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Park Review – West Glacier RV Park and Cabins

Rating: 1/2
Location: West Glacier, MT
Type: Commercial Park
Check-in/Check-out times: 3:00/11:00
Site Quality / Amenities: The roads are asphalt and the pads are gravel. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring.
Access: From US-2 you have to turn north on Going-To-The-Sun Rd. and there is a 13’6″ bridge you immediately have to go under. We have been told there is actually up to a foot more clearance than displayed but after looking at vehicles going under it we feel like it may be close to 14′. At any rate, our 13’4″ high trailer passed under it with no problem. Shortly after you come to River Ave. on the left and take that to the park.
Staff: We had minimal interactions with staff and they were mostly positive. They did have some odd procedures, however. For instance, they did not charge us for the site until the day we left but we got several pings to our credit card during the stay indicating a hold or potential charge. This created churn for us and them when the amounts didn’t match what we expected. On the day we left, there were three pings, one incorrect, one reversing it a while later (after we asked about it) and one correct. In six and a half years, we’ve never encountered this. They also didn’t enforce speed limits and other rules within the park. In fact, park vehicles often went through the park at more than double the speed limits. Finally, mowing wasn’t consistent. Often one site would be mowed and others around it would not.
Cellular/WiFi: Verizon speeds were good in the park in spite of not being great in the town nearby. Starlink speeds were great with few trees actually in the park.
Restaurants: Glacier Highland Restaurant – Food was good but overpriced. Last Best Pizza – Good pizza at decent prices. MudMan Hamburgers (Columbia Falls) – Very good hamburgers at great prices! The Desoto Grill (Kalispell) – Funky BBQ restaurant. I thought it was just OK, everyone else though it was great. Whistle Stop (East Glacier) – We stopped by for breakfast and found the food to be very good. Ptarmigan Dining Room (Many Glacier Lodge) – The food was better here than at other park restaurants such as those in West Glacier. Polebridge Mercantile – Known for Huckleberry Bear claws and other pastries. Eddies (Apgar Village) – Excellent Huckleberry Ice Cream.
Nearby parks: We drove through the West Glacier KOA Resort. It’s a beautiful park, well landscaped and with lots of amenities. It’s a bit further from Glacier NP, although not enough to make a significant difference. Sites appeared to be closer together and prices appeared to be maybe as much as twice the price of West Glacier RV Park. There are lots of other parks in the area and we’d do some research on them if we were to go back to the area.
What we liked: Great views and close to the Glacier National Park entrance.
What we didn’t like: It was a bit far to good grocery stores and restaurants. See the Staff section for several issues.
Verdict: This is a nice park but it did have some execution issues. We would stay here again if in the area but there are lots of other parks in the area and we’d do some research on them if we were to go back to the area.

We also were near Darby where the Chief Joseph Ranch is located. This ranch is used for filming the TV series “Yellowstone” so we had to drive by since we were so close. Unfortunately for us, they were filming the day we drove by so we were unable to get very close. We also found out about the Smokejumper Base at the Missoula airport and decided to go to the museum and tour since you don’t have access to something like that every day!

Smokejumper base

The Missoula Smokejumper Base was established in 1939 and is one of the oldest and most prominent smokejumper base in the United States. Smokejumpers were originally conceived as a way to quickly address wildfires in remote and inaccessible areas by parachuting them into these areas. The base is an important part of the National Smokejumper Association’s efforts to preserve the history and legacy of this unique profession.

Smokejumpers are highly trained firefighters who undergo rigorous physical and technical training in Missoula and other places. They are equipped to handle wildfires under challenging conditions, often working in rugged terrain and unpredictable weather.

For visitors, the base features a museum that showcases the history of smokejumping, including vintage equipment, uniforms, and photographs. The exhibits provide insight into the evolution of the smokejumping profession and the challenges faced by these brave firefighters. The museum also includes displays of historic aircraft used for smokejumping missions, as well as the parachutes and other gear used by smokejumpers.

Park Review – Missoula KOA Holiday

Rating: 1/2
Location: Missoula, MT
Type: Commercial Park
Check-in/Check-out times: 1:00/11:00
Site Quality / Amenities: The roads are asphalt and the pads are gravel. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. We had a premium site so we had a swing and an upgraded table as well as a concrete patio.
Access: From I-90 in Missoula, take US-93 south to England Blvd. then go west to Tina Ave. Turn right and the office is on the right.
Staff: The staff were all friendly and helpful with tips for the area.
Restaurants: Pagoda Chinese – Neither one of us really liked the food here. For me, my fried rice seemed overcooked and likely a bit burned.
Nearby parks: We didn’t look at any other parks nearby.
What we liked: The location was convenient to places we wanted to go.
What we didn’t like: When you turn onto Tina Ave. you are immediately greeted with several old mobile homes that are not in good shape. One had at least 10 cars in various state of repair outside. Although we had no issues and security never seemed to be a problem, this was just at the limit of some place we would want to stay. Navigating the park was a bit difficult in places.
Verdict: We’d look at other places and likely not stay here again. We should also keep in mind that Holiday parks are expensive and are designed for family holidays. We don’t get anywhere close to our money’s worth at these parks.

Also here is Giant Springs State Park which features one of the largest freshwater springs in the United States. Giant Springs is a popular spot for picnicking, fishing, and enjoying the natural beauty of the area. The park also has a fish hatchery and walking trails.

First Peoples Buffalo Jump

First Peoples Buffalo Jump, located south of Great Falls, is a significant historical and cultural site that offers insight into the lives of the Native American tribes who inhabited the region long before European settlers arrived. The park is home to one of the largest buffalo jump sites in North America, where Indigenous peoples used the landscape to hunt bison in a method that was both efficient and deeply rooted in their cultural practices.

The buffalo jump was a hunting method used by Plains tribes such as the Blackfeet, Salish, Gros Ventre, and others. The tribes would herd bison toward the edge of a cliff, causing the animals to fall to their deaths. This method allowed them to hunt large numbers of bison at once, providing meat, hides, bones, and other materials that were essential for their survival. The bison was central to the lives of the Plains tribes, providing not only food but also materials for clothing, shelter, and tools. The buffalo jump was not just a hunting technique but a communal activity that required coordination, strategy, and knowledge passed down through generations. It was also a spiritually significant practice, often accompanied by rituals and ceremonies.

Three of the five waterfalls

Due to flooding downstream, the water flow in Great Falls was greatly reduced when we were there. Usually, much more water flows over the falls during this time of year.

Park Review – Great Falls RV Park

Rating: 1/2
Location: Great Falls, MT
Type: Commercial Park
Check-in/Check-out times: 12:00/11:00
Site Quality / Amenities: The roads and pads are gravel. Each site has a picnic table.
Access: From I-15 BR take exit 0 then go north on 14th St. SW to 13th Ave. SW then turn right. The park will be on the right after the 14’0″ train trestle.
Staff: We had minimal interaction with staff but the manager that checked us in was good.
Restaurants: Clark and Lewie’s – Long time, no frills American restaurant. The food was just OK. Roadhouse Diner – Very good “fancy” hamburgers.
Nearby parks: We didn’t look at any other parks nearby.
What we liked: Good location and price.
What we didn’t like: The park needed some TLC in places.
Verdict: There aren’t a lot of choices in Great Falls and this may be the best option.

Greycliff mill is a 1760 barn with a water powered gristmill serving espresso, BBQ, shakes and pastries. It’s a neat place to stop just east of Big Timber, MT and very close to the Big Timber/Greycliff KOA.

Natural Bridge Falls

Natural Bridge Falls is a stunning natural landmark located in the Boulder River Valley, near Big Timber. The falls were named for the natural limestone bridge that once spanned the Boulder River. Over time, the river carved its way through the rock, creating a spectacular natural bridge. However, in 1988, the bridge collapsed due to natural erosion, leaving behind a beautiful waterfall and a dramatic canyon.

Even though the natural bridge no longer stands, the site remains breathtaking. The Boulder River cascades down a series of rocky steps, creating multiple waterfalls. Depending on the season and water levels, the falls can vary in intensity, from a gentle flow in late summer to a roaring torrent during spring runoff. One of the unique aspects of Natural Bridge Falls is that during periods of lower water flow, the Boulder River disappears into the limestone rock above the falls and re-emerges downstream. This phenomenon creates a natural underground river, adding to the site’s mystique.

Park Review – Big Timber / Greycliff KOA Journey

Rating: 
Location: Big Timber, MT
Type: Commercial Park
Check-in/Check-out times: 2:00/11:00
Site Quality / Amenities: The roads and pads are gravel. Each site has a picnic table.
Access: Take exit 377 off I-90 east of Big Timber and go southwest to Old US-10. Turn right and the KOA will be on the right.
Staff: We had minimal interaction with the staff but they were friendly and efficient.
Restaurants: Greycliff Mill was a great place for coffee and pastries. The Grand Hotel & Restaurant – was just OK for a early dinner. They had a minimal menu that was mostly burgers and sandwiches.
Nearby parks: We didn’t look at any other parks nearby.
What we liked: Convenient to town, Greycliff and Natural Bridge Falls.
What we didn’t like: Typical KOA, expensive for tight sites with few frills. Loud trains day and night nearby.
Verdict: This was a nice park for a few days when travelling through this area.

West Yellowstone is an ideal place to stay (unless you are inside the park somewhere) because from there you can easily get to anywhere in the park without too much of a drive. Of course, too much is relative. The park is very large so you will be doing a lot of driving but from the west side you’re sort of in the middle of the action and you are also closest to the most popular sites within the park such as Old Faithful.

Everywhere you go in the area you’ll find huckleberries at least if the bears haven’t found them first! All the stores have Jam, syrup, you name it – all made from huckleberries. Then there’s huckleberry ice cream. A local favorite is Wilcoxson’s Ice Cream and their huckleberry is really good. Be sure to try some.

Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center

We met a couple on one of our hikes in the Tetons who told us about this place in West Yellowstone and they said this was not to be missed. We’re glad they did because we probably would have just assumed this was a tourist trap and passed it over. In reality, this is a rescue center for animals that can no longer survive in the wild, usually because they became too familiar with being around people thus creating risks for both people and the animals.

While there we learned that large numbers of bears and wolves have to be put down every year due to humans feeding them either intentionally or inadvertently. Once these animals learn to go to humans for food they become more and more aggressive until something has to be done. Although there are several places like this one that can take them, the numbers they can take are very limited compared to the number needed.

It’s sad when people think they are helping or maybe just trying to be cute and they end up forcing a situation where an animal has to be killed. Just after we left Yellowstone, we saw a news story where a couple was giving their dog a bath in a thermal feature in the park. There are signs everywhere telling people how fragile the areas are and how they may even be dangerous due to water temperatures and PH levels similar to battery acid. Not only could they or their dog have been severely injured but what about future visitors and their ability to enjoy the area?

Around the Block – Earthquake Lake / Hebgen Lake / Henrys Lake

On a beautiful moonlit night in August 1959 while hundreds of people camped near Hebgen Lake and along the Madison River north west of West Yellowstone one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded in the Rocky Mountains struck the Madison River Canyon. Measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale, the earthquake triggered a massive landslide, sending over 80 million tons of rock crashing down into the canyon and blocking the Madison River. The landslide created hurricane force winds through the canyon and then water began backing up behind it creating the new Earthquake Lake.

In a matter of seconds, the land under Hebgen Lake tilted upward leaving cabins on the north shore immersed in water while portions of the south shore were high and dry. Water in the lake sloshed back and forth while huge waves crested over the dam. Although the dam cracked, it held. Three sections of highway 287 fell into the lake. As a result, hundreds of campers were trapped and 28 lives were lost – some buried under the rock slide and others drowning in the resulting flooding.

Can you even imagine waking up about midnight – first to the earthquake, then to hurricane force winds and finally to flooding, only to realize that the road to escape the area had fallen into the lake?

This area is within the beautiful Gallatin National Forest. We went to the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center which has an amazing museum which shows a film describing the earthquake, reconstruction of the river and has the stories of the people that lived thru this trauma.

Museum of the Yellowstone

The Museum of the Yellowstone in West Yellowstone is dedicated to telling the story of travel to and through Yellowstone National Park, and the Park’s influence on West Yellowstone and the Hebgen Lake Basin. Here you can learn about transportation to and from the park from horses and stagecoaches to automobiles and even modern airplanes. You can also find out more about the earthquake of 1959 and the wildfires of 1988.

Yellowstone National Park

When we first drove into the park, we were immediately taken aback by the beauty. As we proceeded through the park, we never stopped saying that it just couldn’t get any better – until we went around the next bend. Each area within the park is different and each has something different to see. We spent 18 days in the area and probably went into the park seven different times but I think you could easily spend a month or more exploring everything.

Yellowstone was the first national park in the United States and is also widely held to be the first national park in the world. While Native Americans have lived in the Yellowstone region for at least 11,000 years, aside from visits by mountain men during the early-to-mid-19th century, organized exploration did not begin until the late 1860s. Management and control of the park originally fell under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of the Interior; however, the U.S. Army was eventually commissioned to oversee management of Yellowstone for a 30-year period between 1886 and 1916. In 1917, administration of the park was transferred to the National Park Service, which had been created the previous year.

The park spans an area of 3,468 square miles. Yellowstone Lake is one of the largest high-elevation lakes in North America and is centered over the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest super volcano on the continent. The caldera is considered a dormant volcano. It has erupted with tremendous force several times in the last two million years. Well over half of the world’s geysers and hydrothermal features are in Yellowstone. The park is the centerpiece of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the largest remaining nearly-intact ecosystem in the Earth’s northern temperate zone.

Hundreds of species of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians have been documented to live in the park. Grizzly bears, wolves, and free-ranging herds of bison and elk live in this park.

Below you will find just some of the pictures we took while visiting Yellowstone. Click on a picture to bring up the full viewer to see larger pictures with captions.

Tips for visiting the park

First, get a National Park Pass. For $80 you can get unlimited access to any national park in the country as well as discounts on Corps of Engineer Parks and other places for a year for everyone in your vehicle. If you are 62 or older, $80 will buy you a Lifetime Senior Park Pass which is a steal.

The best time to arrive at the park is about sunrise. The lines to enter are shorter, wildlife is more active, the light is great for pictures, and the park is much less crowded. This is especially important as parking lots quickly fill up starting around 10 AM and if you have a large vehicle it can be difficult to find a parking place much less one large enough for a large pickup, etc. By noon (or even earlier), it’s not uncommon for people to be parking along the streets in overflow parking. We arrived early and left the park usually by early afternoon.

If you want to see the entire park, I’d reserve 2 weeks (or more) if possible. We like taking our time and if we get up early one day we sleep in the next day so we don’t get burned out spending so much time in the truck. There are other things to do around the park entrances including museums and other activities to fill in the time. We took 3 trips going through the south part of the park (the area near Old Faithful), another 2 trips going north and north east around Mammoth Hot Springs and 2 more trips to go east around Canyon Village and Yellowstone Lake.

Try not to only go to the largest and most well known attractions but do go to them early in the day before they get too crowded. Seek out lesser known places to visit like Firehole Canyon Drive, Firehole Lake Drive, Fountain Flat Drive to name a few as well as the numerous pullout areas to look at scenery and/or wildlife. Another tip is that although there are trails and boardwalks that go right beside most of the features and you should certainly take those, you often can’t get the best view from there. For instance there is a trail that takes you .6 mile to get to the Grand Prismatic overlook. You really haven’t seen it properly until you go up to the overlook and Grand Prismatic Spring is not to be missed! Old Faithfull is similar. While you can sit among the crowd in front of the Visitor center and see Old Faithful, you can get a much better view from the trails behind it and there are much fewer people there. Of course, you have to see Old Faithful but at the end of the day it wasn’t even in our top 10 of favorite things to see.

Speed limits within the park are 45 MPH in most places and 25 MPH or slower in a few. This is mostly due to wildlife which will often pop out from trees and right out into the road. It’s also because people tend to stop right in the middle of the road whenever they see something. In the course of a few days you will often see people passing others who are going the speed limit and often without enough space to safely pass. Whenever someone is riding your back, try to pull off at the next pullout so they can pass. The longer they sit back there the more desperate they get. Also watch for people coming head on who are not paying attention to their driving and end up halfway in your lane before they look back at the road.

Although the lodges have food, when we were there they were only serving pre-packaged sandwiches and such, presumably due to COVID. If you are staying out of the park we’d suggest you take your own food/snacks. It’s a long way back out of the park and into town to get food.

Be bear aware and be sure each adult has bear spray. There is a saying on many of the bear information signs in the park – Every adult Every time! Even though you may think you don’t need it because there are so many people around you may find yourself in a long stretch where no one is around. It’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Between Grand Teton and Yellowstone we came across 7 bears. 6 were on heavily travelled roads and 1 was on the other side of a river. 5 Grizzly bears walked right by our truck only 5 or 6 feet away! Luckily for us they just kept going.

Travelling through the park with a large RV

In general, I think it’s best to plan a route outside the park if possible. Inside the park the speed limits are slower, the roads tend to be narrower, often with no shoulders to pull over onto should it be necessary, and you have to deal with cars that may stop in the middle of the road to view wildlife or wildlife itself in the road. If you must use these roads, consider the following notes.

North Entrance – As you near the Mammoth Hot Springs area there are several narrow areas with some switchbacks. In Mammoth, there is lots of traffic and pedestrian traffic that would be challenging. Going north toward the north exit and Gardiner is curvy and narrow. Many RVs were traveling this area including a few big rigs but we would not go that way.
North East Entrance – This route follows Grand Loop Road east out of Mammoth connecting to US highway 212 (NE Entrance Rd) at the Roosevelt lodge. Grand Loop Rd. here is narrow and winding and was uncomfortable at times even with just the truck. US 212 is also narrow and has numerous hard core switchbacks the further east it goes. I would not go this way with an RV. See notes about the north entrance route as much of this would apply as well.
West Entrance – To the south entrance – This route is fine to go through the park to the south entrance although going early in the morning is suggested as this route goes through some of the most congested areas of the park including Old Faithful and the congestion starts getting bad by about 10:00 AM. In the Grand Teton National Park go east via US 26 (it does include a long 6% grade going that way but it’s doable) or go south via 191. You do pass through Jackson, WY going that way and it can get quite congested and there is also a lot of pedestrian traffic. I do not recommend taking WY 22 (Teton Pass Highway) as it has a 5 mile plus section of 10% grades. A friend went that way once and says he won’t do that again.
To the East Entrance – You should also be able to connect to US 14 and go east toward Cody, WY. We didn’t drive that way so good planning to review grades, switchbacks, etc. would be wise.

Park Review – Yellowstone Park / West Gate KOA Holiday

Rating: 
Site Quality: Picnic tables and fire pits at each site, concrete porch and sidewalk, wooden swing, gravel pads, asphalt roads. (Deluxe sites)
Type: Commercial
Access: Easily accessible from US-20 west of the town of West Yellowstone.
Staff: Staff were mostly friendly and helpful but the often drove golf carts way too fast through the park due to congestion and lots of young kids playing in or near the roads. Visitors seemed to take their que from the staff and many also drove at least 20-25 MPH through the park. The speed limit was 10 MPH.
Amenities: Indoor swimming pool and spa (Closed in 2021 due to COVID). Cabins for non-campers. Dog park. Game room. On site food morning and evening via an outdoor grill, ice cream/espresso kiosk (although it never seemed to be open). Bike rental, playground, mini-golf and basketball hoop. Restrooms with showers. Propane available on site. Convenience store on site. Laundry facilities. Cable TV.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is available in the park although we didn’t use it. Friends reported that it did not work at our sites but they could use it near the office. It was an open system, meaning no password to access it. AT&T was marginal and rarely worked. Verizon was good at about 34 Mbps.
Restaurants: The Buffalo Bar – Decent place for bar type food. Slippery Otter Pub – This was a bit better than the Buffalo Bar but also had bar food. Timberline Restaurant – good restaurant with a varied menu. Running Bear Pancake House – Good basic no frills breakfast spot. Very busy, expect a wait. Ernie Bakery Deli – Stopped by for lunch and the sandwiches were very good. Red Lotus – Surprisingly good Chinese Food (I’m picky). Yellowstone Park Lodges – Possibly due to COVID all the park restaurants seemed to be serving institutional food or prepackaged sandwiches. It was overpriced for what you got and not really very good.
Nearby parks: Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park – This park was highly rated and after driving through we could see why. The sites were gravel but they appeared to be well maintained and level. The park will be our first choice if we return to the area but book early! Buffalo Crossing RV Park – Nice small park right at the west entrance to Yellowstone and walking distance to West Yellowstone shops and restaurants. This is a close second to Grizzly but with few frills.
What we liked: Minimal road noise. Mountain views. Fox Den RV and Campground – Another nice no frills park in West Yellowstone.
What we didn’t like: The deluxe sites include a concrete patio that is very tall. More than one set of campers had to work hard to get their stairs to operate correctly. Some added blocks under the wheels to lift their trailer high enough. Others like us, moved away from the patio so that our stairs were not over the patio. The issue there is that the sites are not level right to left and moving over caused the problem to be worse. Our tires were several inches off the ground on the left side to make us level. Trees near the sites created some major obstacles to get into and out of the sites. Even though the sites were supposed to be 77′ long, they were somewhat cramped since you had to work around the trees and utilities in order for slides to have room to extend.
Verdict: We would stay here again if we find ourselves in the area and other more preferable sites weren’t available but the KOA is expensive and designed for older and smaller rigs. Even the KOA journey 1.5 miles further west might be a better choice.

The Lewis and Clark expedition of 1803 to 1806 roughly followed what is today an Interstate highway and passed through Livingston on July 15, 1806. Livingston was also a gateway to Gardiner where the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park both during the days of steam engine trains and today as automobiles make their way down US-89 and into the park. As you might guess, there is a lot of history in the area and we hope to come back here in the future to spend more time investigating all there is to see.

Park Review – Livingston / Paradise Valley KOA Holiday

Rating: 
Site Quality: Asphalt roads with gravel pads. Each site had a picnic table and fire ring. We had a deluxe site and it also included a patio.
Type: Commercial
Access: About 10 miles south of Interstate 90 from Livingston, MT south on US-89. Turn left on Pine Creek Rd. for about 1 more mile and the park is on the left. Pine Creek Rd. is very bumpy so go slow!
Staff: The staff at check-in was nice and friendly. The office was closed until 2PM which was check-in time although that may have been just the day we arrived.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: AT&T was pretty good at about 13.5 Mbps download and 1.33 Mbps Upload. Verizon was about the same at 19.7 download and 1.36 upload. The park had WiFi but we didn’t use it.
Restaurants: Montana’s Rib and Chop House – After about a month in places that mostly had bar food, this was a welcome return to “civilization”. Although it’s a chain restaurant and the prices were pretty high we managed to get a really nice dinner. Fiesta En Jalisco | Mexican – This place is right across the street from the Livingston Depot Center (the old train station) and served up decent Mexican food somewhere between Authentic Mexican and Tex-Mex. Although it wasn’t like what we get in Texas, it was still good.
Nearby parks: Yellowstone’s Edge RV Park is about 9 miles south of the KOA. It looked very nice if not a bit crowded. Most sites can also see the Yellowstone River. Would be worth looking at next time – this time it was fully booked when we checked about 7 or 8 months out.
What we liked: Smaller park, quiet, fairly level sites. Deluxe sites 58-61 are all on the Yellowstone River but they may be too short for us. Even though we still had to endure the smoke from California wildfires it did give us some nice sunsets.
What we didn’t like: Typical KOA, a bit pricy for what you get. Only a few sites long enough for us (1, 2, 3 and maybe a few others).
Verdict: We would stay here again assuming we could book a site we fit into.