[Land Yacht]

Not being a very good planner, I have embarked are trying to find tools to help. This post will let me showcase a new tool I found, RVTripWizard.com, and ask opinions of those more experienced in mountain passages. Hopefully, you can see some of the features of this tool from the pictures. It is only browser based and comes with a steep yearly subscription, but very helpful and even is integrated with RVparkReviews.com.

We are trying to plan a trip from Spearfish, SD to Pagosa Springs, CO. Since I have never driven in the mountains, I am trying to research best routes. Another good, free, and simple resource I found is flattestroute.com. I found 2 general routes coming from the north and posted in pictures below and attached.

Notice the bar below the map. This shows the elevation changes during the route as well as gradient (steepness). The top route has shorter 2-lane roads with a steep 7% grade, and the bottom route is longer on 2-lane road with milder gradient, but high altitudes. Any suggestions from someone with more experience about best route? I may not have a choice, because currently Hwy 160 is closed from fires, but maybe in 2 weeks they will have those under control.

I tried inserting the pictures in this post, but gave me an error "The message is too long. Please enter a message shorter than 65535 characters (currently 3675124)."