Plan is to leave Maryland on August 12 and arrive in Red Lodge Montana Aug, 13. Store trailer and SUV there and stay the night at Red Lodge Inn. Aug. 14 leave for Cody, Wyoming do Chief Joseph/Beartooth Pass. Onwards to Cody for Aug. 14&15th. staying at Western Rose. August 16 head to Yellowstone for 4 days. Staying at Alpine Inn in West Yellowstone. August 20th head to the Tetons for a night. August 21st. head back to Red Lodge and get trailer, then go to Hill City, SD til the 24th.. Head back to Maryland August 25th..

 

Never did an organized road trip. Had a fixed leave and be back date and most times a general idea where I was going, sometimes got there , sometimes it took a life of it's own along the way. Always had a good time regardless.

 

Yep ... too many "schedules" in life ...

 

done it both ways. When you know where you’re going and have limited time, might as well plan it. To your point, one of my best trips was many years ago, I was in between jobs. Packed up a road king with gear and told my wife I would be back in about 2 weeks and got back 6400 miles later after wandering all over Wyoming and Montana.

 

Some things to ponder... I have stayed in both West Yellowstone and Cody often... In West Yellowstone, you will run out of things to do in two evenings... all there is is main street, food and tourists, and a couple of small museums and a Grizzle bear show at the Imax... there is way more to do in cody... I would stay there more days, and less days in West Yellowstone... there is a good evening ride out of West Yellowstone that is west on 20 to 87... then North on 87 to 287... you can then loop back to West Yellowstone on 287/191... but a worthy ride would be up 287 to Virginia City for either supper, or desert if you ate before you left... there are some great passes and roads on this route...

Now, if I was coming from the East... here is what I would do... trailer to Ranchester... stay there overnight, and leave the trailer... then run 14/14a to Cody (ride up to the Medicine wheel up on top of 14a)... stay in Cody... that night to to the Rodeo, or the street gun fight & museum... or shoot a Gatling Gun... Day one of riding... head to Redlodge, ride up and over the Beartooth, then up and over Chef Joseph... stay in Cody... shoot a Gatling Gun... second day... head into the park, and do the north loop... back at Cody, do one of the other things you have not done yet... Third day...do the southern loop, and go to West Yellowstone and stay overnight... up and down Mainstreet, supper at Buckaroo Bills, or that night, go up to Virginia City for supper... fourth day... Loop the entire park clock wise, and head south to... Jackson... but to be clear, the ride there and back is wonderful... but Jackson is a shithole tourist trap... Take Money... the one thing worthy is the Gondola ride up to the Top of Jackson Hole.

If you are going to stay in Ranchester... and you are staying in Jackson, here is a good route back... but it will be a good 12 hour day, lunch and stops... so you might want to break it up into two bits... the road west out of Jackson and the semi loop back east is very worthy...



I have done the left side of the page, but not some of the bit from the bottom turn back up to 14a...