We visited Rocky Mountain National Park again, checking out different areas.
Starting with the Fall River Visitor Center:
Entrance sign:
Rocky Mountains:
Again we stopped at a picturesque picnic area for lunch:
Onward:
Holzwarth Historic Site:
A ranger memorial at the Kawuneeche Visitor Center:
Cancelation stamp:
A relief map:
We visited Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado:
In the Beaver Meadows visitor center, a relief map:
A line to get into the park, which was using a two-hour window timed entry system:
We headed along Bear Lake Road, and stopped for a picnic by a creek:
Rocky Mountains:
Another stop at Sprague Lake:
Fish in the stream:
Sprague Lake:
An accessible campsite:
We enjoy winding dirt roads… so headed up the one-way Old Fall River Road:
The dirt road ends at the Alpine Visitor Center:
Alpine Visitor Center:
Elk:
Outside the park, more elk on the side of the road:
We also saw a moose:
We took a day trip drive though Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming, along US-14 though the forest, then around to US-20, -31, and -16, passing through the forest again.
Once the family arrived at the campground, we did another couple of trips into Glacier National Park. I didn’t go on one, but for the last trip, we all went to West Glacier Village for lunch, swag shopping, and mini golf. Then went a bit into the park to look at some waterfalls.
The Café:
Burger:
Gift shop:
Golfing to the Sun mini golf:
I got a hole in one on the 18th hole; yay!
A bear makes rude comments on the putting skill:
Mercantile:
We headed into the park:
Lake McDonald:
McDonald Creek:
A viewing deck:
McDonald Creek bridge:
A horse tour crossing the bridge:
Lake McDonald Lodge:
Lake McDonald one last time:
We did a day-trip around the south of Glacier National Park, then along the iconic Going-to-the-Sun Road through the park.
Here’s an interactive route map with some of our stops marked, going counter-clockwise:
Highway 2 south of Glacier:
A stop at Silver Staircase Waterfall (probably more impressive at another time of year):
Glacier from US-2:
East Glacier Park:
Whistle Stop Restaurant for lunch:
Two Medicine Road:
Glacier National Park sign:
Two Medicine Road:
Two Medicine Lake:
US-89 heading north towards the St Mary Visitor Center:
Roadworks:
US-89:
St Mary Visitor Center:
Views from Going-to-the-Sun Road, through the park:
An interesting van:
A closed underground restroom:
A little close:
An iconic red bus:
Waterfall:
Lake McDonald:
Roadworks:
Heading out the west entrance:
Since we had a short drive to Moose Creek, we decided to visit Glacier National Park that evening.
The park currently requires reservations to enter the main part during the day, but entry is unrestricted from 4 PM. We had reservations for every day, except that first day.
Entrance:
West Glacier Village:
West Glacier Café:
Golfing to the Sun mini golf:
Entrance sign:
Entrance station:
Our annual pass expired (since we’ve been doing this for a year), so it was time to get a new one. Great value for us:
Apgar visitor center:
Passport stamp station, with phone chargers provided; nice of them:
The visitor center:
An iconic red bus:
Views along Going-to-the-Sun Road:
Wildfire smoke:
Logan Pass visitor center, halfway along the road, and at the continental divide:
Heading back down the hill:
While staying at Farragut State Park in Idaho recently, I flew my drone, and recorded some footage of our coach, the campground, and a view of Lake Pend Oreille.
We stayed at Gilmore West Campground in Farragut State Park in Athol, Idaho. (Campground Reviews listing.)
Not a bad campground, but too expensive for out-of-staters.
Dates:
Weather:
Noise:
Site:
Internet (in usage priority order):
Amenities:
Here’s our review on Campground Reviews:
Basic state park site for a deluxe resort price
The Good: This is a beautiful park with easy access to Lake Pend Oreille. The sites are mostly tucked into the trees, and they’re decently sized.
The Bad: Only one loop of the Gilmore campground has full hookups, and we were not in it.
The Ugly: For a non-Idaho resident to stay here in a motorhome with a tow vehicle, they charge nearly double the camping fees, and then they charge an extra “day use fee” for the tow vehicle, bringing the total to $90/night for a site without sewer. We’ve stayed at deluxe RV resorts for less than that. We camped at Farragut State Park in a Motorhome.
The RV park maps:
Gilmore West and East… I think we hadn’t noticed that West doesn’t have sewer, which wasn’t ideal after another campground without sewer, but it was fine:
Our site was pretty spacious:
Utilities; no sewer:
The cell service wasn’t great, so we set up the Starlink dish; fortunately this site had lots of open sky:
A few lingering spiders from the previous campground:
Looking around the campground; the bathroom:
Other sites:
Not strictly part of the campground, but a coffee house in a nearby town:
Lake Pend Oreille. Which is apparently pronounced PONDER-RAY:
I flew my drone:
Edit to add: a few more aerial shots:
We visited Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument.
The visitor center outside the park:
Heading to the park:
Entrance sign:
Bridge:
Mount Saint Helens:
Mount Saint Helens observatory:
Gift store:
Mount Saint Helens:
For comparison, a photo we took in August 2003:
We took a six-hour day-trip around and up Mount Baker in northern Washington.
Here’s an interactive map of our route:
Our first stop was at the Acme Diner for brunch:
Acme art:
Continuing on:
Our second stop was at the Glacier Public Service Center, where Jenn collected a cancellation stamp, and we got a paper map with local info:
A one lane road:
Next was Nooksack Falls:
Then up Mount Baker to the Heather Meadows Visitor Center, a very picturesque area:
And to the end of the road, Artist Point:
International Overlander:
An enjoyable day-trip.