Montana - Yellowstone

I wen there few years ago...it was great!

Check this link...plenty of good info...

http://www.nps.gov/yell/

If you have time, also check the Grand Tetons and Glacier National Park...great places!

 If you have one, bring a good spotting scope, they are great to see the wolfs and other animals from afar.

Have great time there! 

Oh, you can have an AMAZING drive down from Calgary! I'd recommend coming down along the eastern edge of Glacier. Maybe spend a day or two there as well. Many Glacier is really neat and less well-traveled than the St. Mary's Lake area because Going-to-the-Sun Road goes through there. If you only have a day or part of a day there, I'd recommend taking the ferry that goes across Swiftcurrent and Lake Josephine. From there you can hike up to Grinnell Glacier, which is just an awesome hike.

The Rocky Mountain Front is my favorite part of the State. Head south on 89, then take 287. I love the campsite at the end of the road on the North Fork of the Teton River. You can stop at the Forest Service office in Choteau for directions. It would be 45 min-1hr off the highway.

Keep an eye out for the Hutterite Colony a few miles south of Augusta and stop by and buy some eggs from them.

My little city of Helena is a fantastic spot to stop and spend some money see the sites.  The Historical Museum is great and the little tour train (which yes, we make fun of) is actually really cool. Mount Helena is a good little hike. The Gates of the Mountains boat ride is awesome. If you do decide to come through Helena, PM me and I'll tell you more specific things to do.

All the stuff I've done near Bozeman is WAY off the beaten path, so I can't help you much there.

Thanks Kim!  Was hoping you'd see this post.

Re the hikes you've mentioned - what's the length and difficulty level of these hikes?  Are they along marked trails?  My kids (8 and 6 years of age) have done some hikes up here but I like to know in advance what the route is like.

Hmm, 6 and 8... well, not having any kids, I'm never sure of what they can do at what ages. From the ferry I mentioned, you can also hike up to another lake. That's a lot flatter hike. The one Grinnell Glacier hike is a lot of climbing. Another good hike from Many Glacier is up toward Swiftcurrent Pass. There are some lakes and waterfalls along the way. It doesn't really start climbing until you're 4-5 miles in.

Mount Helena is easy peasy. I think it would be a good climb for a kid. Lots of feeling of accomplishment with minimal "oh my god, I'm so tired. this sucks".   The NF Teton campground has multiple hikes around with no specific destination, so you can just turn around whenever.

Grinnell Glacier Trail (that would be the other lake you can hike to down there):

Swiftcurrent Pass Trail: 

I'll post some pics of the NF of the Teton tonight.  

Thanks for all the tips and beautiful pics!  Nothing about our trip is set in stone.  Probably looking at a 2 week journey.  Don't mind not having power/sewer for a few nights especially if it means nice sites (meaning treed with some seclusion).

Keep your suggestions / links coming!

Steve

I am in Livingston which is just 50 miles north of the North Entrance (Gardiner) of Yellowstone National Park.

Fun things here (between time in Glacier and Yellowstone) would be...

Museam (sp!) of the Rockies (Bozeman-only 23 miles away on the Interstate) AWESOME dinasaur exhibit.

Chico Hot Springs-fun for the whole family...20 miles south of Livingston thru the beautiful Paradise Valley. Right on the way to Yellowstone.

Hike Pine Creek Falls...also in the Paradise Valley. Great hike for a 6 and 8 year old...only about a mile up to a spectacular waterfall. If they are doing great....you can keep going.

Raft on the Yellowstone River...(the largest free flowing river left in the US) lots of outfitters for a pretty fun day trip...if you are really game, do Yankee Jim Canyon. Yikes!

If you need more info....let me know. We have been here in Livingston for 14 years.

Have fun!

hey mdg... are you riding with a group or tour ride?  We are thinking of maybe doing the Montana/Wyoming/Idaho trip with Cycle America.  We are trying to decide between this and Alaska ride.

Who are you riding with?, and when are you going?

I have not done a tour ride with Cycle America, but my boyfriend has, and he says they are great.  He has also done tours with PacTour and also compliments them on a great job.  In fact, my boyfriend has already done the Montana/Wyoming/Idaho ride a few years back, but is willing to go back (with me this time), and says he will still enjoy it because it's such a great trip   He says they really pamper you

I agree... the prices on some of the bike trips are $$$.  Alaska is $3,000... that's alot of money to bike, LOL!! 

CA national park tour schedule is supposed to come up today... we are waiting to see it before we decide which tour we are going to do, it's hard to decide!