8 replies to this topic

[crookedtail]

I leave for Montana in a couple weeks and will be headed out from Truckee, CA. I'd like to visit some friends in Twin Falls ID, so my basic route was going to be:

- I80 east to Wells, NV, then up Hwy 93 to Twin Falls

- Hwy 93 from Twin Falls to Missoula MT

I will take it slow and leisurely (2.5 - 3 days?) and was wondering if anyone had suggestions on *nice places to camp along the way?

*nice for me means somewhat remote with as few people as possible, i.e., no noisy, crowded campgrounds with blaring stereos and rumbling generators...

Mucho thanks for any info!

Cheers!

[simimike]

I don't know the area that you will be traveling through but I've found ranch exits to be good places to pull over for the night. Drive back as far as you feel comfortable with and set up camp. Most of the time I've found unofficial campsites with level parking and a fire ring.

Cheers,

Mike

[DirtyDog]

From Twin Falls to Missoula you should consider taking 75 through Ketchum and Stanley then rejoining 93. The Stanley / Sawtooth Mountains area is absolutely spectacular and there is great camping all over.

[RonSchon]

Take 93 up around Flathead Lake - the most beautiful drive I've probably ever been on - at least in the top 3.

[kcowyo]

From Twin Falls to Missoula you should consider taking 75 through Ketchum and Stanley then rejoining 93. The Stanley / Sawtooth Mountains area is absolutely spectacular and there is great camping all over.

This. :thumb:


I just got back from a week in Stanley and it was wonderful. Granted DD and I share are a real affinity for Stanley, but for good reason.

Another option, nearly as appealing, would be from Idaho Falls, to continue north on Hwy 20, by Island Park. Drive up the Mesa Falls byway (on Rt 47, parallel to Hwy 20), cruise up Sawtelle Peak for incredible views, camp on Upper or Lower Red Rock Lake, pass through West Yellowstone and take Hwy 287 by Quake Lake (lots of eagle nests) into Ennis and Virginia City, before reaching I-90 and Missoula.

Either route will yield the best of Idaho or Montana. I travel this area often and it is some of the "best of the west". Be prepared, it's been an unusually wet Spring & Summer up here. The mosquitos are out in full force and they are looking for blood... Hope you have a safe trip -

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Edited by kcowyo, 07 July 2009 - 05:41 PM.

[realbtl]

On Hwy 93 about 25 Mi from the MT border you can take hwy 030 from North Fork to Shoup ID, then dirt hwy 038 to Painted Rocks SP in MT and back to 93 just south of Darby. WARNING! I've only been to about the ID border from[I] Darby so I can't vouch for the ID section. The MT portion is paved/easy gravel and there are both designated and dry campsites along the way. If you get up to Flathead Lake PM me and I'll give you some info on that area. I live about 3 miles from the lake. You will enjoy Montana I'm sure.

[kcowyo]

I've done that trail, from Shoup up to Painted Rocks. Very nice and very remote. The trail from North Fork to Shoup is an easy graded road. Once it begins the climb up from the river there are a ton of switchbacks, but nothing to be concerned about. A little bouncy in spots but not real technical by any means.

When I was there in August of '06, there was a lot of burned area up top, kind of spooky driving through forests of dead trees for hours... I also spotted a peacock on the road to Shoup, miles from any ranch. I never did figure out what it was doing way out there.


The road into Shoup, and the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area on the Salmon River -

[crookedtail]

Again, many thanks for the information! I'll sit down with my maps and a cold beverage this weekend to plan a fun route now that I have all these options.

I drive up to Woodland next Monday to have the Hawk installed and I'm pretty darn excited...should be a good trip.

I just did a 3 day backpack into the Ansel Adams Wilderness and I can confirm that the mosquito population up in the Sierra of California is alive and well (and hungry). Good thing I had the screen door option put on the camper

I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures for posting.

Cheers!

[nixfwc]

Check out the little town of Jarbidge. Go north from Elko on 225 turn east on the road to Jarbidge and it takes you on into Idaho west of Jackpot. It is beautiful drive and Jarbidge is a great little town in the mountains. It is a fairly long gravel road but well graded and goes through interesting country in the Jarbidge wilderness. Well worth the extra time.