I-80: Scenic and Mellow

[iowahiker]

After crisscrossing the country for years on I-90, I-80, I-70, and I-40, we settled on the longest, most scenic, and mellow stretch of interstate for camping on a cross country trip: I-80 across Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. This stretch of I-80 could be driven at high speed in one day or you can get off and enjoy the journey. Mellow means not crowded on a summer weekday, some "off the beaten path" character, and so does not include any national parks. Another reason for mellow, the short distance between each place allows time to explore after arriving and so suitable for a 1 night stay. Each stop is scenic enough for up to a 3 night stay. Going from East to West for over 600 miles:

The Snowy Range in southeast Wyoming and North Fork Campground
Flaming Gorge NRA in southwest Wyoming and Firehole Campground and/or Canyon Rim CG
Mirror Lake Scenic Byway in northeast Utah and Sulfur Campground
Ruby Mountains in northeast Nevada and Thomas Canyon Campground

The "scenic" used here refers to these destinations not the I-80 drive. Mellow, but less scenic, could be extended east by staying at Lake McConaughly and Lake Ogallala SRA CG in western Nebraska. Extending "mellow and scenic" west from the Ruby Mountains is difficult because the number of choices is so vast.

Please post any itinerary for "mellow and scenic" sections of road exceeding 500 miles. Again, "scenic" refers to the stops, not the road (I get tired of driving).

 

[Foy]

At around 550 miles within the state, I-90 across Montana gets a thumbs up from me. From east headed west, you enter Montana in high prairie with the Bighorns looming 6,000' higher on your left. West of Billings (with a Cabela's store right by the highway), US 212 slants southwest to Red Lodge and the Beartooths. Ducking south from Big Timber brings you to the north border of Yellowstone and is a +50 mile out-and-back. The Crazy Mountains offer a stunning view as you approach Livingston and can be entered from a number of out-and-back canyon drives. The Paradise Valley south of Livingston is within the Hollywood, MT zipcode, but the glitterati can't change the landscape nor stop the hot springs from flowing. Bozeman Pass is cool and spur roads lead to hideaways not far from the Interstate along its approaches on east and west. At Three Forks, the Wheat, MT stop provides gi-normous cinnamon buns and coffee for a loop route on the south, popping back out at Whitehall in time to traverse Homestake Pass, with its awesome exposures of the Boulder Batholith granites' spheroidal weathering. A longer loop to the south from just west of Butte accesses Divide and Wise River via MT 43, and short out-and-backs up to Vipond Park and up the Pioneer Mts Scenic Byway access numerous disbursed campsites and NF campgrounds. Then MT 43 on through Wisdom to US 93 brings you to the headwaters of the Bitterroot and a great drive north back to I-90 at Missoula. One can also work in MT 1, the Pintler Scenic Route, through Philipsburg, there accessing Rock Creek via MT 348 and traversing 41 miles of Rock Creek Canyon, featuring many streamside disbursed sites and a half-dozen NF campgrounds before returning to I-90 at Clinton, about 20 miles east of Missoula. The Mission Valley isn't far north of I-90 and is worth a look-see and an overnight as you approach Lookout Pass. Lots of NF lands and both out-and-backs and through roads over obscure passes into Idaho on the south side of I-90 as you approach Lookout, also.

Foy

 

[iowahiker]

Foy, Thanks. We were considering a trip to your itinerary area next summer so we are getting the maps and studying your trip. We plan to avoid the NP crowds and explore.

 

[Foy]

If I ever get off of my tail and get a trip report put together for our 2 weeks of bombing around the Big Hole, Rock Creek, Philipsburg, Medicine Lodge Creek, and the Centennial Valley, it can show you some specifics. I have a goodly number of excellent excuses as to why I have not done so if anybody would care to hear a few.

Seriously, the region west of the Madison River, south of I-90, with the Idaho-Montana border from about Lolo Pass all the way to Red Rock Pass, is both huge, spectacular, of historical significance, has innumerable hiking, backpacking, fishing, off-highway driving, bar crawling, dining, hot spring soaking, and just general kicking back opportunities. Having been in and around that area many times since 1978, I've never really seen a crowd, anywhere. It's pretty much mainly used by locals.

Foy

 

[Edgewood]

Would also like to see a TR. Gutters are best cleaned in May.

 

[clikrf8]

Not an interstate, but imho, highway 6 is the loneliest road in America. From Bishop, CA to Santaquin, UT, it is 505.5 miles. We have been on the portion from Bishop to Delta, UT. it doesn't look like much is out there, but we have discovered colorful canyons, wild horses, abandoned and operating ranches, ghost towns, some rockhounding and history. Lunar Crater is a worthwhile stop as are the Ward beehive ovens east of Ely, NV. Ely is where highways 50 and 6 meet and join. There are no services between Tonopah and Ely, about 170 miles. I hate to admit this, but we misjudged our wanderings and cruised into the Shell station in Ely with .1 gallon remaining. But, that's another story.

 

[clikrf8]

I70 between Grand Junction, CO and Salina, UT is 208 miles but what a smorgasbord of places to explore. It is your gateway to Moab and the wonders of the San Rafael Swell on either side, plus Colorado National Monument. Another one of those 170 miles of no services. Even the rest stops are scenic and driving through the SRS Reef is pretty cool. I70 mostly has long haul truckers. At one overpass, we stopped and there was no traffic in either direction. Huh? Yes, that's right. Wonderful.