hey all,newb so i hope i do this right
i am planing a trip to Rapid City SD area from Nw Ohio. i might try an iron butt,depends on the weather and my brain. mostly have my route there figured out. want to see Mt. Rushmore (reason for the trip)while looking at the map i figured i might as well go on to Yellowstone never been there either. any recommended route from Rushmore's area? i heard you should allow 3 days for the park? is it easy to find a camp site if you are just passing through? recommended sites to see? limited vacation time so that's the reason for the git-it-out-there but once there can spend some time looking around. thanks for any feedback.

 

Try some punctuation and a few capital letters to start those pesky sentences. Some of us old farts tend to understand questions better when they are broken up a bit.

But seriously, welcome to the forum and the question area; sounds like you've got a good trip planned.

Hee-hee ... they call it Iron Butt for a reason.

Planning is a BIG part of any 1000+ mile day. The route can make all the difference in the world. That's why a lot of those rides are done via Interstates or on major highways. You need to keep you average speed up (50mph average will take you 20 hours to complete, remember).

Getting into too many little one-stoplight towns (and a few major towns with traffic jams) and your average speeds drop dramatically. So planning the trip so that you hit major intersections at off-peak times is a good idea. And planning your pit-stops is just as important.

You're talking between 350 and 410 miles, depending on which way you run. I've done the I-90 and the Highway 212 route. I think I liked 212 better just because it was not interstate. On the other hand, running across on I-90 allows you to hit Gillette and Sheridan, which are decent towns in their own right.

Yes, if you really want to see it all then you'll need 3 days in Yellostone. You can do the quickie tour (assuming traffic is not bad) and just hit the major sites, but that's not really enjoying the park. Yellowstone, like a lot of national parks, requires you to get onto the hiking trail to enjoy the best parts.

From time to time you'll hit a traffic jam in the park as well. A couple years ago they had one of the side routes closed to just 1-lane and you had to wait for an escort truck to come get you each way. It took more than 45 minutes for the line of traffic to clear before we could start, so you basically sat on the road waiting.

Camping in Yellowstone is by reservation. They have a number of sites for same-day reservations, and this is a first-come, first-served item. Small tent sites are commonly reserved this way. So plan on getting there early to get a site.

They also take reservations in advance for some campsites. RVer and large camp sites usually require an advance reservation. Availability is first-come, first serve at the following seven campgrounds in Yellowstone National Park: Indian Creek, Lewis Lake, Mammoth, Norris, Pebble Creek, Slough Creek, and Tower Fall.

Don't get caught camping outside of designated areas. The rangers at Yellowstone don't tend to have a sense of humor for that kind of stuff. Riding your bike off the main road to a perfect little spot down by the creek may seem like a good idea, but if you make the ranger hike in to get you then expect a nice (expensive) ticket.

Oh yeah, don't stick you hand in the bubbly water ... I was there a couple years ago when some idiot on a Dyna wanted to see how hot the water was. A few 3rd degree burns on the fingers taught him not to be so stupid.

 

Depending on when you are going, I'd definitely do Chief Joseph and Beartooth Hwys.

 

Good luck on your Saddle Sore award.
Planning is KEY!! You can do it, but it takes a little fore thought as to when to get where to avoid delays. And yes, a stop at the tittie bar is a delay.

 

Welcome to the forum.

My best advice is either do a sight-seeing trip, or do an Iron-Butt ride. Trying both at once will only take away from the sights, as well as make the 1000/24 overly stressful.

Best of luck on whatever you choose.

 

Thanks guys
Sorry about the typing doc_cj, my handwriting isn't that great either.
I may try some of those St. roads and highways once I leave Rushmore. Probably no more I-state, gonna use them going out.
Even if it takes me longer than the 24 hrs to get there I'll still have a good 8 days for the added miles to Yellowstone and the sights. Either way i'm sure it'll be fun seeing something new. Planning on a late june or luly departure. Looking forward to it. (I'll try and minimize the tata bars and am pretty sure I wont try the bubbly water thing, that's funny.)

 

+1 on planning. Pick a highway and time it so you don't hit rush hours in the cities. I'm doing one in 3 weeks and waking up at 3 AM to avoid hitting SLC rush hour, then up to Calgary.

Have fun if you do it.

 

pardon the hijack.....
What part of Utah are you from MrZip? I Freakin Love some Utah when I can get out there. Of course its usually Cold and Nukeing when Im in SLC to Visit the Cottonwoods. Got 12 days this year in Jan and Feb

We Now return to regular scheduling.

 

Southern Utah. St George. Like 10 miles from the arizona border. Come on down dude, I'll buy you a beer and we can go ride.