Dont dig holes to bury things (including bodily waste), just bring a trash bag or use the park-provided facilities and trash containers! When we got to Boise, we ate a delicious lunch at Forks and then checked into our hotel to get ready for the evening. Few things are more romanticized than an all-American road trip, and Im happy to report that they do indeed live up to the hype. Your email address will not be published. When we were done with our hike, it was lunch time. About halfway there, we had our first animal encounter - a dog darted out in front of our car. We made it in perfect time, just 4 minutes before the geyser was set to blow. Find and book campsites wherever you are with ReserveAmerica or Campendium (roughly $30 a night) or use an app like Free Roam to locate Forest Service and BLM land where you can legally boondock. Eat: Circle D Eatery has yummy BBQ ribs and a buttered trout plate. WebThe route to here from Bear Lake weaves along the Idaho/Wyoming border through Jackson, Wyoming, and passes west of another popular local destination, Grand Teton National Park, before ending in West Yellowstone, Montana. This looks absolutely beautiful! We learned there used to be 7 volcanoes in the area, the last of which erupted 2,000 years ago. Since my trip, Ive been reflecting and researching ways that I can better educate myself as well as supporting existing Indigenous activism. We also love their biscuits and gravy, and the giant, gooey cinnamon rolls. After leaving Helena, we started our day with a stop at Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park in Montana on the way to Yellowstone in Wyoming. Their pizza is cooked in a wood fire oven installed directly in the truck. The sun sets late in Montana in the summer, so you can still catch the sunset after your dinner; Check it out at Wayfarers State Park, a locals favorite place to see the sunset over the lake as the sun sinks behind the mountains. There was an error submitting your subscription. It is a beautiful, scenic spot. In all seriousness, I had no idea Idaho was this beautiful. The majority of the drive from Yellowstone to Grand Teton was actually going to be through the remainder of Yellowstone. The man who was helping hopped the fence to check the farm house a little ways up. Start your day with a pour-over at the Wild Coffee Company, a third wave coffee shop that donates 1% of its profits to local non-profits working on nature and outdoor conservation. The Island is actually a state park, and home to several wild horses plus bighorn sheep, mule deer, songbirds, waterfowl, bald eagles, and falcons. When we reached the first lake, I came close to tears because we had worked so hard for the beautiful views. Day 1: Drive from San Francisco to Stanley, Idaho (~12 hours) Day 2: Stanley, Idaho Day 3: Salmon, Idaho & Missoula, Montana Day 4: Drive from Missoula to Big Sky, Montana Day 5: Big Sky, Montana & Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming Day 6: Livingston, Montana Day 7: Beartooth Highway and Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming Were sick about it. It also serves This excursion essentially a big loop back to where we started took almost the entire day, but I really wanted to see what is considered one of the most beautiful and treacherous roads in America. Looking for a convenient summary of our Montana itinerary? How bout the kettle house amphitheater and seeing show how bout rafting a river. So, how can you help support Indigenous communities during your trip to Montana? We arrived at the Glacier Haven RV Park & Campground in the early evening. We stayed safely far away and used our zoom lens to capture photos of them instead! It hits different when you are talking to a flesh-and-blood human rather than working yourself up over the contents of a Facebook comment. Its the perfect celebration of locally sourced Montana cuisine! We ended our night with dinner at our lodge, watching the sunset over Yellowstone Lake while a herd of elk and their babies grazed on the grass in front of us. The hiccups are part of the adventure. Youll be able to do and see so much more compared to the rest of the year. One of the best ways to get the full Idaho experience is to road trip through the state. How bout the old state prison or butte or battle of the little big horn? We learned that it is not uncommon for people living in these small towns to drive 1 hours to get to everyday events (like baseball games or getting your tractor fixed). The story of the horses on Wild Horse Island is that the Salish-Kootenai tribe kept their horses on the island to keep them safe from being stolen by other tribes. There are a few options for exploring Going to the Sun Road. The trip begins and ends in Portland, Oregon, but spends much of the time in and around Glacier National Park in Montana. Because we didnt have the special tickets to enter the road during normal hours, we couldnt check out the east side of the park until after 5PM so we decided to hike up the road itself for a little bit, which was a great call. The drive in itself did have beautiful views, even before we reached Going to the Sun Road. Bummer. Eat: Tru North Cafe, owned by a recent Los Angeles transplant who came to Livingston on vacation and accidentally bought a coffee shop, serves a mindblowing Maple Mountain Cloud latte and blueberry jam breakfast sandwich. Covid is still with us. I had an I love America moment at Shangs because only here will you see a Hispanic person hand-pulling noodles in the Northern Chinese tradition. The Best Street Art in San Francisco: Mission Where to Find the Best New Orleans Street 10 Restaurants in New Orleans for Treating Yourself. I love small towns and their charm and appreciate you highlighting restaurants and lodging, super helpful! Follow along for an epic Idaho road trip through Ketchum, Stanley, Salmon, Missoula (a little side trip to Montana), Coeur dAlene, and McCall. The stresses of day to day life feel less important and slowly start to drift away. Sightsee at Idaho's Greatest Natural Wonders Google Map katie wheeler/Flickr 1. Of course we had to stop and try to help said dog (whose name we learned was Hank). It was flat and easy, with gorgeous views of the lake and the Tetons. We continued on with no further interruption and made it to the park entrance. If you do go in mid-summer, expect crowds. Its full of racist and sexist messaging and far right propaganda. I was lucky enough to have a lakeside room, and that view was everything. Bring themalongand youll be covered with detailed information, maps, and landmarks along the way. Apart from that, the rest of the trip is completely flexible. 6. Whats the difference between a national park and a national monument? The primary difference is the reason for preserving the land. We set ourselves to brainstorming and researching what our other options for the park would be, but in the meantime, we werent going to let it spoil the rest of the day. The trip begins and ends in Portland, Oregon, but spends much of the time in and around Glacier National Park in Montana. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hey, we are Dottie & Lenza, bloggers and video creators. Feels like 33.03 Wind speed 2.4 mph Pressure 1010 hPa. We didnt even play any car games with so much to see! After about 2.5 miles walking east on Going to the Sun road, we decided to turn back and go for a hike. Our alarms jarred us awake in pitch black (which felt strange since we had woken with the sun at 5:30 on the previous mornings) with the pounding of rain on the roof of our cabin. Our favorite part was the beaver slide, an area so narrow you literally had to sit and slide down to get through. Dottie is one part of Dots on a Map. We spent the morning exploring the different geyser basins throughout Yellowstone. At 2 hours due west on I-90, Bozeman has a college town vibe with growing art, music, and food scenes. The older llamas are very friendly and sociable. Theyre now fully emboldened since the governor and other right wing extremists got elected. We dubbed Boise the Orlando of the West as the downtown areas are very similar. A waitress showed us a photo of herself at four months old next to a bear her father had just killed. (note from Alicia: Who in 2021 locks a car from the door and not from the keys!?). At least about 1/3 of the license plates we see are from out of state. Aquamarine lakes spilling into gushing waterfalls. Glacier National Park the star of both Montana and our itinerary is crowded and packed with visitors in July. You will pass through St. Ignatius on your road trip so be sure to stop off and check out the new Three Chiefs Culture Centre. So cool! It bared its teeth and pulled back on its paws like she was going to strike. On the way out of town, we stopped at Fiddle Creek Fruit Stand and sampled some Huckleberry pie (eating something huckleberry is one of the must do things in the areaand we sampled our fair share by the end of the trip). After a few hours of biking, youve worked up an appetite for Ciao Mambo with Italian dishes big enough to share, and an Italian Nachos that will have your cardiologist running for the hills. Like, more snack breaks than me, which is really saying something. So yeah, enjoy your visit. But if not, the next best thing is a guidebook. Day 2: Riggins, Idaho to Missoula, Montana, Post white water rafting on the Salmon River in Riggins, Idaho. We were exhausted and crashed quickly. Then we headed to the Norris Basin Geyser, where the pools ranged in color from milky sky blue to emerald green. We continued south until we got to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Five Northern Idaho Bike Trails Quirky sights on the Montana Idaho Road Trip Coeur dAlene in Northern Idaho Harrison in Northern Idaho Flathead Lake and the Silver Dollar Bar Glacier National Park camping West Glacier National Park East Glacier National Park Garnet Ghost Town in the Montana Mountains near Glacier National Park Jackson, the closest town, is crowded and expensive. I dont know when Jen and Ed lived there, or when they last visited Whitefish, but Im sure they would be disappointed and sad to see the amount of people who cram into our small town. We would like to spend a few days in Seattle and Portland at the start, aswell as a lake in Montana for a few days at the end. We each had our own twin bed (the most comfy beds of the whole trip!) Meanwhile, Alicia and I were so excited about our wolf encounter! First stop was Moulton Barns on Mormon Row, an old Mormon settlement before the national park was established. Bozeman will be your next stop from Billings. Our brainstorming and researching along the way paid off, as we learned we WOULD be able to access Going to the Sun Road IF we arrived before 6 AM or after 5 PM. Ahem: Remember all that stuff from earlier in the post about how you can support Montanas Indigenous communities? Our main activity was a visit to the Goldbug Hot Springs in the Salmon-Challis National Forest. Youll be walking distance from everything in Whitefish! While Boxcar was certainly sassy and took a while to warm up to me enough for us to share a hug and a selfie, the llamas that come along on hikes are perfectly well behaved. Ive made the common road trip mistake of trying to pack too many stops into a short time period. We headed back to our lodge where we (annoyingly) had to change rooms, since there were no rooms available 2 nights in a row. ), and then set out on the road. Note that shuttles have limited seating and you may find yourself waiting for a seat during high season. That will help keep the money youre spending funneled directly to the Tribal Nations, which supports Indigenous communities. As we passed through Hayden Valley (known for its wildlife sightings), we noticed a lot of people pulled over at a turn out, pointing and taking pictures. Montana has so much to offer including its crown jewel, Glacier National Park and weve designed the perfect 10-day Montana road trip itinerary through Western Montana, complete with details to help you plan each step of your trip. Locals openly carry guns at family-friendly tourist destinations, and, I assume, elsewhere. This is one of those things you kind of just learn to deal with when traveling. But, adorably, they step politely off the trail to do it. The simplest answer I can give you is to seek out Native-owned businesses. For dinner, dont miss out on the best food deal in Montana: the small plate menu at the Kandahar Lodges Snug Bar. The app provides route maps, difficulty levels, trail photos, user reviews, and more. Day 7: Yellowstone National Park to Grand Teton National Park, The Norris Geyser Basin at Yellowstone National Park. Like everywhere we stopped in Montana, mountains frame the city in the distance. When we arrived at Small Dune (where the sledding was done), there was a couple heading back to their car. Rest time was over at about 5 PM, and we were back out on the road heading to the East park entrance. This! No luck. FOLLOW OUR PARKS RULES. After two wonderful days in Glacier National Park, its time to continue your journey through Montana. The drive from Idaho Falls to Missoula is gorgeous. After leaving the caverns, we continued on from Montana to Yellowstone National Park to start our Wyoming road trip. Youre welcome. Id never seen so many taxidermy animals in one place, and near the counter, a sign read gun safety rule #1: carry one. Seriously, look at this place: We walked 7.7 miles around Jenny Lake, one of the many hiking trails in Grand Teton. Multiple scenic byways, some of the most picturesque mountain views in the state, and plenty of waterfront beauty makes this road trip one you'll never forget. Not an ideal situation, but you have to be flexible on a road trip! and enjoyed chatting with the owner and his father. Its also a destination with much to offer those who stay for a Your next destination is Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater natural lake west of the Mississippi! We got to view Jackson Glacier, one of the few glaciers left at Glacier National Park and watch the sun starting to set over St. Mary Lake. We hit the beginning of the main road when it was still dark and rainy, but we found a spot to camp out along Lake McDonald to watch the sun rise. Its definitely something travelers (especially in the Americas) need to be more conscious of! Minus the ostentatious Trump 2020 banners hanging on some of the houses, of course. Your trip begins once your plane touches down in Missoula, Montana! If youre lusting for more libations (and maybe something a little less fancy) check out the happy hour at The Bulldog for Huckleberry Wings and cheap beer. Salmon, two hours north of Stanley, is another small Idaho town of 3000+ residents. A bear ready for a dip in Hells Canyon. If youre feeling athletic, you can drive around the lake and pick up a canoe, kayak or paddleboard, or SUP. If you do opt for the Red Bus Tour, youll want to bring a ton of sunscreen (open top means LOTS of sun), plenty of layers as the morning is quite cold and the afternoon is quite hot, sunglasses, loads of water, chapstick, and snacks (just be sure to pack all the snack waste out with you). The trail is so gentle on the feet that we actually did it barefoot! But the problem is that places like Glacier are extremely delicate. Alternatively, if youll be heading back to Boise or into Wyoming from Sun Valley on your Idaho road trip itinerary, make it a point to stop by Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve for some dramatically different landscape to everything youve seen on the trip so far. We had all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ at Ginseng BBQ on the strip and authentic, mouthwatering Shanxi beef noodle soup at Shang Artisan Noodle. During my trip I spoke with a Montana state government employee involved in developing Indigenous tourism, who shared some of the challenges faced at the State level. (The verdict is still out on whether they are actually their own type of berry, or just wild blueberries, but dont tell a local that.). Our final itinerary: 3 states, 3 national parks, 1 national monument, 2 state parks and 2,000 miles driven in our trusty steed, Huckleberry. Photo Credit: Idaho Tourism Jet boating, Hells Canyon. A 12-Day Road Trip Itinerary for Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas Before we dive in here, it's important to note that this itinerary does include traversing through or near some Indigenous lands, mostly belonging to Ice-capped mountains dominating lush valleys. (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': Do you condone those messages? Photo Credit; Idaho Tourism. Even though they share a border, its a long drive through Idaho to Montana and we love an adventure-packed pit stop so Riggins was the perfect place to stop on a road trip from Idaho to Montana. If nothing else, it gave us good story to tell laterbut we decided to wait to tell family and friends of our predicament until we survived the night (which obviously we did and to be honest, it was better than some of the s**tholes weve stayed in on other trips). Im so sorry to hear that your home is experiencing overtourism. I guess when you live in the middle of nowhere youve got to entertain yourself somehow. Whats the difference between a bison and a buffalo? In case you were wondering, they are completely different animals that are often mistaken for each other, but only bison can be found in North America. Starting from Boise and working your way counterclockwise around the state to some of the best outdoor spots makes for one memorable Idaho road trip. 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