My better half and I are planning our next vacation. We have a new 26' fifth wheel travel trailer and were thinking of heading towards ND, SD, and Montana. From Syracuse, NY we have to drive around the Great Lakes to get there so we were thinking of using HWY 11 through Canada for part of the trip.

What I would like to ask is:

What are the road conditions and speed limits?
What about fuel and food stops?
Are there good and safe camp grounds for overnight stops?
What points of interest should I watch for and what should I just watch out for?

We are not new to towing vacations and are trying to make our trip the best it can be. If any DTR members can offer information about HWY 11 we would appreciate it.

 

We only have one nationak hwy so I am guessing that you are refering to Hwy 1. It runs from St. Johns to Victoria across the country.

I believe the speed limit varies from 100 - 110 km/hr depending on where you are at. Road conditions are pretty good for making miles (i.e., much like an interstate in the US). Some 2 lane, some 4 lane; depends where you are at.

 

what border r u crossing at

 

bullfrog5.9

Our eastern point of entry would through northern NY at Alexandria Bay, NY - Gananque, Canada. Our western points of entry would be as far west as International Falls or Winnipeg / Regina.

HL649

I see HWY 11 through Hearst. Is it the same one?

 

lot,s of const. and hwy. tractors ,no rest areas like US interstates.No prob. for fuel,lots of truck stops who like to overprice diesel,but it is a nice trip

 

When you get past North Bay 11 turns into 17 (Trans Canada Highway - to make things more confusing, 17 IS highway 1 when it runs through Ontario) and things start to get very sparse and remote - especially past Sudbury. You can pick up 11 again just outside of Thunder Bay that will dump you off at Fort Francis, Minnesota at which point you are not too far from Grand Forks, ND if you wish to skip Manitoba and go straight to ND. 17 (and 11) is a pretty much a single lane undivided highway that weaves its way through the Canadian Shield. It is slow going - most of it is only 90 km/h. It is not a freeway by any stretch of the imagination! And there can sometimes be slow logging trucks and other rigs slowing things down with little to no room to pass unless the slow traffic is considerate enough to yield to you on the shoulder (which they usually do). You have to remember that you will be traveling through some very remote areas of Ontario and there is a lot of wild life (especially moose) that like to get in your way on the road too! Other than all that, it is an absolutely beautiful scenic drive through a beautiful part of the country. As far as points of interest, the drive is littered with provincial parks along the way that are some of the most beautiful in Canada and all have varying degrees of camping accommodations. I have been to many provincial parks over the years and I can tell you that they are usually well cared for, clean and safe places to camp. Go to Ontario Parks. The website lists all parks and accommdations for campers and travelers and you can book, reserve and pay for campsites months in advance online. While you would be traveling through a relatively remote area, it is somewhat well traveled, so fuel stations are typically not an issue. The main highway is usually in good condition but many side roads are not even paved unless you are in a town.

BTW, it IS faster to go around the South end of the Great Lakes through Michigan compared to driving through Ontario if you are going to the Dakotas - Just cut through Ontario to get to Detroit from NY. I have done it both ways and it is about 24 hours of straight driving time to get from the Falls to Kenora (Western most town in Ontario - about 45 mins East of Winnepeg) - a long haul! While Michigan is certainly faster, it is a much more relaxing and scenic drive through Ontario compared to Michigan.

 

I don't know about Hwy 11 but Hwy 17 is nice until Winnipeg then it basically looks like this ________________________________________ flat and straight, until BC/Montana. Hwy 2 in Montana is amazing. Tons of great campgrounds around Glacier national park.

 

True, but ND looks EXACTLY the same! __________________________________
Not many options for a change in scenery until you get out of the Prairies.

 

Driven the route many imes, yes there is camping yes there is fuel, take the trip and enjoy some beautiful scenery. No problem at all, it is a very well travelled road but a little windy and sometimes not a lot of passing lanes. Well worth it to see once though.

 

Yup, Bungee the steering wheel and put it on cruise. Every 5-10 miles pull it out of the field,and back on the road if it needs it.

 

Being from the west, but living in Niagara Falls, I have been on highway 11; boring, but flat and easier to pull a trailer through. Highway 17 through Sudbury, the Soo around Lake Superior is one of my favorite trips, the hills are managable with a CTD (other gassers cause a few slow issues. The route I prefer is cross at Sarnia, up the I 75, right after St Ignace MI (highway2) and you can go all the way to the west coast. Not a lot of hills, a few tourists, and great hospitality across northern US. I normally go through North Portal ND, into Sask, but I have entered below Winterpeg, and just west of the crowsnest pass (don't remember the crossing) I have travelled from Portland OR across MT, all the way back to Niagara: very nice as well (at that time no speed limit) fun stopping every couple of hours for gas. (had 318 in 95 1500)
Depending on what you want see, how fast you want to go, where you want to fish, how much you want to pay for fuel, might help with the choice. I do not think you will be disappointed with any of the 3 choices: (#1)shortest but decent; I 75 across northern US, (#2)most scenic route; highway 17, (#3);boring but not too bad; highway 11. Avoid interstate around Chicago (GPS -shortest) go broke and waste time on tolls, especially with a trailer (awful boring)