Highway 20 across Nebaska

[intrepid27]

Hey, we are pulling a 34 ft RV to Yellowstone in late September. and was looking at different routs. Has anyone drive across Nebraska on Highway 20 lately? I'm curious as to what kind of shape it is in.

And yes I know Interstates 90 and 80 are options but quite honestly I'm no in huge hurry and the different in gas mileage between 75 MPH and 65 MPH with our rig is almost worth the extra time.

 

[cowboycurtis]

We went across highway 20 last summer. It’s a good road. Not much traffic. Pretty smooth. Bridge was out at Long Pine but I’m sure that’s done

 

[JEFF420]

nice i will be taking hwy 20 back across from montana beginning of sept

 

[Cyhig]

Took that road on the way to Yellowstone in 2020. Get gas when you can. We decided not to fill up in Valentine and there wasn't any stations going west for a long time. We made a planned stop at the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (cool place) and they were able to give us a splash of gas to get to the next town. There's a log file I had to fill out and let me tell you, we weren't the only ones who were in dire need of gas

 

[kevdiv48]

took highway 20 for a big chunk of the trek from Ames to Grand Tetons the day after graduating from ISU in 2015. got pulled over in the middle of Nebraska for doing 75ish in a 60. got a warning.

 

[nfrine]

took highway 20 for a big chunk of the trek from Ames to Grand Tetons the day after graduating from ISU in 2015. got pulled over in the middle of Nebraska for doing 75ish in a 60. got a warning.

Warning for going too slow?

 

[exCyDing]

Took that road on the way to Yellowstone in 2020. Get gas when you can. We decided not to fill up in Valentine and there wasn't any stations going west for a long time. We made a planned stop at the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (cool place) and they were able to give us a splash of gas to get to the next town. There's a log file I had to fill out and let me tell you, we weren't the only ones who were in dire need of gas

Very good advice for driving anywhere in the less inhabited states. I drove through Montana/Wyoming and the Dakotas a couple of times and mapped my stops out beforehand for every 2-3 hours at gas stations or truck stops. topping off the tank at each stop. It's easy to find yourself in a loooong stretch of nothing out there.

 

[dafarmer]

Have plenty of Dayquil along. It is ####### boring.

 

[isucy86]

Very good advice for driving anywhere in the less inhabited states. I drove through Montana/Wyoming and the Dakotas a couple of times and mapped my stops out beforehand for every 2-3 hours at gas stations or truck stops. topping off the tank at each stop. It's easy to find yourself in a loooong stretch of nothing out there.

Yea the west can be pretty desolate, especially Utah. Earlier this week I was on I-70 and there is a 104 mile stretch with no gas stations, except one that is 12 miles off the interstate about a third the way. Fortunately, I decided to check google maps for the next service station vs. assuming it's an interstate so there HAS to be gas every 20-30 miles.

Said a prayer, debating pulling over at a rest stop & calling AAA, decided to risk it, gas gauge hit empty 2 miles short of the gas station. All that worry for nothing- my car doesn't need gas to run. Made it no problem, I showed Kramer!

 

[isucy86]

Hey, we are pulling a 34 ft RV to Yellowstone in late September. and was looking at different routs. Has anyone drive across Nebraska on Highway 20 lately? I'm curious as to what kind of shape it is in.

And yes I know Interstates 90 and 80 are options but quite honestly I'm no in huge hurry and the different in gas mileage between 75 MPH and 65 MPH with our rig is almost worth the extra time.

I have been on the road a lot this summer and it is so much more fun to avoid Interstates whenever possible. Some really fun small towns out there and good restaurants that aren't McDonalds or Starbucks.

 

[Clone1992]

Not directly related, but amusing memory for me. A friend and I were heading south on I-35 from Minneapolis to Ames in January of one year in the late 80's when the outside temp was like 147 degrees below zero and my friend was being stubborn and wouldn't stop for gas for whatever reason. Gas gauge was at or very near empty and I was imagining us freezing to death in a car that had run out of gas on a GD interstate for no good reason (no cell phones back then). Friend finally decided to take an exit to get gas in some tiny town in Southern Minnesota. Town was 5 miles off the interstate though. Longest 5 miles ever praying that we would make it but we managed to coast in on fumes. I still have no idea why we were risking being human icicles.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

Hey, we are pulling a 34 ft RV to Yellowstone in late September. and was looking at different routs. Has anyone drive across Nebraska on Highway 20 lately? I'm curious as to what kind of shape it is in.

And yes I know Interstates 90 and 80 are options but quite honestly I'm no in huge hurry and the different in gas mileage between 75 MPH and 65 MPH with our rig is almost worth the extra time.

I drove it a few years back and it was pretty decent except for eastern Nebraska into western Iowa. I went all the way to Casper.

 

[simply1]

Have plenty of Dayquil along. It is ####### boring.

I don’t think DayQuil works that way

 

[NENick]

Those "boring" rides across the Northern Plains are quite interesting to me.

 

[1SEIACLONE]

A little off topic, but we know a couple that drive all over the country and they prefer the secondary road. Road tripped to the UP of Michigan, no interstate the entire way. They prefer the little towns along the way and think it's a great way to see the country. They have been to Texas and Florida, all on secondary roads.

 

[gocy444]

I’ve made the drive across Nebraska many a time. Thoughts and prayers.

 

[Pizzapitter]

I’ve made the drive across Nebraska many a time. Thoughts and prayers.

I'm a train nut-foamer.
Highway 30 (Lincoln Highway) ROCKS!
Side-by-side, paralleling UP freights, to the tune of every 20-ish minutes.
Highway 20? Zero.
Ps.

 

[Lineup]

Those "boring" rides across the Northern Plains are quite interesting to me.

lol you need to get a hobby

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

Not sure what your route is once you get through Nebraska but if you can go north and drive highway 14 through the Bighorn mountains. That will eventually take you to Yellowstone's east entrance.

 

[rockbottom]

Not sure what your route is once you get through Nebraska but if you can go north and drive highway 14 through the Bighorn mountains. That will eventually take you to Yellowstone's east entrance.

Or 14A depending upon the season!