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Old 10-11-2013, 12:15 PM
 
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Hi all,

I've made a few posts already and my trip to MT is almost here. We are leaving Monday (flying into Denver) and driving up to Billings. We realize that we are visiting MT at a time when snow is starting to fall in places. With that being said, do you have any suggestions for a rental car selection? I've read where MT keeps most main highways fairly clear but knowing my luck I'll rent a compact car and get stuck somewhere and die.

Also, we were planning a day or two to drive around to sight see. We wanted to do the Beartooth Highway but it looks like that's out of the question (snow). What about the road that follows the Gallatin Mtns (Hwy 191)? Will that be typically impassable as well this time of the year?

If those are out of the realm of possibility, do you have any other scenic roads that are maybe less traveled and passable?

Thanks in advance!
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Old 10-11-2013, 02:48 PM
 
Location: Brew City
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Any car should be just fine. If you don't want a compact car just beef it up to a midsize. You don't need a tracked vehicle to drive around main roads in Montana.

191 will be just fine. You could go down that and back up 287.

If you only have a day or two to explore that will limit your options to pretty close to Billings and I don't know much about the Billings area.
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Old 10-11-2013, 02:55 PM
 
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Thank you! Do you know if going back up 89 would be passable?
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Old 10-11-2013, 03:54 PM
 
Location: Where the mountains touch the sky
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89 North up to White Sulphur is a good road for the most part, but can get hit with some serious weather and there aren't a lot of people between Wilsall and White Sulphur. Just be aware, it isn't a long drive, very scenic and isolated, be careful of animals on the road as there are a lot of them in that area.

Same with 287 south, lots of animals, but on that road you have a lot of traffic as well. It is a twisty winding road next to the Gallatin river in spots, can have snow or ice.

For a quick trip, I would reccomend 191 west to 89, up to either Highway 12 or if you go further north, Highway 200 back east to 87 south back to Billings.

Lots of great country, good scenery, fairly remote and open, lots of game, decent roads and the roads are plowed so there shouldn't be any trouble.

If you are worried, toss in some water, some food and a sleeping bag or blankets in the trunk with your coats and go have an adventure
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Old 10-11-2013, 04:00 PM
 
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Like Vegabern said, 191 will be fine. It's open year-round. People need to drive it to get to Big Sky and Moonlight Basin for skiing. Although we've gotten some snow lately, it doesn't amount to much yet anyway.


Right now, I don't think you can make the loop from West Yellowstone back up 89. Not because of snow, but because you have to go through Yellowstone for that and with the gov't shutdown the park is closed.

Too bad if the Beartooth Highway is closed - it's a beautiful drive.

I agree with taking 287 for the return loop (unless the shut-down ends and you are able to go through the park to 89). You'll get to see a different route and the views are quite different than 191.
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Old 10-11-2013, 04:06 PM
 
Location: Brew City
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bbrad View Post
Like Vegabern said, 191 will be fine. It's open year-round. People need to drive it to get to Big Sky and Moonlight Basin for skiing. Although we've gotten some snow lately, it doesn't amount to much yet anyway.


Right now, I don't think you can make the loop from West Yellowstone back up 89. Not because of snow, but because you have to go through Yellowstone for that and with the gov't shutdown the park is closed.

Too bad if the Beartooth Highway is closed - it's a beautiful drive.

I agree with taking 287 for the return loop (unless the shut-down ends and you are able to go through the park to 89). You'll get to see a different route and the views are quite different than 191.
You don't have to go into YNP to go from 191 to 287. You can connect just north of West Yellowstone or even dip into Idaho along 20 and 87 back to 287.

I agree with a pp that 89 is a nice drive. It is different terrain than 191 and 287 so it's a good idea to check it out.
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Old 10-11-2013, 05:50 PM
 
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@MTSilvertip - are you saying come from Billings on 191/I-90W to just before Livingston, then going north on 89 to either 12 or 200 then back down 87 to Billings?

So you're saying the loop north of I-90 is a better option than going down 191 south toward Yellowstone then back up 89 (assuming it isn't closed) or 287?

Or were you just giving me another option of a closer loop? Thanks all you guys for the help.
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Old 10-12-2013, 10:17 AM
 
Location: Where the mountains touch the sky
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Quote:
Originally Posted by br0ns0n77 View Post
@MTSilvertip - are you saying come from Billings on 191/I-90W to just before Livingston, then going north on 89 to either 12 or 200 then back down 87 to Billings?

So you're saying the loop north of I-90 is a better option than going down 191 south toward Yellowstone then back up 89 (assuming it isn't closed) or 287?

Or were you just giving me another option of a closer loop? Thanks all you guys for the help.
Yep, that's the loop.

Lots of country in there, lots of beautiful views, lots of animals, you will see real Montana not just the tourist traps of Big Sky and West Yellowstone.

With the park closed, it kind of takes the reason for going down there as the road is in the Gallatin Canyon, so your views are limited to a lot of beetle killed timber until you get down south of Big Sky when it starts opening up a little. Unless you take a 4x4 and go exploring up Porcupine or Deer Creek or Taylor Fork, you won't see nearly as much as you will on the other loop.

North on 89 you travel along the Shields River with the Crazy Mountains on one side, the Bridger Mountains on the other. You will see open rolling farmland in the valley floor climbing up to the forests skirting the mountains.

The further north you go, the valley gets wider and dryer opening into a wide valley with cattle and settlers cabins and barns spaced widely apart. You will see land hardly changed from the days of the pioneers 2 centuries ago.

You will pass Ringling, the only town between Wilsall and White Sulphur Springs. A thriving metropolis of around 25 full time residents, it is about 1/2 way on the nearly 80 mile drive between the two towns.

On to White Sulphur where you decide whether to take The road east over the Castle Mountains to Harlowton, or go North over Kings Hill through the Belt Mountains up to Belt.

Going east puts you at the head of the Musselshell river with open rolling plains and farm ground. Large cottonwoods along the river provide shelter for Whitetail deer, lots of upland birds, while the bluffs to the north have antelope and mule deer.

The town of Harlow is a fantastic little place, nice people, some old sandstone buildings, just a nice homey place.
Further east you will get to a wide spot in the road, Shawmut. Very small old farming town. Couple of the folks there collect classic farm tractors which they love to show off. The main attraction is the small café right on the side of the highway. They only serve breakfast and lunch, but their Sunday lunch special is really special, and the regular menu is designed for hard working farm folk so it is simple and lots of it, just the way I like.

You continue on east and will come to Ryegate, another nice little small town, the seat of Golden Valley county. Population of around 1500 I think. Their claim to fame are the large population of albino and piebald mule deer in the area. Kind of a gene that got into the population there and has become kind of a specialty of the area.

As you come up out of the river bottoms you will start into the breaks country, wind carved sandstone bluffs, juniper trees in the valleys guarded by large ponderosa pine. This is ground that is loved by mule deer, elk and wild turkey.

As you travel you will see more timber and then you will get to Roundup. another quaint little town named for the huge cattle roundups that took place every year in the area.

Turn south, and you will be in Billings again.

Hwy 200 is an area with a lot more irrigated and sub irrigated ground. As you drive east you will see some really cool little towns like Belt nestled into a steep gulch. Lots of small farming communities like Moccasin, Stanford line the route. As you get further east you will drive past the Judith Gap. You can turn south and go to Harlow here, or continue east to Lewistown, the geographical center of the state. Larger than most of the other towns in the area, population is around 6000, several nice restaurants, couple of museums, but the biggest claim to fame are the Yogo Sapphires mined in the region. Deep blue, they are the state gemstone.
http://www.city-data.com/city/Lewistown-Montana.html

Travel further east to the tiny community of Grass Range, you turn south which will take you through some really dry but spectacular country. You will know when you come over the rim of the Devils Basin, then further on to Roundup again.

It's a long drive for a day, but if you stopped and took pictures of the trees along the river it all their golden glory, accented by the reds of the willow leaves and the deep yellows of the cured grass carpeting the valleys leading to the deep blue mountains capped with snow in the distance, or of the wildlife and long views of empty land, you could spend the night along the way in any number of nice little motels and continue on with the dawn.
You will meet some of the nicest people on earth on that route as well.

To me, this area is far more Montana than the overdeveloped Gallatin Canyon, but in Big Sky or West Yellowstone you would be able to get gourmet meals and strange coffees.

Just depends on what you want to see.
The trips I described are part of the state most outsiders never see, vast open spaces with low populations, you can get an idea of what the pioneers and mountain men saw when they lived in the area. It hasn't changed that much. It is still hard to get a cell signal in many areas, some are so remote you can't even pick up a radio station.

That would be my choice if you want to see Montana, not just the places professional photographers and the tourism bureau herd folks to.

Take your time, explore, enjoy
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Old 10-12-2013, 10:25 AM
 
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What an amazing travel guide. I'll print it out and put it into our Montana travel file for next summer!
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Old 10-12-2013, 01:32 PM
 
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@MTSilvertip you are awesome. Not sure what you do for a living, but you should be a travel guide if you aren't! Thanks again for all the information. Flying out on Monday and looking forward to it!
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