Route to/from West Yellowstone

[larrypowellnc]

Staying at the West Yellowstone KOA later this summer.  Coming in from Coeur D Alene on 90 and going to Mt. Rushmore on 90.  Mapping app has us taking 287/87 off 90 to KOA then 191 back to 90.  Anyone familiar with these roads.  Driving a Class C not towing.

 

[therealsimpsons]

We traveled those roads last summer in a motorhome. They are US Highways...and are fine.

 

[dcmiller]

You will enjoy both of those drives. 

287/87 takes you along the wide open valley of the Madison River with mountains on both sides.  The route is relatively flat except for a "pass"/hill near Norris.  It is a wide road with plenty of space for the slow climbers and speedy passers.  You will pass through Ennis which is an interesting town full of Madison River flyfishers when you will be there.  You will come to a split where 287 continues east and 87 south.  Both will get you to West Yellowstone about equally fast and easy but I would take 287.  An interesting stop just before you reach Hebgen Lake is the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center.  It shows the story of an earthquake in 1959 which cost a number of lives and dammed up the Madison to form another lake.  You will then pass by Hebgen Lake just as you join up with 191 for a few miles into West Yellowstone.

191 takes you north from West Yellowstone towards the Bozeman area through the Gallatin River canyon.  It will be fairly downhill for the most part. For a short stretch just north of the 287/191 interchange you are actually in Yellowstone.  After you reach Big Sky you will be driving through a narrow canyon along the Gallatin on a winding road that is one of the most scenic in the country. The road is good and you will probably be in a line of traffic that has no choice but to just follow along.  It usually moves along at a nice pace though and you will want to just enjoy the scenery anyway.  As you approach the northern neck of the canyon there is a construction area this summer that may cause a 15 minute delay while you wait for a pilot car to quide you through the short construction zone.  At the north end of the canyon the valley flattens out as you drive past Bozeman on the east toward Belgrade to the north for about 10 miles before you intersect with I90.

Enjoy the area, we love it.

 

[Jim Godward]

A couple of additional comments to supplement Dave's comments on the route. 

At the junction of I 90 and 287 on the north side is a bakery/sandwich shop called Wheat Montana.  An excellent place to stop for a lunch or to pick up goodies.  We always stop there on our way west to pick up lunch and goodies for the trip.  Also at this junction on the south side is a truck stop with usually decent prices.  Prices in West Yellowstone and the Park are high so you may want to top off.

Coming north on 191 you will come to a junction of 191 and Montana 85.  I recommend taking 85 as oppose to staying on 191 as 191 takes you right through downtown Bozeman and much traffic and stop lights.  Also there is a Cenex station at the junction with usually good fuel prices.  At the junction of 85 and I 90 is a Flying J.  I recommend you bypass them and either use the Texaco or Cenex on the north side of the freeway as their prices are usually lower than the Flying J.

Dave lives close to the Cenex at the 191 junction with 85 and I live near the Flying J so it is easy for us to meet up with travelers.