I'm planning our summer trip and would lke to know how US 2 is in Montana. I'll be heading from Bismark ND to Saint Mary's MT. I've never traveled in northern Montana and was wondering how good of a route that would be to travel.
I'm also wondering if anyone has driven the Going to the Sun road in a crew cab dually. I've got plenty of time before going but I'm a big planner because we're stiil a long way from full timing and we can only take two weeks at a time.
Thanks,
Gary
Jim01 said
02:44 PM Mar 11, 2012
Gary,
The last time we were on US 2 across Montana was 4 years ago and the road was very good.
You may not be able to take your dually on the Going to the Sun road as they have restrictions on how wide your vehicle can be. Check out the NP web site for Glacier to find out if you can take it. http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/goingtothesunroad.htm
I think you would be better off taking one of the shuttle services that take you over the road, since the road is very narrow and twisty in places. While driving you'll have to keep your attention on driving and not on the beautiful views. The operator of the shuttle also narrates the trip to point out all the scenic site.
We took the Sun Tours bus which is operated by the Black Feet Indians. The tour was great and I could concentrate on the scenery.
Jim
ahoweth said
03:06 PM Mar 11, 2012
We traveled US 2 from Glacier to Great Falls a couple of years ago and it was pretty good road. The Going to the sun road is very narrow and I doubt that you can take a dually. In addition, they almost always seem to be working on the road, restricting width allowances even more.
janni said
03:24 PM Mar 11, 2012
Gary, Not sure of your route but if going Bismarck, Minot, and then on 2 be sure you have a place to stay if you plan a stop. Area west of Minot and in eastern MT will be hard to find a stop. Oilfield has most of the parks full and advance reservation will be necessary.
bjoyce said
03:30 PM Mar 11, 2012
Here is the FAQ from the webpage that Jim supplied: Are there vehicle size restrictions on the Going-to-the-Sun Road? Yes. To help reduce congestion, vehicle size restrictions are in effect. Vehicles, and vehicle combinations, longer than 21 feet(including bumpers) or wider than 8 feet (including mirrors), are prohibited between Avalanche Campground and the Rising Sun picnic area parking. Vehicle and vehicle combinations over 10 feet in height may have difficulty driving west from Logan Pass to the Loop, due to rock overhangs. Stock trucks and trailers are able to access Packers Roost on the west, and Siyeh Bend on the east.
Get your tape measure out and see if your dually is OK.
Bill and Linda said
06:22 PM Mar 11, 2012
We’ve driven US2 in Montana from the east side.No problems and a nice drive.Just mostly 2 lane road but not a lot of traffic to contend with and not a lot of campgrounds.
We have driven the Going to the Sun Road. We have a dually and decided not to take it on that road.Legally you can if the length is less than 21 feet. However, I really wouldn’t recommend it.The road is very narrow and with 2 way traffic, sometimes with rocks on both sides, it can get really tight. The road is most likely still under construction and that makes it more difficult.IMO you will spend way too much time trying not to hit something with the 96” wide truck, or get hit, and not be able to enjoy the drive.
There is a car rental at the KOA near Glacier.We just rented a sedan for the day, parked the crew cab Chevy dually and were glad we did.I’m not afraid to drive almost anyplace, but a good driver makes good decisions – that was a good decision.
I'm planning our summer trip and would lke to know how US 2 is in Montana. I'll be heading from Bismark ND to Saint Mary's MT. I've never traveled in northern Montana and was wondering how good of a route that would be to travel.
I'm also wondering if anyone has driven the Going to the Sun road in a crew cab dually. I've got plenty of time before going but I'm a big planner because we're stiil a long way from full timing and we can only take two weeks at a time.
Thanks,
Gary
Gary,
The last time we were on US 2 across Montana was 4 years ago and the road was very good.
You may not be able to take your dually on the Going to the Sun road as they have restrictions on how wide your vehicle can be. Check out the NP web site for Glacier to find out if you can take it. http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/goingtothesunroad.htm
I think you would be better off taking one of the shuttle services that take you over the road, since the road is very narrow and twisty in places. While driving you'll have to keep your attention on driving and not on the beautiful views. The operator of the shuttle also narrates the trip to point out all the scenic site.
We took the Sun Tours bus which is operated by the Black Feet Indians. The tour was great and I could concentrate on the scenery.
Jim
Not sure of your route but if going Bismarck, Minot, and then on 2 be sure you have a place to stay if you plan a stop. Area west of Minot and in eastern MT will be hard to find a stop. Oilfield has most of the parks full and advance reservation will be necessary.
Are there vehicle size restrictions on the Going-to-the-Sun Road?
Yes. To help reduce congestion, vehicle size restrictions are in effect. Vehicles, and vehicle combinations, longer than 21 feet(including bumpers) or wider than 8 feet (including mirrors), are prohibited between Avalanche Campground and the Rising Sun picnic area parking. Vehicle and vehicle combinations over 10 feet in height may have difficulty driving west from Logan Pass to the Loop, due to rock overhangs. Stock trucks and trailers are able to access Packers Roost on the west, and Siyeh Bend on the east.
Get your tape measure out and see if your dually is OK.
We’ve driven US2 in Montana from the east side. No problems and a nice drive. Just mostly 2 lane road but not a lot of traffic to contend with and not a lot of campgrounds.
We have driven the Going to the Sun Road. We have a dually and decided not to take it on that road. Legally you can if the length is less than 21 feet. However, I really wouldn’t recommend it. The road is very narrow and with 2 way traffic, sometimes with rocks on both sides, it can get really tight. The road is most likely still under construction and that makes it more difficult. IMO you will spend way too much time trying not to hit something with the 96” wide truck, or get hit, and not be able to enjoy the drive.
There is a car rental at the KOA near Glacier. We just rented a sedan for the day, parked the crew cab Chevy dually and were glad we did. I’m not afraid to drive almost anyplace, but a good driver makes good decisions – that was a good decision.
Safe travels
Bill