2025 Epic Road trip

We’re pulling the trigger on an “epic road trip” in July. Here’s the agenda. Wondering if we’re stupid to do Moab at the end of July in the dead of summer in the desert. Decided to spend two nights in Missoula, Montana, so we can do Lolo Pass (and laundry). Deciding if we want to spend the night back to Dallas in Raton, New Mexico, so we can cross New Mexico off our ride list. Putting together a budget spreadsheet. Most of the trip is going towards lodging (which gets pretty pricey during high season in these locations). But many of our hotels are Hiltons and we get free breakfasts at most of their properties!

On March 23 (120 days out), I need to make reservation for West Glacier and Going to the Sun Road on recreation.gov. You can’t do this without reservations. On April 1, I need to make reservations on recreation.gov for Arches entry (they just started doing this in 2024. We have an America’s Park Pass ($90 for a year and gets you in to all of the National Parks) so we only have to pay for the reservations. I have them scheduled on my calendar since it seems that they book up quickly.

Butler Maps and state tourism maps help us plan this trip.

Collection of Butler Maps to guide our trip

Tuesday, July 15

Dallas, Texas to Golden, Colorado (drive 808 miles)

Lunch @ AllSups (doing this to save $$ for budget purposes)

Lunch on the drive up.

Drop off truck and trailer (still need to figure this out) before checking in to hotel since we have a long ride the next day to Moab, Utah. We’re staying at the same Hampton Inn we stayed at when we did our Sturgis trip!

Stay: Golden, Colorado (Hampton Inn)

Wednesday, July 16

Ride: Golden, Colorado to Moab, Utah (332 miles)

Route: I-70 West (280 miles), Stop in in Glenwood Springs, then Grand Junction, Colorado, then back on I-70 to Exit 214 to Cisco to Scenic 128 W to 191 S (N Main Street)

Get gas before checking in to hotel since we need an early start in the morning to do Arches.

Stay: Moab, Utah (Homewood Suites by Hilton Moab)

Thursday, July 17

Arches National Park, Dead Horse State Park (maybe)– ride to Lehi, Utah

Stay: Lehi, Utah (Hampton Inn Lehi – Thanksgiving Point)

Friday, July 18

Ride: Lehi, Utah to Idaho Falls, Idaho

Stay: Idaho Falls (Hampton Inn/Idaho Falls/Airport)

Saturday, July 19

Idaho Falls to Grizzly Harley Davidson (grizzlyhd.com, 5106 East Harrier Drive, Missoula MT 59808, closes at 5 pm and is closed on Sunday) to Hilton

Stay: Missoula, Montana (Hilton Garden Inn Missoula)

Sunday, July 20

“Rest day” but ride Lolo Pass! (287 miles)

Breakfast at KT’s Hayloft (11885 US Highway 93 S, Lolo MT)

US 12 (Lolo Pass) to Kooskia

Lunch in Kooskia (get Gas @ Conoco)

Ride back to Missoula

Stay: Missoula, Montana (Hilton Garden Inn Missoula)

Monday, July 21

Do laundry at Hilton (check out time is noon)

Missoula, Montana to West Glacier Park (140 miles) – this is an “easy” day taking US 93 to Montana Highway 35 to US 2 (into West Glacier). It looks like we get to skirt along the east side of Flathead Lake (and my Butler Map has it colored yellow, so good riding).

Flathead Lake is a large natural lake that was a remnant of the ancient, glacial dammed lake, Lake Missoula. And, wow, it’s deep (it has a max depth of 370 feet and average depth of 164 feet – making it deeper than the average depths of the Yellow Sea of Persian Gulf!). There are also apple, pear and plum orchards around the lake.

Get gas before checking in to Chalet!

Stay: Belmont Chalet

Tuesday, July 22

West Glacier Park to “Going to the Sun Road” to Two Medicine Lakes and Montana Rte 49 (twisties) to Great Falls, Montana (200 miles)

Stay: Great Falls, Montana (Hilton Garden Inn Great Falls)

Wednesday, July 23

Great Falls, Montana to Red Lodge, Montana

Beartooth Pass Harley Davidson (retail, 105 S. Broadway, Red Lodge, MT 59068)

Get gas before checking in to the Yodeler!

Stay: Red Lodge, Montana (Yodeler Motel)

Thursday, July 24

Red Lodge to Beartooth Pass to Old Faithful to Cody, Wyoming

Stay: Western Rose Motel, Cody Wyoming

Buffalo Bill Harley Davidson (1137 Sheridan Ave, Cody, WY 82414)

Friday, July 25

Cody, Wyoming to Riverton, Wyoming

North on WY 120 to Dead Indian Pass/Chief Joseph Highway (WY 296) then back to Cody, WY to Thermopolis, WY to Wind River Canyon (US 20/WY 799) to 26 and into Riverton, WY.

https://travelwyoming.com/listings/chief-joseph-scenic-byway/

https://www.roadtripsforfamilies.com/wyoming-road-trip-chief-joseph-scenic-byway/

Chief Joseph Highway: The byway, also known as Wyoming Highway 296, runs nearly 46 miles between US 212 and Wyoming Highway 120 (seventeen miles north of Cody). The road follows the route Chief Joseph traveled as he led the Nez Perce Indians away from the U.S. Cavalry in 1877.

Wind River Canyon: We’ll be doing this in reverse, but: The Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway begins in the town of Shoshoni and follows U.S. 20 north through Wind River Canyon and the Wind River Indian Reservation ending just south of Thermopolis. Without stopping, the total drive time is about 40 minutes. The 2,500 foot-deep canyon is a feast for the eyes with the oldest layers of rock dating back to the Precambrian era, over 2.5 billion years ago. Highlights include Boysen State Park, Owl Creek Mountains, the “Wedding of the Waters’ and the Bighorn River.

https://windriver.org/experience/driving-tours/wind-river-canyon/

Stay: Riverton, Wyoming (Hampton Inn & Suites Riverton)

Saturday, July 26

Riverton, Wyoming to Golden, Colorado (360 miles)

Stay: Golden, Colorado (Best Western Plus Denver West/Golden)

Sunday, July 27

Golden, Colorado to Dallas, Texas – HOME! (808 miles)

Lunch at Allsups

Lunch on the drive home.