Gail
 
Mike - I looked over the route you suggested using an old-fashioned paper map. Would you recommend one or 2 nites between Whidbey and Spokane? And do you recommend campground reservations after Labor Day? We are so used to the Ore & Wash coast where reservations are a must. Thanks.
 
Yes, take 20. Then continue on across through Priest River Idaho, Sandpoint, ID and pick which way you want to go from ther, south to Coeur d'Alene on 95 and 90 or east along either 2 or 200. You can work your way to 15 via any number of back roads or two lane highways. There is also a nice drive along the east side of Lake Pend Oreille that you can with a bit of imafination ling up with Thompson Parr or come out at Wallace just west of Lookout pass.

Having lived in Spokane for years and done the drive between the sound and the coas a number of times 90 is great for speed, 2 is good for scenery and you can make decent time, 20 is absolutey spectacular if the weather is clear. Spokane has a few good restaurants and breweries but unless you have a reason to go through there I'd stay north as long as possible.
 
I Would take at lest 3 days, could spend all 3 just on the Cascade Hwy through the Cascade Mountains. Lots of camping in Newhalem on the west side. Big campground in the National Park, never have had problems finding a site there even on 4th of July. Next campground near Ross Lake usually gets full especially on 3 day weekends. On the other side before Winthrop are a few campgrounds where I'd say reservations might be a good idea, but I never do, but then I stay put on weekends. There is a state park and several private parks also in that area. I'd spend at lest one night up in that area. A second around the Dam or Roosevelt Lake area. You could make it to Spokane in a long day, but have reservations if staying a the Spokane River State Park in the city anytime.
Mike
 

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