Navajo nation

[Old and soft]

Looking to travel from Williams,az to Mesa verde. Has anyone traveled thru Navajo nation? Looks like they are starting to reopen. Can anyone verify fuel(diesel) stations are open?

[cimarronkid]

No gas stations between Gallup and Cortez so gas up before you leave Gallup. No gas stations between Tuba City and Cortez so gas up in Tuba City or Flagstaff.

[EBCTrekker]

Beautiful area but not many gas stations.

[jcrammell]

There are very few gas stations and the roads are horrible. We choose to go around the Navajo Nation because the roads suck that bad.

[AKRUEBBE]

Originally Posted by jcrammell

There are very few gas stations and the roads are horrible. We choose to go around the Navajo Nation because the roads suck that bad.

US 491 is that bad??

[CAG]

Consider that this is the west and then add to that that the Nation is large and lightly populated. It is a long way between communities and a longer ways between communities with shopping and service stations. Your cell phone will not work through most of those travels across the Rez. The roads are narrow and have little to no shoulder so if you have a problem you may have to pull into a ditch to keep from getting hit by other traffic.



I personally would not do 191 as it is a longer trip, you have to go north and come back south. I don't know any longer if Gadado and Chinle have fuel but it is probably expensive anyway. 89 from Flagstaff to Tuba City the Kayenta to Teec Nos Pos and up to Cortez is the route I traveled for years. Again plan ahead and don't get caught low on fuel or in the dark. Livestock roam the open range.



From Gallup through Ship Rock to Mesa Verde is not that far but I would suggest filling fuel in Gallup and having water on-board should you have a problem

[AKRUEBBE]

Originally Posted by CAG

Consider that this is the west and then add to that that the Nation is large and lightly populated. It is a long way between communities and a longer ways between communities with shopping and service stations. Your cell phone will not work through most of those travels across the Rez. The roads are narrow and have little to no shoulder so if you have a problem you may have to pull into a ditch to keep from getting hit by other traffic.



I personally would not do 191 as it is a longer trip, you have to go north and come back south. I don't know any longer if Gadado and Chinle have fuel but it is probably expensive anyway. 89 from Flagstaff to Tuba City the Kayenta to Teec Nos Pos and up to Cortez is the route I traveled for years. Again plan ahead and don't get caught low on fuel or in the dark. Livestock roam the open range.



From Gallup through Ship Rock to Mesa Verde is not that far but I would suggest filling fuel in Gallup and having water on-board should you have a problem

I'm not talking about taking 191..............I plan on taking 491 from Mancos, CO to Gallup, NM.

[CAG]

Sorry, got my numbers mixed up. But your not coming from Williams either.

[AKRUEBBE]

Originally Posted by CAG

Sorry, got my numbers mixed up. But your not coming from Williams either.

I would assume 491 is pretty good.

[CAG]

Originally Posted by AKRUEBBE

I would assume 491 is pretty good.

I don't assume anything with roads these days. Arizona used to have some of the best roads going but many now are teeth jarring, rim bending experiences. The Rez was better on most US highways but Indian numbered highways were not that good. There are just way too many highways that are in disrepair that it becomes a mission of dodging mine fields and IEDs to get from one place to another. On a recent trip to hunt feral hog at a friends place in Oklahoma I got on to an old section of US 66. That was in better shape that I40.

[barryg]

While I have not been on 491 south from Cortez to Gallup for a few years (and it was good then) I can say for sure that 491 north from Cortez to Monticello is totally fine road plenty of shoulder etc.

[Old and soft]

From Gallup north to Cortez was a uneventful ride. Not nearly as bad as that stretch of I-40 where I lost a bumper cap. We went thru 7 states and we voted New Mexico roads the worst. You think a flat surface wouldn't be rocket science. Are you listening Arkansas (I-55N north of Memphis)?

[Route 66 Traveler]

We just came up 491 today from Gallup to Shiprock on the way to Durango. It’s a 4 lane highway, 2 in each direction, in much better condition than most roads in our home State of Arizona. The price of gas is also lower than we have been paying in Kingman. The speed limit is 65 most of the way…it was actually a nice trip with little scenery! No semi-trucks to speak of and very little traffic. Didn’t see any law enforcement the whole way.

For the return trip back South to the I-40 we are thinking of using 191. Good or bad idea??

[Route 66 Traveler]

Checked out 191 on Google Earth. It's a 2 lane road with bad asphalt....very poor condition. So we're going back the way we came, 491 to Gallup.

[jpgale]

Originally Posted by Old and soft

From Gallup north to Cortez was a uneventful ride. Not nearly as bad as that stretch of I-40 where I lost a bumper cap. We went thru 7 states and we voted New Mexico roads the worst. You think a flat surface wouldn't be rocket science. Are you listening Arkansas (I-55N north of Memphis)?

I can concur with the thinking on I40. I just returned from a trip to Williams. I found I40 westbound to be better than eastbound. I40 eastbound was so rough at 1 point the whole truck was moving sideways.

[Mikec557]

Originally Posted by AKRUEBBE

I would assume 491 is pretty good.

This is just one guy's opinion, but I think 491 through Navajo Nation sucks. We drove it a month ago from Gallup NM to Cortez CO. It's a smooth surface, more or less. But the surface is like driving on the ocean with constant 3ft waves. You have to slow down simply because of the rise and fall of the waves.

As soon as we hit Colorado, 491 flattened out. They spent more money on the section in Colorado.

It was bad enough that we'll return to Sun City West AZ by going the other way. Though people have told me it too is bad.


2018 GMC 3500hd Duramax pulling 8,800lb TT with Equalizer 4pt anti sway and WTD hitch.

[CAG]

Originally Posted by Mikec557

This is just one guy's opinion, but I think 491 through Navajo Nation sucks. We drove it a month ago from Gallup NM to Cortez CO. It's a smooth surface, more or less. But the surface is like driving on the ocean with constant 3ft waves. You have to slow down simply because of the rise and fall of the waves.

As soon as we hit Colorado, 491 flattened out. They spent more money on the section in Colorado.

It was bad enough that we'll return to Sun City West AZ by going the other way. Though people have told me it too is bad.


2018 GMC 3500hd Duramax pulling 8,800lb TT with Equalizer 4pt anti sway and WTD hitch.

Generally individual states are responsible for road repair. The Rez is another story and you take your chances.

[Mikec557]

Originally Posted by CAG

Generally individual states are responsible for road repair. The Rez is another story and you take your chances.

That's understandable. More budget = better job done.

[CAG]

Until you get to Oklahoma.

[MrSaxy]

Originally Posted by CAG

Until you get to Oklahoma.

We just returned from a trip to Owasso, OK by way of Houston, TX. We had gone to Houston to visit my family before heading up to OK to visit wife’s family. The Indian Nation Turnpike has to be the worst road I have ever travelled. As others have described, it was like driving over waves. It was a real test of our rig for sure. On a positive note, nothing shook loose or broke so I feel better about our hitch setup.