Thanks for all the great input! We're going to leave Mich the last week of June. Not sure if we might start in the south (Kingsman, Az) then venture northward so we're up in the northern climate during the hotter part of the summer. But either way, its on. Keep my fingers crossed, all the way, for great weather during the pass through.

 

Did it in September 2017 going both ways. It was great. Favorite ride I've done. Bonus on the way back over (Leaving Red Lodge) I had it basically to myself and got to go a little faster.

 

Yep, maybe..
I'll get the bike out there and pick her up in Rapid City. We'll have 10 days in the saddle together then drop her back off at the airport.
Plan is to hit the Badlands, Mt Rushmore, Devils Tower etc [ I've been there done that, she hasn't] then Beartooth pass and down to Yellow Stone/Tetons. I'm probably a bit aggressive in the planning as to just what we will be able to see so maybe Beartooth will be out I dunno.

 

Here is a route that might work....

Day 1...Rapid City to Cody Wyoming via 212, The Crow Agency, Ranchester and Hwy 14a (bucket list road) go the museum in Cody .... maybe shoot a Civil war Gatling gun.

Day 2... Cody, The Beartooth, Chief Joseph Pass, and back to Cody... Drink some whisky in the Irma, watch a gunfight (no gunfights on Sundays)

Day 3... Cody, back up to Red Lodge and hwy 78... run the slab to Big Timber, then 191 to 12 to 89, up and over the Little belt mountains to Great Falls.

Day 4... Great Falls to St Marys, over the Road to the Sun to Columbia Falls, then cut south on 35 and go down the East side of the Flathead lake to Missoula, stop in St Ignatius and look at the murals in the Jesuit mission.

Day 5... Missoula to Lolo and then over the Lolo pass, and onto Lewiston.... you could make Enterprise nicley on that day.

Day 6.. Lewiston south over the RatleSnake Pass (stop for Pie at the bottom) to Enterprise , and into Hells Canyon and work your way to McCall.

Day 7... South to route 17, east to Stanley... sleep in the same hotel where Sinatra use to.

Day 8... South over the Sawtooth Mts, through Sun Valley, through Craters of the Moon... head towards Idaho Falls, but keep on going east on 26 to Swan Valley, then up 31 to 22 and up and over the pass to Jackson.

Day 9... North to Yellowstone do a loop around the park, stop at Old Faithful, and back to Cody.

Day 10... Cody back to Rapid City.

With the exception of the Slab ride, all of it is bucket list material. No disappointments. Long days, but worth it.

 

 

Man, we have done most of that ride.

I think 3 weeks would be better, but, you never could get much better, IMHO.

 

Chances are I can get 3-4 weeks [self employed] which is why I'll leave early to get the bike out there and back but the OL works for a big corporation and only has so much PTO. She's pushing it with 10 PTO days plus the weekends for this trip.

I've book marked that route Thanks! I may have to modify it some as she doesn't like long days in the saddle.

We are planning on her starting on the labor day weekend so she gets a extra day plus hopefully everything will be open and most vacationers will be back home or school. Historically that seems to work well for us but the weather out west is a wild card we haven't had to deal with yet.

 

Can I make a recommendation to the OP on Day 2-3. I would go from Cody up Chief Joseph Skwy onto Beartooth and then east to Red Lodge and spend night in Red Lodge. Then next day go back across Beartooth, thru Cooke City and over to West Yellowstone city and then up 287 and stay in Virginia City for the night. Then get up and boogie all the way up to St Mary..(.287 to 89) . Did this couple of years ago and absolutely beautiful..

 

And also note that a lot of the places out there shut down in the winter and don't start taking reservations until March, get started now with your game plan and be ready.....