Cancellling Glacier NP - Smoke! Give us ideas

[linnemj]

We are thinking of cancelling our reservations at Glacier NP due to very unhealthy air quality from the fires out west. We are currently in Red Lodge, MT. and have reservations starting in 11 days at Yellowstone.

Where would you suggest we head as an alternative to Glacier NP? We like COE, state parks, ect and love to hike and motorcycle.

Thanks for your suggestions!

[brownie_bear]

Highway 2 reopened on Monday. They are still using pilot cars through the fire area.

[ReneeG]

i too have been checking out the web cams and it looks good this week. I'll continue to check before we are expected to leave. Mountain Meadows is nice. Our first trip to Glacier, years back, we stayed there and really liked it. This time we would like the NPS CG experience.

[jamieline]

We were in Glacier last week. Unfortunately it was smoky the whole week. Did break some. We still had a great time. We took a trip over the top to the east side and planned on coming back Rt 2. It was open when we left and they closed it during the day. Had to come back at night through Going to the Sun road. Had a great moon that night.
Looking at the webcams I wish we had the weather that is there now. You can see the mountains and across Lake McDonald which we could not. I would check before you go but looks not to bad now. Again check ahead.
We did go through Apgar. There are some sites that big and was not too full when we were there. There might be sites to allow solar and satellite. Fish Creek might be another spot to check out. Tight on some of the loops. We stayed at Mountain Meadow. Very pleased with this campground.
Enjoy your trip no matter where you end up.

[ReneeG]

2gypsies wrote:
FYI...Our 40' motorhome and toad fit in Apgar.

I did see some there your size, online, but we have solar and a satellite, so we prefer open sites to collect solar energy for dry camping and use our satellite if we want. With all the trees at Apgar we would be limited.

[2gypsies1]

FYI...Our 40' motorhome and toad fit in Apgar.

[ReneeG]

Currently, at least as of yesterday, Hwy 2 around the southern end of the park was closed. I can't imagine going way out of one's way to get to either St. Mary or Two Medicine to camp. I know Apgar is open as is others, but for us we'd need to stay at either one of those due to our size.

[mark1228]

I live in Montana and was in the Kalispell areas on Friday. There was so much smoke all the way there and back that I would not go to Glacier if it was me. Really sad, it is so beautiful there!

[linnemj]

Still second guessing ourselves about heading to Glacier NP tomorrow. Thanks to those who have given us some ideas where to head from Red Lodge if we decide Glacier is a "no-go". We have reservations in Yellowstone at Madison from 10/10-17th and then on the Grand Tetons.

Appreciate your assistance!

[ReneeG]

dahkota wrote:
We just left buffalo bill state park in Cody. Absolutely beautiful. The smoke has been bad off and on for a while - we have been in the area about a month. I would go anyway - one day can be smoky the next clear - you just never know. If it is bad try flatbread lake, hungry horse reservoir, virginia city...

Was it windy at Buffalo Bill State Park? Thinking of going but don't like windy places.

[lbrjet]

We just left the Flaming Gorge area today. Beautiful place. Especially highway 44 from Manila to highway 191 and down to the dam. Saw lots of motorcycles. Forest Service campgounds all over the place and a really nice FS campground at the Lucerne Marina. If you can swing by on your way home you won't regret it.

[2gypsies1]

Since you're heading to Yellowstone you didn't state what direction you're planning from there, if not Glacier. Are you heading home to Tennessee?

Grand Teton Nat'l Park is awesome for hiking and biking so be sure to go there.

Then I'd suggest you head to SW Colorado - Durango, Pagosa Springs areas are great for hiking/biking.

Flagstaff, Arizona has very cool temperatures and Bonito national forest campground just outside of Sunset Crater Nat'l Monument is a beautiful spot to camp. You could also work in Grand Canyon North Rim where it's much cooler than the South Rim.

The southern Utah national parks are great but it's really too hot right now to enjoy them although Bryce Canyon Nat'l Park would be doable with cool temperatures.

[dahkota]

We just left buffalo bill state park in Cody. Absolutely beautiful. The smoke has been bad off and on for a while - we have been in the area about a month. I would go anyway - one day can be smoky the next clear - you just never know. If it is bad try flatbread lake, hungry horse reservoir, virginia city...

[ReneeG]

Good suggestions by Busskipper. Along the highway between the East Entrance to Yellowstone and Cody are many campgrounds and one state park, Buffalo Bill. Two campgrounds I researched have electricity and water - Rex Hale and Wapiti. The state park has two section and each have a loop with electricity. The two campgrounds will have electricity till the day after Labor Day, Buffalo Bill is open till September 30. All would be a good base camp to do exploring till you need to meet your next reservation.

[Busskipper]

linnemj wrote:
We are thinking of cancelling our reservations at Glacier NP due to very unhealthy air quality from the fires out west. We are currently in Red Lodge, MT. and have reservations starting in 11 days at Yellowstone.

Where would you suggest we head as an alternative to Glacier NP? We like COE, state parks, etc and love to hike and motorcycle.

Thanks for your suggestions!

From the info given you need to fill in the next 11 days? If so You could spend them around Yellowstone - Red Lodge and Chief Joseph Hwy and the Beartooth are worth a couple - Cody a couple - Wind River Canyon - Shoshone National Forest are some great areas and will provide drives/hikes - Flaming Gorge a couple of days - Slide into vernal Dinosaur NM - Big Sandy SRA - Grand Targhee - Snake and Madison Rivers.

After YNP I hope you are going into Utah and Colorado = Catching the Aspen in the last week of September in all the Colorado Passes.

Great time to be in the mountains - check the weather and the smoke reports as both will change quickly this time of year.

Enjoy the trip,