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RE: Portland OR RV parks
Another vote for Champoeg SP. Milo McIver SP in Estacada is nice also.
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tiptoe tommy
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04/12/12 05:54pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Sandpoint / Coeur D'Alene Campground Recommendations
Sam Owen is great, and there is also hookups next door at Beyond Hope.
The kids would love Silverwood, but don't camp at the dusty campground there. Instead stay at wonderful Farragut SP about 10 miles away.
Heyburn SP at the south end of Lake Coeur D' Alene is great too, especially for riding bikes on the Trail of the Alene's.
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tiptoe tommy
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02/07/12 02:57am |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: YELLOW STONE
We split our time between Canyon and Grant because they were centrally located. If you have to pick one with your size rig, I would recommend Grant.
I would also highly recommend two nights at Colter Bay RV to visit the Tetons.
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tiptoe tommy
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02/06/12 08:46pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Glacier National Park and Environs
The only place to fly in is Kalispell on the west side. IMHO there is a lot more to see on the east side. Meet your friend there and camp 2-3 days and then move to the east side to spend 2/3 of your time. The west side is nice, but not even close in terms of scenery and drama. Camp at St Mary's as a great home base. Spend a day at Two Medicine, a day on the Going to the Sun, a day at Many Glacier, and a day at Waterton.
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tiptoe tommy
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12/14/11 11:08pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: State Route 66 - Oregon
We took 66 a couple of years ago and it is mostly okay, but the section coming out of Ashland climbs very quickly and then features a lot of turns before it settles down. Take 140 unless you don't mind a challenge.
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tiptoe tommy
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12/14/11 01:21am |
Roads and Routes
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RE: California/ need sone help/advice
EPenney nails it. I would put a strong plug in for Lassen NP. Great geothermal features, amazing alpine scenery and trails, and you can easily climb up to the top of a 10,500 foot volcano that erupted in 1912. A very underrated park.
You said you didn't want to do the coast this time, does that apply to Oregon and Washington too? If you want to stay inland, travel on Hwy 97 to Lava Beds NM, Crater Lake, Bend, and more.
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tiptoe tommy
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12/14/11 01:14am |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Why do you love state parks?
We love state parks, but we live near Washington, Oregon, and Idaho which all have great parks in beautiful places. Generally, I think there is a difference between the feel of a national park campground and a state park campground and it is mostly the idea that in national parks you are in wilderness, so your footprint should be minimal.
But really, we try to mix it up. A big part of the fun of camping for me is looking at maps and trying to find interesting, cool places to go. Sometimes that means fancy amenities at a RV park, most often it means state parks and national forest campgrounds.
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tiptoe tommy
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12/14/11 01:02am |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Yellowstone
We stayed at Canyon for three days, then Grant for three days, followed by two nights at Colter Bay RV with hookups. I think these campgrounds are the easiest to explore Yellowstone from and they both handle big rigs. Often the National Park system is conservative with the listed size of sites.
Driving can be slow in Yellowstone due to terrain, animals, and traffic--but hey, who's in a hurry? Just chill and look out the window. Personally, I love to go the last two weeks of August when the crowds drop because kids are going back to school.
From Canyon we spent a day visiting the Lamar Valley and driving the Beartooth Highway, a day at the canyon, and a day driving the north loop.
From Grant we spent a day around the lake and two days exploring the geyser basin.
I think the Tetons are great for a two night visit. They are amazing and very different from Yellowstone. Kayaking on Jackson Lake with the mountains in view and taking the boat across Jenny Lake to hike to Inspiration Point and Hidden Falls were highlights for us. You might consider stopping there either on your way in or your way out.
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tiptoe tommy
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12/14/11 12:42am |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Rt 200 Missoula, MT to Idaho Border
200 is a great road and the posts here are good descriptions. Personally, I have to choose Hwy 2, so I can visit one of America's best diners, the Libby Cafe. Huckleberry flapjacks, amazing Chicken Fried Steak, everything is good there. Kootenai Falls nearby is an amazing place with a very short hike to the falls.
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tiptoe tommy
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11/17/11 01:08am |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Winter : rv park or campground in Columbia River Gorge
Warning--the Gorge can be treacherous when it is snowing. The combination of heavy winds and snow can make for very tricky driving. Make sure you time any trip through there to avoid big storms.
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tiptoe tommy
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11/17/11 12:58am |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: California and Oregon coasts with no reservations...doable?
You will generally be fine. The further north from the Bay Area and the further south you get from Portland the less busy the campgrounds. South of Florence on the Oregon Coast has many more spots. The only reservations I would look at in June would be any state park north of Newport on weekends. School is usually out in the NW in mid-June so the first half is a bit better.
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tiptoe tommy
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11/10/11 12:10am |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Idaho campgrounds
North Idaho !! Coeur d Alene, Kellogg, Wallace--all have the best camp fun ever. The Trail of the Coeur d Alenes is a 72 mile paved trail, mostly flat with only a couple road crossings. It follows the river and CDA lake for miles. The Haiwatha trail is an unpaved rail trail that begins at the Mt/Id border and features high trestles and tunnels. The Centennial Trail begins east of Coeur d Alene and runs 50? miles into Washington state.
Believe me, us North Idahoans are sproiled when it comes to riding! The views are the best, the paving is the best, and riding is the best.
Look at websites (check above for some names)& check Heyburn State Park, Wolf Lodge CG, and the RV parks in Coeur d Alene. Enjoy!
Blazing Saddles hits the nail on the head. Heyburn SP is a great homebase to ride the most beautiful part of the trail. The Hiawatha Trail at the Montana border is spectacular. You ride in the canopy of trees over 10 or more trestles and through as many tunnels.
We like camping, hiking, biking and shopping near Sandpoint or Hope. Sam Owen NF and Beyond Hope are two more great camping options and Sandpoint is a cool artsy town.
Farragut SP is awesome and huge. Great sites, tons of biking opportunities, and it is right near Silverwood Theme Park which is worth a day just for the water park, although it has some great roller coasters too.
Ponderosa SP in McCall is a great place for high mountains.
A visit to Hells Canyon is well worth it. There are several Idaho Power campgrounds that are great places. Copperfield is our favorite and a beautiful 17 mile drive up the canyon to the dam and the wild Snake where raft and powerboat trips start.
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tiptoe tommy
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11/09/11 11:59pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Family trip to Yellowstone NP, any advice?
I would definitely stay at Colter Bay RV and spend 2-3 days in the Tetons. That is the perfect time for an amazing park. Take a boat across Jenny Lake and hike up the canyon. Have pizza in Moose. Rent a canoes/kayaks at the nearby Colter Bay Marina and explore the wetlands and wildlife on the shores of Jackson Lake with million dollar views.
Grizzly seems to be the best West Yellowstone option with hookups and things to do. But remember you drive 20 miles just to get to the park each way, so factor that into your planning.
Personally we stayed at Grant and Canyon without hookups and wouldn't trade it for the world. At Grant we hiked, saw ranger programs, had a spot with more stars than I have ever seen on the shores of Yellowstone Lake. There is even the Lake Cafe with an $8.95 all you can eat buffet. Endless bacon! My son was in heaven. Canyon was a great base for the northern part of the park and had great programs too. Both have little shopping villages to give teens something to do. Do not stay at Fishing Bridge with six kids unless you enjoy hanging out in a parking lot.
A few other tips with kids:
--Helen's burgers in Gardiner at the North entrance
--There are two places to swim in Yellowstone and both are great. The first is Boiling River right inside the North entrance. Amazing pools have been built in the Yellowstone river where cold water mixes with hot spring water. Family friendly and fantastic. The second is the Firehole River on the short loop off of the main Old Faithful road. The swim hole is just down the river from the big geysers and the water is perfect for swimming. Nice area for little kids too.
--Spend a day driving the Beartooth Highway without your rig. Amazing place and drive. You can make a nice day trip by driving through the Lamar Valley out the NE entrance. Stop in Cooke City for great lattes and berry shakes. Head up to the top of the road and picnic at Beartooth Lake at 10,000 feet. Instead of driving all the way to Red Lodge, you can shorten your day trip by turning around at the rest area near the top of the switchbacks heading down the mountain. Check this area out on Google Maps.
Have fun.
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tiptoe tommy
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11/06/11 08:46pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Wintering on the southern Oregon coast?
Brookings has the best weather on the southern Oregon Coast. And it is a very good home base if you like to hike. The town is fairly small, and there isn't too many shops. Harris SP is wonderful. You can explore the redwoods, the trails along Boardman SP and some nice beaches, but I don't think you really want to stay more than a week there.
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tiptoe tommy
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10/30/11 01:23am |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Best time to go to Mount Rushmore & Yellowstone
Because of the distance to drive there from most cities, Yellowstone and Grand Teton are packed the first two weeks of August and then the crowds drop off quite a bit for the last two weeks. Visit Glacier if you can, it is perhaps my favorite park.
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tiptoe tommy
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10/25/11 12:03am |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Anza Borrego
We love Borrego Springs. Take the short hike to Palm Canyon, it is beautiful. Make sure you drive the roads around town to see those gigantic metal sculptures of animals that have inhabited the area. Kendall's Cafe in town has huge, homestyle breakfasts.
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tiptoe tommy
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10/24/11 11:59pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Long Beach, WA to Santa Maria, CA
Visit Astoria if you can. Lots of good places to eat, we like Fort St. George's for a brewpub. There is also a great Rogue Brewery restaurant there and in Newport. All of the state parks are exceptional. Cannon Beach RV is great and the town is really fun with a great beach and Ecola State Park. Cape Lookout SP is perhaps my favorite state park because it feels remote. Consider visiting the Air Museum in a huge blimp hanger just south of Tillamook. Beverly Beach is the perfect home base to explore the central coast of Oregon. Agate Beach is a pretty nice course. Honeyman SP is a great place to explore the dunes. Sunset Bay is great for checking out the awesome gardens at Shore Acres SP and Cape Arago. And Harris SP in Brookings is a great park right on the beach a mile from town.
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tiptoe tommy
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10/24/11 11:52pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: First Ore-Glacier-Yellowstone Loop
paulj gives excellent advice on routes. I would also advise that in visiting Glacier, you should spend 1/3 of your time on the west side, and 2/3 on the east side where there is more to see. Take Hwy 2 around the park--an easy drive--and there is good hookup camping at St. Mary KOA which is a great home base. To get to Yellowstone from Glacier, take 287 south from Browning as it rolls over the prairies with outstanding views of the Rockies to the west.
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tiptoe tommy
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10/09/11 05:08pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Sisters rv parks
The former KOA is nothing special, but if you want to be close to town, then it is pretty much your best option. Depending on what direction you are heading, you may wish to camp out of town. Tumalo SP towards Bend is a nice park. And if you can forgo hookups for a night, the campgrounds of the Metolius River are indescribably beautiful to the northwest of town right behind Black Butte.
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tiptoe tommy
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10/09/11 04:53pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Leaving Portland,Oregon and heading south.
Driving the whole Oregon Coast is a great trip. The state parks and private parks mentioned here are all top notch. But if you are only likely to come this way once, then I would also consider heading east to Crater Lake just north of Coos Bay and driving up the Umpqua River to Diamond Lake, and then back down the Rogue River to I-5. Visit Ashland for great camping at Emigrant Lake, theater, and a cool town.
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tiptoe tommy
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10/07/11 01:19am |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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