40th Birthday Northwest Road Trip - CA -> NV -> ID -> MT -> UT -> NV -> CA (Advice/tips/recommendations appreciated!)

[5GENIDN]

lol, ok

No need to be mean, my guy... I was just implying that on this trip he's planning, spending extra time camping in other parts of Idaho would be better than seeing another city just to sit in a restaurant. I would have told him to skip Denver as well and spend time seeing nature in Colorado, nothing against the city itself.

Wasn't mean.... Just comparing it to some of the other places he was planning on staying I think It might rate a little higher... BUT I am with you, I personally would choose more time in the mountains... 4x4 time is by far the best use of MY time... But I do not know Topramengod.... or his preferences....

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[Midnight_Blue]

Too bad you’re coming from Northern California, because your route totally misses a lot of good stuff in Southern Utah like Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and my personal favorite the Dixie National Forest.

Since you’re spending multiple nights in some places, maybe cut a couple of those nights and extend the loop further south instead.

 

[Callelk]

Yeah, Boise is nice but unlike the 70's, its just another big, trendy city. We have a Ruth Chris and P.F. Changs for crying out loud.....

But eh, we now have the largest Scheels in the nation with an indoor ferris wheel...........

 

[TopRamenGod]

Thanks for all of the great advice so far everyone!

Lots of people saying Winnemucca is not great, lol. It’s just a matter of where it is in the route in terms of distance driving from our start in Chico. Plus, there’s the opportunity for the Winnemucca Dunes!

Other places that don’t seem to make good choices, like Ely, are because of rock hounding opportunities nearby, specifically Garnet Hill. Of course, if there are other recommendations for these areas, I’d love to hear about them!

On the days we are going to Yellowstone, we plan on leaving the pup back at the accommodations.

We’ve already got our hotels and AirBnBs locked down, so adjusting dates isn’t really an option at the moment. We chose not to camp this trip due to potentially exacerbating travel fatigue/not wanting to kill each other by the end of the trip.

Please, by all means, keep the recommendations coming, this is all really great advice!

 

[TopRamenGod]

I've done a similar trip, I stopped in Craters of the Moon in Idaho and it was gorgeous, but skipped Boise, it's just a small city surrounded by farms. Idaho falls is pretty as well.

Make sure you see the Teton mountains, Lake Jenny at the base of them is a great place to camp. Jackson Hole can get pretty crowded. You can't spend enough time in Yellowstone, there is so much to see and it's impossible to find a bad view. I was there for 5 days, and wished I could have stayed longer.

The mosquitos in Montana are no joke...seriously, bring some netting and lots of citronella if you're camping there!

Southern Utah is A LOT prettier than Northern, though the Salt Flats are a cool sight. Southern Utah looks like the old Spaghetti Westerns or a Wile E Coyote cartoon set, truly one of the most underrated spots in the country. Might be worth the extra driving.

Nevada all kinda looks the same, and was probably my least favorite.

edit to say; your pup is a handsome feller!

Craters of the Moon looks awesome, but according to their site, all lava tubes are closed. I don’t know if that means if its still worth it or not, or if it’s just part of the attraction of the place is closed for the moment: https://www.nps.gov/crmo/index.htm

Jackson Hole is something I know by reputation to be very pretty (lots of snowboarding in my day), and I have a friend who highly recommended both the Tetons and a place nearby that sells huckleberry vodka.

Is Lake Jenny worth visiting even if we aren’t camping there?

Nevada is mostly both a pass-through but also offers lots of opportunities for rock hounding, but any recommendations are appreciated all the same.

Thanks! Murphy makes a great travel buddy!

 

[TopRamenGod]

If you've never been to Yellowstone National Park, it would be an absolute shame to get that close and not spend some time there. It is truly one of the most magical places on earth!

That’s why we are planning to spend 2-3 days exploring it!

 

[BadsquatchNV]

Near to Ely, but not in Ely… Lamoille Canyon (Ruby Mountains) and Great Basin if you like solitude. Great Basin is a highly underrated National Park.

 

[TopRamenGod]

If you’re going into YNP, drive in to the North entrance from Red Lodge, MT. You will travel the Beartooth Highway, one of the most scenic roads in North America, into WY.

Great advice, thank you!


I’ll try and get to everyone!

 

[TopRamenGod]

If you can find it, pick up the book "Idaho for the Curious". https://www.amazon.com/Idaho-Curious-Guide-Cort-Conley/dp/0960356630

I have traveled all over Idaho and would visit (and still do) places already mentioned:
1. Stanley Basin
2. Craters of the Moon
3. Shoshone Falls
4. Balanced Rock
5. Redfish Lake
6. McCall if you have the time. Great views on HWY 55.

So many more.................

If you not going to Yellowstone (why??), I would go the Challis/Salmon route to MT. East ID is nice but 84 can get boring.

You will hate the drive from Reno-Winnemucca-Jordan Valley but at Jordan Valley you can head east to Silver City. Will give you something to do and then head north to Boise via the Owyhee/Birds of Prey area. All off road but in a Bronco it will be an adventure..

Oh, and before you get to HWY 78 you will find some ORV parks but they are more geared to bikes/ATV/UTV's.

Forgot to mention, there will be signs in ID that say "You are responsible for you recovery" if something goes south on you so be sure you are comfortable with your off road capabilities and equipment/vehicle. Buy a GMRS hand held and hit the Boise Repeater at https://www.repeaterbook.com/gmrs/details.php?state_id=16&ID=639, a lot of people monitor it including myself and have a GPS.

I love the idea of spending some of the travel driving off-road to get to our destinations, especially if it goes around boring portions of the drive.

Please tell me more about this detour to Boise via the Owyhee/Birds of Prey area. Which trail or trailhead do I start at? Don’t have to access it by going to silver City first? Will it end up at Boise or take me super off-route and require a lot of backtracking?

Thanks for the repeater tip! I have yet to actually tap into one. Is it just dialing into a specific frequency on my handheld GMRS radio? I have one of the much loved/hated Baofeng ones (hadn’t had room in the upgrade budget for something beefier like a midland).

 

[EasternSierra]

Another thumbs up for Stanley Basin, Sawtooth Valley, and Redfish Lake. That's a much more scenic route than the Snake River Plain.

Also seconding Great Basin National Park. I agree it's highly underrated. I wasn't terribly impressed with the cave, but the scenery is awesome and not what people expect in Nevada.

I-80 across NV is boring (unless you go off into one of the nearby mountain ranges) but U.S. 50 across NV is much more scenic. Good choice for one leg of the trip.

 

[MileHighCitizen]

Craters of the Moon looks awesome, but according to their site, all lava tubes are closed. I don’t know if that means if its still worth it or not, or if it’s just part of the attraction of the place is closed for the moment: https://www.nps.gov/crmo/index.htm

Jackson Hole is something I know by reputation to be very pretty (lots of snowboarding in my day), and I have a friend who highly recommended both the Tetons and a place nearby that sells huckleberry vodka.

Is Lake Jenny worth visiting even if we aren’t camping there?

Nevada is mostly both a pass-through but also offers lots of opportunities for rock hounding, but any recommendations are appreciated all the same.

Thanks! Murphy makes a great travel buddy!

Lake Jenny is literally at the base of the Tetons, they seem to rise out of the lake itself. It was my favorite view of the Tetons and is right near the South Entrance to Yellowstone if you’re coming from Jackson hole. It’s not really out of the way but more along the route and would be a perfect spot for lunch if you’re not camping.

It’s smaller than Jackson Lake to its north and has been relatively empty when I’ve been compared to the rest of the area.

note* was just double checking and it’s called Jenny Lake, not Lake Jenny, probably won’t matter when you’re trying to find it though.

 

[The Beaz]

Craters of the Moon looks awesome, but according to their site, all lava tubes are closed. I don’t know if that means if its still worth it or not, or if it’s just part of the attraction of the place is closed for the moment: https://www.nps.gov/crmo/index.htm

Jackson Hole is something I know by reputation to be very pretty (lots of snowboarding in my day), and I have a friend who highly recommended both the Tetons and a place nearby that sells huckleberry vodka.

Is Lake Jenny worth visiting even if we aren’t camping there?

Nevada is mostly both a pass-through but also offers lots of opportunities for rock hounding, but any recommendations are appreciated all the same.

Thanks! Murphy makes a great travel buddy!

Craters is still very worth doing even with the tubes being closed!

 

[Callelk]

I love the idea of spending some of the travel driving off-road to get to our destinations, especially if it goes around boring portions of the drive.

Please tell me more about this detour to Boise via the Owyhee/Birds of Prey area. Which trail or trailhead do I start at? Don’t have to access it by going to silver City first? Will it end up at Boise or take me super off-route and require a lot of backtracking?

Thanks for the repeater tip! I have yet to actually tap into one. Is it just dialing into a specific frequency on my handheld GMRS radio? I have one of the much loved/hated Baofeng ones (hadn’t had room in the upgrade budget for something beefier like a midland).

I'm traveling for work but will try to get something to you this weekend.

 

[5GENIDN]

TopRamenGod ... Callelk is local.... I have been learning to like his opinion.... I would give it some weight.

 

[TopRamenGod]

TopRamenGod ... Callelk is local.... I have been learning to like his opinion.... I would give it some weight.

I am inclined to listen.

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