Northern Tier Section 3

With only a few exceptions, through eastern Montana you will be riding on long, straight sections of U.S. 2 following the route of Burlington Northern railroad built in the 1800's. Traffic is light to moderate. From the Rocky Mountains eastward you are riding on a broad plain that slopes downward to the Mississippi River. Altitude falls from above 3,000 feet (near Shleby, Montana) to about 1,500 feet (near Minot, North Dakota). A portion of this route is along the Missouri River, so you might encounter some Lewis & Clark Trail cyclists along the way.