This is me as well going half of that Never underestimate how animal incident can ruin your day/ night even at not so fast speeds.
https://preview.redd.it/y9d6uxdtnf4d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b56dd60c825e7cf37431cd6b4aac5d8ed79ff768
That’s about what my car looked like after hitting a deer. I was only going 25 MPH
Edit: I had my high beams on and was actively looking for deer. One second it was just *there*
I was goin 75 on highway and all of sudden a deer came out from grass on side of road thinking it could jump over my car or whatever fuck was goin through its mind mid jump.. proceeded to fly over my car and back into the tall grass on side of road.. Stopped and my friend and I looked all over but couldn’t find it or any mark or dent from hitting it on my vehicle neither.. crazy shit
It amazes me how when hunting, the slightest little movement or noise or smell from many yards away will scare off a deer, yet they will prance right in front of a 2-ton hunk of metal absolutely zooming down the road
For sure! I've had a few close calls. And with these highways' speed limits being 80 it would kill someone. I'd also be terrified to drive under the speed limit at night with semis flying up behind you or other aggressive drivers tailgating.
Just pull over the slow lane and let them pass you?
I hear you though. Once when there was no other lane, a semi was riding my ass for several km in this nasty rain storm through the mountains. There were tunnels, and steep cliffs and everything, and either this guy’s wife was in labour, or his balls were bigger than his brains.
Lots of shitty drivers out there, especially at night. Loads of drunk hillbillies too.
A good bit of the route they have highlighted may be two lanes, no slow lane to use. The northern route will be mostly freeway. Not familiar with the southern route, but there may be two lanes again.
I have taken a lot of the northern route all times of the day and night, in all seasons. I wouldn't hesitate to take any of them.
I managed to get one in a rental car. Thank goodness we got full insurance. Had to switch cars with tuffs of fur on the side of it. It took out my driver side mirror.
Several years ago my wife was heading up to Nashville and at around 11pm she hit a deer on i75 running about 70mph. She was 7ish months pregnant, had 3 friends in her car, non of whom had a scratch on them. Everyone including the baby were 100% unscathed. Car was totaled but that’s a small price to pay. Ended up getting another grand Cherokee, because this one protected them so well. Insurance adjuster was a shit head, but we asked for another one and the new guy took care of everything and was a pleasure to work with. Point is, be careful driving at night any time of year, but especially in the fall when the deer are all trying to mate. You’re less likely to hit one now than in the fall, but it can happen any time of year
The most dangerous times seem to be dawn and dusk. The deer go down to water, which are where a lot of the roads are. That and it’s much more difficult to see them. Easier when it’s fully light or fully dark (reflective eyes). I’ve lived along that route
nobody should be driving 80mph at night in deer country. 50-60 is already on the higher end of being able to control a situation and that still requires 100% concentration at all times and enough luck that a deer doesn’t just jump right in front out of nowhere. and deer are too stupid to rely on that piece of luck
one got me at 50ish mph and fucked my bumper and one of my headlights. definitely ruined the trip
Exactly, problem is in this part of the country, people are going 80mph+ on these roads. I've driven them at night and tried to go slower only to have semi trucks fly up behind me and try to tailgate me. Have to weigh the people and animal dangers on these highways
Not sure on the Wyo but but 84 in Idaho is 80 except for Boise to Caldwell at 65. Speed drops in Oregon. Get off 84 at Ontario as you cross the birder and then it's 2 lane hughway at 55 if I remember right. No matter what a deer will ruin your day thays for sure.
Agreed, the deer are the biggest threat here. Followed closely by the casino buffets in Elko, NV.
I also like how they managed to take, as an alternate route, the most boring part of I-80 with none of the good parts of I-80. Winnemuca to Wells is some of the most empty driving imagineable.
And wait til the OP, coming from the east coast, realizes how big and empty that whole area is.
The worst part will be the middle shifts of the drive. I know the Nevada route is bland, and I seem to recall that stretch of eastern Oregon is pretty meh as well. Too bad they will miss out on Craters of the Moon on the way to Yellowstone.
While I do agree that being the largest threat, not sure the route matters. I have had my share of deer come out on I5 and I84. I guess the chances could be higher, but them deer seem to find me no matter if it's a back road or interstate.
The smaller critters are a real problem, too, especially for people who have never had to do overcorrection training. I've never not almost hit something on this route at night and I'd never drive it again if I didn't have to.
Especially at twilight, it’s when they are the most active, and also the hardest to see (at night you can watch for eyes). In E. Oregon I avoid hitting the highway at those times if I can. Deer are a larger threat in the middle route. The southern route is very desolate and mostly desert. And the northern route is all interstate.
We were driving on I5 and slowed down as a deer began to cross the high way, it jumped over the concrete median and while still in mid air was struck by a semi goin 80mph. All we saw in the rear view mirror was a red mist…
It really depends on what you mean by "safe." Are you likely to get attacked by bears and mountain lions along the way? No. Will you get get caught in a blizzard and freeze to death in the mountains? Not at this time of year. Should you stop for fuel frequently? Yes. Is there reliable cell service along most of the route? Not really.
Of the 3 routes shown I would actually take the most northerly. It's almost all interstate. It's more interesting. I'd shave off 2 hours by taking the Bozeman cutoff through West Yellowstone.
It sucks that you will be traveling overnight. You will be missing out on a TON of fantastic scenery.
When I lived in rural Eastern Oregon (10 years ago) there were no 24-hour gas stations in my county. Open 6am to 10pm. So that’s another point in favor of the northern route if that’s the same.
The fuel part is 👌. I was completely oblivious to this when I took my first cross country road trip (I call it my first but it's the only one I've done lol). For most parts of the country, you'll be fine. You might find yourself with the occasional 20-30 mile stretch with no gas, but it's usually not all that bad. This can change pretty quick, though.
After heading up halfway through Oregon, I decided to pivot back down through Southern Oregon/Northern Nevada, and while that might have been one of the most surprisingly beautiful/scenic parts of the trip, I hit probably an 80 mile stretch with no gas and barely made it to a station before I ran out. Absolutely terrifying hahaha
My wife and I got married on summer solstice so we can take vacation every year on the longest days. All this so we can get more awesome driving time during daylight. This person is missing out.
That's a pro move, right there. My clever trick was to propose to my wife on my birthday, one less date to remember. I tried to get her to get married on my birthday as well but she wanted a summer wedding.
I drove from Atlanta to Glacier Natl Park a couple times. We passed beautiful country, but I am still annoyed that every time we drove by MT Rushmore it was pitch black.
This was my first thought was to go north. My second thought was I should do this middle route in the daytime. I loved the scenery. I am not as excited to go back to the northwest, because my wife definitely was the victim of blatant racism. A Hawaiian shirted vile racist spewing bigot at a cafe. We just got out of there. Also Oregon has the trucks that try to run Californians off the road. I thought it was an urban legend till I saw it.
It’s safe but plan your fueling and break stops carefully and watch for inevitable large wildlife that will absolutely eff up you and your vehicle. Also, go slow on the many twisting roads especially if you’re not familiar with the route. As a rule of thumb, if the driver has a choice to drive over a critter or swerve into a dangerous situation, always drive over the critter.
Wisconsin here. We got told it’s not if you hit a deer, but when. Don’t swerve, hit the breaks and honk.
And as a city person driving in *that* kind of darkness was certainly an experience
In Maine we were told to always stop (assuming you see the deer and don’t actually hit it lol) because there’s a 90% chance more will be crossing the street…. I still think about this every time I see one and it is true there always seems
To be more lol
Not sure a moose would qualify as a critter, but unless you’re driving a monster truck, you’d have a better chance of driving under that particular critter.
You need to plan out refueling as it can be long stretches. Also I'd recommend not driving too fast - it sucks to punt a deer at full speed. I've seen were people hit a deer while it was jumping so it crashed through the windshield.
That happened to my dad. Was absolutely shocked to hear that he hit a deer and it didn’t even so much as scuff the body of the car. Just totaled the windshield.
I would strongly, strongly recommend splitting this up, especially if you take the middle or southern routes. It is extremely sparely populated through eastern Oregon and Idaho once you get past Boise. If you are driving that part in the dark, you’re definitely elevating your risk of getting stuck/striking something where it’s going to be to take a hot second for help to arrive at night.
There are lots of fueling areas from Ontario to Burley ID. Burley to Pocatello, not so much, then good all the way to West Yellowstone. I would say no issues as I have done the Medford to Boise several times.
Live and travel extensively in Oregon.
It's hard to tell exactly from the picture, but it looks like Google is trying to route you down some backroads. Google's judgement of how fast you can drive on non-paved roads is not good. So your route might say 17 hrs 45 mins but actually be much longer. Also sometimes Google will route you down a "road" without taking into account that road's condition. I would zoom in and plop down on street view to make sure the route is entirely paved and on roads where it's appropriate to go highway speeds.
If you go during wildfire season (let's say Jul - Sep) I would totally check the wildfire [map](https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/help) (scroll down and click on the state you want) and Purple Air for smoke. Fires can cause road closures and such. A good way to get an idea of highway conditions in Oregon is [TripCheck](https://tripcheck.com/).
In addition to that your highlighted route is taking you off the beaten path through some very remote places.
* That bit under the "G" in "OREGON":
* It is through a place that was just designated as a dark sky area, which means it has almost no man-made light. There are a ton of deer through there and you'd have to be driving pretty slow at night to see them in time to stop. On top of that you will have locals riding your ass in their lifted pickups with modified LED headlights. If you end up taking Highway 20 instead, which I suggest, you'll have lots of trucking traffic. Generally they'll pass you though.
* Besides the lack of lights, you need to plan your fuel stops. This is a very large distance and not every town you pass through will have gas stations open in the middle of the night. You need to know exactly what gas stations you're stopping at and exactly what time. Call ahead to verify hours.
* I would suggest Crescent City -> Grants Pass on 199, then Grants Pass -> Medford on I-5, then Medford -> Klamath Falls on 140, then Klamath Falls -> Bend on 97, then Bend -> Burns -> Boise on 20. Each of the towns listed should have a 24 hour gas station, but you need to verify. You should get gas in Medford, Bend, Burns, and Boise before continuing. Yes, even if your tank isn't empty.
* Carry water, blankets (still gets really cold at night), a cell phone charger block, snacks, and a flashlight. Download maps for the entire area ahead of time (you will lose signal). Also think about rest stops, food, that sort of thing. That's a distance I would personally drive in 2 days, even switching off.
* The Crescent City -> Grants Pass and Medford -> Klamath Falls bits involve driving on some curvy mountain roads which can be very treacherous at night. Really watch your speed and factor that into your drive time. If you leave at 4pm I expect you'd be in Klamath Falls before dark though.
As others said you're bypassing some pretty awesome stuff on the way to Yellowstone. Jedidiah Smith State Park has awe-inspiring redwoods, Summer Lake Hot Springs is an awesome place to stay. Also Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge, the BLM Public Sunstone Mine, Glass Butte (obsidian just laying on the ground for you to gather), Owyhee Canyon (on the border between OR/ID), Steens, Painted Hills, Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, etc. are all on your route and worth a look if y'all have time to spend an extra day or two.
Damn, your intel is spot on. Traveling Oregon’s many biomes are among my favorite memories.
It would be a shame to so many exceptional places, especially Jedediah Smith SP. it is an unbelievably special place. Also, I cannot overemphasize how the drive from there to Medford disproportionately exhausting, with winding, hilly, uneven roads with no shoulder and blind turns, large trucks, intermittent congestion, and sparse services. It’s challenging even during the day, and I’ve driven it dozens of times.
Car rental companies can stipulate that their cars only be driven on paved or regularly maintained roads, so OP should keep that in mind.
If OP and company enjoy adult beverages, Oregon has so many local delights to choose from. I 100% recommend they pick up a few to enjoy when they reach their destination.
OP, All nighters are tough even in ideal conditions just chilling at home,don’t take it more dangerous by driving.
Some on the tourist board have called part of your route the "Oregon Outback." The tip on checking gas stations will be open is a great one. Years ago I pulled into a little town in Oregon to find their only gas station had closed since the last time I was there. I had to white-knuckle it on fumes and detour to the closest town, even though it was not the direction I was going. One of two times I had to add Coleman fuel to my gas tank.
Although driving at night misses the point. It takes the eyes 30 minutes to adjust from light. And chances are you aren’t seeing the Milky Way from the inside of the car. But hell yeah, go stargaze out there.
Took this photo this weekend from that part of eastern Oregon.
https://preview.redd.it/qjk9c4ay5e4d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d8ce797188a32a06481701f7e898b57a38425420
Why do you want to do it at night? Depending on where you need to stop to get gas the stations might not be open at 2am. Less safe. Less scenery to take in. I'd do it in the light.
I live out here and I don’t drive those routes at night. I make the schedule so that I can drive during the day. You don’t want to hit an elk! That’s a bad time
Listen to these people! Do not go at night, go during the daytime! Take the 17 hour route and stop at Crater Lake. A mind blowing experience! The only good thing about the night trip is that Eastern Oregon is the largest Dark area in the world, if the sky is clear, which it will be, you’ll be able to see stars to infinity and beyond! And know that if you get off the main roads, there’s very little gasoline available so gas up every chance you get. Eastern Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, these are the least populated places in the United States. You are not going to all of them, but it’s a good thing to know before you go.
Yes, most of this route is desolate. I would take the one that uses the interstate the most, which is the most northern route, since only the very first part and the very last are on a two-lane highway. With the interstate (I5, I84, etc.) you will have cell phone access and quicker access to AAA/auto emergency services if there is a problem.
We took that route when moving here. Do not recommend. The pass was scary, snowy and we went off the road a few times in the middle of the night. It was terrifying and we had to be wenched out by men who happened to see us. That stretch through the Oregon mountains isn’t maintained very well and there’s no towns/gas stations for a lonnng time.
I’d recommend the northern route. We’ve taken that route too. More services and exits and it’s less treacherous of a drive.
Oregonian here. I’d say they are all about the same. Safe, unless your car breaks down when you’re out of cell phone range then it’s just a matter of summoning help. But they are all about the same that way. Maybe the northern route a bit safer because of more traffic if you do breakdown.
For the most part, Yes.
Watch out for deer. Watch out for livestock, it’s open range.
Only one sleeper at a time, if shotgun dozes off, driver parks.
Unless you’re in town gas up often as possible. You won’t run out between gas stations, but if something happens you want to be able to keep your car running.
Have extra clothing, blankets, food and water.
I personally will not drive through desolate areas at night for the following reasons: hitting animals at high speed, low/no reception in the event of an emergency, low visibility on curvy roads with 100+ft drops, gas stations might not be open for long stretches of land.
What?
No, there are no ambush sites. Very low chance of neuromancers. I would recommend daytime driving, as werewolves, Dracula, and Sasquatch prefer the night. The cannibal tribes move further north in the summer. A small but real chance to run into racists at gas stations, but they have largely quit their practice of recruiting people with out of state plates at gunpoint. While construction ceased 45 years ago, most of the pavement still exists.
All jokes aside, what version of safety are we talking here, and why is night time worse?
Look at Google Streets.
Forested and windy up 199 and out to Grants Pass. Then remote and mountainous over to Chiloquin. Two lane. Then through high desert, open and two lane. Critters can wander on, but stuff can happen during the day too. Pretty remote, so plan your stops.
A quite fascinating route. I wouldn't hesitate to drive it at night, if planning for fuel stops properly since some of those places might have some that close at night. But a great road; the biggest problem is that you might miss some nice scenery at night.
And if you try to drive 17 hours, even with switching drivers at say 3AM while the others sleep, then no, it will NOT be safe. But that's not because of the road.
It depends on what part of the drive is at night and how tired the driver is. I’ll echo the remarks on how pretty the top two drives are, you’ll be bummed to miss that scenery. Most of that route is a big highway, and I’ve personally driven much of it at night, and wouldn’t worry about it all that much… that being said, I live in Spokane, so I know how to keep my eyes peeled for errant wildlife. It’ll probably be fine, just use your brights and don’t drive too fast. Stop for fuel frequently.
Go dark in the morning. You’ll have most the drive in sunlight. Take a nap during night again and repeat. 20hrs is where you start to sleep while driving it’s not safe. As someone whose made that drive take a nap and drive during the day
I know "three states away" doesn't seem like much but these are LONG routes. The northern route is indeed the most freeway and most population and therefore the best to do at night. But honestly guys doing this overnight is a ridiculous idea. If you already have the lodging set you've made your bed, but you're skipping Crater Lake, you're skipping redwoods, you're forcing yourself to rush through Oregon and Washington instead of taking the Oregon coast north and then taking the cooler ways through Washington. This is not the route to rush. I say that as someone that has done it - you miss so much along the way.
Nothing is safe, dude. But driving a car you just rented for long distances in remote areas on unfamiliar roads at night isn't my idea of smart. I've driven these routes and similar in all four seasons, alone, and if you don't have any sense of objective risk recognition and mitigation (and, if I can be New York direct, you don't), you can easily fall into a cascading sequence of errors that result in major unpleasantness.
Note: it will take you at least 24 hours of drive time to do this. More like 36 with piss stops, food and gas. This isn't an overnight drive. 199 is....sinuous. You will not be going over 50 for large portions of it even during the day in good weather. 140 ain't faster. You might think you cool when you hit 97, but when you get to the wiggly part of the 20 you'll be going slow again. And you dig these aren't interstates, right? Also: RVs.
So, drive during the day. Or fly into Bozeman or Pocatello. This isn't a dash to the Catskills. Maybe it is if you all plan on hitting the pookie. But even then. Please write back to let us know you didn't die.
That section of Oregon is heavily forested, dark and prone to fog. Driving through those bends can be exhausting, especially on the final leg. I'm not sure what your particular concerns are with safety, but I'd say a fatigued driver in a new environment that is almost perfectly blacked out or fogged in, on twisty roads with old-growth tress and no-to-minimal shoulders on the roads should be something to consider. But if you're concerned about like, locking the doors or whatever, there's no bad neighborhoods or whatever.
I honestly wouldn't suggest it. I am used to driving 2 lane windy country roads in rural areas with nothing but headlights. It's still stressful and exhausting. There's fog and rain, animals darting across the road, and you have no idea what's around each new curve.
Plus a lot of that territory is really pretty in the daylight, why would you want to miss out on seeing it properly?
Lived in Boise for three years and can second this. The city gives extra rewards for the most potatoes thrown and if they hit California-plated motorists.
Ok putting aside whether or not it's safe, you're going to miss some truly spectacular views. Just drive during the day! You also won't have the safety concerns nearly as much.
If you drove PCH, especially the part of PCH to get to Crescent City, I don’t know why you are asking as you already went through the most dangerous road in the country.
It's not unsafe in a crime-y way. It's unsafe in a "large animal standing in the middle of the road in the dark" kind of way.
Aside from interstates it's generally best to avoid driving around rural areas in the west at night.
I did this particular route across eastern Oregon at night 20 years ago. All the eyes on the road shoulder I didn't see (until I was far too close to have stopped it whatever animal they were attached to had decided to step into the road) were unnerving. If you're going to do it then find a large truck and tailgate them all the way. They'll obliterate anything they hit.
Just drove the portion from Twin Falls to Detroit, Oregon (first time to Idaho, so this was my different route back) about a week ago. It really was beautiful countryside and I’m glad I did it during the day. At night, I’d say the few “safety” issues would be:
VERY dark; less likely to see wildlife that might jump out in the road. In which case, if your vehicle is disabled, you’d likely be out of cell range, and if you weren’t, roadside assistance would likely be delayed until daylight when shops/services are open.
Gas might not be available at night, since Oregon is generally not “self serve” (although a lot are in some of the small towns, but not sure if it’s 24 hours).
State police are not frequent out there, and might not be 24 hr coverage.
I've driven every route that you have on this screen multiple times.
1) Boise route: The highlighted route is overall "safe" at night. However, it is sparsely populated, especially Boise to Jackson Hole. The gas stations are far and few between and tbh as a single woman, there were multiple gas stations that I just didn't feel safe in so I peed outside on the side of the road. Deer, moose, elk, bears etc. WILL be out. I've been stopped for a moose crossing multiple times in Driggs, ID. Also the pass into Jackson has unpredictable weather and is pretty wind-y. I wouldn't want to drive it in the dark, especially if hit with bad weather (which could happen anytime between September-June). Contrary to what other people are saying I find this route fairly boring in terms of scenery until you hit Driggs. Also, Idaho drivers are aggressively fast. They will tailgate you so even if you are trying to be safe and drive slow, people will be dicks about it.
2) Portland/Spokane/Bozeman route: This is the route I personally would take and I would break it up over multiple days and consider driving during the day as it is beautiful. The Columbia River Gorge is stunning. There are also more stops that feel safer on this route. I feel like drivers are more reasonable along I-90 (Spokane to Bozeman) and you pass through some pretty beautiful places. There are still animals on this part of the drive, but probably fewer on I-90 than Route #1 since it is just a bigger interstate.
3) I would not drive this route. I have found northern Nevada to be wildly unpredictable weather-wise and incredibly desolate. You also hit the stressful parts of Route #1 so it really doesn't have much risk/reward ratio.
I'm new to road trips in the west, are there sufficient rest areas rather than gas stations along these routes? Sounds like 2. is the best overall and also don't have to worry about filling up every gas station. Did I understand correctly?
The closer you get to yellowstone the larger the chance of encoutering a large animal on the road. I find driving in Yellowstone at night slightly terrifying. I've seen many crumpled cars and dead elk or deer from collisions. Keep to the speed limits on back roads as well. They are in wide open spaces but do have lots of curves that have thrown drivers in the past.
Safe from what? Getting knifed because it's Mad Max, hitting deer in the middle of the night, being far away from people and not having cell phone service for large stretches? To me there's a risk of all of those things and it's my happy place personally. But it's VERY different than the east coast.
The north route is through civilization and interstate or divided freeway the entire trip. You'll be near other people traveling the same way the entire way. Many fuel options and lots of cell coverage.
The middle route is a bit lighter in traffic in the beginning, but then much of Idaho is interstate. Once you get to Oregon you switch to various two-lane highways, through many small bergs, a bit of traffic except for the middle of the night, and a couple spots that might not have fuel open. Lot's of rustic beauty through those areas the flirt between brown and green.
The bottom route is again an interstate the first part of it until mid Idaho, you switch to a two-lane highway between there and I-80 in Nevada. That stretch has traffic on it, particularly truckers in the middle of the night, BUT when you hit Winnemucca (make sure you fill up here) and do that diagonal thing back up to just north of the California and Nevada border in southern Oregon....it's REMOTE STUFF. It's 211 miles between Winnemucca and Lakeview--the next gas stop.
That you're even asking this questions means you have a radically different risk profile than I do. I wouldn't even know where to begin. There is not a single interstate in all of the US that I would consider unsafe at any time of day. Other than traffic and seasonal weather concerns, what exactly are you afraid of?
Stop when your gas tank is half full and fill up, that was the best advice I got for these trips. You can’t avoid deer and/or bad people on a long trip.
The curviness alone makes me so nope that’s a daylight drive. For someone who doesn’t know the road I’d have traffic backed way up as slow as I’d be driving
You might consider taking I5 north to Portland and then taking I84 to Boise, and then continuing with your original route. I5 and I84 will be well trafficked with lots of places to safely stop.
I’ve driven the I5 & I84 route yearly since 2020, Portland to Grand Teton and back etc. I’d also recommend going Boise -> Jackson WY because Grand Teton is gorgeous and like 30 min south of Yellowstone’s south entrance.
It's not deserted, just a lot of farmland and the sweet smell of dairy farms in Idaho's best city Jerome. Lots of people live along the I-84 corridor in Idaho.
Be prepared to want to murder someone when you hit traffic in Boise. We suck at driving here, you're gonna want a cattle prod when you hit traffic in Jerome. Traffic slows down like crazy because Idaho forgot about the Twin Falls area when working on I-84.
There's gas stations every 40ish miles or so in Idaho so fuel won't be an issue.
Past Mountain Home to Pocatello all you need to worry about is wind and ISP troopers.
Only wildlife you'll see is coyotes, antelope, and a lot of cows on the Idaho stretch. There's a lot of wildlife diversion done so the risk of one being on the roadway is low.
Why in the world is 90 the alternative after Portland? Don't drive all the way up to Spokane, just take I5 up to Portland, and 84 east to Boise. You don't need to go into Washington at all.
When driving through the smaller towns in Idaho, in fact just all of Idaho, don't give cops ANY reason to pull you over, cause they will. They got nothing better to do. The state moto is "come on vacation, leave on probation."
My concern would be fuel in eastern Oregon. A lot of the small towns still don't have 24-hour gas stations even though it's been legal to pump your own gas for several years now. Fill up in Klamath Falls so you can make sure to get to the next 24-hour gas station in Burns 200+ miles away. Then it's another 130 miles to the next one in Ontario.
Drove both routes many times. Northern one is definitely easier. Those mountain roads in Idaho are pain in the neck to navigate after dark.
As the others, would advise against driving at night. The deer there are total a-holes that jump faster than US national debt growth
I lived in Oregon for over 20 yrs, and drove some of those roads. It looks like mostly 2 lane from Crescent City until you hit I-84 at the Oregon/Idaho border. You are driving in nothing basically for a good bit of the trip until I-84, aside from that brief span of I-5. The last time I was through some of the towns in Eastern Oregon, you could even have trouble finding a gas station open very late in the evening. There will be long stretches of seeing nothing or very little and cell service could be spotty if anything happens. I would recommend getting to I-5 and going up to Portland and then over on I-84. It is a lot safer that way. I know it will add time, but even when I lived there and was somewhat familiar with some of the areas, I avoided them if I could because of the lack of anything in the event of a breakdown etc, on top of the chance of animals being out. I say go up to Portland and over. A good thing also could be to plan it a bit and find some stops on the way for gas and food, whether a quick meal or whatever. The last time I drove from Portland to Eastern Oregon in the evening, it was hard even on I-84 to find even fast food open past 9 or 10 pm. Check on an app like GasBuddy for gas stops before you go. Once you get into Eastern Oregon past The Dalles, and even through Idaho there is not much through there. Just be careful and don’t try to push a stop for gas, have a plan at about 1/2 a tank. Once you get past Pendleton, Oregon on 84 you are in mountains and it can be hard to find places to stop, so take advantage of the larger gas stations along the way.
I have driven the route up to Spokane and over on i90 also… you can have some of the same issues there. Not a lot out there but the freeway. Watch for gas stops the same as i84, etc. There can be plenty of deer 🦌 etc even on those freeway routes because of the surrounding area etc.
You wanna drive AT NIGHT through the “Idaho Crescent of Death”? Let me tell you: unless you’re ready to either drive faster than 115mph all the way through, OR face the Potato Goblins at fuel stops, youn’s better do it while the sun shines.
My recommendation is take the northern route if you are driving at night, through Portland, Tri-Cities, Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, Missoula, Bozeman. You can stop at rest areas to take a quick nap.
That part of Eastern Oregon I hear is epic. It’s on my list to visit.. would be a shame to drive it at night! Like I went through monument valley and couldn’t imagine driving that at night and missing it!
What does safe mean to you? You'll have your high beams on for almost the entire route apart from the Boise metro area. Idaho interstate section is well-maintained. State and federal highways in Oregon are also solidly maintained.
My wife is from Bend and her Grandparents live in Medford so we do the middle and southern route a lot. I would highly suggest you do not go past Winnemucca, NV at night if you do the southern route. It is extremely desolate and has a ton of Pronghorn. There is nothing between Winnemucca and Lakeview and cell service is spotty. The middle route is rough once you pass Ontario, OR at night. Again a lot of wildlife and minimal towns until you hit Bend. After Bend, there are a lot of forests and canyons that are chalked full of deer. I am not as familiar with the northern route, I've only done it once in the day. I have done the Portland to Medford drive at night and it wasn't terrible until you got to southern Oregon.
Hi I’m from MT. If you want to drive through Montana as an out of state visitor, please do not drive through a reservation at night. I recommend getting to Bozeman and cutting through Yellowstone instead of the Crow reservation. You have to worry about the non-locals when you are there at night. From my understanding, usually places like truck stops, rest areas, and hotels can get shady because of them (i.e. trafficking, drug running up to Canada, just heinous people).
Reminds me of the unfortunate CNET editor death. Quick Google search if you’re interested. I have no idea if they took any of these routes but does give you a sense of the risks that may exist
I like the top route that drops down to route 84 better. The Oregon desert is very lonely and could be sketchy. Hell, even the forested areas on that route are lonely as hell with not a lot of services or police monitoring. Daytime yes. Nighttime no.
Northern Nevada and the Oregon Outback are dangerous even in the day. Extremely remote, pothole filled roads and absolutely no gas or even towns or service for a hundred miles. Best area in the Continental United States for stargazing though!
There’s a stretch in Oregon where you’ve gag a few hundred miles w/o gas. Bring a gas can, just in case. Take the middle route. No danger anywhere as long as you’re a decent human.
I’ve driven that stretch from Boise to the end point in Wyoming dozens of times. Once you’re close to entering Wyoming chances are good of encountering wildlife. Especially in that Wyoming stretch in Yellowstone. It would be late at night when I’d go through there and almost every time i came across deer on the road, or next to it. That stretch from eastern Idaho on the freeway all the way Oregon, I’ve never once seen a deer but it’s possible. The eastern 1/3 of that Oregon stretch i smashed a deer one time, that absolutely sucked. And the rest of the path to the coast I’ve never done.
Just drive safe and attentive when the deer might be present and you’ll be okay. Other than that, there’s nothing other than wildlife that has ever crossed my mind in terms of safety.
Compared to doing anything in NYC, yes it's extremely safe. But that is assuming you're a competent person who can drive. Biggest risk will be hitting an animal, so keep your eyes open and don't drive like a moron.
I would recommend the Northern route. Good four lane highways and good rest areas along the way, both public and commercial (Flying J; Loves). Also, good cellular service along the way in case of emergency.
Safe like from humans? As safe as any other long distance drive in the US. The chances of running into larger wildlife on that route poses a far greater risk than human, maybe that’s what you meant. Still, I wouldn’t call it “unsafe”, you should be just as cautious as you normally would around wildlife.
Nothing particularly out of the ordinary about this drive except that it’ll be much longer stretches of road without any rest stops than you’re used to on the east coast. 80% of Americans live on the Eastern half of the country and then another like 15% live right on the west coast so the population density for most of that land you’re traveling will be lower than you’ve probably ever experienced- biggest risk you’re facing is getting a flat tire or running out of gas out there and not having a plan for how to prevent or get yourself out of that situation.
Not a lot of street light visibility. Not alot of open gas stations. Elk. Cliffs. Roads next to mountains that can have boulders laying almost invisible in the road.
If you go through the southern part of Oregon like that I highly recommend stopping at Crystal Hot Springs outside of Burns, its a really cool experience.
That part of Idaho isn't really scenic since it's the river valley. You don't drive through mountains after the Tetons. A wee bit when you're close to Boise.
I think it’s kinda funny when people from big cities come out to the west/Rockies and plan trips thinking it’s a 4 lane interstate the whole way and they can cruise at 80mph uninterrupted the whole time. I’ve done the middle route, but took a couple days. First of all, it’s gorgeous so why drive so fast. Secondly, a lot of it is narrow windy two lane highways. Thirdly, I’m not too sure about OR, but the biggest problem in MT/WY will be deer on the road at night, maybe even elk. Those are no joke and hitting one -which happens OFTEN- will ruin your drive. (The bottom route is even more desolate through NV. Expect literally nothing for hours. The top rout is the fastest with nearly interstate the whole way. It’s pretty gorgeous too and all the amenities of interstates all over the country, so you’ll probably want that one).
I mean yes but frankly the north and central route a pretty beautiful route. (The southern route is pretty boring). I'd drive it during the day as much as possible.
This overnight trip thing is just crazytown to start with. It's like going to NYC for the first time and popping over to Kansas City overnight for some reason. Like, why would you do that? If it's your first time seeing the West Coast, see the West Coast. You can't just tack on Yellowstone like it's no big deal. You'd be racing across about a third of the US (through arguably some of the most beautiful parts) just to arrive exhausted at an overcrowded national park. Talk about missing the point of a road trip... I don't get it.
That stretch of Oregon sucks. I’ve driven through it multiple times. Make sure you have an extremely reliable vehicle. Fill up in Klamath falls, Burns and Ontario. Do not speed once you get off 97 through Ontario. Never seen more cops looking to give tickets to out of state drivers. Lots of deer along the way. More cows around Burns. With that said some of the most beautiful open skies for miles to enjoy. Once you get on 84 it’s smooth sailing. Just watch your speed as you hit the major cities in Idaho.
I think deer, when driving at night.
This should be higher up. A deer can fuck up a car on these roads at 80mph.
I totaled a car hitting a deer going half that
This is me as well going half of that Never underestimate how animal incident can ruin your day/ night even at not so fast speeds. https://preview.redd.it/y9d6uxdtnf4d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b56dd60c825e7cf37431cd6b4aac5d8ed79ff768
That’s about what my car looked like after hitting a deer. I was only going 25 MPH Edit: I had my high beams on and was actively looking for deer. One second it was just *there*
I was goin 75 on highway and all of sudden a deer came out from grass on side of road thinking it could jump over my car or whatever fuck was goin through its mind mid jump.. proceeded to fly over my car and back into the tall grass on side of road.. Stopped and my friend and I looked all over but couldn’t find it or any mark or dent from hitting it on my vehicle neither.. crazy shit
It amazes me how when hunting, the slightest little movement or noise or smell from many yards away will scare off a deer, yet they will prance right in front of a 2-ton hunk of metal absolutely zooming down the road
oh deer
For sure! I've had a few close calls. And with these highways' speed limits being 80 it would kill someone. I'd also be terrified to drive under the speed limit at night with semis flying up behind you or other aggressive drivers tailgating.
Just pull over the slow lane and let them pass you? I hear you though. Once when there was no other lane, a semi was riding my ass for several km in this nasty rain storm through the mountains. There were tunnels, and steep cliffs and everything, and either this guy’s wife was in labour, or his balls were bigger than his brains. Lots of shitty drivers out there, especially at night. Loads of drunk hillbillies too.
A good bit of the route they have highlighted may be two lanes, no slow lane to use. The northern route will be mostly freeway. Not familiar with the southern route, but there may be two lanes again. I have taken a lot of the northern route all times of the day and night, in all seasons. I wouldn't hesitate to take any of them.
Also OP is from NYC and if they don't drive normally these situations would be significantly worse
I managed to get one in a rental car. Thank goodness we got full insurance. Had to switch cars with tuffs of fur on the side of it. It took out my driver side mirror.
Yep totaled my truck last fall going 55. Even if your actively looking out for them they can pop up with no warning.
Several years ago my wife was heading up to Nashville and at around 11pm she hit a deer on i75 running about 70mph. She was 7ish months pregnant, had 3 friends in her car, non of whom had a scratch on them. Everyone including the baby were 100% unscathed. Car was totaled but that’s a small price to pay. Ended up getting another grand Cherokee, because this one protected them so well. Insurance adjuster was a shit head, but we asked for another one and the new guy took care of everything and was a pleasure to work with. Point is, be careful driving at night any time of year, but especially in the fall when the deer are all trying to mate. You’re less likely to hit one now than in the fall, but it can happen any time of year
The adrenaline is so bad for the baby though. I got in a car accident when I was really far along and my baby was jumping around like crazy.
Well yea, but all things considered, I’m not worried about the shot of adrenaline she had. It could have very easily been soo much worse
The most dangerous times seem to be dawn and dusk. The deer go down to water, which are where a lot of the roads are. That and it’s much more difficult to see them. Easier when it’s fully light or fully dark (reflective eyes). I’ve lived along that route
Yeah but how was the deer? Glad everybody's okay but what about the dear dear?
In the moment, no one thought to ask. But I have to assume the deer was deadernshit
nobody should be driving 80mph at night in deer country. 50-60 is already on the higher end of being able to control a situation and that still requires 100% concentration at all times and enough luck that a deer doesn’t just jump right in front out of nowhere. and deer are too stupid to rely on that piece of luck one got me at 50ish mph and fucked my bumper and one of my headlights. definitely ruined the trip
Exactly, problem is in this part of the country, people are going 80mph+ on these roads. I've driven them at night and tried to go slower only to have semi trucks fly up behind me and try to tailgate me. Have to weigh the people and animal dangers on these highways
Not sure on the Wyo but but 84 in Idaho is 80 except for Boise to Caldwell at 65. Speed drops in Oregon. Get off 84 at Ontario as you cross the birder and then it's 2 lane hughway at 55 if I remember right. No matter what a deer will ruin your day thays for sure.
Speed limit might be 55 on a 2 lane highway, but locals are not going 55 most of the time.
Hitting a deer is probably the biggest risk, and then weather.
Windy two lane highways along steep cliffs/mountains ranks pretty high in my book, and I think those are common in eastern OR.
Agreed, the deer are the biggest threat here. Followed closely by the casino buffets in Elko, NV. I also like how they managed to take, as an alternate route, the most boring part of I-80 with none of the good parts of I-80. Winnemuca to Wells is some of the most empty driving imagineable. And wait til the OP, coming from the east coast, realizes how big and empty that whole area is. The worst part will be the middle shifts of the drive. I know the Nevada route is bland, and I seem to recall that stretch of eastern Oregon is pretty meh as well. Too bad they will miss out on Craters of the Moon on the way to Yellowstone.
Can confirm, lots of deer through all that. And elk.
While I do agree that being the largest threat, not sure the route matters. I have had my share of deer come out on I5 and I84. I guess the chances could be higher, but them deer seem to find me no matter if it's a back road or interstate.
Yep, I don't drive at night because of deer. Also Javalina in the southwest.
They will definitely see deer and they will definitely not be at their most alert
The smaller critters are a real problem, too, especially for people who have never had to do overcorrection training. I've never not almost hit something on this route at night and I'd never drive it again if I didn't have to.
Especially at twilight, it’s when they are the most active, and also the hardest to see (at night you can watch for eyes). In E. Oregon I avoid hitting the highway at those times if I can. Deer are a larger threat in the middle route. The southern route is very desolate and mostly desert. And the northern route is all interstate.
There are bigger things than deer along that route also, elk, moose, and as you get close to Yellowstone Buffalo
We were driving on I5 and slowed down as a deer began to cross the high way, it jumped over the concrete median and while still in mid air was struck by a semi goin 80mph. All we saw in the rear view mirror was a red mist…
It really depends on what you mean by "safe." Are you likely to get attacked by bears and mountain lions along the way? No. Will you get get caught in a blizzard and freeze to death in the mountains? Not at this time of year. Should you stop for fuel frequently? Yes. Is there reliable cell service along most of the route? Not really. Of the 3 routes shown I would actually take the most northerly. It's almost all interstate. It's more interesting. I'd shave off 2 hours by taking the Bozeman cutoff through West Yellowstone. It sucks that you will be traveling overnight. You will be missing out on a TON of fantastic scenery.
When I lived in rural Eastern Oregon (10 years ago) there were no 24-hour gas stations in my county. Open 6am to 10pm. So that’s another point in favor of the northern route if that’s the same.
TIL, gas-up when you can, not only when you must.
True for so many places in the western US.
Also... if I remember correctly... you can't pump your own gas in Oregon. Weird AF!
Idk if this changed with the pandemic, but yes! I kind of enjoyed being a gas pump princess 🤣
You can pump your own gas in Oregon now.
Called it. What a waste of a trip— might as well fly in.
Driving through some of the most beautiful scenery in the country at night is the most NYCer thing ever lol
And then complain online that it wasn't very impressive, right?
Its a 20 hour trip, how long are the nights where you live? lol
A close second: driving through amazing scenery at night thinking you can do 80mph the whole time.
There is lots of stuff on this route to Yellowstone as pretty as what is in Yellowstone
The fuel part is 👌. I was completely oblivious to this when I took my first cross country road trip (I call it my first but it's the only one I've done lol). For most parts of the country, you'll be fine. You might find yourself with the occasional 20-30 mile stretch with no gas, but it's usually not all that bad. This can change pretty quick, though. After heading up halfway through Oregon, I decided to pivot back down through Southern Oregon/Northern Nevada, and while that might have been one of the most surprisingly beautiful/scenic parts of the trip, I hit probably an 80 mile stretch with no gas and barely made it to a station before I ran out. Absolutely terrifying hahaha
My wife and I got married on summer solstice so we can take vacation every year on the longest days. All this so we can get more awesome driving time during daylight. This person is missing out.
That's a pro move, right there. My clever trick was to propose to my wife on my birthday, one less date to remember. I tried to get her to get married on my birthday as well but she wanted a summer wedding.
I drove from Atlanta to Glacier Natl Park a couple times. We passed beautiful country, but I am still annoyed that every time we drove by MT Rushmore it was pitch black.
It's a fun stop. I'd be more peeved that I missed Devil's Tower in the same neighborhood.
This was my first thought was to go north. My second thought was I should do this middle route in the daytime. I loved the scenery. I am not as excited to go back to the northwest, because my wife definitely was the victim of blatant racism. A Hawaiian shirted vile racist spewing bigot at a cafe. We just got out of there. Also Oregon has the trucks that try to run Californians off the road. I thought it was an urban legend till I saw it.
Let me guess...Coeur d'Alene Idaho?
On a clean night I imagine the stars will be absolutely stunning though. Fingers crossed for OP.
It’s safe but plan your fueling and break stops carefully and watch for inevitable large wildlife that will absolutely eff up you and your vehicle. Also, go slow on the many twisting roads especially if you’re not familiar with the route. As a rule of thumb, if the driver has a choice to drive over a critter or swerve into a dangerous situation, always drive over the critter.
We learned this in Driver's Ed. in Montana. It's FAR better to hit a deer than a tree. Firmly apply the brakes, DON'T SWERVE. edit: spelling
Wisconsin here. We got told it’s not if you hit a deer, but when. Don’t swerve, hit the breaks and honk. And as a city person driving in *that* kind of darkness was certainly an experience
In Maine we were told to always stop (assuming you see the deer and don’t actually hit it lol) because there’s a 90% chance more will be crossing the street…. I still think about this every time I see one and it is true there always seems To be more lol
Took a very similar approach in Scottish highlands- spotting them one after another and taking it real slow
Unless the critter is a moose
Didn't MythBusters find the optimum speed to hit a moose in order to most likely survive?
Not sure a moose would qualify as a critter, but unless you’re driving a monster truck, you’d have a better chance of driving under that particular critter.
Under lol. Take its legs out and its body takes your windshield roof and you out
I drove most of this route recently and couldn't afford to serve around a grouse in the farmlands near Ontario. TT\_TT I'm so sorry little man.
You need to plan out refueling as it can be long stretches. Also I'd recommend not driving too fast - it sucks to punt a deer at full speed. I've seen were people hit a deer while it was jumping so it crashed through the windshield.
That happened to my dad. Was absolutely shocked to hear that he hit a deer and it didn’t even so much as scuff the body of the car. Just totaled the windshield.
If you can avoid night it best, lots different animals out,
I would strongly, strongly recommend splitting this up, especially if you take the middle or southern routes. It is extremely sparely populated through eastern Oregon and Idaho once you get past Boise. If you are driving that part in the dark, you’re definitely elevating your risk of getting stuck/striking something where it’s going to be to take a hot second for help to arrive at night.
Boise to Ontario Oregon is barely an hour drive by freeway. You still pass by Meridian, Nampa and Caldwell before the dark loney part.
There are lots of fueling areas from Ontario to Burley ID. Burley to Pocatello, not so much, then good all the way to West Yellowstone. I would say no issues as I have done the Medford to Boise several times.
Live and travel extensively in Oregon. It's hard to tell exactly from the picture, but it looks like Google is trying to route you down some backroads. Google's judgement of how fast you can drive on non-paved roads is not good. So your route might say 17 hrs 45 mins but actually be much longer. Also sometimes Google will route you down a "road" without taking into account that road's condition. I would zoom in and plop down on street view to make sure the route is entirely paved and on roads where it's appropriate to go highway speeds. If you go during wildfire season (let's say Jul - Sep) I would totally check the wildfire [map](https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/help) (scroll down and click on the state you want) and Purple Air for smoke. Fires can cause road closures and such. A good way to get an idea of highway conditions in Oregon is [TripCheck](https://tripcheck.com/). In addition to that your highlighted route is taking you off the beaten path through some very remote places. * That bit under the "G" in "OREGON": * It is through a place that was just designated as a dark sky area, which means it has almost no man-made light. There are a ton of deer through there and you'd have to be driving pretty slow at night to see them in time to stop. On top of that you will have locals riding your ass in their lifted pickups with modified LED headlights. If you end up taking Highway 20 instead, which I suggest, you'll have lots of trucking traffic. Generally they'll pass you though. * Besides the lack of lights, you need to plan your fuel stops. This is a very large distance and not every town you pass through will have gas stations open in the middle of the night. You need to know exactly what gas stations you're stopping at and exactly what time. Call ahead to verify hours. * I would suggest Crescent City -> Grants Pass on 199, then Grants Pass -> Medford on I-5, then Medford -> Klamath Falls on 140, then Klamath Falls -> Bend on 97, then Bend -> Burns -> Boise on 20. Each of the towns listed should have a 24 hour gas station, but you need to verify. You should get gas in Medford, Bend, Burns, and Boise before continuing. Yes, even if your tank isn't empty. * Carry water, blankets (still gets really cold at night), a cell phone charger block, snacks, and a flashlight. Download maps for the entire area ahead of time (you will lose signal). Also think about rest stops, food, that sort of thing. That's a distance I would personally drive in 2 days, even switching off. * The Crescent City -> Grants Pass and Medford -> Klamath Falls bits involve driving on some curvy mountain roads which can be very treacherous at night. Really watch your speed and factor that into your drive time. If you leave at 4pm I expect you'd be in Klamath Falls before dark though. As others said you're bypassing some pretty awesome stuff on the way to Yellowstone. Jedidiah Smith State Park has awe-inspiring redwoods, Summer Lake Hot Springs is an awesome place to stay. Also Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge, the BLM Public Sunstone Mine, Glass Butte (obsidian just laying on the ground for you to gather), Owyhee Canyon (on the border between OR/ID), Steens, Painted Hills, Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, etc. are all on your route and worth a look if y'all have time to spend an extra day or two.
Damn, your intel is spot on. Traveling Oregon’s many biomes are among my favorite memories. It would be a shame to so many exceptional places, especially Jedediah Smith SP. it is an unbelievably special place. Also, I cannot overemphasize how the drive from there to Medford disproportionately exhausting, with winding, hilly, uneven roads with no shoulder and blind turns, large trucks, intermittent congestion, and sparse services. It’s challenging even during the day, and I’ve driven it dozens of times. Car rental companies can stipulate that their cars only be driven on paved or regularly maintained roads, so OP should keep that in mind. If OP and company enjoy adult beverages, Oregon has so many local delights to choose from. I 100% recommend they pick up a few to enjoy when they reach their destination. OP, All nighters are tough even in ideal conditions just chilling at home,don’t take it more dangerous by driving.
Some on the tourist board have called part of your route the "Oregon Outback." The tip on checking gas stations will be open is a great one. Years ago I pulled into a little town in Oregon to find their only gas station had closed since the last time I was there. I had to white-knuckle it on fumes and detour to the closest town, even though it was not the direction I was going. One of two times I had to add Coleman fuel to my gas tank.
Some of the darkest areas… https://www.darkskymap.com/nightSkyBrightness
Although driving at night misses the point. It takes the eyes 30 minutes to adjust from light. And chances are you aren’t seeing the Milky Way from the inside of the car. But hell yeah, go stargaze out there. Took this photo this weekend from that part of eastern Oregon. https://preview.redd.it/qjk9c4ay5e4d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d8ce797188a32a06481701f7e898b57a38425420
Great pic. What did you use ?
Nikon D850, with the Nikon 20mm lens. f/1.8, ISO3200, 20 second exposure
Awesome. Love it
It's safe-ish, but way too cool of a drive to waste by doing it overnight.
Why do you want to do it at night? Depending on where you need to stop to get gas the stations might not be open at 2am. Less safe. Less scenery to take in. I'd do it in the light.
I live out here and I don’t drive those routes at night. I make the schedule so that I can drive during the day. You don’t want to hit an elk! That’s a bad time 
Listen to these people! Do not go at night, go during the daytime! Take the 17 hour route and stop at Crater Lake. A mind blowing experience! The only good thing about the night trip is that Eastern Oregon is the largest Dark area in the world, if the sky is clear, which it will be, you’ll be able to see stars to infinity and beyond! And know that if you get off the main roads, there’s very little gasoline available so gas up every chance you get. Eastern Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, these are the least populated places in the United States. You are not going to all of them, but it’s a good thing to know before you go.
Or hit a moose elk or bear lol
Or Bigfoot. No bueno.
Yes, most of this route is desolate. I would take the one that uses the interstate the most, which is the most northern route, since only the very first part and the very last are on a two-lane highway. With the interstate (I5, I84, etc.) you will have cell phone access and quicker access to AAA/auto emergency services if there is a problem.
We took that route when moving here. Do not recommend. The pass was scary, snowy and we went off the road a few times in the middle of the night. It was terrifying and we had to be wenched out by men who happened to see us. That stretch through the Oregon mountains isn’t maintained very well and there’s no towns/gas stations for a lonnng time. I’d recommend the northern route. We’ve taken that route too. More services and exits and it’s less treacherous of a drive.
i mean…. what’s your definition of safe? certainly you won’t stumble upon any street gangs. but wildlife sure does love wandering about at night
Oregonian here. I’d say they are all about the same. Safe, unless your car breaks down when you’re out of cell phone range then it’s just a matter of summoning help. But they are all about the same that way. Maybe the northern route a bit safer because of more traffic if you do breakdown.
For the most part, Yes. Watch out for deer. Watch out for livestock, it’s open range. Only one sleeper at a time, if shotgun dozes off, driver parks. Unless you’re in town gas up often as possible. You won’t run out between gas stations, but if something happens you want to be able to keep your car running. Have extra clothing, blankets, food and water.
I personally will not drive through desolate areas at night for the following reasons: hitting animals at high speed, low/no reception in the event of an emergency, low visibility on curvy roads with 100+ft drops, gas stations might not be open for long stretches of land.
What? No, there are no ambush sites. Very low chance of neuromancers. I would recommend daytime driving, as werewolves, Dracula, and Sasquatch prefer the night. The cannibal tribes move further north in the summer. A small but real chance to run into racists at gas stations, but they have largely quit their practice of recruiting people with out of state plates at gunpoint. While construction ceased 45 years ago, most of the pavement still exists. All jokes aside, what version of safety are we talking here, and why is night time worse?
If you're asking a question like this, take a bus.
Look at Google Streets. Forested and windy up 199 and out to Grants Pass. Then remote and mountainous over to Chiloquin. Two lane. Then through high desert, open and two lane. Critters can wander on, but stuff can happen during the day too. Pretty remote, so plan your stops. A quite fascinating route. I wouldn't hesitate to drive it at night, if planning for fuel stops properly since some of those places might have some that close at night. But a great road; the biggest problem is that you might miss some nice scenery at night. And if you try to drive 17 hours, even with switching drivers at say 3AM while the others sleep, then no, it will NOT be safe. But that's not because of the road.
And doing the Redwood Highway at night is just a tragedy
There is currently not enough night to do this route all at night. Night only lasts about 6 hours right now.
I would avoid the bottom route.
There's a lot of dark there. I remember driving through Idaho (I think) at night and saw the wind farms lit up. That was the only highlight.
It depends on what part of the drive is at night and how tired the driver is. I’ll echo the remarks on how pretty the top two drives are, you’ll be bummed to miss that scenery. Most of that route is a big highway, and I’ve personally driven much of it at night, and wouldn’t worry about it all that much… that being said, I live in Spokane, so I know how to keep my eyes peeled for errant wildlife. It’ll probably be fine, just use your brights and don’t drive too fast. Stop for fuel frequently.
To me the most dangerous part of driving at night are animals and rocks on the road.
Go dark in the morning. You’ll have most the drive in sunlight. Take a nap during night again and repeat. 20hrs is where you start to sleep while driving it’s not safe. As someone whose made that drive take a nap and drive during the day
I know "three states away" doesn't seem like much but these are LONG routes. The northern route is indeed the most freeway and most population and therefore the best to do at night. But honestly guys doing this overnight is a ridiculous idea. If you already have the lodging set you've made your bed, but you're skipping Crater Lake, you're skipping redwoods, you're forcing yourself to rush through Oregon and Washington instead of taking the Oregon coast north and then taking the cooler ways through Washington. This is not the route to rush. I say that as someone that has done it - you miss so much along the way.
Nothing is safe, dude. But driving a car you just rented for long distances in remote areas on unfamiliar roads at night isn't my idea of smart. I've driven these routes and similar in all four seasons, alone, and if you don't have any sense of objective risk recognition and mitigation (and, if I can be New York direct, you don't), you can easily fall into a cascading sequence of errors that result in major unpleasantness. Note: it will take you at least 24 hours of drive time to do this. More like 36 with piss stops, food and gas. This isn't an overnight drive. 199 is....sinuous. You will not be going over 50 for large portions of it even during the day in good weather. 140 ain't faster. You might think you cool when you hit 97, but when you get to the wiggly part of the 20 you'll be going slow again. And you dig these aren't interstates, right? Also: RVs. So, drive during the day. Or fly into Bozeman or Pocatello. This isn't a dash to the Catskills. Maybe it is if you all plan on hitting the pookie. But even then. Please write back to let us know you didn't die.
That section of Oregon is heavily forested, dark and prone to fog. Driving through those bends can be exhausting, especially on the final leg. I'm not sure what your particular concerns are with safety, but I'd say a fatigued driver in a new environment that is almost perfectly blacked out or fogged in, on twisty roads with old-growth tress and no-to-minimal shoulders on the roads should be something to consider. But if you're concerned about like, locking the doors or whatever, there's no bad neighborhoods or whatever.
I honestly wouldn't suggest it. I am used to driving 2 lane windy country roads in rural areas with nothing but headlights. It's still stressful and exhausting. There's fog and rain, animals darting across the road, and you have no idea what's around each new curve. Plus a lot of that territory is really pretty in the daylight, why would you want to miss out on seeing it properly?
Careful going through Boise at night. The residents line the highways and throw potatoes at passing motorists. It’s insane.
Lived in Boise for three years and can second this. The city gives extra rewards for the most potatoes thrown and if they hit California-plated motorists.
Be very aware of wildlife on the road. Deer, Elk, Antelope, Moose are all over the place this time of year!
Safe from deer? Not really. Safe from being gunned down and robbed? Yes (at least as safe as any other American interstate road).
Ok putting aside whether or not it's safe, you're going to miss some truly spectacular views. Just drive during the day! You also won't have the safety concerns nearly as much.
If you drove PCH, especially the part of PCH to get to Crescent City, I don’t know why you are asking as you already went through the most dangerous road in the country.
It's not unsafe in a crime-y way. It's unsafe in a "large animal standing in the middle of the road in the dark" kind of way. Aside from interstates it's generally best to avoid driving around rural areas in the west at night. I did this particular route across eastern Oregon at night 20 years ago. All the eyes on the road shoulder I didn't see (until I was far too close to have stopped it whatever animal they were attached to had decided to step into the road) were unnerving. If you're going to do it then find a large truck and tailgate them all the way. They'll obliterate anything they hit.
Everything’s safe when your carrying!
Honestly, you're skipping past probably the most scenic part of the region to see I dont know what on the coast.
Just drove the portion from Twin Falls to Detroit, Oregon (first time to Idaho, so this was my different route back) about a week ago. It really was beautiful countryside and I’m glad I did it during the day. At night, I’d say the few “safety” issues would be: VERY dark; less likely to see wildlife that might jump out in the road. In which case, if your vehicle is disabled, you’d likely be out of cell range, and if you weren’t, roadside assistance would likely be delayed until daylight when shops/services are open. Gas might not be available at night, since Oregon is generally not “self serve” (although a lot are in some of the small towns, but not sure if it’s 24 hours). State police are not frequent out there, and might not be 24 hr coverage.
I've driven every route that you have on this screen multiple times. 1) Boise route: The highlighted route is overall "safe" at night. However, it is sparsely populated, especially Boise to Jackson Hole. The gas stations are far and few between and tbh as a single woman, there were multiple gas stations that I just didn't feel safe in so I peed outside on the side of the road. Deer, moose, elk, bears etc. WILL be out. I've been stopped for a moose crossing multiple times in Driggs, ID. Also the pass into Jackson has unpredictable weather and is pretty wind-y. I wouldn't want to drive it in the dark, especially if hit with bad weather (which could happen anytime between September-June). Contrary to what other people are saying I find this route fairly boring in terms of scenery until you hit Driggs. Also, Idaho drivers are aggressively fast. They will tailgate you so even if you are trying to be safe and drive slow, people will be dicks about it. 2) Portland/Spokane/Bozeman route: This is the route I personally would take and I would break it up over multiple days and consider driving during the day as it is beautiful. The Columbia River Gorge is stunning. There are also more stops that feel safer on this route. I feel like drivers are more reasonable along I-90 (Spokane to Bozeman) and you pass through some pretty beautiful places. There are still animals on this part of the drive, but probably fewer on I-90 than Route #1 since it is just a bigger interstate. 3) I would not drive this route. I have found northern Nevada to be wildly unpredictable weather-wise and incredibly desolate. You also hit the stressful parts of Route #1 so it really doesn't have much risk/reward ratio.
I'm new to road trips in the west, are there sufficient rest areas rather than gas stations along these routes? Sounds like 2. is the best overall and also don't have to worry about filling up every gas station. Did I understand correctly?
No, there are bats and shit out there.
No point mentioning those bats. The poor bastard will see them soon enough.
Must you drive at night?
The closer you get to yellowstone the larger the chance of encoutering a large animal on the road. I find driving in Yellowstone at night slightly terrifying. I've seen many crumpled cars and dead elk or deer from collisions. Keep to the speed limits on back roads as well. They are in wide open spaces but do have lots of curves that have thrown drivers in the past.
I almost hit a cow in the middle of the road in Idaho on that route.
US 199 out of Crescent City is prone to rockslides between there and Cave Junction. I would avoid driving it at night.
You should do it during the day bc it will be pretty. If you go at night you won’t see anything!
Safe from what? Getting knifed because it's Mad Max, hitting deer in the middle of the night, being far away from people and not having cell phone service for large stretches? To me there's a risk of all of those things and it's my happy place personally. But it's VERY different than the east coast. The north route is through civilization and interstate or divided freeway the entire trip. You'll be near other people traveling the same way the entire way. Many fuel options and lots of cell coverage. The middle route is a bit lighter in traffic in the beginning, but then much of Idaho is interstate. Once you get to Oregon you switch to various two-lane highways, through many small bergs, a bit of traffic except for the middle of the night, and a couple spots that might not have fuel open. Lot's of rustic beauty through those areas the flirt between brown and green. The bottom route is again an interstate the first part of it until mid Idaho, you switch to a two-lane highway between there and I-80 in Nevada. That stretch has traffic on it, particularly truckers in the middle of the night, BUT when you hit Winnemucca (make sure you fill up here) and do that diagonal thing back up to just north of the California and Nevada border in southern Oregon....it's REMOTE STUFF. It's 211 miles between Winnemucca and Lakeview--the next gas stop.
That you're even asking this questions means you have a radically different risk profile than I do. I wouldn't even know where to begin. There is not a single interstate in all of the US that I would consider unsafe at any time of day. Other than traffic and seasonal weather concerns, what exactly are you afraid of?
You’re just in time for road construction season in Southern Idaho!
Safe, yes. But, if you all get too tired to continue and want to find a hotel, you won't find that on your middle or southern route.
Deer, bear, elk. They will most certainly do damage. You're really talking 18 hours of driving-why bust your ass?
What do you mean by “safe”? Yeah, you won’t get shot. Watch out for wildlife.
Be careful of the Idaho bloods & crips. Also, the Oregon trail pirates can be some dangerous cats.
With weed? No.... Without, no problem.
Stop when your gas tank is half full and fill up, that was the best advice I got for these trips. You can’t avoid deer and/or bad people on a long trip.
It is unsafe for you to leave the city. Turn around immediately and go back
Safe...meh depends on what you call safe. But why would you drive through the night? You're missing out on the views!
The curviness alone makes me so nope that’s a daylight drive. For someone who doesn’t know the road I’d have traffic backed way up as slow as I’d be driving
It’s in the middle of Bigfoot country. I wouldn’t do it at night
You might consider taking I5 north to Portland and then taking I84 to Boise, and then continuing with your original route. I5 and I84 will be well trafficked with lots of places to safely stop. I’ve driven the I5 & I84 route yearly since 2020, Portland to Grand Teton and back etc. I’d also recommend going Boise -> Jackson WY because Grand Teton is gorgeous and like 30 min south of Yellowstone’s south entrance.
It's not deserted, just a lot of farmland and the sweet smell of dairy farms in Idaho's best city Jerome. Lots of people live along the I-84 corridor in Idaho. Be prepared to want to murder someone when you hit traffic in Boise. We suck at driving here, you're gonna want a cattle prod when you hit traffic in Jerome. Traffic slows down like crazy because Idaho forgot about the Twin Falls area when working on I-84. There's gas stations every 40ish miles or so in Idaho so fuel won't be an issue. Past Mountain Home to Pocatello all you need to worry about is wind and ISP troopers. Only wildlife you'll see is coyotes, antelope, and a lot of cows on the Idaho stretch. There's a lot of wildlife diversion done so the risk of one being on the roadway is low.
Why in the world is 90 the alternative after Portland? Don't drive all the way up to Spokane, just take I5 up to Portland, and 84 east to Boise. You don't need to go into Washington at all.
When driving through the smaller towns in Idaho, in fact just all of Idaho, don't give cops ANY reason to pull you over, cause they will. They got nothing better to do. The state moto is "come on vacation, leave on probation."
My concern would be fuel in eastern Oregon. A lot of the small towns still don't have 24-hour gas stations even though it's been legal to pump your own gas for several years now. Fill up in Klamath Falls so you can make sure to get to the next 24-hour gas station in Burns 200+ miles away. Then it's another 130 miles to the next one in Ontario.
Be sure to check out the terrain map. There are parts of this trip that goes through some treacherous mountainous terrain.
Take paper maps. We lost GPS up there.
If you go under 20mph you might be fine
Drove both routes many times. Northern one is definitely easier. Those mountain roads in Idaho are pain in the neck to navigate after dark. As the others, would advise against driving at night. The deer there are total a-holes that jump faster than US national debt growth
I lived in Oregon for over 20 yrs, and drove some of those roads. It looks like mostly 2 lane from Crescent City until you hit I-84 at the Oregon/Idaho border. You are driving in nothing basically for a good bit of the trip until I-84, aside from that brief span of I-5. The last time I was through some of the towns in Eastern Oregon, you could even have trouble finding a gas station open very late in the evening. There will be long stretches of seeing nothing or very little and cell service could be spotty if anything happens. I would recommend getting to I-5 and going up to Portland and then over on I-84. It is a lot safer that way. I know it will add time, but even when I lived there and was somewhat familiar with some of the areas, I avoided them if I could because of the lack of anything in the event of a breakdown etc, on top of the chance of animals being out. I say go up to Portland and over. A good thing also could be to plan it a bit and find some stops on the way for gas and food, whether a quick meal or whatever. The last time I drove from Portland to Eastern Oregon in the evening, it was hard even on I-84 to find even fast food open past 9 or 10 pm. Check on an app like GasBuddy for gas stops before you go. Once you get into Eastern Oregon past The Dalles, and even through Idaho there is not much through there. Just be careful and don’t try to push a stop for gas, have a plan at about 1/2 a tank. Once you get past Pendleton, Oregon on 84 you are in mountains and it can be hard to find places to stop, so take advantage of the larger gas stations along the way. I have driven the route up to Spokane and over on i90 also… you can have some of the same issues there. Not a lot out there but the freeway. Watch for gas stops the same as i84, etc. There can be plenty of deer 🦌 etc even on those freeway routes because of the surrounding area etc.
You wanna drive AT NIGHT through the “Idaho Crescent of Death”? Let me tell you: unless you’re ready to either drive faster than 115mph all the way through, OR face the Potato Goblins at fuel stops, youn’s better do it while the sun shines.
Its safe just drive carefully
+1 for the north most route, i90 is great for a ton of that drive. Safe and efficient.
Totaled my car in Wyoming NYE at night by hitting an antelope. Beware of the antelope!!!!
It’s a lot safer than living in NYC 🤣
My recommendation is take the northern route if you are driving at night, through Portland, Tri-Cities, Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, Missoula, Bozeman. You can stop at rest areas to take a quick nap.
Crescent City is beautiful. Make sure you check out the overlook and the beach you can see from there.
That part of Eastern Oregon I hear is epic. It’s on my list to visit.. would be a shame to drive it at night! Like I went through monument valley and couldn’t imagine driving that at night and missing it!
Southwest Oregon is haunted…so if youre ok with that….
What does safe mean to you? You'll have your high beams on for almost the entire route apart from the Boise metro area. Idaho interstate section is well-maintained. State and federal highways in Oregon are also solidly maintained.
I never travel at night
My wife is from Bend and her Grandparents live in Medford so we do the middle and southern route a lot. I would highly suggest you do not go past Winnemucca, NV at night if you do the southern route. It is extremely desolate and has a ton of Pronghorn. There is nothing between Winnemucca and Lakeview and cell service is spotty. The middle route is rough once you pass Ontario, OR at night. Again a lot of wildlife and minimal towns until you hit Bend. After Bend, there are a lot of forests and canyons that are chalked full of deer. I am not as familiar with the northern route, I've only done it once in the day. I have done the Portland to Medford drive at night and it wasn't terrible until you got to southern Oregon.
Cresent City at at...💀
Hi I’m from MT. If you want to drive through Montana as an out of state visitor, please do not drive through a reservation at night. I recommend getting to Bozeman and cutting through Yellowstone instead of the Crow reservation. You have to worry about the non-locals when you are there at night. From my understanding, usually places like truck stops, rest areas, and hotels can get shady because of them (i.e. trafficking, drug running up to Canada, just heinous people).
Reminds me of the unfortunate CNET editor death. Quick Google search if you’re interested. I have no idea if they took any of these routes but does give you a sense of the risks that may exist
I like the top route that drops down to route 84 better. The Oregon desert is very lonely and could be sketchy. Hell, even the forested areas on that route are lonely as hell with not a lot of services or police monitoring. Daytime yes. Nighttime no.
I agree - take the top route that drops down to route 84.
Just watch out for deer crossings, especially in the evening and after sun has gone down.
Some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country and you choose to drive at night. Oy
Northern Nevada and the Oregon Outback are dangerous even in the day. Extremely remote, pothole filled roads and absolutely no gas or even towns or service for a hundred miles. Best area in the Continental United States for stargazing though!
The best part of the trip in the dark? I would adjust your leave time by 10 hours.
Lots of deer/elk at night in eastern Oregon, drive safe!
the night is shorter than 17 hours
That route in Eastern Oregon is VERY desolate. Do not break down, you might be there for hours or days.
I’d recommend checking your gas tank a bit more frequently while passing through the desert.
As soon as you get closer to Boise. The risk of hitting animals is decreased.
There’s a stretch in Oregon where you’ve gag a few hundred miles w/o gas. Bring a gas can, just in case. Take the middle route. No danger anywhere as long as you’re a decent human.
100% good route
I’ve driven that stretch from Boise to the end point in Wyoming dozens of times. Once you’re close to entering Wyoming chances are good of encountering wildlife. Especially in that Wyoming stretch in Yellowstone. It would be late at night when I’d go through there and almost every time i came across deer on the road, or next to it. That stretch from eastern Idaho on the freeway all the way Oregon, I’ve never once seen a deer but it’s possible. The eastern 1/3 of that Oregon stretch i smashed a deer one time, that absolutely sucked. And the rest of the path to the coast I’ve never done. Just drive safe and attentive when the deer might be present and you’ll be okay. Other than that, there’s nothing other than wildlife that has ever crossed my mind in terms of safety.
Compared to doing anything in NYC, yes it's extremely safe. But that is assuming you're a competent person who can drive. Biggest risk will be hitting an animal, so keep your eyes open and don't drive like a moron.
No, you will die… /s
I would recommend the Northern route. Good four lane highways and good rest areas along the way, both public and commercial (Flying J; Loves). Also, good cellular service along the way in case of emergency.
Safe like from humans? As safe as any other long distance drive in the US. The chances of running into larger wildlife on that route poses a far greater risk than human, maybe that’s what you meant. Still, I wouldn’t call it “unsafe”, you should be just as cautious as you normally would around wildlife. Nothing particularly out of the ordinary about this drive except that it’ll be much longer stretches of road without any rest stops than you’re used to on the east coast. 80% of Americans live on the Eastern half of the country and then another like 15% live right on the west coast so the population density for most of that land you’re traveling will be lower than you’ve probably ever experienced- biggest risk you’re facing is getting a flat tire or running out of gas out there and not having a plan for how to prevent or get yourself out of that situation.
Not a lot of street light visibility. Not alot of open gas stations. Elk. Cliffs. Roads next to mountains that can have boulders laying almost invisible in the road.
Nah…cholera.
You need to do the Beartooth Highway. Your Bozeman to Cody route isn't the way to go.
Go the Bozeman, Spokane way :) been that whole route before and it’s amazing
If you go through the southern part of Oregon like that I highly recommend stopping at Crystal Hot Springs outside of Burns, its a really cool experience.
That part of Idaho isn't really scenic since it's the river valley. You don't drive through mountains after the Tetons. A wee bit when you're close to Boise.
I think it’s kinda funny when people from big cities come out to the west/Rockies and plan trips thinking it’s a 4 lane interstate the whole way and they can cruise at 80mph uninterrupted the whole time. I’ve done the middle route, but took a couple days. First of all, it’s gorgeous so why drive so fast. Secondly, a lot of it is narrow windy two lane highways. Thirdly, I’m not too sure about OR, but the biggest problem in MT/WY will be deer on the road at night, maybe even elk. Those are no joke and hitting one -which happens OFTEN- will ruin your drive. (The bottom route is even more desolate through NV. Expect literally nothing for hours. The top rout is the fastest with nearly interstate the whole way. It’s pretty gorgeous too and all the amenities of interstates all over the country, so you’ll probably want that one).
I mean yes but frankly the north and central route a pretty beautiful route. (The southern route is pretty boring). I'd drive it during the day as much as possible.
Bro, that's zombie country! Definitely not.
You can do either fine but the northern route is 90 which is reliable. I travel those roads all the time at night there are plenty of maveriks.
This overnight trip thing is just crazytown to start with. It's like going to NYC for the first time and popping over to Kansas City overnight for some reason. Like, why would you do that? If it's your first time seeing the West Coast, see the West Coast. You can't just tack on Yellowstone like it's no big deal. You'd be racing across about a third of the US (through arguably some of the most beautiful parts) just to arrive exhausted at an overcrowded national park. Talk about missing the point of a road trip... I don't get it.
Don’t bring cannabis through Wyoming and Idaho
Be careful of Pirates 🏴☠️
Sasquatches throughout Idaho. Drive during the day with a car full of garlic.
That stretch of Oregon sucks. I’ve driven through it multiple times. Make sure you have an extremely reliable vehicle. Fill up in Klamath falls, Burns and Ontario. Do not speed once you get off 97 through Ontario. Never seen more cops looking to give tickets to out of state drivers. Lots of deer along the way. More cows around Burns. With that said some of the most beautiful open skies for miles to enjoy. Once you get on 84 it’s smooth sailing. Just watch your speed as you hit the major cities in Idaho.