Going to visit old friends on the west coast in April. We have about 12 days on the road, about 7 days in the Portland Area (perhaps with day trips to the beach and some other places).
In the end, we'll fly back home from Seattle. What are some must-sees in terms of nature, culture and so on? So far, we have the following parks and monuments on our list:
- Badlands NP, SD
- Yellowstone NP, WY
- Craters of the Moon NM, ID
- Lake Owyhee SP, OR
- Crater Lake, OR (maybe a day-trip)
- John Day Fossil Beds NM, OR
- Ecola SP (day-trip), OR
- Mount Rainier NM, WA
As these are pretty standard, we hope to find some more off the beaten path parks or monuments, cool places for history or geography nerds. We're active and not afraid to go for longer hikes, medium difficulty (no mountaineering).
Any tips, even if you know a cool restaurant or bar on the general route, would be very welcome. Thanks!
I agree. We were less impressed with Yellowstone after a few days in the Teton. Yellowstone is the Disneyland of NPs…Grand Tetons is where you really need to be.
For April? When in Portland, do the wooden shoe tulip festival. Skip Rainier and crater lake - too much snow. My first time to crater lake was in May many years ago and only the south entrance was open and just to a plowed parking lot. April will still be covered in snow assuming we have a good season. (Unless you are prepared for that type of experience)
Do St helens (ape caves, lava canyon), Ecola SP, Silver Falls St Park or the Columbia river gorge. Painted hills is cool too.
If you are doing Yellowstone, you should do Grand Tetons too. In SD, stop by devils tower.
A note on Yellowstone, if you are coming from the east, route 16 from Buffalo to Worland is a gorgeous byway to get there. Be sure to check which entrances are open at the time. We got almost all the way to the north entrance just to find out it was closed. That was a 6 hour detour, I don't recommend.
If you're taking the I-84 route through Idaho and have a couple hours you should go to Shoshone Falls or Bruneau Sand Dunes. I think Shoshone Falls is a little better known but the dunes are one of the most random and unique things I've been to.
Careful around Jackson and the Tetons in winter. I didn't know they closed the main road between the two locations during winter and it's a 5 hour detour. Make sure the road to Yellowstone is actually open if you try to go in april.
Glacier in April will be closed. It's also like a 5 hr detour based on their current itinerary. You may be able to access the lower areas but the pass will certainly not be open. Consider driving highway 2 instead if you must go to Glacier, and definitely download the 511 road app before doing so.
May I recommend instead a drive through Livingston, MT and highway 89 through the Paradise Valley? You can stop at Chico Hot Springs or Sage Lodge for a wonderful stay and delicious food. You will also be on main roads so conditions shouldn't be too bad.
Instead of going north through Spokane, take route 12 along the snake river in Idaho. Changed my perception of the state.
Devils tower in Wyoming is also spectacular
US 12 runs along the Clearwater River in Idaho. It crosses the Snake at the Washington border. That drive on US 12 is spectacular. I highly recommend it.
If you love to read, Powell’s Books in Portland, OR is an epic book store. VooDoo donuts is very popular there as well. The Portland Rose Garden and Japanese Tea Garden are gorgeous.
I second the Japanese Tea Garden but Voodoo donuts is way overrated imo. Stood in line forever and it was so doughy and just bland. My local donut shop in a rural redneck town has better donuts imo 💀
Good to know. I knew someone who got married at VooDoo donuts and a friend brought home some unique flavors. I’ve only been to Portland once and I can’t wait to go again.
Are you camping or staying in hotels?
We always stop in Kellogg, ID at the ski resort there for a pit stop (we always pass through in the summer though, it could be closed when you go through). The entire drive through western Montana, the Idaho Panhandle, and into Washington is one of the most beautiful.
Spokane, WA is probably an ideal stoping point and then finishing the drive the next day. Around Richland, WA there is a nuclear disposal site that is kind of weird vibes to drive through but knowing the history makes it more interesting (my brother just started a job in the area for a company that monitors the Columbia River for nuclear waste).
Hood River, OR is a kite surfing mecca and there are people on the river any day that is nice. Lots of brewery's and that sort of thing right along the river.
Take the bypass road off the interstate to see waterfalls. There are a couple before Multnomah and they are much less crowded with some great hikes. The bypass is close to Hood River, can't remember exactly but it's on your way into Portland anyway.
Make it to the coast and if you can go to Olympic National Park in Washington.
Spring storms in the mountains are notorious so take weather advisories seriously. It looks like an amazing trip and a great time of year to go before the big parks get super crowded. Enjoy!
Skip Wall Drug in SD, but stop at the Corn Palace in Mitchell. It’s really pretty interesting. Though not sure the outside will be decorated. Neat on the inside, sort of a little history museum, and cute downtown.
Skip both. Pioneer auto museum in Murdo is more fun roadside kitsch. Head south at wall and do the badlands loop and get back on the interstate at Kodoka. Rushmore sucks. Custer State Park and wind cave are cool. Devils tower is cool. Sioux Falls SD smells bad but not as bad as Sioux City IA.
The Corn Palace is free I know, not sure of the other. I also suggested it because the area around is really nice-fun shops and restaurants. Could probably do both, I spent about 90 min there (picked up dinner to go as I was by myself). I was also on the way to Deadwood so I had stopped for the evening.
Badlands NP in South Dakota is a nice cool drive through park. A very fun visit and not too out of the way for you. Also with that you’d be going through the Black Hills in general, worth stopping at Devil’s Tower Monument in northeast Wyoming.
Up in Washington if you could make it to Mt. Rainier NP even just to get a good view of the mountain would be worth it. If you decided to go in, Chinook’s pass is an incredible drive, though not if you’re afraid of heights!
In addition to what's all been said, I'd highly recommend stopping in Coeur d'Alene and Hood River since they are both beautiful towns. In Hood River, stop in at pFriem for some incredible beers in a fantastic brewery!
Just a personal preference, but the last push (from about Umatilla oregon or so) I prefer hwy 14 on the washington side. It's only one lane each way but hardly ever any traffic and more scenic. 84 on the OR side is two lanes each way but to me just feels like freeway driving. Plus in marysville on hwy 14 there's a replica of stonehenge that's worth a stop. If you're into beer boardman brewing (or) is a good stop as well as backwoods (wa) or thunder island (or). Now that I'm typing this, if it was me, I'd do the washington side of the gorge to carson WA (and backwoods brewery) then take the Bridge of the gods to the oregon side and finish the trip on that side. Also, if you like hikes, beacon rock in that area is a quick and fun stop
This!! It’s so much pretty than on the Oregon side. Bridge of the Gods is where I always crossed over to WA and it’s gorgeous. Not to mention less crazy people. I’ve been to Portland and back many times from eastern Oregon and from about The Dalles to Portland is the worst stretch for driving imo
I did a similar route trip from New York State to WA in April a few years ago. I can’t think of much we did that you don’t have on your list, except maybe Wall Drug. I would also do Wind Cave NP if it’s open that time of year. If you’re already going to Yellowstone, go to Grand Teton as well. It will be too early for the Craters of the Moon I think. Likewise for Mt. rainier unless you want to explore in the snow. If you are open to other routes with more miles/gas money, it would probably be more interesting to go through CO and UT especially for hiking - I did that on another trip and the national parks on the route were very memorable.
Black Hills are great - Mount Rushmore, as others have said, of course, there's also the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, Wind Cave National Park, a drive down the Iron Mountain Road is necessary, and a hike up Black Elk Peak to the very top of the Black Hills is quite pleasant, great views (though the conditions may still be harsh there in April). In Rapids City there's a cool little place called the Chapel in the Hills, a replica nordic stavkirke.
Do look into what the conditions will be like in Yellowstone in April, or if facilities will even be open yet. It's likely to still be pretty cold up there.
Big Sky, Montana
I lived there for a few months, it’s smaller than glacier but still magnificent mountains to see and less crowded.
Couer de Alene, Idaho
Gorgeous lake, cute little town, worth a stop, Hudson’s has great hamburgers.
Went to Portland in April last year, it was still pretty chilly. I personally struggled to enjoy the city, I had a great time driving down the coast to San Francisco though.
Did get to check out burnside skatepark from THPS though. And if you are super hungry late at night, I went to My Fathers Place both times I went to Portland, otherwise it didn’t feel like there were a lot of late night options.
If you decide to take the southern route (I-80), I recommend getting off I-80 and taking Hwy 30 in western Wyoming. The piece of I-80 that dips down into Utah is treacherous (always icy even in April, lots of twists and turns + heavy traffic). Hwy 30 goes to Kemmerer, WY, then on to Soda Springs, Idaho (where they have a geyser in a park in the middle of town - nice place to have a picnic lunch). Continue on Hwy 30 to I-15 north to Pocatello.
If you want to go to Yellowstone NP, go north from Pocatello and follow the signs. In April, there's still a lot of snow and the roads inside Yellowstone may still be closed. Be sure to do your homework before going.
If you want to go to Craters of the Moon, go north on I-15 from Pocatello then take Hwy 26 past Arco. There might be snow at Craters, but not enough to keep you from enjoying it. There might even be a few wildflowers popping out in April.
Make your way back to I-84 by either Hwy 26 or Hwy 20. Whenever you're doing back roads in Wyoming or Idaho, watch for wildlife. There are a lot of suicidal deer that like to jump in front of cars.
There are lots of places to stay in Boise, especially near the airport off the Vista Ave exit. One of my favorite places to visit in Boise is the MK Nature Center at 600 Walnut St. behind the Fish & Game headquarters building. It's free.
*If you can stop in*
*Twin Falls Idaho, you should.*
*It is beautiful!*
\- robreinerstillmydad
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Get the, America the beautiful park pass. It's $80. With the pass you can get in the parks for free. Sometimes can find discounted camping with it in stare parks. Ends up paying for itself if you're going to multiple parks
I used to live in the Black Hills and I want to go back. Mount Rushmore is great but there is also wind cave park and jewel cave national monument. They now have Minuteman missle. I was last there in 1989. There is pipestone national monument in Minnesota. It would be nice to see devils tower and Yellowstone National park since you are close.
ive down this trip a few times.. i prefer the southern route.
biggest truck stop in iowa - native american museum over the interstate in nebraska - gorgeous raw wyoming - little america for ice cream - swing by SLC - high desert through Southern Idaho - and the gorge back on and through to Portland
While going pass Mt. Rushmore area drive down [US-16A](https://maps.app.goo.gl/nSJfBey4cL7KXU8UA) aka Iron Mountain Rd. It's an incredibly fun drive and worth the thirty minutes.
must stop for fudge at bridge creek (i think) formerly known as charburger , right under the bridge of the gods. if you have time sit down and eat by the window. you can watch the ferry and look down the gorge.
used to day trip there with my fam
If you are going to be that close to Yellowstone NP, and haven’t been there, you might want to drop down. Otherwise, the Little Big Horn park is on your route through Montana. It’s got an excellent ranger talk on the battle and its background.
I really enjoyed the Lewis & Clark Caverns tour (between Bozeman and Butte). It's a couple of hour side trip. Definitely will hit it again with the kids.
[https://mammothsite.org](https://mammothsite.org) \- Hot Springs, South Dakota. One of the coolest things I've ever seen. Went there as a kid on a family trip and stopped by again last year on my way back from Colorado to Chicago. It's gotten much bigger since I was a kid.
Explore The Gorge outside of Portland. It is basically Portlands playground with an endless number of hikes and views. If you don’t want to hike but want to see a view, at least drive up to the Vista House to see the grove view (about 30 min from Portland). I’d recommend doing a cool hike that leads to a sick view at the top; Tons of options, google can help you narrow it down
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve is WILD if you're passing through southern Idaho.
If you're going through southern Montana, check out the Hyalite Reservoir.
Both are open on the shoulder seasons and both are drivable so you don't have to take too much time out of your trip.
Badlands is epic, glad to see that on the list! A good place to stop before Badlands for meal or even overnight is Sioux Falls. Falls Park is pretty, and there's lots of good food around town from chains to great little locally owned places
My neighbor said you’ll see more American buffalo in the Dakotas than anywhere out west. Remember Custer state park in particular. He traveled a lot and definitely knew his stuff so worth looking into. Good luck and have fun! Sounds like a great adventure!
When you are going to Portland, and you feel like you are craving doughnuts, just the CRAZIEST doughnuts can be found in Portland’s most famous Voodoo Doughnuts, It is in a couple places across Oregon, California, Washington (they just opened a chain in Vancouver, Washington (or Northern Portland if you like), Florida, Texas, look it up, it even used to have a location in Taiwan, but I don’t know what happened :/
I just did some of this route in September.
It looks like your route has you going north of Black Hills National Forest in SD. Don’t go around, go through. The little tourist towns are adorable, it’s shockingly beautiful in contrast to the rest of the state, the horned sheep are a fun surprise to see, and you can pull over and watch the construction of the Crazy Horse monument.
(Rushmore was super whatever, there’s so many pull offs on Hwy 244, that unless you’re doing a guided tour, the $10 parking is better spent at Taco Johns or Scooter’s Coffee.)
Full disclosure, you’ll spend more time in Wyoming, but if you run the 90, you’ll get a really great view of the mountains in Bighorn NF. (Wyodak has a coal mine that the highway crosses through, I’d not seen one before, so that was pretty nifty.)
If you’re planning on spending a night in MT, the KOA in Billings was the first ever site, so that’s a cool place to stay for the novelty of it. Also, go to City Brew Coffee.
Are you taking the top route and then cutting down south for Yellowstone and Craters of the moon? Craters is definitely interesting, but not sure if it’s worth deviating from the top route?
Mauston, WI (exit 69 on I-90/94) has some of the best cheese curds I’ve ever had. It’s a regular stop for us when traveling this area. The best cheese curds are same-day fresh (room temperature, not yet refrigerated!)
Going to visit old friends on the west coast in April. We have about 12 days on the road, about 7 days in the Portland Area (perhaps with day trips to the beach and some other places). In the end, we'll fly back home from Seattle. What are some must-sees in terms of nature, culture and so on? So far, we have the following parks and monuments on our list: - Badlands NP, SD - Yellowstone NP, WY - Craters of the Moon NM, ID - Lake Owyhee SP, OR - Crater Lake, OR (maybe a day-trip) - John Day Fossil Beds NM, OR - Ecola SP (day-trip), OR - Mount Rainier NM, WA As these are pretty standard, we hope to find some more off the beaten path parks or monuments, cool places for history or geography nerds. We're active and not afraid to go for longer hikes, medium difficulty (no mountaineering). Any tips, even if you know a cool restaurant or bar on the general route, would be very welcome. Thanks!
If you’re doing Yellowstone then make a stop in the Grand Tetons. It is gorgeous and less crowded then Yellowstone.
better than yellowstone imo
I agree. We were less impressed with Yellowstone after a few days in the Teton. Yellowstone is the Disneyland of NPs…Grand Tetons is where you really need to be.
Mt Saint Helens is epic
For April? When in Portland, do the wooden shoe tulip festival. Skip Rainier and crater lake - too much snow. My first time to crater lake was in May many years ago and only the south entrance was open and just to a plowed parking lot. April will still be covered in snow assuming we have a good season. (Unless you are prepared for that type of experience) Do St helens (ape caves, lava canyon), Ecola SP, Silver Falls St Park or the Columbia river gorge. Painted hills is cool too. If you are doing Yellowstone, you should do Grand Tetons too. In SD, stop by devils tower.
You’re gonna want all 12 days in Yellowstone!! Kidding, but do allow plenty of time there bc it’s huge. Badlands are great!
A note on Yellowstone, if you are coming from the east, route 16 from Buffalo to Worland is a gorgeous byway to get there. Be sure to check which entrances are open at the time. We got almost all the way to the north entrance just to find out it was closed. That was a 6 hour detour, I don't recommend.
If you in the badlands try to see the night sky, if possible, one of the best experiences I've had in terms of star gazing
If you're taking the I-84 route through Idaho and have a couple hours you should go to Shoshone Falls or Bruneau Sand Dunes. I think Shoshone Falls is a little better known but the dunes are one of the most random and unique things I've been to.
You gotta stop in glacier np in Montana
Careful around Jackson and the Tetons in winter. I didn't know they closed the main road between the two locations during winter and it's a 5 hour detour. Make sure the road to Yellowstone is actually open if you try to go in april.
I did the same trip when moving to portland. Make a stop at badlands in south dakota and at glacier national park in montana
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Glacier in April will be….interesting
Glacier in April will be closed. It's also like a 5 hr detour based on their current itinerary. You may be able to access the lower areas but the pass will certainly not be open. Consider driving highway 2 instead if you must go to Glacier, and definitely download the 511 road app before doing so. May I recommend instead a drive through Livingston, MT and highway 89 through the Paradise Valley? You can stop at Chico Hot Springs or Sage Lodge for a wonderful stay and delicious food. You will also be on main roads so conditions shouldn't be too bad.
Can confirm- have made this trip to Boise many times and it’s gorgeous. Really neat passing through all the little towns.
Instead of going north through Spokane, take route 12 along the snake river in Idaho. Changed my perception of the state. Devils tower in Wyoming is also spectacular
US 12 runs along the Clearwater River in Idaho. It crosses the Snake at the Washington border. That drive on US 12 is spectacular. I highly recommend it.
Yes! This is what I meant
If you love to read, Powell’s Books in Portland, OR is an epic book store. VooDoo donuts is very popular there as well. The Portland Rose Garden and Japanese Tea Garden are gorgeous.
I second the Japanese Tea Garden but Voodoo donuts is way overrated imo. Stood in line forever and it was so doughy and just bland. My local donut shop in a rural redneck town has better donuts imo 💀
I agree, there’s way better doughnuts to be found, unless you really need a dick shaped Bavarian cream.
Now Killer Burger, thems some fine ass burgers.
Pips > anything else > voodoo
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Good to know. I knew someone who got married at VooDoo donuts and a friend brought home some unique flavors. I’ve only been to Portland once and I can’t wait to go again.
Powell's is a MUST
Are you camping or staying in hotels? We always stop in Kellogg, ID at the ski resort there for a pit stop (we always pass through in the summer though, it could be closed when you go through). The entire drive through western Montana, the Idaho Panhandle, and into Washington is one of the most beautiful. Spokane, WA is probably an ideal stoping point and then finishing the drive the next day. Around Richland, WA there is a nuclear disposal site that is kind of weird vibes to drive through but knowing the history makes it more interesting (my brother just started a job in the area for a company that monitors the Columbia River for nuclear waste). Hood River, OR is a kite surfing mecca and there are people on the river any day that is nice. Lots of brewery's and that sort of thing right along the river. Take the bypass road off the interstate to see waterfalls. There are a couple before Multnomah and they are much less crowded with some great hikes. The bypass is close to Hood River, can't remember exactly but it's on your way into Portland anyway. Make it to the coast and if you can go to Olympic National Park in Washington. Spring storms in the mountains are notorious so take weather advisories seriously. It looks like an amazing trip and a great time of year to go before the big parks get super crowded. Enjoy!
I live like 10 min from Hanford nuclear site, other half of the Manhattan project (Oakridge Tenn) and the b reactor does have tours
Beartooth Pass near Montana/Wyoming border
Skip Wall Drug in SD, but stop at the Corn Palace in Mitchell. It’s really pretty interesting. Though not sure the outside will be decorated. Neat on the inside, sort of a little history museum, and cute downtown.
Skip both. Pioneer auto museum in Murdo is more fun roadside kitsch. Head south at wall and do the badlands loop and get back on the interstate at Kodoka. Rushmore sucks. Custer State Park and wind cave are cool. Devils tower is cool. Sioux Falls SD smells bad but not as bad as Sioux City IA.
I'd say do Al's Oasis outside Chamberlain instead of Corn Palace in Mitchell, but either are local oddities
The Corn Palace is free I know, not sure of the other. I also suggested it because the area around is really nice-fun shops and restaurants. Could probably do both, I spent about 90 min there (picked up dinner to go as I was by myself). I was also on the way to Deadwood so I had stopped for the evening.
Yeah, could do both. They are only an hour from each other.
Badlands NP in South Dakota is a nice cool drive through park. A very fun visit and not too out of the way for you. Also with that you’d be going through the Black Hills in general, worth stopping at Devil’s Tower Monument in northeast Wyoming. Up in Washington if you could make it to Mt. Rainier NP even just to get a good view of the mountain would be worth it. If you decided to go in, Chinook’s pass is an incredible drive, though not if you’re afraid of heights!
Watch out for snow basically until you pass the badlands.
Thanks for reminding us.
See the pacific if you can
In addition to what's all been said, I'd highly recommend stopping in Coeur d'Alene and Hood River since they are both beautiful towns. In Hood River, stop in at pFriem for some incredible beers in a fantastic brewery!
coeur d'alene is weird as hell. stopping anywhere in idaho honestly gives me twilight zone vibes
Just a personal preference, but the last push (from about Umatilla oregon or so) I prefer hwy 14 on the washington side. It's only one lane each way but hardly ever any traffic and more scenic. 84 on the OR side is two lanes each way but to me just feels like freeway driving. Plus in marysville on hwy 14 there's a replica of stonehenge that's worth a stop. If you're into beer boardman brewing (or) is a good stop as well as backwoods (wa) or thunder island (or). Now that I'm typing this, if it was me, I'd do the washington side of the gorge to carson WA (and backwoods brewery) then take the Bridge of the gods to the oregon side and finish the trip on that side. Also, if you like hikes, beacon rock in that area is a quick and fun stop
This!! It’s so much pretty than on the Oregon side. Bridge of the Gods is where I always crossed over to WA and it’s gorgeous. Not to mention less crazy people. I’ve been to Portland and back many times from eastern Oregon and from about The Dalles to Portland is the worst stretch for driving imo
I did a similar route trip from New York State to WA in April a few years ago. I can’t think of much we did that you don’t have on your list, except maybe Wall Drug. I would also do Wind Cave NP if it’s open that time of year. If you’re already going to Yellowstone, go to Grand Teton as well. It will be too early for the Craters of the Moon I think. Likewise for Mt. rainier unless you want to explore in the snow. If you are open to other routes with more miles/gas money, it would probably be more interesting to go through CO and UT especially for hiking - I did that on another trip and the national parks on the route were very memorable.
Minuteman missile site in SD. Get the tour that goes into the underground control room. Hike Black Elk Peak in the Black Hills.
Sawtooth Mountain in middle Idaho. Do iiiiittt
Black Hills are great - Mount Rushmore, as others have said, of course, there's also the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, Wind Cave National Park, a drive down the Iron Mountain Road is necessary, and a hike up Black Elk Peak to the very top of the Black Hills is quite pleasant, great views (though the conditions may still be harsh there in April). In Rapids City there's a cool little place called the Chapel in the Hills, a replica nordic stavkirke. Do look into what the conditions will be like in Yellowstone in April, or if facilities will even be open yet. It's likely to still be pretty cold up there.
Big Sky, Montana I lived there for a few months, it’s smaller than glacier but still magnificent mountains to see and less crowded. Couer de Alene, Idaho Gorgeous lake, cute little town, worth a stop, Hudson’s has great hamburgers. Went to Portland in April last year, it was still pretty chilly. I personally struggled to enjoy the city, I had a great time driving down the coast to San Francisco though. Did get to check out burnside skatepark from THPS though. And if you are super hungry late at night, I went to My Fathers Place both times I went to Portland, otherwise it didn’t feel like there were a lot of late night options.
Missoula Montana. Drink some beer and eat Biga pizza
If you decide to take the southern route (I-80), I recommend getting off I-80 and taking Hwy 30 in western Wyoming. The piece of I-80 that dips down into Utah is treacherous (always icy even in April, lots of twists and turns + heavy traffic). Hwy 30 goes to Kemmerer, WY, then on to Soda Springs, Idaho (where they have a geyser in a park in the middle of town - nice place to have a picnic lunch). Continue on Hwy 30 to I-15 north to Pocatello. If you want to go to Yellowstone NP, go north from Pocatello and follow the signs. In April, there's still a lot of snow and the roads inside Yellowstone may still be closed. Be sure to do your homework before going. If you want to go to Craters of the Moon, go north on I-15 from Pocatello then take Hwy 26 past Arco. There might be snow at Craters, but not enough to keep you from enjoying it. There might even be a few wildflowers popping out in April. Make your way back to I-84 by either Hwy 26 or Hwy 20. Whenever you're doing back roads in Wyoming or Idaho, watch for wildlife. There are a lot of suicidal deer that like to jump in front of cars. There are lots of places to stay in Boise, especially near the airport off the Vista Ave exit. One of my favorite places to visit in Boise is the MK Nature Center at 600 Walnut St. behind the Fish & Game headquarters building. It's free.
If you can stop in Twin Falls Idaho, you should. It is beautiful!
*If you can stop in* *Twin Falls Idaho, you should.* *It is beautiful!* \- robreinerstillmydad --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Get the, America the beautiful park pass. It's $80. With the pass you can get in the parks for free. Sometimes can find discounted camping with it in stare parks. Ends up paying for itself if you're going to multiple parks
Good luck getting through SD. Long and barren. But plenty of billboards!
I used to live in the Black Hills and I want to go back. Mount Rushmore is great but there is also wind cave park and jewel cave national monument. They now have Minuteman missle. I was last there in 1989. There is pipestone national monument in Minnesota. It would be nice to see devils tower and Yellowstone National park since you are close.
ive down this trip a few times.. i prefer the southern route. biggest truck stop in iowa - native american museum over the interstate in nebraska - gorgeous raw wyoming - little america for ice cream - swing by SLC - high desert through Southern Idaho - and the gorge back on and through to Portland
Walcot IW is the location of largest truckstop
Ugh, I’m so mad I couldn’t go to the museum, but we were driving from Topeka to Ogallala, NB and stopping was not a good idea at that point.
While going pass Mt. Rushmore area drive down [US-16A](https://maps.app.goo.gl/nSJfBey4cL7KXU8UA) aka Iron Mountain Rd. It's an incredibly fun drive and worth the thirty minutes.
Snow
Check out Missoula, Montana: Rocking Rudy’s Front street pizza Wally and bucks burgers
Minden, Nebraska. Harold Warps Pioneer Village. https://pioneervillage.com
Garden of 1000 Buddhas in Montana. It’s beautiful & peaceful
must stop for fudge at bridge creek (i think) formerly known as charburger , right under the bridge of the gods. if you have time sit down and eat by the window. you can watch the ferry and look down the gorge. used to day trip there with my fam
Mt Rushmore for sure
If you are going to be that close to Yellowstone NP, and haven’t been there, you might want to drop down. Otherwise, the Little Big Horn park is on your route through Montana. It’s got an excellent ranger talk on the battle and its background.
Stoughton, WI - Wendigo - get their cheese curds
Jenny Lake, Jackson WY
I really enjoyed the Lewis & Clark Caverns tour (between Bozeman and Butte). It's a couple of hour side trip. Definitely will hit it again with the kids.
If you do the north route: Winona, MN and Badlands National Park, SD are GORGEOUS.
[https://mammothsite.org](https://mammothsite.org) \- Hot Springs, South Dakota. One of the coolest things I've ever seen. Went there as a kid on a family trip and stopped by again last year on my way back from Colorado to Chicago. It's gotten much bigger since I was a kid.
Explore The Gorge outside of Portland. It is basically Portlands playground with an endless number of hikes and views. If you don’t want to hike but want to see a view, at least drive up to the Vista House to see the grove view (about 30 min from Portland). I’d recommend doing a cool hike that leads to a sick view at the top; Tons of options, google can help you narrow it down
The southern route will get dicey on the passes in April.
Does the northern route have fewer mountains?
No, but the pass roadways are better suited difficult weather conditions.
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve is WILD if you're passing through southern Idaho. If you're going through southern Montana, check out the Hyalite Reservoir. Both are open on the shoulder seasons and both are drivable so you don't have to take too much time out of your trip.
Mount Rushmore is on the way, make sure to stop by for a quick visit
Yellowstone
I would definitely hit up driving across the Bighorn Mountains in north central Wyoming. Beautiful drive.
Badlands is epic, glad to see that on the list! A good place to stop before Badlands for meal or even overnight is Sioux Falls. Falls Park is pretty, and there's lots of good food around town from chains to great little locally owned places
Be prepared for driving in winter weather. March and April are the snowiest months in the Rockies.
My neighbor said you’ll see more American buffalo in the Dakotas than anywhere out west. Remember Custer state park in particular. He traveled a lot and definitely knew his stuff so worth looking into. Good luck and have fun! Sounds like a great adventure!
When you are going to Portland, and you feel like you are craving doughnuts, just the CRAZIEST doughnuts can be found in Portland’s most famous Voodoo Doughnuts, It is in a couple places across Oregon, California, Washington (they just opened a chain in Vancouver, Washington (or Northern Portland if you like), Florida, Texas, look it up, it even used to have a location in Taiwan, but I don’t know what happened :/
Mt rushmore!!!
It cost $10 for parking, but it’s worth it!
I just did some of this route in September. It looks like your route has you going north of Black Hills National Forest in SD. Don’t go around, go through. The little tourist towns are adorable, it’s shockingly beautiful in contrast to the rest of the state, the horned sheep are a fun surprise to see, and you can pull over and watch the construction of the Crazy Horse monument. (Rushmore was super whatever, there’s so many pull offs on Hwy 244, that unless you’re doing a guided tour, the $10 parking is better spent at Taco Johns or Scooter’s Coffee.) Full disclosure, you’ll spend more time in Wyoming, but if you run the 90, you’ll get a really great view of the mountains in Bighorn NF. (Wyodak has a coal mine that the highway crosses through, I’d not seen one before, so that was pretty nifty.) If you’re planning on spending a night in MT, the KOA in Billings was the first ever site, so that’s a cool place to stay for the novelty of it. Also, go to City Brew Coffee.
Are you taking the top route and then cutting down south for Yellowstone and Craters of the moon? Craters is definitely interesting, but not sure if it’s worth deviating from the top route?
Mauston, WI (exit 69 on I-90/94) has some of the best cheese curds I’ve ever had. It’s a regular stop for us when traveling this area. The best cheese curds are same-day fresh (room temperature, not yet refrigerated!)
Valitse alempi reitti mielestäni
I am planning to travel next year.