Crossing central Wyoming

[Foy]

As our departure date approaches, I've got the first few days of a western Montana to southeastern Nebraska traverse pretty well lined up in terms of routes. The middle days will involve parts of Wyoming I've never visited, however.

I'm looking to depart Jackson, passing Pinedale and Boulder on US 191, but to then venture off to the east along the Lander Cutoff Road to Atlantic City, thence further east along the Hudson-Atlantic City Road until reaching US 287 west/north of Jeffrey City. Any info about what those roads are like would be of great interest. On my Wyoming Benchmark, they show as graded gravel and carry road numbers, so my working assumption is they're 35-40 mph cruisers for the most part. Any additional information much appreciated.

At this point, I haven't a clue where I want to go east of US 287. I aim to enter the Nebraska Panhandle on or near US 20 east of Lusk and overnight at Fort Robinson State Park to rest and refit before a 2-3 day off-pavement bisection of the Nebraska Sandhills. I may need to run mostly or all pavement from US 287 to east of Douglas, WY, but if some reasonably fast gravel roads exist (and 40mph on gravel is plenty fast to me), I'd appreciate any suggestions. I've studied the Benchmark and the Wyoming DeLorme, and at this point, nothing jumps out at me on the east side of US 287.

We'll be running the old Ford F350 diesel SRW 4WD, mostly stock, and we'll be towing the high-clearance Rockwood hardside A-frame, so tight switchbacks and badly gullied trails are a no-go.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Foy

 

[ski3pin]

Foy, we drove 353 east out of Boulder, WY last July (also several times in the past) Big Sandy Elkhorn Rd/Lander Cut Off out to Big Sandy Opening Road. After the pavement ended it was double width graded dirt and a good road. Back in 2004 we drove most of these roads, including visiting South Pass City and Atlantic City in the Lady's new Subaru Forester. I remember all the major dirt roads to be in very good shape. From Atlantic City we drove Louis Lake Road (300) into Landers with a stop at Sinks Canyon on the Middle Popo Agie.

 

[Edgewood]

Ditto on what ski3pin wrote. Drove same roads last Sept and even after heavy rain all roads mentioned were easy driving.

 

[Foy]

Many thanks gentlemen.

I thought Ski had been over in that direction last year. Great to have the info from Edgewood, too.

WAY back in 1976, I was on a geology field trip to the Winds, including a 7-day backpacking jaunt from south of Dubois to the foot of Gannet Peak. On our way back to NC, we ventured up the Popo Agie/Sinks route from Lander to Atlantic City. Very nice drive on a good graded gravel road, if I recall correctly. Probably not to be repeated on this trip, however, due to our overall routing plan to trend E-SE all the way across WY and NE and a building desire to spend a good 2-3 days in the Nebraska Sandhills. That will also probably preclude adding much in the way of off-pavement segments once we reach the east end of Hudson-Atlantic City Road at US 287, where we'd likely have to lop off a day from the Sandhills to offset extra time in central Wyoming.

Thanks again,

Foy