Proposed trip in summer of 2022

[Redetotry]

Just a thought Jan but I see you are planning to rent a Class B, have you looked into the availability and the cost? It might be less expensive to go with a little bigger RV as Class B's are typically a lot more expensive to purchase. Also have you had any prior experience in setting up an RV, hooking up and operating the various functions. If not, there is a lot to learn especially if you need or want to boondock. I don't want to sound negative but maybe these are things you hadn't considered.

[BirdbyBird]

Many of the Class B's have Facebook Groups that are vary helpful. I remember heading off as a newby 16 years ago. I had learned some things and then continued learning. I made mistakes and spent time an anxiety with not knowing but I always reminded myself that these are learnable skills. One thing I did find out was that there are wonderful fellow travelers out there that were very helpful. If we waited until we knew everything many would never leave their driveway. Just balance your sense of adventure with common sense.

[janwatts]

Hi All,
We are still digesting the really helpful information you gave to us & are now playing with the route outline in the NW. We do have a question, though, and I think it was Anita who made refernce to there being a 21' restriction on the Going to the Sun road in Glacier NP. We are looking at renting a Class B campervan that is 22' in length. Would you recommend finding a 21' Class B as this Going to the Sun road would be important to have access to, or would the shuttle service you also mentioned work just as well? We did a bit of research on length restrictions in other NP's and, although some campsites had 21' length restrictions, there seemed to be ample campsites for 23' and, of course, for much longer vans. Any other thoughts you might have before we make a booking and rent this 22' Class B?
Many thanks ahead of time!
Jan

[BirdbyBird]

I have ridden the going to the sun road from both directions. First with a group of us in a car (thanks Birdie) but it was early June and we could only go so far because of the snows at the top. Later when flying out to a dude ranch to the west I used my rental to drive from the other side. It is worth seeing. With driving it you can decide when you want to stop to see the views and take pictures but when you drive you can’t let your vision wander and you miss other experiences. I liked my drive in Alaska On top of the World but would have enjoyed being able to look around more. It is a personal choice, neither right nor wrong in general.

[chalet05]

Driving a Class B on Going to the Sun would definitely require your full attention! Actually, even driving the Sling took attention watching that oncoming drivers didn't want to share my lane! The tour I took was great. I don't know if the shuttles were in operation back then. Required shuttles in some of the parks have always worked out great.

[Bethers]

Today you need advanced reservations to drive your own vehicle on that road. I doubt that will be changing. You also need reservations for the tour. Personally I'd plan to be there after the entire length is open and would make the reservation for the tour so that I could see it all without one of you missing a lot driving.

[JudyJB]

I agree you should plan to take the shuttle. If you try to drive it, you will miss a lot of the view because you will be watching out for overhanging rocks and other drivers. When I was there, i stayed in the east campground and just rode my bike about a mile to the visitor center where I got the shuttle.