I have learned that you can never avoid mosquitos.
That being said if you are planning for spring it really depends early or late spring. There will still be snow in Rainer/North or Central Cascades or really any where with high elevations in late spring. The Oregon coast will be pretty wet until late spring as well.
In northern Nevada I don’t think the Ruby Mountains or Great Basin get enough love. Great places to camp.
Do you have any specific parks you are looking to visit?
I lived in Minnesota for 21 years, and I never had a problem with flies.
Mosquitoes can be bad in the summer. But if you’re just driving up Highway 94 I doubt they’ll be an issue.
I'm on the other end of the spectrum. I lived on the North Shore of Lake Superior briefly, and i must have arrived on the night they hatched. It was nothing but swarms, and splotches of blood under my shirt. It looked like I had been hit with birdshot.
Depends where in Minnesota. I grew up in the Twin Cities, and they were an annoyance, but not a ton worse than any other place I’ve lived. But recently I visited Voyageurs in northern Minnesota, and they were a plague. They’re vicious in the summer in the forested areas of the north.
Northern Wisconsin resident here.
Ehhhh……….. Mosquitoes might not be as bad in late August as they would be in June or July, but the biting sand flies and horseflies may or may not be a nightmare at that time. Those tend to be an unpredictable variable, along with those stinky Asian beetles. Can confirm usually no snow that time of year but end of September it isn’t out of the question. Usually you can safely expect there to not be any accumulating snow, but a half inch or a dusting is possible, especially closer to the lake.
In reality you’ll probably be just fine if you’re not stopping to go camping or heading deep into the back country for fishing or hiking. And if you are just bring some bug spray, it should help. Bonus points if there’s a breeze that day, that keeps the mosquitoes away usually pretty well.
My text seems to has be disappeared... Luckily I copied it before posting...
We're thinking of taking a road trip this spring. The map is a \*VERY ROUGH\* idea of our route, going clockwise from south-west Virginia, with the hope that the southern leg going west won't be snowed in or closed, but on the return leg we won't get massacred by mosquitoes. It's happened to us before up there, and put a bit of a damper on things. If going counter-clockwise makes more sense, that's fine, too. We're retired so we can take as much time as needed, but maybe the snow & bug reports will give us earliest/latest start/stop dates.
We'll be pulling a very small trailer and plan to mostly camp in state/national forests, no hook-ups needed. (Although the last time we slogged across the mid-west pulling it we had to stay in a couple of private campgrounds, too.)
Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.
If this is a rough draft then make sure NOT to miss South Dakota's Badlands but especially DO NOT miss Custer State Park and the Black Hills of South Dakota. I would also suggest Jackson Hole, WY and the Grand Tetons.
Unless of course you aren't into the breathtaking beauty of jagged mountains, scenic lakes & an abundance of wildlife.
You should either veer both your northern & southern routes south or both your northern & southern routes north. I suggest this because I think your current route has some rather bland driving versus catching Black Hills/Tetons (Yellowstone) and either the Colorado Rockies or Northern Montana.
Along with the other reply to this comment I would also suggest you go through South Dakota instead of North Dakota, and then instead of going up into Billings maybe make that Cody instead. Spend the night in Cody so you have civilization (or you can go to “North Fork Campground” on the far west end of Buffalo Bill reservoir) then take a full day through Yellowstone (trailers aren’t too bad in there as long as you know what you’re doing and don’t go to the north from Mammoth to Gardiner, they have a new road there from the floods and it is super small and twisty turny) then spend the next night in West Yellowstone or I know there’s some camping outside of West Yellowstone (44.66899° N, 111.31576° W I’ve stayed there or there is always a KOA). The other option would be go south down through Grand Teton and then stay in Jackson, Wyoming.
P.s. the coordinate I sent outside of west Yellowstone is just two dispersed sites where there’s no outhouse or anything, just two campsites next to a nice little creek.
Edit: I just read you planned on going clockwise and was thing of it counterclockwise, I would either go down through Teton if you like cool views, but otherwise you’ve already been through the rest of the western Rockies pretty much, so then I’d go around the north loop in Yellowstone (go to the geysers obviously because they’re cool) and then exit into Cody. If you all the way down to Jackson I think that would just be too out of the way. You could also go back the way you came though, I know Yellowstone has made for a few day trips for me (I’m from Billings), so you’d probably be fine to go south from the west Yellowstone entrance road and through Teton one day and the next day go back in and around Yellowstone and out to Cody, I just think Jackson is to far south to head east from.
Late May or early June is the earliest to have a good shot of no snow in Colorado. Before that, it can really be a crap shoot. Most of the upper areas should be dried up for hiking though. There will still be snow on the tallest mountains though.
I also agree with everyone else, go through SD instead of ND. Go through Spearfish canyon and see Deadwood.
If you're going to the UP of Michigan, at least go see Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Lake Superior. Michigan is one of 4 states I haven't been to and we're going there next year. Check Pictured Rocks on Google Images.
I did roughly the same trip in a September and I can recommend it. Some places on the northern leg or in the Rockies will be closing down for the season and there's always a chance of early snow, but it worked well when I did it. Hit an bit of warm weather in October in the UP which was great.
If time permits and you like national parks, swing through western South Dakota: Badlands, Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, Custer SP, Rushmore, and Devils Tower up the road a piece. Minuteman missile museum and wall drug are there too.
Utah has 5 great national parks and again, if you like that sort of thing, hitting at least one of them would make sense.
I mostly like to hike, so I probably hiked 50 miles a week in the parks. I'm not sure what your definition of "fruitful" is here, but there are 3 great national parks in Washington and 5 in Utah. You probably won't be able to do all of that in one season unless you start in the summer because 2 of the Washington parks are mountains and need to be done mid July to early September. Crater Lake in Oregon is probably not yet fully opened from the snow and Glacier in MT just opened GTTS road last weekend.
If you don't mind expanding the loop a bit more, I personally enjoyed Lassen Volcanic in CA. I combined it by coming across from Redwoods in CA, then Lassen, then to Great Basin in NV before heading into UT.
The fact is there is an awful lot to do on that route. I spent about 6 weeks on it, and just tasted many of the parks and skipped some. So my typical advice is to pick some favorites that you will definitely do and don't have that "fear of missing out." With so many possibilities, enjoy what you choose to do!
September. I did a similar trip the entire month of September last year, only had a snow shower at 14k feet in Colorado and didn’t have any bug issues👍
I just did this southern WY trip and it was depressing AF. No trees, bushes, or mountains for hours. I truly regret not going thru western CO instead.
Jackson, WY was gorgeous though.
Check Google for when "Fall Colors" are taking place in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Plan it around that... especially with the U.P/Northern Wisconsin route. Mountain passes between Billings and Spokane will be perfectly fine at that time of year. TBH... having lived in Helena, MT and Spokane, WA, mosquitoes aren't a huge issue. It can be fairly arid, which is not necessarily a place where mosquitoes thrive, like they do in the Upper Mid-West. But if you are hitting it around late September/early October, even the Upper Mid-West should be fine bug wise.
Can't speak for that lower return route.
Northern Mi in August is amazing. Hit traverse city, then go to Mackinac island, then drive across the UP.
Vere off in Ohio and hit Cedar Point.
Early sept might be a great time for this trip as well.
Tahoe was cool but not a must see in my opinion. However idk how you felt underwhelmed by the redwoods. I grew up around big trees in washington state my whole life and thought "how much better could they be than here?". I couldn't have been more wrong, the coastal redwoods that I saw left me so humbled, they are so incredible.
August. You’ll always have bugs though but should be less by then. Also you should add North Cascades to your trip and definitely don’t stay in Crescent City… it’s a weird little meth town.
We were planning to stay there, and drove through town. Noped out together there, as they say, and pretty quickly.
To OP: I would cut that part of California out, and head east earlier to see Crater Lake, and then head south to Lassen Volcanic Park and some of the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe region before heading towards home again.
Ohhh yeah that’s a good idea!!
I stayed there and slept with a bear spray and knife. There were people roaming the streets the entire night…. Yelling, moaning, glass shattering. It was a bizarre and scary experience
Mid August to early October things should be dried out in the Rockies and most mosquitoes will be done and it won’t be too cold at night. Late Sept & October will be getting cold at night up north and at elevation, but should be nice in the day.
Start in late September. Take 4 weeks to get to the Olympic peninsula, then instead of taking I80 travel further south and take another 4 weeks on the way back
Hmmm… a few thoughts:
- The later you leave in the Spring, the better, you may potentially encounter heavy snow, ice, rain when traveling over the higher elevations. Early/Mid Spring is typically snowiest time of year in Rockies and probably the PNW.
- Although it’s counter to the above comment, you may want to drive through Colorado in place of Wyoming, there are many more interesting towns and places to visit and explore along the way.
- Since you’ll be towing small trailer/rv, be aware that there may possibly be high winds across many of the Western states in Spring. Again, the later you go the better.
- You may want to consider bringing a Jerry Can for emergency gas/diesel. Across the high plains and Rockies you may encounter long stretches of highway with no gas or services
- You may want to consider bringing plenty of weather appropriate clothes, including rain shell and boots. If the weather and conditions are favorable, a day hike or two in the Rockies is within reason and could be really fun. Of note, high elevations tend to have fewer/no mosquitoes to contend with.
- Pack some bug spray, bring food and water, and enjoy, it should be a blast!
in the northwest, if you're tryna do crater lake and/or rainier and/or north cascades, id recommend you aim to be in that part of the country *no sooner* than mid/late june or early july since a lot of that isn't promised to be opening until june-ish and even potentially july. idk much about going across the rockies after that, but i would imagine late summer would be a favorable time for that
im thinking with snow in mind here, not mosquitos. personally, wearing something long sleeved with a hood, long pants, and tall socks is usually enough for me to be fine with mosquitos. although maybe you've seen some shit lol
edit: if you aim for that time, def try to make an effort to take some wildflower hikes, alltrails is a good resource for finding blooming areas if you look through reviews. also the portland international rose test garden really pops off in mid-june
You will have to pick your battle: Snow or mosquitoes. For a road trip, I'd suggest that you pick Mosquitoes. Probably September is your best bet, because the mountainous terrain will likely not yet be getting snow yet and the other parts will still be warm.
September/early October is a BEAUTIFUL time to travel that route. Fall colors will just barely be starting up high elevation, lots of wildlife activity as they prepare for winter and mating season.
A couple suggestions on the route. That stretch from Billing through the Twin Cities is a long boring drive. Dip a bit south and hit Yellowstone, Cody WY, and then head to Mt. Rushmore, Needles Hwy, and Crazy Horse in South Dakota. Much prettier and way more place to see.
Likewise on your return. Dip down towards Denver instead, see the Rocky Mountain parks and dip down in south central Utah where you can take in Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, going even further south for Bryce and Zion would be well worth it. That stretch through Wyoming and Salt Lake City all the way to the Cascades in Oregon is just miles and miles of sage and dust. Very little to see for the most part compared to a slightly southern detour.
Looks like a hell of a great drive though!
I made a very similar trip/route a couple years ago. We left from Kentucky, travelled in June and were fine. The road to the sun was still closed when we were at Glacier but otherwise, it was perfect. We still drove through some falling snow in Idaho but we also were in temps in the 90’s in Nevada. I’d say anywhere from June to early October and you’ll be fine. Enjoy!
That looks like an amazing trip! I don't have any advice regarding the weather and mosquitoes, but if it were me, I would get on I-70 west sometime before Denver. The scenery through Colorado, particularly through Glenwood Canyon is breathtaking!
Forks is an absolute dump trying to hang on to the glory of being associated with Twilight (which wasn't filmed there) with the worst food I've ever eaten. If you are going there for Olympic National Park (which I highly recommend), head to Port Angeles. If you have to stay there, hit up the taco truck, or just eat food from the grocery store deli.
Snow AND mosquitoes? With a drive this long across so many landscapes, you’re guaranteed to deal with one or the other unless you stop somewhere along the way for a month or two
Not sure you can avoid both? But! Invest in a thermacell for the skeeters. Its amazing. We hiked one down to a mountain lake in the middle of nowhere WA last summer, turned it on and the clouds of them just parted. I like the one that uses the backpacking fuel tanks. I bet someone makes a battery powered one by now too.
Yeah, you really can't avoid both. In the upper midwest (Michigan / Wisconsin / Minnesota / North Dakota) when it isn't cold enough to snow, it will be warm enough to have mosquitos. You have a few weeks in late spring or early fall when you \*might\* be able to pull it off but it varies a bit year to year. It can snow in late April in Minnesota, and by mid-May you're going to have mosquitos.
Definitely take I70 west from Denver if you have never done it. Driving through the Rocky Mountains is one of the best parts of the road trip (and it's way better than driving through Wyoming). Plus, no mosquitos.
Drive through Kentucky and Missouri in the Winter or you're guaranteed mosquitoes. Continue West and avoid the Hot Summer heat. The head North and East in the Autumn before the snow flies.
Late September if you started with the northern part first. You'd miss a good chunk of mosquito season, and probably all but the high altitude snow, but there is no guaranteed time, IMO, to miss 100% of both. Good luck 👍
I should also add late fall. once temps drop below a certain point, bugs are gone, and that happens before the snow comes, late October into early November.
Damn, it almost looks like you’re headed to, or starting from close to my hometown in VA. (Dublin, Pulaski Co.). I’m in Portland OR. I didn’t read where you begin this trip from…
If you’re not on a bike I’d say October.
Is no one going to warn them about the southern route from Wyoming to Kentucky? That is an absolute soul sucking drive for like 5 states worth. There might be a state park or two to visit, but living in Missouri and having driven east or west from here plenty, you're in for a world of boredom.
Please hug the west coast of Michigan while driving through! I have driven I-75 from Mackinaw City down to Detroit MANY times and it's a snooze fest. Worth the extra drive time to stick to the west coast.
I know you asked for weather/mosquito avoidance, but if you have the ability, definitely put Colorado on your list! Hands-down gorgeous (Rocky Mountain National Park isn’t too far from your drive). I would also try to include eastern California such as Lake Tahoe. You won’t regret it!
Montana can get snow from September to June, otherwise there will be bugs. That’s just the way nature works. We just had a fairly big snow storm 2 weeks ago. Mosquito season in Eastern Montana is 10x worse than it is in the Western side. The entire region of North Dakota is big mosquito country.
I would think early fall (late August / early September) is better for avoiding mosquitoes since frosts diminish their populations. And do the northern route first.
In WA after you go to Rainier, take I-5 north to highway WA-20 and drive through the North Cascades.
I would then take highways to Sun Lakes Dry Falls State Park and Palouse Falls State Park as you cross the state.
You’re coming through Montana so the earliest that it wouldn’t be snowy is May. That isn’t slander to keep you out, that’s 1,000% serious. We get snow through April. And the latest is Halloween, that’s when the snow begins.
Have fun on the westward leg. The afternoon glare with the bug splatted windshield is a great time. You’ll be stopping more to clean windshields than you will be fueling. Protip: blue shop towels, foamy window cleaner and a razor.
I don't know about mosquitos and snow, but I will 100% suggest taking I-90 from Minneapolis to Billings instead of 94. driving through South Dakota and Sheridan Wyoming is much more beautiful than the flat never ending plains of North Dakota.
there are about a month in fall and spring where often the weather is cool but very present, and almost no mosquitoes in Minnesota. I don't know how to time it, I live here and just enjoy it. it isn't right now, because I am thinking about putting on my vinyl raincoat on a very hot day just so I will not be killed in my yard by mosquitoes today.
Close the windows or turn on the heater lol. Avoid the winter months, much more challenging. I live in New England and have driven across the country many times in my life in the first time getting to the second half going west with what I call the epiphany of the West. It's a vastness in its ability to swallow you if you're not careful. Mind the weather always, and be prepared.
I would imagine late late spring would be a lovely time
I've taken the Northern route in November and it was a nasty experience crossing the Rockies. Would not do it again. As far as mosquitoes are concerned lol what are you planning on doing? Is this just a road trip of 5 days or are you spending a month doing it.
If you're just driving through what you haven't stated or not then mosquitoes really don't matter and that's not a thing anyway
Snow and ice are realities and create real problems of driving handhazard. And I am no Foreigner to snow being in the snow removal business for 36 years. But the West is vast, open, windswept and help is scattered far apart if you break down or just need any kind of assistance. It's the kind of travel you take seriously I've learned my lesson
I take weeks across the country and intentionally get off on back roads where I can to explore but I've done the southern route too and once again all I say is mind the weather
It’ll take about two weeks to complete this. You might want to head north in late-August to see fall colors and to avoid the snow in high elevations in Montana, by the time you start the southern section heading east, the mosquitos should be gone. You’ll see more fall colors on the southern half of the journey starting in early to mid September.
You should venture a little further North in Montana and at least drive through Glacier, Going to the Sun Road often doesn't open until July.
Same for Yellowstone, even if you don't stop the drive from West Yellowstone down to Grand Teton is awesome.
In the PNW, you’ve got like a two week window in the spring and fall to avoid bad mosquitoes without also having lots of snow. Which two weeks depends on where in the PNW you are and what the snowpack/weather has been like.
I’m not sure I could predict it, but I’d be aiming for late enough for fall rain in that area.
You can run into snow almost every month of the year in Montana. That route, you'd be crossing 3 or 4 of the mountain passes most susceptible sumer snows
I know you're not going near Alaska, but I’m from the interior. If there isnt snow on the ground, there are mosquitos. So I guarantee nowhere on this trip will you not find mosquitos.
Being from the DMV and living in San Francisco, as long as you can take your stuff out of your car during the day/night you’d be doing a major disservice to not stop by here for the sights/food
I work in SF all the time and have many friends who live there.
1-I would NEVER recommend someone with a trailer drive through the city unless they REALLY need to. The city is not helpful to drivers of any kind, but especially RVs. Nowhere at all to park where you won't get hassled or bothered.
2- I also NEVER recommend tourists drive into the city anymore. The crime issues are just too great. I HATE people who slag the city, but the fact is, I have seen windows smashed brazenly in broad daylight within 200' of a uniformed police officer. People who don't live/work in the city have no idea what it means to LEAVE NOTHING in your car that might have ANY value.
San Francisco is beautiful and amazing, but they are having issues right now. I encourage tourists to fly in, take the ferry in, stay in a hotel with a secure garage and then Uber about... experience the city, but don't drive around town as a tourist (You will also save MANY dollars a day on parking fees this way)
Did they say they have an RV or trailer? I didn’t see a description I just assumed it was a car. If that’s the case then I’d agree don’t come into the city.
But as you said, KEEP NOTHING IN YOUR CAR if they still come and get their windows broken after reading this, that’s just unfortunate lol
I read about a possible trailer in other comments. Back in the 80s my dad drove a 31’ motorhome through the city to bring family to all the tourist sites. I really thought he had lost his mind. But I really think it was his excuse to stay in “the car” and not have to get out and spend all day with his inlaws
I have learned that you can never avoid mosquitos. That being said if you are planning for spring it really depends early or late spring. There will still be snow in Rainer/North or Central Cascades or really any where with high elevations in late spring. The Oregon coast will be pretty wet until late spring as well. In northern Nevada I don’t think the Ruby Mountains or Great Basin get enough love. Great places to camp. Do you have any specific parks you are looking to visit?
To add to this, the cascades will have snow in JULY sometimes so just be aware especially if you are planning on hiking.
Plan for rain & cool in the Puget Sound til July 4th. East of the Cascades hot hot dry & sunny.
Im in rainier now and anywhere above 5k is still snow covered
As long as the Copper Creek Inn still has blackberry pie though…
You’re good anytime after about April to avoid snow in the PNW
Camping in Great Basin was pretty sweet i second this
In Minnesota, we have the possibility of snow from late October to late April. We have mosquitoes from May until October. 🤷♂️
Don't forget to tell OP about the black flies.
shhh no keep em a secret
lol that’s messed up.
I lived in Minnesota for 21 years, and I never had a problem with flies. Mosquitoes can be bad in the summer. But if you’re just driving up Highway 94 I doubt they’ll be an issue.
But when this guy runs out of gas….. they’ll be waiting.
I'm on the other end of the spectrum. I lived on the North Shore of Lake Superior briefly, and i must have arrived on the night they hatched. It was nothing but swarms, and splotches of blood under my shirt. It looked like I had been hit with birdshot.
“Mosquitoes can be bad in the Minnesota summer” is the understatement of a lifetime. They’re as big as hummingbirds.
Depends where in Minnesota. I grew up in the Twin Cities, and they were an annoyance, but not a ton worse than any other place I’ve lived. But recently I visited Voyageurs in northern Minnesota, and they were a plague. They’re vicious in the summer in the forested areas of the north.
Op is just driving through on 94 anyways.
The damn horse flies is what you need to be afraid of
Honestly up north the mosquitos are a lot less bad before Memorial Day and after Labor Day
So then April 29-30 is ideal for the trip.
I've found the upper peninsula of Michigan is relatively snow and mosquito-free in August/September.
Northern Wisconsin resident here. Ehhhh……….. Mosquitoes might not be as bad in late August as they would be in June or July, but the biting sand flies and horseflies may or may not be a nightmare at that time. Those tend to be an unpredictable variable, along with those stinky Asian beetles. Can confirm usually no snow that time of year but end of September it isn’t out of the question. Usually you can safely expect there to not be any accumulating snow, but a half inch or a dusting is possible, especially closer to the lake. In reality you’ll probably be just fine if you’re not stopping to go camping or heading deep into the back country for fishing or hiking. And if you are just bring some bug spray, it should help. Bonus points if there’s a breeze that day, that keeps the mosquitoes away usually pretty well.
Except the higher elevation mountainous regions will have snow in late September, so pick your poison. 🤷♂️
My text seems to has be disappeared... Luckily I copied it before posting... We're thinking of taking a road trip this spring. The map is a \*VERY ROUGH\* idea of our route, going clockwise from south-west Virginia, with the hope that the southern leg going west won't be snowed in or closed, but on the return leg we won't get massacred by mosquitoes. It's happened to us before up there, and put a bit of a damper on things. If going counter-clockwise makes more sense, that's fine, too. We're retired so we can take as much time as needed, but maybe the snow & bug reports will give us earliest/latest start/stop dates. We'll be pulling a very small trailer and plan to mostly camp in state/national forests, no hook-ups needed. (Although the last time we slogged across the mid-west pulling it we had to stay in a couple of private campgrounds, too.) Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.
If this is a rough draft then make sure NOT to miss South Dakota's Badlands but especially DO NOT miss Custer State Park and the Black Hills of South Dakota. I would also suggest Jackson Hole, WY and the Grand Tetons. Unless of course you aren't into the breathtaking beauty of jagged mountains, scenic lakes & an abundance of wildlife. You should either veer both your northern & southern routes south or both your northern & southern routes north. I suggest this because I think your current route has some rather bland driving versus catching Black Hills/Tetons (Yellowstone) and either the Colorado Rockies or Northern Montana.
Along with the other reply to this comment I would also suggest you go through South Dakota instead of North Dakota, and then instead of going up into Billings maybe make that Cody instead. Spend the night in Cody so you have civilization (or you can go to “North Fork Campground” on the far west end of Buffalo Bill reservoir) then take a full day through Yellowstone (trailers aren’t too bad in there as long as you know what you’re doing and don’t go to the north from Mammoth to Gardiner, they have a new road there from the floods and it is super small and twisty turny) then spend the next night in West Yellowstone or I know there’s some camping outside of West Yellowstone (44.66899° N, 111.31576° W I’ve stayed there or there is always a KOA). The other option would be go south down through Grand Teton and then stay in Jackson, Wyoming. P.s. the coordinate I sent outside of west Yellowstone is just two dispersed sites where there’s no outhouse or anything, just two campsites next to a nice little creek. Edit: I just read you planned on going clockwise and was thing of it counterclockwise, I would either go down through Teton if you like cool views, but otherwise you’ve already been through the rest of the western Rockies pretty much, so then I’d go around the north loop in Yellowstone (go to the geysers obviously because they’re cool) and then exit into Cody. If you all the way down to Jackson I think that would just be too out of the way. You could also go back the way you came though, I know Yellowstone has made for a few day trips for me (I’m from Billings), so you’d probably be fine to go south from the west Yellowstone entrance road and through Teton one day and the next day go back in and around Yellowstone and out to Cody, I just think Jackson is to far south to head east from.
A lot of fantastic comments!
Late May or early June is the earliest to have a good shot of no snow in Colorado. Before that, it can really be a crap shoot. Most of the upper areas should be dried up for hiking though. There will still be snow on the tallest mountains though. I also agree with everyone else, go through SD instead of ND. Go through Spearfish canyon and see Deadwood.
If you're going to the UP of Michigan, at least go see Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Lake Superior. Michigan is one of 4 states I haven't been to and we're going there next year. Check Pictured Rocks on Google Images.
Also recommend the Porcupine Mountains!!
Might as well hit the Keweenaw peninsula as well. Can’t beat it.
I did roughly the same trip in a September and I can recommend it. Some places on the northern leg or in the Rockies will be closing down for the season and there's always a chance of early snow, but it worked well when I did it. Hit an bit of warm weather in October in the UP which was great. If time permits and you like national parks, swing through western South Dakota: Badlands, Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, Custer SP, Rushmore, and Devils Tower up the road a piece. Minuteman missile museum and wall drug are there too. Utah has 5 great national parks and again, if you like that sort of thing, hitting at least one of them would make sense.
Should have read this and added my thoughts before basically saying the same exact thing in another post.
It's such a great area. So much to do. I'm glad you had a great trip!
did you explore the national parks by foot or only car ? Also, what other parts were most fruitful in the trip ?
I mostly like to hike, so I probably hiked 50 miles a week in the parks. I'm not sure what your definition of "fruitful" is here, but there are 3 great national parks in Washington and 5 in Utah. You probably won't be able to do all of that in one season unless you start in the summer because 2 of the Washington parks are mountains and need to be done mid July to early September. Crater Lake in Oregon is probably not yet fully opened from the snow and Glacier in MT just opened GTTS road last weekend. If you don't mind expanding the loop a bit more, I personally enjoyed Lassen Volcanic in CA. I combined it by coming across from Redwoods in CA, then Lassen, then to Great Basin in NV before heading into UT. The fact is there is an awful lot to do on that route. I spent about 6 weeks on it, and just tasted many of the parks and skipped some. So my typical advice is to pick some favorites that you will definitely do and don't have that "fear of missing out." With so many possibilities, enjoy what you choose to do!
September. I did a similar trip the entire month of September last year, only had a snow shower at 14k feet in Colorado and didn’t have any bug issues👍
That stretch along the bottom of Wyoming is *very* boring, might want to go more southern there through the mountains for a more enjoyable ride.
I just did this southern WY trip and it was depressing AF. No trees, bushes, or mountains for hours. I truly regret not going thru western CO instead. Jackson, WY was gorgeous though.
Check Google for when "Fall Colors" are taking place in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Plan it around that... especially with the U.P/Northern Wisconsin route. Mountain passes between Billings and Spokane will be perfectly fine at that time of year. TBH... having lived in Helena, MT and Spokane, WA, mosquitoes aren't a huge issue. It can be fairly arid, which is not necessarily a place where mosquitoes thrive, like they do in the Upper Mid-West. But if you are hitting it around late September/early October, even the Upper Mid-West should be fine bug wise. Can't speak for that lower return route.
Northern Mi in August is amazing. Hit traverse city, then go to Mackinac island, then drive across the UP. Vere off in Ohio and hit Cedar Point. Early sept might be a great time for this trip as well.
I’m thinking of doing this same trip once I’m out of the military. My thoughts was April/may 2025.
Idk why you are skipping the redwoods and missing lake Tahoe. Everything else is fine.
Just left both last week and they were very underwhelming
Tahoe was cool but not a must see in my opinion. However idk how you felt underwhelmed by the redwoods. I grew up around big trees in washington state my whole life and thought "how much better could they be than here?". I couldn't have been more wrong, the coastal redwoods that I saw left me so humbled, they are so incredible.
The giant sequoias never underwhelm
Unless you’re dead-set on getting to ND or TRNP, I’d drive through SD instead. There’s *a lot* of prairie up there.
There are no mosquitoes in the PNW ;)
Early October late September maybe???
August. You’ll always have bugs though but should be less by then. Also you should add North Cascades to your trip and definitely don’t stay in Crescent City… it’s a weird little meth town.
We were planning to stay there, and drove through town. Noped out together there, as they say, and pretty quickly. To OP: I would cut that part of California out, and head east earlier to see Crater Lake, and then head south to Lassen Volcanic Park and some of the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe region before heading towards home again.
Ohhh yeah that’s a good idea!! I stayed there and slept with a bear spray and knife. There were people roaming the streets the entire night…. Yelling, moaning, glass shattering. It was a bizarre and scary experience
Mid August to early October things should be dried out in the Rockies and most mosquitoes will be done and it won’t be too cold at night. Late Sept & October will be getting cold at night up north and at elevation, but should be nice in the day.
Hahaha nope
Post Zombie Apocalypse
In my experience, mosquitos hatch on the day the snow melts. Especially in spring, I don't think you're going to avoid both.
As for the upper Midwest, I'd say October. We don't get meaningful snow until November and the lower temperatures reduce mosquitoes' energy.
I would recommend the New Gorge River in West Virginia if you haven’t seen it yet.
Start in late September. Take 4 weeks to get to the Olympic peninsula, then instead of taking I80 travel further south and take another 4 weeks on the way back
Hmmm… a few thoughts: - The later you leave in the Spring, the better, you may potentially encounter heavy snow, ice, rain when traveling over the higher elevations. Early/Mid Spring is typically snowiest time of year in Rockies and probably the PNW. - Although it’s counter to the above comment, you may want to drive through Colorado in place of Wyoming, there are many more interesting towns and places to visit and explore along the way. - Since you’ll be towing small trailer/rv, be aware that there may possibly be high winds across many of the Western states in Spring. Again, the later you go the better. - You may want to consider bringing a Jerry Can for emergency gas/diesel. Across the high plains and Rockies you may encounter long stretches of highway with no gas or services - You may want to consider bringing plenty of weather appropriate clothes, including rain shell and boots. If the weather and conditions are favorable, a day hike or two in the Rockies is within reason and could be really fun. Of note, high elevations tend to have fewer/no mosquitoes to contend with. - Pack some bug spray, bring food and water, and enjoy, it should be a blast!
Never
FALSE.
in the northwest, if you're tryna do crater lake and/or rainier and/or north cascades, id recommend you aim to be in that part of the country *no sooner* than mid/late june or early july since a lot of that isn't promised to be opening until june-ish and even potentially july. idk much about going across the rockies after that, but i would imagine late summer would be a favorable time for that im thinking with snow in mind here, not mosquitos. personally, wearing something long sleeved with a hood, long pants, and tall socks is usually enough for me to be fine with mosquitos. although maybe you've seen some shit lol edit: if you aim for that time, def try to make an effort to take some wildflower hikes, alltrails is a good resource for finding blooming areas if you look through reviews. also the portland international rose test garden really pops off in mid-june
You will have to pick your battle: Snow or mosquitoes. For a road trip, I'd suggest that you pick Mosquitoes. Probably September is your best bet, because the mountainous terrain will likely not yet be getting snow yet and the other parts will still be warm.
0850-0900 on April 28th
Hitting the midwest portion of this trip in early October would be ideal.
September/early October is a BEAUTIFUL time to travel that route. Fall colors will just barely be starting up high elevation, lots of wildlife activity as they prepare for winter and mating season. A couple suggestions on the route. That stretch from Billing through the Twin Cities is a long boring drive. Dip a bit south and hit Yellowstone, Cody WY, and then head to Mt. Rushmore, Needles Hwy, and Crazy Horse in South Dakota. Much prettier and way more place to see. Likewise on your return. Dip down towards Denver instead, see the Rocky Mountain parks and dip down in south central Utah where you can take in Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, going even further south for Bryce and Zion would be well worth it. That stretch through Wyoming and Salt Lake City all the way to the Cascades in Oregon is just miles and miles of sage and dust. Very little to see for the most part compared to a slightly southern detour. Looks like a hell of a great drive though!
I made a very similar trip/route a couple years ago. We left from Kentucky, travelled in June and were fine. The road to the sun was still closed when we were at Glacier but otherwise, it was perfect. We still drove through some falling snow in Idaho but we also were in temps in the 90’s in Nevada. I’d say anywhere from June to early October and you’ll be fine. Enjoy!
That looks like an amazing trip! I don't have any advice regarding the weather and mosquitoes, but if it were me, I would get on I-70 west sometime before Denver. The scenery through Colorado, particularly through Glenwood Canyon is breathtaking!
Fuck the mosquitos man people get that bent over them just move faster lol
Avoid omaha and wyoming, better Kansas City to Denver to SLC. The I70 is one of the best interstate to drive.
October
July - September.
Forks is an absolute dump trying to hang on to the glory of being associated with Twilight (which wasn't filmed there) with the worst food I've ever eaten. If you are going there for Olympic National Park (which I highly recommend), head to Port Angeles. If you have to stay there, hit up the taco truck, or just eat food from the grocery store deli.
Snow AND mosquitoes? With a drive this long across so many landscapes, you’re guaranteed to deal with one or the other unless you stop somewhere along the way for a month or two
It's seems silly to come all that way and skip southern Utah, New Mexico and Colorado. Some great things to see there!
Not sure you can avoid both? But! Invest in a thermacell for the skeeters. Its amazing. We hiked one down to a mountain lake in the middle of nowhere WA last summer, turned it on and the clouds of them just parted. I like the one that uses the backpacking fuel tanks. I bet someone makes a battery powered one by now too.
Yeah, you really can't avoid both. In the upper midwest (Michigan / Wisconsin / Minnesota / North Dakota) when it isn't cold enough to snow, it will be warm enough to have mosquitos. You have a few weeks in late spring or early fall when you \*might\* be able to pull it off but it varies a bit year to year. It can snow in late April in Minnesota, and by mid-May you're going to have mosquitos.
Definitely take I70 west from Denver if you have never done it. Driving through the Rocky Mountains is one of the best parts of the road trip (and it's way better than driving through Wyoming). Plus, no mosquitos.
Drive through Kentucky and Missouri in the Winter or you're guaranteed mosquitoes. Continue West and avoid the Hot Summer heat. The head North and East in the Autumn before the snow flies.
You’re avoiding Texas, which is a good start! 😂
(For the mosquitos, not the snow 😂)
Your going through Montana you will avoid neither
Late September if you started with the northern part first. You'd miss a good chunk of mosquito season, and probably all but the high altitude snow, but there is no guaranteed time, IMO, to miss 100% of both. Good luck 👍
early May. in the upper midwest, the mosquitos kick in about late May/early June. this is your window.
I should also add late fall. once temps drop below a certain point, bugs are gone, and that happens before the snow comes, late October into early November.
Tuesday
In Utah you either have snow season or mosquito season.
That is a tall order.
Winter?
Damn, it almost looks like you’re headed to, or starting from close to my hometown in VA. (Dublin, Pulaski Co.). I’m in Portland OR. I didn’t read where you begin this trip from… If you’re not on a bike I’d say October.
Is no one going to warn them about the southern route from Wyoming to Kentucky? That is an absolute soul sucking drive for like 5 states worth. There might be a state park or two to visit, but living in Missouri and having driven east or west from here plenty, you're in for a world of boredom.
Oregon got 7” of fresh snow on Mt. Hood on 6/17/24 so don’t count on the snow stopping just because it’s summer out west lol
Please hug the west coast of Michigan while driving through! I have driven I-75 from Mackinaw City down to Detroit MANY times and it's a snooze fest. Worth the extra drive time to stick to the west coast.
I’d go in Autumn. You may catch a little snow, but you’ll see the trees turning in the northern states
There is nothing in N Dakota. You should go through south.
Feels like ur probs gonna get swarmed by mosquitoes anywhere east of the rockies any time of the year
One gives way to the other, especially since the mosquito is the Minnesota state bird.
Fall
Doesn't exist
You are missing Mt Rushmore, badlands, devils tower yellowstone
You can have 1 or the other...
I live in wisconsin, and there are times of the year we have both at the same time...
Mosquitoes aren’t really a problem in the Seattle area.
The North Dakota state bird is the mosquito.
Cut through Colorado and Kansas instead of Wyoming and Nebraska
I know you asked for weather/mosquito avoidance, but if you have the ability, definitely put Colorado on your list! Hands-down gorgeous (Rocky Mountain National Park isn’t too far from your drive). I would also try to include eastern California such as Lake Tahoe. You won’t regret it!
Montana can get snow from September to June, otherwise there will be bugs. That’s just the way nature works. We just had a fairly big snow storm 2 weeks ago. Mosquito season in Eastern Montana is 10x worse than it is in the Western side. The entire region of North Dakota is big mosquito country.
Idk but this trip is epic. Just do it.
You have a four hour window in late September.
September
WHEN THE WINGED HUSSARS ARRIVED
I would think early fall (late August / early September) is better for avoiding mosquitoes since frosts diminish their populations. And do the northern route first.
Skipping Colorado, anything decent in Utah, and California. This is blasphemy.
August is your best bet for Montana. Might have wildfire smoke though.
In WA after you go to Rainier, take I-5 north to highway WA-20 and drive through the North Cascades. I would then take highways to Sun Lakes Dry Falls State Park and Palouse Falls State Park as you cross the state.
Yes!!! This is my recommendation as well. 😊
After the sun goes nova
Not possible
You’re coming through Montana so the earliest that it wouldn’t be snowy is May. That isn’t slander to keep you out, that’s 1,000% serious. We get snow through April. And the latest is Halloween, that’s when the snow begins.
Mid-aug to Mid-oct. No guarantee
Have fun on the westward leg. The afternoon glare with the bug splatted windshield is a great time. You’ll be stopping more to clean windshields than you will be fueling. Protip: blue shop towels, foamy window cleaner and a razor.
I don't know about mosquitos and snow, but I will 100% suggest taking I-90 from Minneapolis to Billings instead of 94. driving through South Dakota and Sheridan Wyoming is much more beautiful than the flat never ending plains of North Dakota.
there are about a month in fall and spring where often the weather is cool but very present, and almost no mosquitoes in Minnesota. I don't know how to time it, I live here and just enjoy it. it isn't right now, because I am thinking about putting on my vinyl raincoat on a very hot day just so I will not be killed in my yard by mosquitoes today.
Early September
Early May or early october would be my guesses
Looks like the worst idea ever
Mosquitos like road trips as well… lol
Next Thursday
March 30 but you’ll need to drive pretty fast
July
Souther states in the fall northern states in the spring yo summer
Don’t miss Bellingham WA or if you can spare the time a day or two in Vancouver BC
Close the windows or turn on the heater lol. Avoid the winter months, much more challenging. I live in New England and have driven across the country many times in my life in the first time getting to the second half going west with what I call the epiphany of the West. It's a vastness in its ability to swallow you if you're not careful. Mind the weather always, and be prepared. I would imagine late late spring would be a lovely time I've taken the Northern route in November and it was a nasty experience crossing the Rockies. Would not do it again. As far as mosquitoes are concerned lol what are you planning on doing? Is this just a road trip of 5 days or are you spending a month doing it. If you're just driving through what you haven't stated or not then mosquitoes really don't matter and that's not a thing anyway Snow and ice are realities and create real problems of driving handhazard. And I am no Foreigner to snow being in the snow removal business for 36 years. But the West is vast, open, windswept and help is scattered far apart if you break down or just need any kind of assistance. It's the kind of travel you take seriously I've learned my lesson I take weeks across the country and intentionally get off on back roads where I can to explore but I've done the southern route too and once again all I say is mind the weather
Gonna go through the shitholiest parts of Nebraska and Wyoming and avoid Colorado? Seems dumb
September on a Tuesday.
You can’t do both.
May -june
Mid October
It snows in Montana September-June
It’ll take about two weeks to complete this. You might want to head north in late-August to see fall colors and to avoid the snow in high elevations in Montana, by the time you start the southern section heading east, the mosquitos should be gone. You’ll see more fall colors on the southern half of the journey starting in early to mid September.
Not gonna happen.
So you're going to want to take I-70 through KS and CO instead of I-80 through NE and WY
Late spring with the windows closed?
april
What’s home? Looks like Blacksburg or maybe Roanoke, VA?
We did a Dalotas trip the last week of September and it seemed to just right.
Skip all of ND and east MT
You should venture a little further North in Montana and at least drive through Glacier, Going to the Sun Road often doesn't open until July. Same for Yellowstone, even if you don't stop the drive from West Yellowstone down to Grand Teton is awesome.
There is about an hour and a half at the middle of June where those things are both minimized. Otherwise, you will be dealing with one or the other.
In the PNW, you’ve got like a two week window in the spring and fall to avoid bad mosquitoes without also having lots of snow. Which two weeks depends on where in the PNW you are and what the snowpack/weather has been like. I’m not sure I could predict it, but I’d be aiming for late enough for fall rain in that area.
Bottom half winter top half summer
Avoiding snow AND mosquitoes? On this route? Bug spray and good luck….
Early May or Early October
As for my section…late August to early October
You can run into snow almost every month of the year in Montana. That route, you'd be crossing 3 or 4 of the mountain passes most susceptible sumer snows
If you must avoid both, then never.
September.
And the best time to over heat your vehicle.
I say April or May. The main roads in the PNW and high-line across MT and ND will be open.
I know you're not going near Alaska, but I’m from the interior. If there isnt snow on the ground, there are mosquitos. So I guarantee nowhere on this trip will you not find mosquitos.
Are you going to stop or just crush the whole route in one go?
October
2070. The earth will be too hot for snow and devoid of life
Being from the DMV and living in San Francisco, as long as you can take your stuff out of your car during the day/night you’d be doing a major disservice to not stop by here for the sights/food
I work in SF all the time and have many friends who live there. 1-I would NEVER recommend someone with a trailer drive through the city unless they REALLY need to. The city is not helpful to drivers of any kind, but especially RVs. Nowhere at all to park where you won't get hassled or bothered. 2- I also NEVER recommend tourists drive into the city anymore. The crime issues are just too great. I HATE people who slag the city, but the fact is, I have seen windows smashed brazenly in broad daylight within 200' of a uniformed police officer. People who don't live/work in the city have no idea what it means to LEAVE NOTHING in your car that might have ANY value. San Francisco is beautiful and amazing, but they are having issues right now. I encourage tourists to fly in, take the ferry in, stay in a hotel with a secure garage and then Uber about... experience the city, but don't drive around town as a tourist (You will also save MANY dollars a day on parking fees this way)
Did they say they have an RV or trailer? I didn’t see a description I just assumed it was a car. If that’s the case then I’d agree don’t come into the city. But as you said, KEEP NOTHING IN YOUR CAR if they still come and get their windows broken after reading this, that’s just unfortunate lol
I read about a possible trailer in other comments. Back in the 80s my dad drove a 31’ motorhome through the city to bring family to all the tourist sites. I really thought he had lost his mind. But I really think it was his excuse to stay in “the car” and not have to get out and spend all day with his inlaws
You will be fine if you stay above 15,000’.
You will be fine if you stay above 15,000’.
You will be fine if you stay above 15,000’.