Starting from Boise and working your way counterclockwise around the state to some of the best outdoor spots makes for one memorable Idaho road trip. We were averaging about $250 a night. One of the many amazing pieces of street art in Freak Alley in Boise, Idaho. Photo Credit: Idaho Tourism Jet boating, Hells Canyon. Road conditions from Idaho to Montana. Its always better to see fewer destinations more completely than more destinations incompletely. Do NOT dump your trash on the roadways. For dinner, dont miss out on the best food deal in Montana: the small plate menu at the Kandahar Lodges Snug Bar. We have included a few excellent options in our itinerary. If you choose to explore Beartooth, I would budget at least 3-5 hours so you can get out and explore. Eat: We ate at Last Chance Pizza & Pasta in town. The town is a gateway to Yellowstone National Park. Note from Alicia: I would go back to this park a thousand times. Swan Mountain Llama Trekking makes llama dreams come true, with a farm full of friendly, well-treated llamas who basically just hang out grazing and being adorable when they arent trotting along on a hike. The town is a gateway to Yellowstone National Park. Day 6: Helena, Montana to Yellowstone National Park, Alicia ready to slide down the Beaver slide at the Lewis and Clark Caverns. Then it was time to set out on our whitewater rafting trip down the Salmon River. There were several people who had walked out into the brush (not on a trail or path-stupid people) looking to get a better glimpse of the animal. Your email address will not be published. But before too long, the Blackfeet were forced out of their re-assigned home in order to make way for luxury hotels and trains and wealthy tourists. Id never seen so many taxidermy animals in one place, and near the counter, a sign read gun safety rule #1: carry one. Seriously, look at this place: We walked 7.7 miles around Jenny Lake, one of the many hiking trails in Grand Teton. One thing we had been noticing by this point is that things around here close early. Buckle up, because this is a detailed AF post! The venue is an experience in itself, with wild game taxidermy lining the walls, a sturdy wooden bar, and a vintage piano in the corner. Next was Schwabachers Landing (poor Huckleberry had to endure more rocky unpaved roads), where we walked a short way down to the river with a beautiful view of the Tetons. You can rent one from somebody who does on RVShare! Our brainstorming and researching along the way paid off, as we learned we WOULD be able to access Going to the Sun Road IF we arrived before 6 AM or after 5 PM. It literally felt like being at Disney World. Fuel up at Pocketstone Cafe, the ultimate American breakfast spot in Big Fork. Obviously, there are many other options at all price ranges. The road coming in was very windy with a huge drop off over the side of a cliff (this made Alicia especially nervous since the cliff edge was just inches from the passenger side door). Well not quite. That would be a dream trip! The tickets were open at 8:00 that morningand were gone by 8:03. About an hour and $50 later, we were on our way to the last stop on our Idaho itinerary before Boise. Psst: Planning a trip toMontana? All National Parks utilizes the ethos of Leave No Trace. Yum! Youre gonna wish you had, because Montana actually has a burgeoning wine scene. Photo Credit: Idaho Tourism Jet boating, Hells Canyon. By Lia Garcia | Updated on: February 20, 2022. Youll be able to do and see so much more compared to the rest of the year. Thank you so much for including info about Native American lands and supporting indigenous communities. We didnt even play any car games with so much to see! This revelation resulted in frequent singings of Oh give me a home, where the Bison roam throughout the remainder of the trip. Weve also created a free, printable summary of this Montana Road Trip! The Best Street Art in San Francisco: Mission Where to Find the Best New Orleans Street 10 Restaurants in New Orleans for Treating Yourself. International Selkirk Loop, 6373 Bonner St, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805, USA 4. No luck. BEHAVE YOURSELVES and be GOOD VISITORS and youll be welcomed. Always be respectful and mindful of your responsibility and leave it the way you found it! Youll learn all about Missoulas history as a frontier town. Firstly: be aware during your trip that Glacier National Park and, in fact, most USA National Parks was originally inhabited and maintained by Indigenous peoples. Road conditions from Idaho to Montana. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, on the other hand, is just as impressive and a true hidden gem. Youll need to purchase a $10 recreation permit for any outdoor activities you do on the south side of the lake, including fishing or day-hiking. Starting from Boise and working your way counterclockwise around the state to some of the best outdoor spots makes for one memorable Idaho road trip. International Selkirk Loop, 6373 Bonner St, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805, USA 4. Clear Sky. The colorful and unique rocks at Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park. This was great other than your Miracle of America Museum suggestion. It was heavily trafficked (though we still carried our bear spray because safety first), and it offered one amazing view after another culminating in the majesty of Avalanche Lake at the end of the trail. Im so sorry to hear that your home is experiencing overtourism. Ive made the common road trip mistake of trying to pack too many stops into a short time period. WebCheck the road conditions from Idaho to Montana and plan a trip based on the weather along the way. Lunch is included and carried on the llamas, who are excellent pack animals (if youre a differently-abled hiker, this is a HUGE help, particularly for overnight or multi-day treks which would be far more difficult without the assistance of a pack animal). WebThe ultimate road trip planner to help you discover extraordinary places, book hotels, and share itineraries all from the map. The town was apparently poppin in its heyday and had no less than thirteen saloons. So yeah, enjoy your visit. Flathead Lake is also home to its very own resident monster. Detour to Garnet Ghost TownOn our way to Big Sky from Missoula, we stopped at Garnet Ghost Town, a former mining town active from the late 1800s to the end of World War I. Lucky for the dumb tourists, she slunk away after her warning growls, and instead went on to pounce on an unsuspecting small animal for dinner. In the morning, we arrived to these views: Utah is home to Bryce Canyon, Zion, Arches, and other majestic but crowded national parks. (note from Alicia: Who in 2021 locks a car from the door and not from the keys!?). Its the perfect celebration of locally sourced Montana cuisine! Lets go! They were also aggressively anti-mask. Our main activity was a visit to the Goldbug Hot Springs in the Salmon-Challis National Forest. Detour to The Old Saloon in Emigrant, Montana20 minutes away from Livingston is The Old Saloon, an old western restaurant and bar established in 1902. When visiting Reservations or stopping at places that appear to be Indigenous-owned (such as a trading post), look for Native-owned signage. We thought for sure we were about to watch someone get eaten by a wild animal! Montana has so much to offer including its crown jewel, Glacier National Park and weve designed the perfect 10-day Montana road trip itinerary through Western Montana, complete with details to help you plan each step of your trip. Crystal (historical) 29F. The trip begins and ends in Portland, Oregon, but spends much of the time in and around Glacier National Park in Montana. And of course we are always open to guest posts if youd like to create an itinerary for us . However, some Tribal Nations, including the Confederated Salish and Kootnai Tribes and the Blackfeet Nation, are leading the way on Tribal infrastructure and, in turn, tourism. As the day went on, the skies began to clear and we were able to experience the sheer beauty of the park. We definitely want to do glacier but he also wants to do Yellowstone so we may need to figure out a slightly different itinerary. You can make it almost all the way around Whitefish Lake and not have to share the road with cars! This stunning park is the highlight of any Montana road trip! With so many gorgeous scenic byways and charming rural towns to stop in along the way, the journey can be as much of a draw as the destinations themselves. You will pass through St. Ignatius on your road trip so be sure to stop off and check out the new Three Chiefs Culture Centre. Stay: Econo LodgeEat: The Hob Nob on South Higgins Street has good coffee and very filling, all-American brunch fare all at a very reasonable price. We continued for a stop at must-see on any Idaho road trip, Craters of the Moon National Monument - an insanely unique landscape in the middle of nowhere. Ive removed them from our post! Its an area of incredible natural beauty, isnt it? If you are on a tighter budget, you can do a mix of motels and camping, or even camp the whole time. Hells Canyon National Recreation Area A scenic view of Hells Canyon. Its larger than Lake Tahoe and 18 bodies have been discovered lurking in its murky depths. The Ultimate Yellowstone in Winter Guide: Everything You Need to Know, How to Be a More Responsible Tourist: a Travelers Guide to Ethical Tourism, The Perfect 10-Day Utah National Parks Road Trip Itinerary: Utah Mighty 5 Road Trip Guide, The Perfect 2-Day Glacier National Park Itinerary, 14 Epic Things to do in Yosemite National Park, California, Copyright 2023, Practical Wanderlust. We recommend splurging on one night here being able to wake up in Glacier National Park, with mountain goats lounging nearby and a mirror lake reflection right outside the window, was an experience I wont soon forget. Our final itinerary: 3 states, 3 national parks, 1 national monument, 2 state parks and 2,000 miles driven in our trusty steed, Huckleberry. No Practical Wanderlust guide would be complete without a brewery recommendation, so after your pizza hit up Tamarack Brewery. Day 15 Flathead Lake, MT drive to Whitefish, MT. Even though they share a border, its a long drive through Idaho to Montana and we love an adventure-packed pit stop so Riggins was the perfect place to stop on a road trip from Idaho to Montana. Alicia and I stayed the recommended 100+ yards away and watched through our binoculars. We arrived at Bruneau Dunes State Park just after 9:00. We stopped to see what the fuss was about, and as soon as we got out of the car, we heard the murmur of wolf throughout the crowd of people. Visitors range from overweight midwestern American families on their annual vacation to scantily-clad young girls ready for a night at the Marquee. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Yes! (Note: if you have any suggestions for resources not included here, or ways I can better present this information, please drop us a comment and let us know!). My trip to Montana, which was hosted by a State tourism bureau, was eye-opening; I realized how little I know about our American Indian neighbors and the ways in which my country (and by extension, myself) are still, today, complicit in oppressing Indigenous culture and communities. And because were gluttons for food, we also recommend a mid-drive stop at the adorable, European-themed Windmill Village Bakery for giant, fluffy donuts on your way to Missoula! They were designed especially for the inclines and turns of Glacier National Park & Going to the Sun Road, and their unique designs have been a staple of the Park ever since. Which gives me hope for my future llama-owning self. A good rule of thumb is to aim for under four hours of driving per day so you have time to enjoy your destination. Try the stuffed French toast, or literally anything else that looks good you cant go wrong! We would like to spend a few days in Seattle and Portland at the start, aswell as a lake in Montana for a few days at the end. Day 7: Yellowstone National Park to Grand Teton National Park, The Norris Geyser Basin at Yellowstone National Park. If youre thirsty, The Great Northern Brewing Company, Bonsai Brewing, or Spotted Bear Spirits have you covered. Ready to pack some snacks and hit the road for your Montana road trip? When we arrived at the Cold Springs Winery, the owner was out fixing the pond and opened for us even though we arrived before opening. Just a short drive outside of Whitefish, the Resort has myriad ways to get your thrill on, like the mountain bike park, alpine slides, zip-lines, and rope courses. Combining Grand Teton and Yellowstone is perfect for a Wyoming road trip. After two wonderful days in Glacier National Park, its time to continue your journey through Montana. The trail is so gentle on the feet that we actually did it barefoot! Were hoping to visit late June as thats when our daughter is done with school. Downtown Livingston, pictured above, looks like an idyllic old western town, though vintage shops and cafes now line the street instead of saloons. sorry you had to deal with that sort of garbage at the Miracle of America Museum. But if you wait until after school starts, youll be able to enjoy a much less crowded park and absolutely perfect weather! They also detest all those who are moving here especially if youre from California but theyre happy to take your money. We recommend staying at Pine Lodge, located right on the Whitefish River and a 3-minute drive to downtown. We spent the morning exploring the different geyser basins throughout Yellowstone. If youre interested in experiencing Indian Country during your visit to Montana, I recommend reading through this booklet or browsing this site! Coming from the West Coast, there are plenty of quick, direct flights to Missoula on the budget airline Allegiant. For water, we purchased a few 1.5-liter bottles and refilled them at gas stations throughout our trip. Then we crossed back over the border and found a perfect place to stop on the drive between Wyoming and Idaho: Idaho Falls for some yummy Huckleberry Ice Cream at Reeds Dairy. Few things are more romanticized than an all-American road trip, and Im happy to report that they do indeed live up to the hype. How bout the kettle house amphitheater and seeing show how bout rafting a river. We were drawn in by a shop called Latigo and Lace, which featured authentic and local artwork. A 12-Day Road Trip Itinerary for Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas Before we dive in here, it's important to note that this itinerary does include traversing through or near some Indigenous lands, mostly belonging to If you are a Chinese food enthusiast and find yourself in Vegas, I highly recommend this place. Their pizza is cooked in a wood fire oven installed directly in the truck. Neither of us realized just how FAR it was going to be on this side of the road. Definitely add whitewater rafting on the Salmon River to your Idaho road trip itinerary! From there, we set out to Jenny Lake where we rented a canoe to paddle across to Inspiration Point - a great thing to do in Grand Teton. In retrospect, I wonder if some of the people we told were thinking to themselves that we were the dumb tourists who thought a coyote was a wolf (which, lets be honest, we were). Able to experience the sheer beauty of the trip begins and ends in Portland, Oregon, spends... 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