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Old 09-22-2019, 08:14 AM   #1
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Montana 200 to Great Falls

Heading to Great Falls next year to join a caravan to Alaska. The route takes us across Montana on route 200 which I am not familiar with. Give me the good, the bad and the ugly.
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Old 09-22-2019, 08:27 AM   #2
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200 only looks like it runs about 150 miles between Missoula and Great Falls. I'll ask my brother if he's ever run that route as he lives in the area.
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Old 09-22-2019, 08:46 AM   #3
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Sorry it is East to West coming from Washington, Il. Glendive to Great Falls
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Old 09-22-2019, 08:59 AM   #4
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We have traveled that way en route to Glacier NP. I cannot recall specifics as it has been several years. I have no bad impressions regarding availability of fuel/services. I also do not recall any particularly bad sections of road.
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Old 09-22-2019, 10:00 AM   #5
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Hwy 200 traverses the whole state. If you plan on traveling I-94 you should take hwy 200S from Glendive to Circle and then hwy 200 to Great Fall. 2 lane highway. Fuel is not any issue. Don't drink the water in Jordan.
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Old 09-22-2019, 12:42 PM   #6
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We had just traveled on this hwy in August of this yr, but we were going from Missoula to Vaughn, Montana heading up to Edmonton, Alberta. The hwy is a 2 lane road, very scenic and safe. Just some small grades, maybe one or two but nothing serious.

My suggestion is to travel this one during daylight hrs. Because night time could be a little white knuckle driving as its one lane west and one lane east and the speed limit is around 70 mph. Simply just to avoid headlight glares and wild life, as there are no service stations or towns close by.
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Old 09-22-2019, 01:03 PM   #7
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The road is fine. The biggest thing to watch for, which is true anywhere in Montana, is watch the deer and antelope in the ditches and crossing the road. Every town has fuel. There is a bit of construction between Glendive and Circle but nothing outlandish.
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Old 09-22-2019, 02:08 PM   #8
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Two lane undivided highway. 70 MPH daytime speed. Many narrow bridges, which are "interesting" when you end up passing opposing lane semi trucks running the same speed. In 2011 when I last ran the road, I was very surprised that there was no diesel and only a couple of gasoline stations for a few hundred miles between the ND border and Lewistown. Seems that most farmers have their own supply of off-road fuel. Be sure to fill up first.
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Old 09-22-2019, 05:38 PM   #9
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We live at Fort Peck Lake just off HWY 200. It is an OK road, that was built in the 1930's. There is fuel at Glendive, Circle, Jordan, Winnet, Grass Range, and Lewistown. From there to Great Falls, there are several towns with fuel. Most of the road is good two lane, but, there are several stretches , especially between Circle and Jordan that are narrow and a little bumpy. We pull our Flagstaff 27 Travel Trailer over it quite a bit, but travel that portion of the road at 55 MPH so it is easier to travel. There are several nice rest area's on the way; one just before Winnet that was paid for by private money that is in a pretty area with lots of ponderosa pine and cedar trees and the Musselshell River. I would plan to do it in daylight as the wildlife can be very thick at night. I know, I took out a big Muley buck with my Suburban a couple of years ago. You go through several types of country, including the badlands. It's pretty country.
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Old 09-22-2019, 09:36 PM   #10
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Last summer we traveled from Billings, MT, to Great Falls and one of the routes suggested included a stretch of Route 200. Unfortunately, heavy rains at the time we were traveling caused flooding on 200 and closed it down for several days. There are other routes available, so I would heartily recommend you check with local authorities and/or Montana State Police to be sure the route you select is clear and not flooded.

Agree with all the suggestions of traveling only at night, and keeping speed down below 60 mph. Many narrow stretches with oncoming traffic may cause involuntary tightening of your grip on the steering wheel.
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Old 09-22-2019, 09:43 PM   #11
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Smile Hwy 200 from Missoula to Gr. falls

It’s about a 2 1/2 hour
Drive from Missoula to Great Falls on HWY 200, goes over Rogers Pass which can get bad weather in the winter, check the Montana DOT webcams. After the pass there are rolling hills and then flat the last 49 miles. They did some construction on it in the last couple years and added some passing lanes but there was a flood closure to part of the road last spring I believe. Two lanes most of the way, fuel up in Missoula, there’s restaurants and gas stations in Lincoln and then a few small towns the rest of the way to Vaughn Junction which meets I-15 just 11 miles or so from Great Falls.
The route I prefer to take is I-90 from Missoula through Drummond to Garrison Junction, then take Hwy 12 which is a 40 mile two lane hey to Helena and then I-15 straight up to Sweetgrass/Coutts which is open 24 hours
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Old 09-22-2019, 11:28 PM   #12
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Great advice from Bannings. We experienced flooding of parts of HWY 200 last summer between Billings and Great Falls.

Also, make sure you are equipped with a "stone shield" for your TV windshield. Summer time in Montana is when the road crews lay gravel on the highways in preparation for the Tarmac to be applied at a later date. Large trucks traveling in the opposite direction will kick up the gravel and cause pits or nearly demolish your windshield on impact. Keep a safe distance behind any other vehicle on freshly graveled roads as you drive.
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