Headed to Bozeman/Yellowstone in July

ChrisS

ChrisS

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So, with gas being dirt cheap for the time being and the wife never really having been west (she's originally from England/South Africa) we figured to book a quick week long trip to Yellowstone and Bozeman. I just booked flights and reserved a rental car, but we haven't nailed down an itinerary yet. I have former work acquaintance who lives in Helena and I thought of stopping up there for a lunch. Originally, I wanted to do Glacier and Yellowstone, but figured that would be too much driving. We're planning on taking our backpacking gear to do a total of 4-5 nights in the backcountry and a few nights in a hotel. I wanted to fish at least a few places (she doesn't fish) and check out some Lewis and Clark attractions (maybe take a day to go to Great Falls again). I've driven pretty much the entire state over a couple of different times, but I haven't spent a lot of recreation time in MT and definitely not in Yellowstone.

So, I'm looking for any suggestions for any tips and out of the way pubs and taverns as well historical attractions that are in the area. Thanks!
 
I have some friends that do an annual backpacking 5-day trip to Island Lake (behind Mystic Lake). I joined them last year for the first time and it is awesome. The fishing in Island is awesome. It's a long (7 mile), but easy (only 1 mile is steep uphill) hike in. https://goo.gl/photos/iTTpwJk1iLqBHeYc7 If you decide to go there let me know and I can give you some more tips.

Red Lodge is also a cool little town to check out. I'm used to CO ski towns so it's interesting to see one not as commercialized.
 
Thanks for the tips. She wants to see the geysers and I've warned her that it will be a zoo, but I'll suffer through a day of insanity if it means I can do some backcountry hiking and fishing.
 
I have been looking into going up in that area to try and fly fish for a few days, So I'm interested to also hear about the must see attractions.
 
WoodsWalker270 said:
Start in Red Lodge, MT and drive the Beartooth highway right into Yellowstone. Lots of great views along the way.
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What he said. The Beartooth Highway is spectacular. West of Bozeman not too far off the grid is the Lewis & Clark Caverns. Neat 3 hour stop to walk through the taverns on a guided tour! Ennis is a cool town and nearby is Virginia City where they have a train you can take through town and have awesome plays they put on. http://www.virginiacity.com/#activities

Big Timber has two top notch rifle makers. Shiloh Sharps & C. Sharps company. A tour of those places would be cool!

http://csharpsarms.com/

http://www.shilohrifle.com/

http://beartoothhighway.com/
 
Good suggestions so far. If you go to the Caverns, you can drive up for to the top or you can park down next to the highway and hike the ~4 miles up to the top on the trail system. The caverns is closed right now, but I did an 8.5 mile loop two weekends ago up to the top and down. I grew up in Great Falls. I like Great Falls. But I don't know why someone would want to go to Great Falls on their vacation. Unless you wanted to go to the L&C Interpretive center and the CM Russell museum.

Yellowstone area taverns. I like good beer, so the Livingston brewery Katabatic is the best in the area. After that are Bridger, Outlaw, and Bozone all in Bozeman, and Madison River in Belgrade(suburb of Bozeman if you will). I wouldn't waste my time at 406. Unless you want to have a few beers while you wait for a table at 7's Sushi next door. Downtown Bozeman is Open Range I have heard good things about. Copper is a whiskey bar that's got good food too. Really, any place in downtown Bozeman you can't go wrong with. The Garage is a local favorite. Get your pets some good stuff at Dee-o-gee if you go downtown. In Big Sky everything is pretty good. The new Beehive Basin Brewery is pretty good. The food is good at Lone Peak, the beer is not as good. If you are through on a Wednesday, I like their Farmer's market. An easy hike to get out in the area is Ousel Falls. Like 1.5 miles in along flat mostly. But cool falls. Just out of Big Sky towards the Yellowstone Club. Bozeman is such an ecclectic area, you really can't go wrong at a restaurant that isn't a chain.
 
2ski said:
I grew up in Great Falls. I like Great Falls. But I don't know why someone would want to go to Great Falls on their vacation. Unless you wanted to go to the L&C Interpretive center ....
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Pretty much this. I've been to Great Falls once, but it was briefly for work one January and I'm not even sure I was there for more than 12 hours. I remember I ordered chicken wings at the bar because it was wing night and the bartender asked me how many I wanted. I was like, a dozen? Turns out they served the whole wing, so I had an obscenely large platter of wings to eat.

I didn't know if the Interpretive Center there is any better than any others perhaps the museum(?) in Pompey's Pillar.

Good to know about the rest. Breweries are popping up all over so quickly now it's hard to keep abreast of the best and the brightest.
 
ChrisS said:
Good to know about the rest. Breweries are popping up all over so quickly now it's hard to keep abreast of the best and the brightest.
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If you ever want a beercation come to Denver. I have 3 breweries and a bar with 150 taps within a mile of my house and I'm not even in downtown. That being said, I went to Red Lodge Ales last summer and it was pretty good and a cool place to hang out. If you find yourself in Red Lodge give it a shot.
 
Spent an afternoon with my wife just following our nose south of Big Timber, driving the Boulder River into the mountains. Natural Bridge State Park is down in there. We saw country just as pretty ,if not more than Yellowstone, and we hardly saw another car. Yellowstone is something everyone should see, but there is way too many people to truly enjoy it.
 
As has been mentioned, Beartooth Pass is a must. Hiking Daisy Pass near Cooke City is breath taking scenery and fishing can be very good. the Park will be busy, but many times I am on the road at sunrise taking pictures and the roads are pretty quiet.
 
gauge said:
Spent an afternoon with my wife just following our nose south of Big Timber, driving the Boulder River into the mountains. Natural Bridge State Park is down in there. We saw country just as pretty ,if not more than Yellowstone, and we hardly saw another car. Yellowstone is something everyone should see, but there is way too many people to truly enjoy it.
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This. If you are going along Livingston and Big Timber, go south along the Boulder and then head right along the West Boulder. Some "cabins" up there with names like "Eagle's Landing" and "Wall Street Retreat", if you get my drift. But really is a nice drive up over the mountain and then drops down outside of Livingston.
 
I've been to Yellowstone quite a bit and finally took my kids for the first time last summer. They are both teens and loved it. The Lewis and Clark Caverns was one of the favorite things we did. A stop in Ennis, MT for lunch at Yesterday's Soda Fountain was a bit hit as well and that is ground zero for fishing Mecca. We did nothing but day hikes so I can't comment on extended backpacking.

Book now if you are looking at any time in a motel. I waited til just before summer and ended u paying dearly in West Yellowstone and Jackson, WY. Bozeman rates aren't too bad. There is some good back country fly fishing in the park. Anything around the Firehole will probably be too warm in July. I'll have to dig up my notes on fishing in the park.
 
WonkyWapiti said:
I've been to Yellowstone quite a bit and finally took my kids for the first time last summer. They are both teens and loved it. The Lewis and Clark Caverns was one of the favorite things we did. A stop in Ennis, MT for lunch at Yesterday's Soda Fountain was a bit hit as well and that is ground zero for fishing Mecca. We did nothing but day hikes so I can't comment on extended backpacking.

Book now if you are looking at any time in a motel. I waited til just before summer and ended u paying dearly in West Yellowstone and Jackson, WY. Bozeman rates aren't too bad. There is some good back country fly fishing in the park. Anything around the Firehole will probably be too warm in July. I'll have to dig up my notes on fishing in the park.
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You'd be my hero if you could give me some tips on awesome fly fishing locations!
 
I was just in Red Lodge and Bozeman today for work. Like has been said already, head out of Red Lodge and enjoy the views but I'm also going to recommend Chief Joseph Highway and drop into Cody. That drive is amazing as well and you can be touristy for a bit in Cody and hit up Sierra Trading post while you're there lol.
 
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