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KC_Wanderlust

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Hey Gang! My wife and two girls (6 & 7) are headed out on our first legit road trip. I remember the road trips my folks took me on when younger and hope this leaves an impression on them....

Anyway we started planning this trip by using the National Parks to guide us: RMNP, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier, and Badlands. We're taking our four legged fur face as well however and after extensive research there doesn't seem to be much love for pets in the national parks. So this has me thinking we may be better off following the same general route but staying in the national forests and on BLM land...did I mention our goal is to camp the majority of the trip?

We have two weeks (July 8th through July 23rd) with no reservations or commitments to be anywhere. While the plan is to see as much country out west as possible, if we never made it out of Colorado that would be ok too. I'm using a combination of Google Maps, Google Earth, Trails.com, Freecampsites.net, and good 'on paper maps to plan our trip but the options are endless and it's somewhat overwhelming.

Any must see drives, trails, campsites (dispersed preferable), bodies of water, etc that we shouldn't miss along the way to help narrow the seemingly limitless options? I should also mention that I'd like to get 'off-grid' but from a navigation perspective I have an iPhone and am a total noob when it comes to capability/ability to plot/follow the more remote roads and trails.
 
RockyMountaineer

RockyMountaineer

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Mathew
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So a couple places in Wyoming that are less known but beautiful are Flamming Gorge, The Snowy Range, and the North Platte River (one of the most productive fisheries in the country)

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 
K

KC_Wanderlust

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Something else I'd love to hear about are any great hikes. It appears most/all the trails in the national parks are not dog friendly.
 
Boort

Boort

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@KC_Wanderlust

Assuming from your handle that you are near the KC area. I'd suggest this:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Kansas+City,+Kansas/Grand+Lake,+Colorado/Old+Fall+River+Rd,+Estes+Park,+CO+80517/Big+Creek+Lake+Campground,+Walden,+CO+80480/Jackson,+Wyoming/The+Log+Cabin+Cafe,+106+US-212,+Silver+Gate,+MT+59081/Swan+Lake,+Lake+County,+MT/Glacier+National+Park,+Montana/Badlands+National+Park,+South+Dakota/Kansas+City,+Kansas/@44.0958659,-108.4401355,6.24z/data=!4m62!4m61!1m5!1m1!1s0x87c08ce427cf3515:0xdc77777b70c31e05!2m2!1d-94.6274636!2d39.114053!1m5!1m1!1s0x8769818358fac97d:0x8323c3b198872312!2m2!1d-105.8230671!2d40.2522073!1m5!1m1!1s0x876976b564c77ab1:0xde041e923d51b5e3!2m2!1d-105.7065279!2d40.425634!1m5!1m1!1s0x8769cceecce12c23:0x8a6f492305038099!2m2!1d-106.6102863!2d40.936432!1m5!1m1!1s0x53531a58fccf7f4b:0x3d1c01cbb13a835c!2m2!1d-110.7624282!2d43.4799291!1m5!1m1!1s0x534e54586fa53603:0xbdac99af3adf39ea!2m2!1d-109.9901453!2d45.0065536!1m5!1m1!1s0x5367ba739b10fcf9:0x2f8e6a0c4120ab82!2m2!1d-113.8625003!2d47.9249702!1m5!1m1!1s0x5368901555555555:0xaf16bc2215c55dec!2m2!1d-113.7870225!2d48.7596128!1m5!1m1!1s0x877e870c18052023:0x69685e31dae677f0!2m2!1d-102.3396912!2d43.8553804!1m5!1m1!1s0x87c08ce427cf3515:0xdc77777b70c31e05!2m2!1d-94.6274636!2d39.114053!3e0



KC
+ Grand lake Co Lots of campgrounds in this area both dispersed in Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forest and maintained around any of the lakes. Most are reserve-able.
** Make sure you have ALL needed permits if can get kind of confusing as this area is covered by multiple agencies.
DO take the day to go over Trail ridge and back via Old Fall River Road (Check that it is open!! been closed on and off since the floods)
This lollipop will get you a sample of what RMNP has to offer in about a 1/2 trip
** Don't try to take Rd 40 past Willow Creek Res over to Hwy 125. It crosses a Gated Community and I've never seen the gate open.
+ Big Creek Lake Campground 2 camp sites mostly reserve-able, hiking and fishing at a couple of lakes.
A short hike and you'll be in view of either Bald Eagles or Ospreys nesting between the lakes depending on the time of year
Jackson Wy. Lots of things to see and do around here. Dispersed CAmping in both Gros Ventre and Bridger-Teton Areas
Yellowstone Unless you want to see any of the attractions on the West Side I suggest passing through on the east side of the Park's Figure 8
+ The trip out to Cooke City / Silver Gate is worth it if you can set it up for early Morning. Moose and Wolves are often spotted in the valley of YNP.
Just outside of the Park and down the road a bit you'll find The Log Cabin Cafe ( 45.006546, -109.990130 ).
We received a warm welcome and great Breakfast last fall after shooting pics of sunrise and moose.
+ Either Swan Lake or Flathead lake
Swan Lake: We tried to stay at the Swan Lake Campground but it was full.
Flathead National Forest, MT-83, Swan Lake, MT 59911 fs.usda.gov (406) 646-1012
Swan Lake is East of Flathead lake and a good darksky site. The South end of the lake is part of the
Swan River NWR https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Swan_River/wildlife_and_habitat/index.html

Flathead lake: Beautiful Drive around the West side of the lake. We stayed at the North East end of the lake at the state run Wayfarers Campground
8600 Mt Highway 35, Bigfork, MT 59911, stateparks.mt.gov, (406) 837-3041
Glacier NP has lots to see and do. We took a logging road up the West side of the park to Pole bridge (first time I ever paid more that $4 per gal for gas but very glad to do so!)
** FILL UP supplies and gas in W. Glacier!
Then east to Bowman Lake. 15 years ago this was just a few Primitive CG's with beautiful views to the N and NE. Got there right at a hatch and were driven out by the worst skeeters
I've ever encountered. (This was Middle of July bring the military grade DEET just in case.) I hear it's more developed these days.
If you don't mind crossing in To Canada, Waterton Park is just over the border on the East side of the park and offered a small town with some great restaurants and
views over the lake to the tall peaks in the South. (Hot Showers were available at the youth hostel for reasonable cost.)
Badlands - I can't add much here
KC

Regards,
Boort
 
Last edited:
K

KC_Wanderlust

Rank I
Launch Member

Traveler I

233
Kansas
Member #

5749

Boort said:
@KC_Wanderlust

Assuming from your handle that you are near the KC area. I'd suggest this:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Kansas+City,+Kansas/Grand+Lake,+Colorado/Old+Fall+River+Rd,+Estes+Park,+CO+80517/Big+Creek+Lake+Campground,+Walden,+CO+80480/Jackson,+Wyoming/The+Log+Cabin+Cafe,+106+US-212,+Silver+Gate,+MT+59081/Swan+Lake,+Lake+County,+MT/Glacier+National+Park,+Montana/Badlands+National+Park,+South+Dakota/Kansas+City,+Kansas/@44.0958659,-108.4401355,6.24z/data=!4m62!4m61!1m5!1m1!1s0x87c08ce427cf3515:0xdc77777b70c31e05!2m2!1d-94.6274636!2d39.114053!1m5!1m1!1s0x8769818358fac97d:0x8323c3b198872312!2m2!1d-105.8230671!2d40.2522073!1m5!1m1!1s0x876976b564c77ab1:0xde041e923d51b5e3!2m2!1d-105.7065279!2d40.425634!1m5!1m1!1s0x8769cceecce12c23:0x8a6f492305038099!2m2!1d-106.6102863!2d40.936432!1m5!1m1!1s0x53531a58fccf7f4b:0x3d1c01cbb13a835c!2m2!1d-110.7624282!2d43.4799291!1m5!1m1!1s0x534e54586fa53603:0xbdac99af3adf39ea!2m2!1d-109.9901453!2d45.0065536!1m5!1m1!1s0x5367ba739b10fcf9:0x2f8e6a0c4120ab82!2m2!1d-113.8625003!2d47.9249702!1m5!1m1!1s0x5368901555555555:0xaf16bc2215c55dec!2m2!1d-113.7870225!2d48.7596128!1m5!1m1!1s0x877e870c18052023:0x69685e31dae677f0!2m2!1d-102.3396912!2d43.8553804!1m5!1m1!1s0x87c08ce427cf3515:0xdc77777b70c31e05!2m2!1d-94.6274636!2d39.114053!3e0



KC
+ Grand lake Co Lots of campgrounds in this area both dispersed in Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forest and maintained around any of the lakes. Most are reserve-able.
** Make sure you have ALL needed permits if can get kind of confusing as this area is covered by multiple agencies.
DO take the day to go over Trail ridge and back via Old Fall River Road (Check that it is open!! been closed on and off since the floods)
This lollipop will get you a sample of what RMNP has to offer in about a 1/2 trip
** Don't try to take Rd 40 past Willow Creek Res over to Hwy 125. It crosses a Gated Community and I've never seen the gate open.
+ Big Creek Lake Campground 2 camp sites mostly reserve-able, hiking and fishing at a couple of lakes.
A short hike and you'll be in view of either Bald Eagles or Ospreys nesting between the lakes depending on the time of year
Jackson Wy. Lots of things to see and do around here. Dispersed CAmping in both Gros Bentre and Bridger-Teton Areas
Yellowstone Unless you want to see any of the attractions on the West Side I suggest passing through on the east side of the Park's Figure 8
+ The trip out to Cooke City / Silver Gate is worth it if you can set it up for early Morning. Moose and Wolves are often spotted in the valley of YNP.
Just outside of the Park and down the road a bit you'll find The Log Cabin Cafe ( 45.006546, -109.990130 ).
We received a warm welcome and great Breakfast last fall after shooting pics of sunrise and moose.
+ Either Swan Lake or Flathead lake
Swan Lake: We tried to stay at the Swan Lake Campground but it was full.
Flathead National Forest, MT-83, Swan Lake, MT 59911 fs.usda.gov (406) 646-1012
Swan Lake is East of Flathead lake and a good darksky site. The South end of the lake is part of the
Swan River NWR https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Swan_River/wildlife_and_habitat/index.html

Flathead lake: Beautiful Drive around the West side of the lake. We stayed at the North East end of the lake at the state run Wayfarers Campground
8600 Mt Highway 35, Bigfork, MT 59911, stateparks.mt.gov, (406) 837-3041
Glacier NP has lots to see and do. We took a logging road up the West side of the park to Pole bridge (first time I ever paid more that $4 per gal for gas but very glad to do so!)
** FILL UP supplies and gas in W. Glacier!
Then east to Bowman Lake. 15 years ago this was just a few Primitive CG's with beautiful views to the N and NE. Got there right at a hatch and were driven out by the worst skeeters
I've ever encountered. (This was Middle of July bring the military grade DEET just in case.) I hear it's more developed these days.
If you don't mind crossing in To Canada, Waterton Park is just over the border on the East side of the park and offered a small town with some great restaurants and
views over the lake to the tall peaks in the South. (Hot Showers were available at the youth hostel for reasonable cost.)
Badlands - I can't add much here
KC

Regards,
Boort
Click to expand...
Boort, this is fantastic. Thanks so much for taking the time!
 
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