08 Rally Roads!

[aterveen_1487]

Just a quick note to let you all know that the Black Hills BMW Stampede is the weekend prior(July 13 - 15, 2008) to the International Rally, so you can explore the Black Hills with other BMW riders and attend a great rally to boot! The website isn't updated yet, but will be soon. If you look in your September 2007 Issue of BMW ON there is a nice write-up about the rally! There is also talks about having an organized ride from the Black Hills BMW Stampede rally site to the International rally site. Put er' on your calenders folks, it's a good one!

Website is updated and ready for registrations....www.blackhillsbmw.com

[OldRed]

Alright, bought the bike, joined the club, now a suggestion. For those of you who can ride gravel there is a road from Sundance over the Bear Lodge & Warren Peak, and down the north side to Devils Tower. Great views from the top on clear days.

Another suggestion is head east just north of Sundance towards Moskee/Cement Ridge area & on to Spearfish/Lead/Deadwood. Again, all gravel.

PLEASE be careful with fire, cigarettes, anything that will start fires! It has been very dry there for a few years and it doesn't take much.

[SHERIDESABEEMER]

Heading East toward Gillette, just outside of Cody, be sure to check out WY-14 through Big Horn National Forest. I just loved the diverse landscape and the red mountains!

[SHERIDESABEEMER]

Do yourself a favour and buy the National Parks Pass before you set out. It is the best deal in the world, and you will be able to ride on the Badlands and Rocky Mountain roads, ride through Yellowstone etc. Plus the parks are a good place to camp enroute. I always get one when I'm riding through that area.

Holly

Just a note, that it will not cover your parking at Mt. Rushmore. But I agree it's a good thing if you are going to hit several Nat'l Parks.

[Mudbug]

No matter what road I took into Wyoming I always saw a nice welcome sign...



and

[aterveen_1487]

[img]

Heading East toward Gillette, just outside of Cody, be sure to check out WY-14 through Big Horn National Forest.[/URL] I just loved the diverse landscape and the red mountains!

Nice Pics...makes me want to get out and ride...little chilly here though now...what do you do other than dream of spring You look at everyones pics of the previous years on the MOA forum

[wackettrw]

Heading East toward Gillette, just outside of Cody, be sure to check out WY-14 through Big Horn National Forest. I just loved the diverse landscape and the red mountains!

SheRidesABeemer & aterveen_1487,
According to National Geographic's "Guide To Scenic Highways and Byways" the Big Horn Mountains Scenic Byway on US (not WY) Route 14 between Shell & Dayton Wyoming is a very scenic 2 hour (by car) 60 mile trip going through Granite Pass @ 9,033 feet, following the Tongue River, with scenic turnouts for Sand Turn Pullout, Little Tongue River Canyon, & Fallen City limestone rock formations, with an hour detour on US 14A to Medicine Wheel (not included in the 60 miles above). US 14 Scenic Byway also goes through Shell Canyon and Shell Falls Interpretive Site, following Shell Creek before heading across a desert floor to Shell, Wyoming. According to Google Maps, Dayton is about 125 miles from Gillette WY. The above would be a great 400 mile (return trip from Gillette to Shell via Dayton & back to Gillette) day ride for riders attending the Nat'l Rally in Gillette. The pictures speak for themselves ... beautiful.
Richard

[aterveen_1487]

SheRidesABeemer & aterveen_1487,
According to National Geographic's "Guide To Scenic Highways and Byways" the Big Horn Mountains Scenic Byway on US (not WY) Route 14 between Shell & Dayton Wyoming is a very scenic 2 hour (by car) 60 mile trip going through Granite Pass @ 9,033 feet, following the Tongue River, with scenic turnouts for Sand Turn Pullout, Little Tongue River Canyon, & Fallen City limestone rock formations, with an hour detour on US 14A to Medicine Wheel (not included in the 60 miles above). US 14 Scenic Byway also goes through Shell Canyon and Shell Falls Interpretive Site, following Shell Creek before heading across a desert floor to Shell, Wyoming. According to Google Maps, Dayton is about 125 miles from Gillette WY. The above would be a great 400 mile (return trip from Gillette to Shell via Dayton & back to Gillette) day ride for riders attending the Nat'l Rally in Gillette. The pictures speak for themselves ... beautiful.
Richard

From Buffalo to Ten Sleep...Very Scenic ride...whatch for the critters though. Ten Sleep To shell...just gorgeous...Shell canyon is just as beatiful as Vanocker or Spearfish Canyon. Shell to Medicine wheel is good too. Medicine Wheel is pretty cool. Give you a chance to walk around a bit to before you head back to camp

[kenk]

Do yourself a favour and buy the National Parks Pass before you set out. http://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm It is the best deal in the world, and you will be able to ride on the Badlands and Rocky Mountain roads, ride through Yellowstone etc. Plus the parks are a good place to camp enroute. I always get one when I'm riding through that area.
Holly

If your an American citizen over the age of the 62, you can purchase a lifetime pass good for all national parks for only $10. It's called the America the Beautiful pass. It used to be called the Golden Age pass. No other requirements except age.

However, if your retired military with 20+ years of service, multiple combat tours, with VA acknowledged combat related disabilities, you don't qualify. You pay $80 a year, just like our foreign visitors. What a country!!

[judjones]

From Buffalo to Ten Sleep...Very Scenic ride...whatch for the critters though. Ten Sleep To shell...just gorgeous...Shell canyon is just as beatiful as Vanocker or Spearfish Canyon. Shell to Medicine wheel is good too. Medicine Wheel is pretty cool. Give you a chance to walk around a bit to before you head back to camp

As an alternative to US16, take Crazy Woman Canyon road from near Kaycee up to intercept 16 without having to go all the way to Buffalo. Not for the gravel-averse, but a very nice ride. Also, there is a very nice ride (unpaved) that goes from 14a near the Medicine Wheel over to the upper end of Shell Canyon (US14). Along the way, you can open a gate and ride down to Moonlight Mesa, which gives some spectacular overlooks of Shell Canyon.

Medicine Wheel is now a half-mile walk from the parking area, but if you are going to ride trails past there, the ranger should let you through the gate to ride right up. The Medicine Wheel is a true place of power. In 1993, I had a hilarious brush with fame up there, wherein I heard first-hand a story that Peter Fonda subsequently incorporated into his part in "The Limey".

[JCPUCKETT]

This is a place that You can also post good roads to ride here in N.E. Wyoming Area and all the states around that may be fun to hit on the way in or out from the rally! So Add your Road or place of interest. From Gillette, there are a lot of good Loops to take, for day trips or a nice afternoon ride from here. Good luck Richard

Some of my favorite rides in the Gillette, Wyoming area.

The Beartooth loop is a 2-1/2 day 2 night loop (leisurely pace) that would be tough to beat anywhere in North America. The track file is part of my 8,350 mile loop with my 11 y/o son in June 2006.

I would spend night 1 in Red Lodge, MT and night 2 in Cody, WY. This loop can be done in 2 days and 1 night if you leave at sunrise on day 1.

The Blackhill Loop is also one of my favorite. I usually include Hot Springs and Wind Cave National Park, but that turns this loop into a pretty long day so I included the waypoints, but dropped that section of my loop.

And the Devil's Tower loop which includes Custer's Last Stand is another favorite.

[BobOdenweller]

How about a good route to Yellowstone? I'm in a quandry as to whether to take a more northerly scenic route such as 14 to 14A into Cody and then 296 to 212 into Yellowstone. I could add an out and back to Bear Tooth Pass. That might be too much for one day. Alternatively, I could take a faster route of I-90 east to Buffalo then take 16 to Greybull then follow 14 to Yellowstone. Or perhaps some combination of the two. I will do this ride on Sunday then camp in Yellowstone for the night before I head back to Colorado. Any suggestions?

[JCPUCKETT]

How about a good route to Yellowstone? I'm in a quandry as to whether to take a more northerly scenic route such as 14 to 14A into Cody and then 296 to 212 into Yellowstone. I could add an out and back to Bear Tooth Pass. That might be too much for one day. Alternatively, I could take a faster route of I-90 east to Buffalo then take 16 to Greybull then follow 14 to Yellowstone. Or perhaps some combination of the two. I will do this ride on Sunday then camp in Yellowstone for the night before I head back to Colorado. Any suggestions?

depends on how fast you want to get to Yellowstone...

if you want the coolest route, take I-90 past Sheridan WY to US-14, then 14A, US-310 to just south of Bridger MT. left on MT-72 to Belfry MT, then MT-308 to Red Lodge MT.

Beartooth Highway (US-212) to Silver Gate MT (Yellowstone NP northeast entrance).

[rmaddoxx]

Taking 14A is also a great road with much greener backdrops. At the West end of the ride you should do the Big Horn Canyon National Recreation Area. Get to the Canyon overlook parking area just into Montana. I've always seen plenty of bighorn sheep in the parking area and never a person.

You could even rent a speed boat for an hour or so and enjoy the canyon from another perspective. Take a look at the canyon in google maps or google earth. It is well worth the trip and a great road too.

Oh, and it is also home of the National Wild Horse Preserve to boot.

See you all there. Can't wait.

[judjones]

Good news. In the recent Black Hills club newsletter, Jim Hansen let on that he and a few others from the Rapid area will be scouting off-pavement routes in the environs of Gilette. I have been looking forward to exploring, but I don't mind going to school on guys who know the area better.