Best way to drive from TX. to MT.??? (Billings, Great Falls: rental, hotel)

[mattman3seven]

Is there anyone here who knows the BEST(not absolutely the fastest) way to drive from Ft. Worth, TX to Shelby, MT?

I am leaving on Friday June 6, and will be driving a 17' U-haul truck. I hope to have a companion so we can go non-stop and get there in about 25-27 hours. I know if I drive by myself I will have to stop at a hotel one night, and I don't want to do that.

I would like to go all interstate driving as well. As far as I can tell looking at maps and such, it seems taking I-35 north to Salina, Kansas seems to be the best start. Then taking I-70 west towards Denver, and then I-25 north through Wyoming to Billings. After that I'm a little unsure. Do I need to take I-90 to Butte and head north on I-15, or take hwy. 87 to Great Falls to hit I-15? Is hwy. 87 full of lights, or would it be too hard for driving a U-haul?


Anyone with any better suggestions let me know, as I am planning my trip at this time!

[JetMech72]

Originally Posted by mattman3seven

Is there anyone here who knows the BEST(not absolutely the fastest) way to drive from Ft. Worth, TX to Shelby, MT?

I am leaving on Friday June 6, and will be driving a 17' U-haul truck. I hope to have a companion so we can go non-stop and get there in about 25-27 hours. I know if I drive by myself I will have to stop at a hotel one night, and I don't want to do that.

I would like to go all interstate driving as well. As far as I can tell looking at maps and such, it seems taking I-35 north to Salina, Kansas seems to be the best start. Then taking I-70 west towards Denver, and then I-25 north through Wyoming to Billings. After that I'm a little unsure. Do I need to take I-90 to Butte and head north on I-15, or take hwy. 87 to Great Falls to hit I-15? Is hwy. 87 full of lights, or would it be too hard for driving a U-haul?


Anyone with any better suggestions let me know, as I am planning my trip at this time!

I'm assuming you're asking if the highways and interstates are lit at night. No they are not, except through the scattered towns. Either that or you're asking about traffic lights....to which I will hold my laughter. I don't think you understand the vast distances between towns here. 87 is pretty desolate. Your best bet is to come up through Denver and up into Billings, jumping on I-90 West to Butte and then right up the I-15 to Shelby. That route sends you through our major cities, if anything should happen to your rental van, such as a blow out or anything. Keep in mind, that even following our interstates is pretty desolate....Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Helena and Great Falls will be the only cities you'll encounter along that long route across the whole state and the small towns in between, usually close up when the sun goes down.
Good luck to ya. Drive safely.

Almost forgot. I-70. That is a good Interstate coming off the plains into Denver, but if you're in a large moving van, I-70 climbs steeply out of Denver and over the Continential Divide...not good for most trucks. Plus it winds around pretty narrow canyons. It is the most beautiful route I have ever driven, but it might be a hassle with a large vehicle...plus you don't want to drive through Salt Lake City...in any kind of vehicle.

[mattman3seven]

Yeah, I was asking about traffic lights, as I am not going to drive at night. I assumed there were hardly any, but needed re-assurance anyways, know what I mean! I do think I'm going to keep it on the interstate though, just to stay on the safe side. But about I-70; you're talking about going west out of Denver right? When I reach Denver from the east I am taking I-25 north, not headed towards Salt Lake. If that is not what you meant, could you clarify that for me please? Cause I definitely do not like the idea of driving around tight corners on cliffs and canyons in a 17' truck.

Anyways, thanks for your reply.

[ottana]

Take the highway 3 out of Billings to Lavina, then turn left to go to Harlowton , then turn right to go to Eddies Corner and turn left there to go to Great Falls. There is two stop signs between Billings and Great Falls, one at Eddies Corner and one in Lavina this way. It's shorter than going through Lewiston. It's all small town though biggest Standford that you will go by but, its only about 220 miles.

[DyingBreed]

Be careful on I-70 just east of Denver, there were lots of cops in that stretch when i was travelling through a year ago.

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by mattman3seven

Is there anyone here who knows the BEST(not absolutely the fastest) way to drive from Ft. Worth, TX to Shelby, MT?

Been there, done that, with a fully-loaded pickup truck from Amarillo TX to Bozeman MT. And I've gone a few times from Billings to Great Falls. So...

I went north out of Amarillo to Dalhart TX, veering northwest on Hwy 87 thru Raton NM, and from there straight north on I-25 all the way to Billings MT. From there, you can take 87/89 all the way to Great Falls, and I-15 to Shelby.

But it's probably more efficient from where you're starting to take I-35 north and I-70 east, tho there'll be more traffic and less scenery, but also fewer hills. (North Texas is not only amber fields of ... fields, it's rolling country like ocean waves.) Plus the NE corner of New Mexico is endless miles of rocks and grasslands and absolutely NOTHING along the way if you get into trouble. And there's some serious upclimb as you come out of NM into Colorado. Check out the Terrain feature on Google Maps to get an idea.

Now, if you want to stick to Interstate ALL the way... you can go west from Billings on I-90, all the way to Three Forks. Do NOT NOT NOT go further west than that, tho, or you'll find you have to climb 3 mountain passes (one quite steep) and a HUGE slope north out of Butte, not to mention going a hundred miles or more out of your way and with a far higher chance of being caught in MT's usual June highcountry snowfall... so at that point the interstate is by far the worst route. Instead, take Hwy 287 north (2 lanes, but a good road in summer, and doable in winter) from Three Forks through Townsend to Helena, and pick up I-15 there, to Great Falls and eventually, Shelby... thereby missing all the mountain passes.