Yellowstone / Glacier Camping

[99Limited34]

We're going to b e heading West just after labor day, looking for a nice RV park near the Tetons, and then a good one for doing Yellowstone and finally up to Glacier... Any and all repsonses will be appreciated,

Steve n Jan

[AWCHIEF]

Good thread about camping in the Yellowstone area going here on page 1:
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...ing-92298.html

[barrettjl]

We just got back from Glacier. We stayed at the West Glacier KOA. It was very nice, and is 2 miles from the West Glacier entrance. We would definitely stay there again.

Inside the park, we walked around Avalanche campground (which is First Come First Serve I believe). It was very pretty, although perhaps a bit tight for a larger trailer.


A few years ago we stayed at Colter Bay campground inside Grant Teton National Park. It is right on the lake, and was a great place to stay. It is walking distance to the lodge & restaurant. We would definitely stay there again.

[ASIcons]

I spent years visiting my parents at their house just outside of Glacier - don't miss Going to the Sun Road but DON'T take your Airstream! The best way to go to Logan Pass is on the big red bus leaving from the lodge, dress warmly! There is a lovely boardwalk - Trail of the Cedars, love Avalanche Lake and Akipuni Falls. Do go to Two Medicine if you can. If you like whitewater rafting the middle fork of the Flathead is fun, they also have floats if you prefer not to do whitewater though this late it is probably not more than a 2 rapids-wise. For demanding adventure, go horsepacking in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, serious fun! I also took my daughter on a helicopter tour once, nothing like watching grizzlies frolic across snowbanks. Have fun!

[timmaah]

We are headed to Avalanche tomorrow morning. I've been getting pretty good at tight campgrounds.

[mefly2]

SanSuzEd on the West side of Glacier and Johnsons Campground at St Marys on the east side of Glacier are two good choices. They willl both get you just out of the park Chaos! If you are traveling south via Hwy93, then by all means spend at least one night on Flathead Lake ... many state and privately owned campgrounds. DW likes BigArm State Park.

[Lily&Me]

I read somewhere yesterday that they are already starting to get snow, ice, hail, etc. and that Logan's pass was closed for something weather related.

Be prepared and be careful out there!


Maggie

[LawChick]

Hi All,
We just came out of Glacier NP today and are camped at Rocky Mountain "Hi" RV Park at Kalispell. Civilization!

We dry camped at St. Mary's the whole time we were at Glacier. And on Thursday, when we took the shuttles all the way across Going To The Sun Road from east to west (have to make a transfer at Avalanche Creek if you're using the free park shuttles) it started out a stormy day and they had light snow at Logan Pass which didnt stick or cause any problems. As we were crossing over from Logan Pass to Avalanche, it was sleeting. But all the shuttles ran on schedule and we could hear our drivers telling each other via radio that "the loop is clear, east and west", so there were no problems YET.

St Mary's is a prairie campground, but with a nice view of the mountains. It had the nicest shower facility we've found in a NP campground yet! Big shower, with a WAND! Clean as a whistle. We had an easy pull through on Loop C. There were several other Airstreams in the campground.

One word, we came from Yellowstone, approaching from southeast. We took Highway 89 the last stretch to the park, and it was rather a nasty stretch...hard curves and hills. It's very doable, but something of a pain. After we got there they told us to take Duck Road from south of Babbs when we left, then 464 over to Highway 2. Much, much better road.

One of the highlights of our trip - we saw three wild grizzlies on the road to Many Glacier Hotel. One was very near the hotel, just up the hill across from the turn off to the hotel. Photos were difficult cause I was NOT getting out of the car, although lots of people did. I'll post some later.

Going to the Sun Road is probably the most amazing views in the country! I have lots of photos, but none do it justice. There were mountain goats along the road, and the wildflowers at the high altitudes are thick and showy. We had huckleberries or something that looked like wild blueberries all around our campsite and that's what we kept seeing bears eating. I stayed IN THE TRAILER at night.

[LawChick]

Here's a few more photos we shot at Glacier:

[thomp]

I love Glacier the most of any National Park. Something about it makes my heart sing he whole time I'm there! Always thinking about what must ave been like 100, 200 years ago. It is just the most awesome place!

[Woosch]

On your way to Glacier, you might want to stay at 7th Ranch Rv Campground. Really nice folks there. It is near Little big Horn. We got on a winedy narrow road out of Browning MT going to St Marys that I wouldn't want to be on again. Check on which road is the best when you make reservations. (we stayed at Johnsons RV Park). Going to West Glacier on hwy 2 there is the town of Essex. If you like train stuff stop for lunch at the Izzak Walton Inn. We stayed at the Mountain Meadow RV park in Deadhorse. Nice and quite with a short drive to West Glacier. Do plan to take the old tour bus trip on the Going to the Sun Road.
We love the Tetons. Coulter Bay was awesome and we decided that if there was only one place we could camp, that would be it. We did camp at a place in between Yellowstone and The Tetons. (dont remember the name) The Military had some trailers there for some troops to use and they were on the loud side and there was no one around to get them quiet. Just sayin.
Have a wonderful trip!

[LawChick]

I agree about Glacier's ability to make one's heart sing. It is a special place.

[Lily&Me]

Originally Posted by LawChick

I agree about Glacier's ability to make one's heart sing. It is a special place.

Yep, Glacier is splendiferous!


Maggie

[CanoeStream]

Another thread on Glacier -- http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...ark-91786.html

We were out there 3 years ago this week. Labor Day weekend gets busy in Glacier but it sounds like you'll be there after that. The weekend after Labor Day is about the last that some services are open; eg, some boats on lakes, the store at Two Medicine. National Park campgrounds should be running for a while but it pays to check -- those have a dump station and a water tap down the lane. I used a genset occasionally to recharge when we were camping.

Waterton townsite (Canada) just north of Glacier is about half shut down two weeks into September.

These northern parks remain a gorgeous place in the fall though!

[mefly2]

Originally Posted by LawChick

...
One of the highlights of our trip - we saw three wild grizzlies on the road to Many Glacier Hotel. One was very near the hotel, just up the hill across from the turn off to the hotel. Photos were difficult cause I was NOT getting out of the car, although lots of people did. I'll post some later.

Nice pictures. I just had to comment on your wild grizzlies -tongue in cheek - AFAIK those are the only kind that you will find in GNP - as opposed to a civilized or friendly variety. I spent time in Glacier as the LE ranger at Logan Pass - also bear management; so, you were right to stay in your car. Please refer to the recently released pictures of the hiker in AK that met up with an otherwise friendly Grizzly... we don't have any friendly grizzly bears ... ursus horribilus (subspecies of the brown bear) - they are all nature's and God's wild animals.

GNP is a very special place indeed ! A wonder of the world- fortunately un be spoiled so far ...

[LawChick]

LOL - you're right, of course, they're ALL wild! The reason I worded it that way was because we had stopped to see confined WILD grizzly bears at the Montana Grizzly Encounter. But they did look kind of tame compared to the WILD ones at Glacier. Heh heh Not that any doggone griz is ever tame!

Bear at Montana Grizzly Encounter: