Idaho / Wyoming / Montana Post RPI ride ideas?

So the wife and I are flying out to Idaho to ride Rebecca’s at the end of the month and then staying out west for the week after the race to make a vacation out of it.

We’ll still have the bikes with us, so looking for some recommendations on nice places to go or gravel to ride. Right now the rough plan is to head east and hit Grand Teton / Yellowstone area, then take scenic routes up to Missoula area, then loop southwest down to McCall, ID area and finally back down to Salt Lake to fly home.

Anybody have good recommendations of routes to ride, areas to visit, or stuff to avoid? We’ve spent time up in the panhandle of Idaho and western Montana (Spokane to Glacier areas), but this will be first time for either of us in this area.

monkeyrider wrote:There is a lot of great riding in the Jackson area. Yellowstone NP is not terribly bike friendly. 
The greater Yellowstone ecosystem has a lot of great riding especially in the National Forests/ Island Park area.
The National Elk Refuge has some nice gravel roads. You can head up to Curtis Canyon or continue straight on Flat Creek rd and ride all of the way to Flat Creek Ranch. It's a good idea to carry bear spray. 
You can head east from Slide Lake and ride the Gross Ventre rd. 

Teton Valley on the Idaho side also has nice riding. 

It all depends on how much riding you want to do. Check in at Fitzgerald's in Victor or Jackson.

Riding from Jackson to Jenny Lake in GTNP is all paved bike path and very scenic. Breathtaking views of the Tetons if it's not hazy/smokey. This is a great ride even though it is paved. You can continue to Signal Mountain and ride to the top. Best view of the valley, Tetons, Jackson Lake, Snake River etc. Awesome descent. Traffic on the road from Jenny Lake to Signal Mtn turn can be heavy depending on the day. After Labor day is better. 

The mountain biking around Jackson is amazing. If you're into it, rent bikes for a day.

It is a good idea to carry bear spray in Jackson Hole if you plan to go anywhere remote. Don't fly with it. It will get confiscated. Buy some when you arrive or ask at the ticket counter at the Jackson Hole Airport. They often give it away after they confiscate it. 

trippertim wrote:

Thanks Monkeyrider! I'll take a look at those areas and routes and check in with Fitzgerald's. And I had thought about the bear spray, but too late to order it here and get it in the box with my bike before I have to drop it with FedEx, so I'll try the ticket counter!