Montana (Glacier N.P.) Extra Credit Roads to Ride

[Oldyeller]

There is a gang of us planning Idaho and Montana in late August.

The trip is already routed out but...

We have a few short ride days and will be in Missoula & Whitefish, MT.

Would anyone like to recommend some roads to ride while in the area. Will have an afternoon and morning to add some extra Km's.

Suggestions are much appreciated.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

I strongly suggest you look at motorcyclingmontana.com. Order the book. It is astonishingly entertaining and useful, almost too much information to sort through. It is extremely well organized and is written from the perspective of a fellow FJR forum member.

In fact, that reminds me, I need to go order a few of them for some of my motorcycling friends.

 

[Panman]

This is all nice, some nice goat trails and about ten miles of gravel headed out of St Regis headed towards St Maries but the rest is some dam nice blacktop twisty stuff. Nice little day ride.

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Whitefish,+MT&daddr=Tergo+Heights+Road+3720,+Trego,+MT+to:48.48186,-114.981409+to:Libby+Dam+Visitor+Center,+Souse+Gulch+Road,+Libby,+MT+to:48.4962436,-115.3016451+to:48.5473205,-115.2744921+to:Yaak,+Mt+to:Bull+River+Country+Store,+Montana+200,+Noxon,+Mt+to:St+Regis,+Mt+to:47.183476,-115.3709866+to:St+Maries,+ID&hl=en&ll=47.144897,-116.128235&spn=1.62334,2.469177&sll=47.013971,-115.567932&sspn=1.627334,2.469177&geocode=FQ2w4gId32Ev-Sm17K8Uq2lmUzE-RjeIa3rKzA%3BFXed5gIda34m-SlF9ESoUytkUzEIfhzAct5z0A%3BFUTG4wId34Ul-Smb2Q81n4RmUzF_Tj8YcptVUg%3BFSOx4gIdYFog-SEEpOl_ZhLhsil_BN8T4KNmUzEEpOl_ZhLhsg%3BFXP-4wId86Ig-SkpJ8mfA6BmUzHJru-mMmg%3BFfjF5AIdBA0h-SnzUJHO4SBkUzHklU6U6v9BIA%3BFe0h6QIdDW0a-SkNa6UQ2GtkUzGhkcFH5GPU-g%3BFQPl3AIdticY-SFSQVbFX5kKuClTIyNWgkBhUzFSQVbFX5kKuA%3BFdvG0QIdQroj-SldoZKe9aNgUzGNA6DwuoZSxw%3BFXT2zwIdFpQf-SlXb2T-wpxgUzEDe4EcT1Z2Vg%3BFbL10QIdFGUN-Sm3cgcZGiRgUzHg-Bn7Ziluvg&oq=st+m&mra=dpe&mrsp=9&sz=9&via=2,4,5,9&t=m&z=9

Enjoy.

 

[Pterodactyl]

I strongly suggest you look at motorcyclingmontana.com. Order the book. It is astonishingly entertaining and useful, almost too much information to sort through. It is extremely well organized and is written from the perspective of a fellow FJR forum member.
In fact, that reminds me, I need to go order a few of them for some of my motorcycling friends.

The author of the book Motorcycling Montana is a regular poster here and will hopefully chime in with some more info.

From Missoula, East I-90 to Bonner (5 miles), HWY 200 to intersection with HWY 83, up thru Seeley Lake and up to Big Lake area (great restaurant, Echo Lake Cafe, at intersection of HWYs 83 and 35), then either continue to Whitefish via HWY 35 or 93... or return to Missoula on HWYs 35 and 93 to HWY 200 (very good bakery, Windmill Bakery, in Ravalli)

 

[Spud]

If you're in Missoula, you are very near Lolo Pass dropping into Idaho. If it's a day ride, you'll have to go out and back.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Kamiah,+ID/Missoula,+Mt/@46.65139,-115.6371795,8z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x54a085cbeb8794eb:0xf7e78ab9a6a4260f!2m2!1d-116.0293071!2d46.2271182!1m5!1m1!1s0x535dcc2a50f367cb:0xe9e31277ca94802e!2m2!1d-114.011667!2d46.8625?hl=en

 

[Oldyeller]

I'll follow up on the suggestions.

Our routes are;

D-1 Van, BC #20 east to Sandpoint, ID

D-2 #95 S. and #12 E. to Missoula.

D-3 North to Whitefish (this is where the extra rides come in) **

D-4 #93 N. #37 S. #2 N to Creston, BC

D-5 #3 Home.

** May beeline it to Whitefish and then individuals can wander off.

I was looking at #424 and Star Meadows Rd to the west?

#486 towards G.T.T.S Rd?

#135 & 282 (Little Joe Rd) as mapped by FJR Comm. Is most of that paved S.W. of I-90?

 

[Panman]

I'll follow up on the suggestions.Our routes are;

D-1 Van, BC #20 east to Sandpoint, ID

D-2 #95 S. and #12 E. to Missoula.

D-3 North to Whitefish (this is where the extra rides come in) **

D-4 #93 N. #37 S. #2 N to Creston, BC

D-5 #3 Home.

** May beeline it to Whitefish and then individuals can wander off.

I was looking at #424 and Star Meadows Rd to the west?

#486 towards G.T.T.S Rd?

#135 & 282 (Little Joe Rd) as mapped by FJR Comm. Is most of that paved S.W. of I-90?

All them numbers mean nothin here.

 

[ahchiu]

It looks like routes from Destination Highways.

 

[HelzBelz]

From Missoula, East I-90 to Bonner (5 miles), HWY 200 to intersection with HWY 83, up thru Seeley Lake and up to Big Lake area (great restaurant, Echo Lake Cafe, at intersection of HWYs 83 and 35), then either continue to Whitefish via HWY 35 or 93... or return to Missoula on HWYs 35 and 93 to HWY 200 (very good bakery, Windmill Bakery, in Ravalli)

+++ love this ride.

Big Sky Rally is 8/7.... there should be a whole bunch of reviews after that of some great routes.

Since I am usually coming from the east, I usually do this route:

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Garrison,+Mt/Echo+Lake+Cafe,+Montana+83,+Bigfork,+MT/@47.2971153,-114.5726041,8z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x535c85a9381c7fcd:0x8d59dee6e1dc9346!2m2!1d-112.81171!2d46.5232622!1m5!1m1!1s0x5367b33e8aa24787:0x5c892b0478abdef6!2m2!1d-114.029616!2d48.095824

 

[Oldyeller]

Day 1 = Day 1, etc.

A glance at a map would show that the other numbers correspond to Highways.

#20 - North Cascade Highway 20 eastbound to Sandpoint, ID, etc....

I quit reading Destination Highways as I find Google Maps and conversations yield some great places to go.

Thanks for the maps and suggestions.

 

[bigjohnsd]

Hard to beat an over and back over Lolo pass. Be careful in Idyho, them Idyho troopers don't have much of a sense of humor!

 

[Niehart]

Hard to beat an over and back over Lolo pass. Be careful in Idyho, them Idyho troopers don't have much of a sense of humor!

True that!

 

[HelzBelz]

There is (or was) an FJR police bike in Idaho. I fueled up next to him in Stanley Idaho one day. He refused to acknowledge my existence. (which in hindsight is ok I guess)

 

[Spud]

There are moto cops around the Boise area--I got popped by one on a Connie 14 near Lowman a few years ago. Luckily I knew the prosecutor of that small county (classmate of mine from law school

) and got my ticket amended down (fine but not a moving violation). Lolo Pass is notorious--I've never seen cops there but two buddies got hit for 10 over--both ticketed. I called the prosecutor up there and he said he was sick of hearing so many people complain about that particularly zealous cop and dropped both charges down on just my call. That was probably 4 years ago...

 

[Goodman4]

I'll follow up on the suggestions.Our routes are;

D-1 Van, BC #20 east to Sandpoint, ID

D-2 #95 S. and #12 E. to Missoula.

D-3 North to Whitefish (this is where the extra rides come in) **

D-4 #93 N. #37 S. #2 N to Creston, BC

D-5 #3 Home.

** May beeline it to Whitefish and then individuals can wander off.

I was looking at #424 and Star Meadows Rd to the west?

#486 towards G.T.T.S Rd?

#135 & 282 (Little Joe Rd) as mapped by FJR Comm. Is most of that paved S.W. of I-90?

So it looks like you are coming to Missoula via Lolo pass, That's good as stated. I didn't ride or look at 424 or 486, but I did have 135 mapped out as our optional route when we went down to Lolo because it looked really good. I am fairly sure Little Joe Rd is not paved very far, if you were thinking about taking that on down farther.

I used the already recommended Motorcycling Montana book to plan our trip and it was a huge help. He talks about each area and lists lots of side trips.

 

[RPrice]

If you make it down to the Salmon, ID area, and need some info. (or a camp spot) let me know. Would love to ride with you guys for a day or so.