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Yellowstone - Rapid City: US 14 vs US 16

Started by Bickendan, July 12, 2016, 03:12:46 AM

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Bickendan

Driving from Portland to Rochester, MN next month, and I'm debating my trans Wyoming route. I'll be taking US 14 or 16 in their entirety across Wyoming, but I'm not sure which is better. 14A (Wyoming) is also on the table. 14A (South Dakota), however, is not.

If I do take 14, I will be doing the sidetrip from Rapid City to Rushmore, so I'll catch the eastern end of 16 and the entirety of 16A.

Recommendations?


Max Rockatansky

US 14A is actually pretty nice since it will take you through the mines up around Deadwood and Spearfish Canyon.  Given that I just did a similar trip I'll tell you this about Rushmore...it's really something you just show up and take a couple pictures of.  I would really try to hit up some more substantial stuff in the Black Hills like; Deadwood, the Jewel Cave, Wind Cave and especially the Needles Highway.  I'm assuming if you are hitting US 14 that you're heading to Devil's Tower in Wyoming correct?  That being the case if you are taking US 14 through Wyoming I'd recommend this route through the Black Hills:


https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Devils+Tower+National+Monument,+WY-110,+Devils+Tower,+WY+82714/Spearfish+Canyon,+SD/Lead,+SD/Deadwood,+SD/Wind+Cave+National+Park,+East+Custer,+SD/Mount+Rushmore+National+Memorial,+South+Dakota+244,+Keystone,+SD/@43.76688,-103.911585,9z/data=!4m68!4m67!1m5!1m1!1s0x5333063ff3543e39:0xa9249d13d49dc77a!2m2!1d-104.7146168!2d44.5902098!1m10!1m1!1s0x533298585baba5ef:0xe8dded619c5da0aa!2m2!1d-103.8593698!2d44.4908172!3m4!1m2!1d-103.9094092!2d44.3354982!3s0x5332b97e630695f7:0xe68036ba8efd54c8!1m5!1m1!1s0x5332a5ab3adc0565:0xca53b4d54fd679c9!2m2!1d-103.7651984!2d44.3522065!1m5!1m1!1s0x5332a41e88e71e55:0x3e9d03de70805b0f!2m2!1d-103.7296415!2d44.376651!1m30!1m1!1s0x877cd6682456d573:0x39ed508f2559a57f!2m2!1d-103.4213433!2d43.6045811!3m4!1m2!1d-103.6017269!2d43.6383247!3s0x8762d5abbb6a7499:0xbb875704cfe3e6e9!3m4!1m2!1d-103.4894419!2d43.5950834!3s0x877cd585373c9965:0x726438c988b14fad!3m4!1m2!1d-103.5035737!2d43.7709643!3s0x877d32f188d5237d:0x5df1d55e6f90537b!3m4!1m2!1d-103.4585363!2d43.7673898!3s0x877d321a456a1181:0x645a7f465006a1ff!3m4!1m2!1d-103.501752!2d43.8251253!3s0x877d338061a7e8cf:0x194432bcfbfdc2b4!1m5!1m1!1s0x877d35d8b53ed6df:0xdaf53dbe055cc641!2m2!1d-103.4590667!2d43.8791025!3e0?hl=en

Basically the altered route is roughly the alignment you ought to take to get to Rushmore.  If you are going to do ANYTHING in the black hills it has to be at minimum the segment of SD 87/Needles Highway north of US 16A.  That road is scenic as all hell and well worth the detour.  So basically with all the stuff you got involved in US 14 and US 14A I'm in that camp.

If you want the more ballsy trip out of Yellowstone take US 212 out of the Northeast exit and take it over the Beartooth Highway to US 310 to get back to US 14 in Wyoming.  That road is pretty unforgettable while pretty all the others heading east are mundane.  But then again I'm not sure what you are seeing in Yellowstone nor how much time you may or may not be spending there.  Regardless I attached my road trip thread since I hit these areas less than half a month ago:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=17644.0

SD Mapman

Okay, local boy here. For Wyoming, I would recommend US 14 just because Shell Canyon is cool (although if you like death-defying switchbacks, take 14A up and over the Bighorns). I've never done the Beartooth, but since I like Wyoming more than Montana I will recommend Wyoming.
For the Hills, Devils Tower and Rushmore (and Crazy Horse, to a lesser extent) are just big rocks. Big whoop. However, the Needles Highway (SD 87 north of US 16A) and Iron Mountain Road (US 16A between SD 36 and Keystone) are really cool drives, and I would recommend both. If you shave off some time elsewhere, US 14A through Spearfish Canyon is one of the most gorgeous drives (and runs and bike rides) on this here Earth (plus you would bring money to the Lawrence County economy, which we like very much). Deadwood's only cool if you like gambling or westerns, Lead just has the lab in the old Homestake Mine (the tours you can get are pretty cool, but time-consuming), Hot Springs is boring, and the Custer-Hill City-Keystone triangle mainly exists to serve the greater Rushmore area.
If you're going through in August, however, the whole area will be saturated with motorcyclists, so avoid Sturgis at all costs (unless it's Wednesday of Rally week, then avoid Hulett, WY).

Any other questions, feel free to ask.

No, I'm not biased, why do you ask?
The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see. - G.K. Chesterton

rte66man

Quote from: SD Mapman on July 12, 2016, 11:04:32 AM
Okay, local boy here......
For the Hills, Devils Tower and Rushmore (and Crazy Horse, to a lesser extent) are just big rocks. Big whoop.

Man, the cynicism expressed here is puzzling.......

Having traveled extensively in the US as well as Europe, I found Rushmore to be fascinating.  We spent 1/2 day there, then came back for the evening light show (which was a waste as it was rained out).  Gutzlon Borglum's story along with the others who worked on Rushmore is unsurpassed.  Take time to walk the path down to the base so you can look up and realize just what was involved.
When you come to a fork in the road... TAKE IT.

                                                               -Yogi Berra

texaskdog

Been there many times when I lived in Minnesota.  First time I took 14 through beautiful Shell Canyon.  2nd time I took 14A, great drive down the mountain.  3rd time I took 16 and it was okay but nowhere near as cool as the other two.  But you do get to see a sign for "Brokenback Mountain" that should make you laugh.

Max Rockatansky

You know I just thought of something.  If the OP is coming through Portland why not come up north through US 89/189/26/191 from Jackson?  That way the OP can get Grand Teton in also and probably wouldn't be to far out of the way considering the point of origin. 

Bickendan

There is bit of a time constraint in play. I'm leaving Portland early Friday the 5th and hoping to reach Rochester late evening Sunday the 7th.

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: Bickendan on July 13, 2016, 04:16:36 PM
There is bit of a time constraint in play. I'm leaving Portland early Friday the 5th and hoping to reach Rochester late evening Sunday the 7th.

That's gonna be a rough one.  You probably want to head into Yellowstone via US 20/287/191, loop down through the springs to Old Faithful, past Yellowstone Lake to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone before doubling back a little heading out the east exit via US 14/20.  You'll get all the major stuff and there is a chance for buffalo along the west entrance.

This is weird....Google Maps is posting some US Routes in Yellowstone...WTH:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Yellowstone+National+Park/@44.5893149,-110.8822576,9z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x5351e55555555555:0xaca8f930348fe1bb!8m2!3d44.427963!4d-110.588455!6m1!1e1?hl=en

SD Mapman

Quote from: rte66man on July 12, 2016, 07:38:43 PM
Quote from: SD Mapman on July 12, 2016, 11:04:32 AM
Okay, local boy here......
For the Hills, Devils Tower and Rushmore (and Crazy Horse, to a lesser extent) are just big rocks. Big whoop.
Man, the cynicism expressed here is puzzling.......
It's a local thing; Northern Hills people prefer the Northern Hills (plus we're saturated with Rushmore every day).
The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see. - G.K. Chesterton

SD Mapman

Quote from: Bickendan on July 13, 2016, 04:16:36 PM
There is bit of a time constraint in play. I'm leaving Portland early Friday the 5th and hoping to reach Rochester late evening Sunday the 7th.
Well, the OR Coast to Central MT is doable in a day; hard but doable. If that's when you're coming I would suggest avoiding the Hills entirely (as they will be stuffed full with motorcyclists).
The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see. - G.K. Chesterton

Bickendan

Quote from: SD Mapman on July 14, 2016, 12:50:25 AM
Quote from: Bickendan on July 13, 2016, 04:16:36 PM
There is bit of a time constraint in play. I'm leaving Portland early Friday the 5th and hoping to reach Rochester late evening Sunday the 7th.
Well, the OR Coast to Central MT is doable in a day; hard but doable. If that's when you're coming I would suggest avoiding the Hills entirely (as they will be stuffed full with motorcyclists).
Surely not that many bikers will be getting into the Hills the weekend before Sturgis happens. I'm expecting traffic, but that bad?

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: Bickendan on July 14, 2016, 11:41:23 PM
Quote from: SD Mapman on July 14, 2016, 12:50:25 AM
Quote from: Bickendan on July 13, 2016, 04:16:36 PM
There is bit of a time constraint in play. I'm leaving Portland early Friday the 5th and hoping to reach Rochester late evening Sunday the 7th.
Well, the OR Coast to Central MT is doable in a day; hard but doable. If that's when you're coming I would suggest avoiding the Hills entirely (as they will be stuffed full with motorcyclists).
Surely not that many bikers will be getting into the Hills the weekend before Sturgis happens. I'm expecting traffic, but that bad?

There was a pretty steady flow of bikers even last month.  The area seems to be a incredibly popular site for them through out the summer season.  I suppose it's better than dealing with an onslaught of cars though, at least you can see what's going on in front of a bike pretty easily.  The Needles Highway north of US 16A had the most bikers on my trip by a large margin.  I don't recall seeing any...or many west of Sturgis.

Bickendan

So my current plan is Yellowstone (Old Faithful-Yellowstone Lake-Grand Canyon), then the length of 14A, doubling down to Shell and back and out to Sheridan (catching the Greybull-Shell segment of 14 on a future trip where I focus 16 down), then 14 out to the Hills with a Devil's Tower detour. I'll do the Rushmore sidetrip from Rapid City to pick up 16's eastern end and the entirety of 16A. Teton NP and Wind Cave will be reserved for future trips.

When I do 212, I'll be doing it for its entire length from Yellowstone to the Cities.

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: Bickendan on July 15, 2016, 02:49:40 AM
So my current plan is Yellowstone (Old Faithful-Yellowstone Lake-Grand Canyon), then the length of 14A, doubling down to Shell and back and out to Sheridan (catching the Greybull-Shell segment of 14 on a future trip where I focus 16 down), then 14 out to the Hills with a Devil's Tower detour. I'll do the Rushmore sidetrip from Rapid City to pick up 16's eastern end and the entirety of 16A. Teton NP and Wind Cave will be reserved for future trips.

When I do 212, I'll be doing it for its entire length from Yellowstone to the Cities.

Sounds about right to me given the constraints of time, you'll definitely get the most out of it using that route.  Besides sounds like you have plans to go back and the area is definitely worth more than one look.

SD Mapman

Quote from: Bickendan on July 14, 2016, 11:41:23 PM
Quote from: SD Mapman on July 14, 2016, 12:50:25 AM
Quote from: Bickendan on July 13, 2016, 04:16:36 PM
There is bit of a time constraint in play. I'm leaving Portland early Friday the 5th and hoping to reach Rochester late evening Sunday the 7th.
Well, the OR Coast to Central MT is doable in a day; hard but doable. If that's when you're coming I would suggest avoiding the Hills entirely (as they will be stuffed full with motorcyclists).
Surely not that many bikers will be getting into the Hills the weekend before Sturgis happens. I'm expecting traffic, but that bad?
It's that bad. Although, this year is only the 76th (not the 75th), so numbers might be down from last year. I would recommend coming back to the Hills another time when a.) there are not as many bikers, and b.) you have more time (that way you can spend more time in WY).
The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see. - G.K. Chesterton

Bickendan

Follow up, post trip: I pulled off the Portland-Rochester run within the time frame I estimated, in spite of a nasty detour near Santiam Pass on US 20 and badly misjudging time constraints for the first couple days.
I snagged a gnome from my parents' house on the way out, stopped in Salem to visit the state capitol grounds, and found out after Sweet Home that US 20 was closed near the pass, which would have meant a nasty detour back to Salem and over the Cascades on OR 22, or down to Springfield and over Mackenzie Pass on OR 126. The flagger gave me a 'you didn't hear this from me' third option: He routed me over logging roads on a 20 mile detour around the closure, which added a good hour to the drive, all the while I was studiously examining my Thomas Guide to make sure I was on the right one.
I cut over to Prineville from Sisters, then took US 26 through Picture Gorge and out to Vale, stopping briefly in Unity at the sight of the distant forest fires, and the campground in the school yard for the volunteer firefighters.
In Vale, I did the unsigned OR 451 loop, and was on US 20 from there all the way to Cody, Wyoming. My goal had been to make it to Rexburg by the end of the day; I didn't come close. I did stop by the Idaho State Capitol, and only made it to the rest area at US 20 and ID 75 by nightfall, where I had to take a bit of a break. I pushed on to Craters of the Moon, and spent the rest of the night on a turnout before the monument's main entrance.
After the dawn broke, I grabbed a couple pictures of the lava field from the road, stopped by the first nuclear plant near Arco, and was impressed by the waterfall in Idaho Falls. I wanted to do the Mesa Falls loop, but the added hour of driving didn't sound like it would have been worth it.
The drive through Yellowstone was short and sweet... kinda. It takes a long time just to cut through at 35-45 mph. I did stop at the geysers, and my favorite spot was Lake Isa on the Continental Divide itself. Coming out of the East Entrance on the US 14/16/20 trifecta was aggravating -- posted at 50 mph, with the cars ahead of me not wanting to go more than 45, on a road that could easily have been 60. But it was pretty.
In Cody, I would have liked to have gone to the Buffalo Bill museum, but time was an issue. I took 14A from there and enjoyed the harrowing climb up the Bighorns, then dipped down 14 back to Shell Canyon Falls just before dusk. It meant I came down the other side of the Bighorns in the dark; I would have enjoyed it far more if it had still been light out. In a way, it reminded me of the Rowena Curves on US 30 northwest of The Dalles, only on a much more massive scale, with WYDOT even putting geologic epoch markers at every geologic formation.
I made a point to drive through Sheridan itself; while it's hard to get a good sense of the city after dark, it seems like an interesting place. I then pushed hard from Sheridan out to Gillette on US 14, and made it to the rest area in Moorcroft before I called it a night.
The next morning, I drove up to Devil's Tower, then back to Sundance, and stopped in Sturgis. Bike traffic wasn't bad at all. I got the requisite T-Shirt, drove through Rapid City and out to Custer and back up to Rushmore. I encountered more bikers here than in Sturgis, but nothing difficult. After snagging 16T and the eastern portion of Bus 90, it was 14 from there all the way to Rochester. I resisted the persistent advertising for Wall Drug along I-90 from Rapid City to Wall, just to say I did. I'll drop by next time. I stopped by the SD Capitol, snagged 14/83Byp, and pushed out to Brookings, and then hit two nasty detours on 14 in Minnesota. The one near Mankato I expected. The one just east of the SD state line, I didn't. And the third, in between the two in Sleepy Eye, must be annoying for the locals as all the regional traffic got shunted right into the neighborhood. But I managed to get into Rochester around 11:30, right around the time I had estimated when I was planning this all out. Had I avoided Yellowstone and/or stuck to the Interstate from Sheridan to Rochester, I probably would have shaved a few hours off, but I'm glad I chose this route.
Next time: US 20 from Bend to Vale. Possibly ID 44 between I-84 and Boise. US 26 instead of US 20 through central Idaho. ID 47 for Mesa Falls, or US 26 and up through Teton. US 16 through Wyoming (backtracking from Ucross back to I-90). I-90 to Minnesota.

WhitePoleRD

Sounds like you had a good trip. I was in Yellowstone/Grand Teton beginning of August coming from Spencer, IA. My brother in law was my road trip buddy and this was more his trip than mine (he likes long hikes, I like driving to places I've never been). We took 90 through SD out to Gillette, 50 and 387 down to Casper, and 20/26 to Shoshoni before it was his turn to drive. Casper to Shoshoni is only 90 minutes, but driving on no sleep at 4:00 in the morning in the desert felt like forever. US 26 from Shoshoni to Grand Teton is an excellent drive though.

On our way back we did 20/14/16 out of YS, 16 into Bighorn, and then 90 from Buffalo. Kind of the standard route but when you're invited to a trip out west, beggars can't be choosers.
You take the high road, I'll take the low road and I'll be in Iowa before ye.



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