Glacier NP to San Diego Advice

[RZAR66]

Does anyone have any good recommendations for scenic routes or points of interest going from Glacier NP to San Diego via interstate 15? We'll be taking this trip during the summer.

[bjohns]

Right on, jefe, we know that spot and some others as well where you can get away with boondocking. We know and get along well with all the Park Rangers, but they also know of the boondocking spots within the Park. When all the campgrounds are full, and sometimes when they are not, the Rangers have to go to those spots and kick boondockers out, and that goes for TCers, tenters, trailers or RVs of any description. So if you can find boondock spots outside the Park in the National Forest areas, you won't be hassled. We know of several spots we send TCers to if our campground is filled to overflowing. Some of those are virtually on the Park boundaries, so it's like being in the Park.
Hope to see you in Lizard Creek.

[jefe_4x4]

Bill,
Good to know. This is getting (in a good way) to look more like Trip Advisor all the time. Local info from people who know.
I have a feeling you will get a good dose of TC'ers this summer after your post. When we came thru the G.T. area a few years ago, dodging the Bison, we took the dirt road up into the hills to the east of G.T.'s with a great view. All the locals camp there.

regards, as always, jefe

[bjohns]

I'm responding to this thread, but it is for all you TCers out there. If you are running through Yellowstone and Grand Teton NPs, try a stopover at Lizard Creek campground at the north end of GTNP. My wife and I are campground hosts there and love to see the TCers, like us, come through. We are Bill & Barb. Just ask for us and we will do our best to get you set up even during the busiest times of the season. LC is a great little campground, one of the best in either YNP or GTNP, and sits in the trees and on Jackson Lake. Lots of wildlife. 61 campsites and no hookups, but many sites accommodate TCs. Try to get there around noon on the busiest days in July. You can easily experience YNP and GTNP from this one campground. Try us out. We'll take good care of you.

[bjohns]

I'm responding to this thread, but it is for all you TCers out there. If you are running through Yellowstone and Grand Teton NPs, try a stopover at Lizard Creek campground at the north end of GTNP. My wife and I are campground hosts there and love to see the TCers, like us, come through. We are Bill & Barb. Just ask for us and we will do our best to get you set up even during the busiest times of the season. LC is a great little campground, one of the best in either YNP or GTNP, and sits in the trees and on Jackson Lake. Lots of wildlife. 61 campsites and no hookups, but many sites accommodate TDs. Try to get there around noon on the busiest days in July. You can easily experience YNP and GTNP from this one campground. Try us out. We'll take good care of you.

[jefe_4x4]

About going to the Sun hwy; there is a length limit of 20 feet on the narrow road. When we travelled the g.t.t.s. road in '03, the guard at the eastern kiosk got out his tape and confirmed yes, we were 20 feet and could pass. Nonetheless, it was a white knuckle event because of the rocks overhanging the highway. There were time when Jeanie was hanging out the pass side window and giving me depth (or clearance) indications on the rocks our 10' 2" tall camper was trying to miss. A few times I had to go into the reverse lane to clear the rocks. The road is all it's cracked up to be. We were on our way back from a 9000 mile trip from L.A. to above the Arctic circle and back so were smelling the barn by that time.
jefe

[Redsky]

We visit friends in Bozeman several times a year and really enjoy the local beers. Something about the west with excellent micro breweries in Oregon, Montana, and northern California. The Singer heir started it all when he bought the Anchor Steam brewery in San Francisco. I think Portland has more micro breweries than it does Starbucks which is great.

[kayakin]

better try some Flathead Cherry Ale by Glacier Brewery while you are in area. Available at some convenience stores.

[Redsky]

My mistake. I have been working on a route on Hwy 93 out of Elko. We have a favorite camping area around Elko and generally stay there instead of at Winnemucca.

From Winnemucca it is Hwy 95 to Boise and from there we will be taking US-55 to US-95 to Elk City, etc. Our route is through the many wildlife management areas in Idaho that are unique in size and scope and variety of wildlife present in the USA.

[Butch50]

Redsky wrote:
I am in the final stages of planning our trip to Glacier this July. I realized that there is incredible country all through the state of Idaho which is often overlooked in going to Glacier, Yellowstone, and the Tetons.

I am routing through Reno to Winnemucca in Nevada and then north on Hwy 93 to Boise. From there we will go to eight wildlife management areas on our way up to Whitefish. After the time in Glacier we are going south through Montana on I-15 with stops planned in Helena (whose museum has one of the best collections of Charles Russel paintings in the country) and to Butte, Virginia City and Nevada City, the Bannack ghost town (only 26 miles from Dillon at I-15), Craters of the Moon National Monument, and so forth.

With this routing we see a great deal of the Idaho wildlife and forest lands and there is no backtracking with the route coming back south through western Montana.

The total mileage is not much different but it will make for a much more interesting trip.

I think you are going to be lost if you plan on taking highway 93 to Boise. :B 93 does not go to Boise. Coming out of NV at Wells you go north just east of Wendell, ID and continue north on to the MT border. Hwy 93 is about 120 miles east of Boise via I 84.

I think you might mean hwy 95 to Boise.

[RZAR66]

We will be staying at Bannack also

[Redsky]

I am in the final stages of planning our trip to Glacier this July. I realized that there is incredible country all through the state of Idaho which is often overlooked in going to Glacier, Yellowstone, and the Tetons.

I am routing through Reno to Winnemucca in Nevada and then north on Hwy 93 to Boise. From there we will go to eight wildlife management areas on our way up to Whitefish. After the time in Glacier we are going south through Montana on I-15 with stops planned in Helena (whose museum has one of the best collections of Charles Russel paintings in the country) and to Butte, Virginia City and Nevada City, the Bannack ghost town (only 26 miles from Dillon at I-15), Craters of the Moon National Monument, and so forth.

With this routing we see a great deal of the Idaho wildlife and forest lands and there is no backtracking with the route coming back south through western Montana.

The total mileage is not much different but it will make for a much more interesting trip.

[bb_94401]

Both sides are nice. If on the west side head down the east side of the Flathead valley on Hwy 206 to Hwy 35 to Hwy 83 through the Swan Valley down to Seeley Lake and meet up with Hwy 200 and take it west to I-90, then east on I-90 to Drummond then down SR 1 to Philipsburg to Hwy 38 west to Hamilton and continues south on Hwy 93.

One of the nice things about Montana is that 90' easement on either side of the road makes for lots of Fishing Access sites any time it crosses a water way. These make nice boondocking sites as well.

Lots of NF campgrounds or boondocking sites on either side of Lost Trail Pass on the MT / ID border. Enjoy your trip

[RZAR66]

Thank you guys. We have 8 to 9 days to make this last stretch home. I would like to spend as much time as I can seeing Montana and Idaho as I don't know when we will ever get this far North again. We are saving Yellowstone for another time as I feel that is a destination spot and not a drive through and quick see. I like the idea of staying off the 15 and will do just that. Love scenic drives and small towns. Google maps has me going south on the West side of Glacier, is it better heading south on the east side?

[bka0721]

As bb_94401 was describing, my best advice is to avoid the Interstate. There are so many ways to get to SD and not on an interstate. Just by hitting the state/federal highways south to Yellowstone, to Flaming Gorge, Vernal Utah, Dinosaur, Moab, Grand Canyon, Prescott, Quartzsite to SD, you could avoid I-15.

Or South to Yellowstone, Craters of the Moon, Boise, Burns, Oregon, US 395 south to Mojave City to SD. Great way to see some spectacular country.

I could give you lots of selections, all missing the Interstates and still keeping it about 60 MPH, but those easy distractions, take some of the time you might have.

Great country, if you only travel slow enough to see it.

b