Canadian Rockies in mid-late July
 

Hi riders!
I live in the Midwest, planning to ride west, arriving Colorado Rockies July 12 or so (flexible schedule), then meandering up toward Banff, ultimately going as far north as Dawson Creek, and west to Prince George, etc. Not sure of best / most scenic routes. Prefer motels, but camping is an option for some nights. Looking for suggestions, riding partners, etc. Need to be back home by July 27 or 28th.
Thanks,
Rick

You've got about twelve days in the Rockies, which is sufficient for a quick overview if you're really just riding, with sightseeing mostly from the highways. If you want to explore, and especially if you want to get off the bike and walk around from time to time, you'd best choose an area or two and concentrate your time there. If you're really planning to start in CO and "meander" up to Prince George, you're going to be putting on a lot of miles.

My personal view is that everything gets nicer the further north you go, so I'd skip CO entirely and head for Yellowstone (crowded), the Tetons (crowded), then Glacier/Waterton (crowded), followed by the Banff/Jasper/Yoho/Kootenay complex (crowded in the main tourist areas, less so elsewhere). For highway cruising it's hard to beat the Black Hills, Beartooth Highway, Going to the Sun Road, and the Icefields Highway--mostly quite crowded, of course.

There are motels everywhere unless you make an effort to get off the beaten path--which you don't really have time to do, for the most part. In the most heavily touristed areas, reservations will be best, and prices during high season will range from expensive to astronomical. In Canada (and outside Glacier National Park), hostels are a better deal...but still expensive.

You might attract a better class of responses if you're more specific about what you're hoping to do or see along the way.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

Thanks for the suggestions Mark, especially the distances involved. I realize that out West, all the distances are greater, relative to the East Coast. I also appreciate your comment about being specific, but I really don't have many goals, except to see the sights from the road. I don't intend to hike, nor do I know of any specific sights I want to see along the way.
Your info is very much appreciated!
Rick