The Montana Loop – 2 KOA’s

25 06 2021

Livingston KOA Site Map

We’re parked at site #39 at the Livingston (Montana) KOA.  We’re here for an impromptu family reunion, with other family members in site #38, Cabins K13 & K21.  We also have other family members at two private AirBnB type residences.  Our sites are part of brand new upgraded deluxe patio sites.  #38, 39 & 41 will provide 3 sites, each with a large patio, a firepit and very nice patio furniture.  These 3 sites share a common area between them, thus making them perfect for groups traveling together.  The “outside” sites, #37, 40 & 41 would make great overflow sites for a larger group.  Or, since configured back-to-back, allow plenty of privacy if not part of the group.  The only down side to these new sites is a lack of shade.  All of the large trees were removed to make room for these 6 sites.  Other very nice sites are along the river, #58-#61 and these offer better shade.  Overall the park is in great shape, the staff is friendly and attentive.  We’d come back!

The 5 days in southern Montana are busy and a bit of a blur.  Some of the group spends time touring Yellowstone.  Others hit the golf links, some go horse back riding and some of us tour around Gardiner, the northern entrance to Yellowstone.  Needless to say, at the end of June, the area is very busy with RV and other Yellowstone visitors. We also spend an afternoon at the OTO Dude Ranch near Gardiner.

Sheridan KOA Site Map

After our stay in Livingston, we’re headed to Sheridan, WY and yet another KOA.  We’re parked in site #A25, on the far south side of the park.  Sites A21-A26 are tight, both in terms of nearby trees and actual site width.  Even though this is pull through site, trees at both ends make entry difficult.  We’re advised we should probably plan to back-in.  And, these sites are the closest to I-90, a very busy trucking corridor running from Seattle on the west to Boston on the east.

However, we’re happy to have this site.  Due to a big veterans rally in Sheridan, everything is sold out.  We initially were reserved for a dry-camping, “overflow” site in the tent section.  Fortunately with a cancellation we ended up grabbing this full hookup site.  With temps pushing triple digits, it’s great to have both AC’s running which helps drown out the traffic noise.

After a quick overnight in Livingston, we’re headed to Cheyenne, WY.  More from there…


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Categories : Summer Camping 2021

The Montana Loop – Across Wyoming

18 06 2021

After departing Yampa River SP, we head almost directly north to our first stop for 1 night at Western Hills RV in Rawlins, WY.  The park is well laid out, mostly gravel, with nice facilities and a pleasant and accommodating staff.  They moved my reservation when I apparently selected the wrong day on their reservation system with no “change” fees.  However, we ended up in an “electric only” site.  Water is $3 and dump is $3 for these sites. WiFi (from site #60) runs along at nearly 30Mb down and 6Mb up.

While in Rawlins we selected the #1 Mexican Food restaurant according to Yelp, Rose’s Lariat.  A true diner, Rose’s offers great food at reasonable prices.

Western Hills RV, Rawlins, WY

From Rawlins we’re headed to Thermopolis and the Eagle RV Park.  It’s a beautiful drive through the Wind River Canyon before arriving here.  We’re parked in site #13, a very shady and large end site.  We last visited Eagle RV back in 2013 and had a wonderful stay.  We’re happy to report the staff and services are still great.  We’d come back!

Eagle RV, Cody, WY Site #13

After 2 nights in Thermopolis, we’re off to Absaroka Bay RV in Cody, WY.  We tried to get into Buffalo Bill State Park – but evidently sites here are very busy due to it’s location next to Yellowstone.  Absaroka Bay is well maintained, but wow – the sites are tight!  Not just side to side, but also front to back.  With nearly all pull-throughs, the narrow roadways mean parking tow vehicles across the front of the sites which can present an arrival or departure challenge.  During our 2 night stay in Cody, we explored Buffalo Bill SP and enjoyed fine beers and food at Pat O’Hara Brewing Company.

Absaroka Bay RV in Cody, WY

Buffalo Bill State Park Site #4

 

From here, we’re headed to Livingston, MT for 5 nights – more from Montana!


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Categories : Summer Camping 2021

Devil’s Tower

28 07 2020

Belle Fourche, SD – Geographical Center of the Nation

After departing Deadwood, we’ve made a brief stop in Belle Fourche, SD to see the “Geographic Center of the Nation” monument.  While not quite the center (the actual point is on private property), the city of Belle Fourche has created a beautiful park for the carved granite monument and gift shop.

 

Belle Fourche, SD – Geographical Center of the US

 

Belle Fourche, SD – Geographical Center of the US

From Belle Fourche, it’s just a little over an hour along the scenic route of highway 34 (24 in Wyoming) to Devil’s Tower. We’re staying at the Devil’s Tower/Black Hills KOA.  This KOA is literally at the entrance to the National Monument, and provides a stunning view of the towering monolith.  With over 100 sites, this KOA has something for everyone. We’re parked in sites 162-164, 50A/water back-in sites with good shade on the edge of a central park area.  Beyond with no shade are large 50A full-hookup pull-through sites.  On the west side are some very nice premium back-in “view” sites.  On the north side of the property, along a gentle bend of the Belle Fourche river are beautiful tent sites, KOA Kabins and even 5 teepees.

Within the complex is a camp store for everything from RV supplies to beer, a gift shop for t’s and Indian crafts, a (closed) pool, nightly hayrides and a nightly presentation of Close Encounters of the Third Kind which was filmed in the campground and at other locations around Devil’s Tower.  Besides exploring the Tower Monument, some of our group visited the small town of Hulett and the slightly larger town of Sundance.

From Devil’s Tower we’re headed home with stops at the Douglas KOA, the Wellington KOA and Chatfield Lake State Park near Denver.  We were last at the Douglas KOA in 2017 for the solar eclipse. We’ve never stayed at the Wellington KOA before.  It’s a nice park off of I-25 just north of Ft. Collins that works great for a quick overnight.  However, during our stay it suffered from a strong manure (horses or cows or both) smell and lots and lots of pesky flies.  We doubt that we’d use this park again, the Ft. Collins/Lakeside KOA Holiday is much nicer.

Chatfield Lake State Park, site #36

Chatfield Lake State Park, site #34

At Chatfield we’re parked in site #34.  It’s a nice end site on the center A loop with lots of trees and privacy.  We’d stay here again, or at site #36 which offers a bit more late-day shade and just as much privacy.  This is our last stop on the Cheyenne Frontier Days and South Dakota trip.  We’re at home for a week before once again heading out – more from Mueller State Park!


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Categories : Summer Camping 2020

2 Nights in Rock Springs

15 08 2016
Rock Springs, WY KOA (Site #66)

Rock Springs, WY KOA (Site #66)

Good Morning from Rock Springs, WY.  We’ve just packed up after spending 2 nights at the KOA here in Rocks Springs.  With a super friendly staff, including fresh baked chocolate chip cookies at check-in, this KOA is about what we’d expect in this dry desert of western Wyoming.  There are about 100 “short-term” sites and about another 100 long-term sites to the rear of the property.  The dog run on the east side and tent sites on the west side might be the best part of this campground.  The dog run has beautiful lush green grass for Fido’s enjoyment.  The tent sites are individually enclosed in a cedar privacy fence, include at least 1 shade tree, a grassy tent pad, an electric hookup, a picnic table, BBQ grill and nearby water and parking.

The gravel RV sites are arranged in 5 rows that run from east to west.  The front rows appear to be electric/water only.  We’re in the 3rd row with full hookups including about 30 channels of analog cable TV.  There are a few “super-sites” on the east end of these rows that include privacy fencing, a picnic table and BBQ grill – all for about $65 plus taxes.  Our site #66, also an end site on the far west side of the park,  has a couple of small shade trees and a bit more privacy for about $45/night.  Most of the sites share hookup connections, meaning the layout is staggered door to door.  If the park is full, you might end up sharing a picnic table area (with two tables) with your neighbor.    All of the park is gravel, but even with a mild wind, didn’t seem too dusty.  There are two shower rooms, a laundry room,  exercise room and a pool that is popular with the kids.  There’s also a well stocked store onsite, or a nearby Wal-Mart and K-Mart can satisfy most needs.

Today we’ll continue west on I-80, through Salt Lake City and on to Wendover, Nevada.  While we’re not expecting a lot at yet another KOA, we’re hopeful for nearly $72 it’s a bit better than Rock Springs.  More from Nevada!


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Categories : Olympic Peninsula - 2016, Summer Camping 2016

Custer Cove, Glendo State Park, Wyoming

25 07 2015

WP_20150717_002cAfter several attempts to find available walk-up sites at Custer Cove over the years, we’re finally camped at what we consider the prime lake-side sites at Glendo State Park, Custer Cove #3 and #4.  These two side by side sites provide plenty of space, privacy and easy access to the lake. We arrived last Thursday to occupy site #4.  However, pre-scouting earlier in the week undoubtedly secured this prime spot for us.  Thanks Shawn!  When we arrived site #3 was occupied, however within minutes of their departure on Sunday we’ve secured that spot for friends that will be joining us later in the week.  We also used site #6 for friends and family.  #6 isn’t a prime site since it’s located right on the entry road, but works well when paired with #4.  It has a fairly easy access pull-through, but doesn’t provide much in terms of shade or privacy.  And, with the wrong wind direction, might be a bit too close to the vault toilets and/or dumpsters.

Site #4 is a back-in site with nearby trees curb-side and the rather misplaced fire pit on the opposite side.  Allowing safe space for a campfire, we needed to trim a few tree branches to fully deploy our awning.   Behind the site is a sand and rock beach area with some nice shade trees and easy access to the water.  Site #3 provides either back-in access (down a very long access road) or a side approach that allows an RV to be parked sideways in the site.  This side to side orientation might not be easy for longer rigs, but does provide beautiful lake views from the patio/awning area.  The tighter trees on #4 also provide a bit better shading, #3 has full sun from early in the morning until at least mid afternoon.  The fire pit is much more appropriately located on #3.  This site is situated on a point, with sandy beach access to the rear and rocky lake access to the side. Both of these sites are away from all of the other Custer Cove sites and provide the best privacy.  Facilities at Custer Cove include a line of 3 or 4 dumpsters and some vault toilets. Drinking water (with threaded taps) is available at nearby Reno Cove, or back to the other side of the lake at Whiskey Gulch.

Arriving on Thursday and not departing until the following Sunday, we’ve spent 10 days dry camping – a new record for off-the-grid survival.  The 3G Verizon access is good and about 3 or 4 hours of generator usage each day provides all the resources we need for productive work days. But by around 3pm, with temps climbing into the low 90’s, we’re enjoying the shade of the cottonwoods on the beach and the cool lake waters. Most sites at Custer Cove are occupied by late Thursday evening. Departures seem to occur on Monday or Tuesday when the campground is the quietest until the crowds begin to arrive again on Thursday.  We’ve had a great time at Glendo, and look forward to returning next year!

Site CC-6
Site CC-6
‘Big Yard’, Site CC-4
Custer Cove Beach
Custer Cove Beach
Lake Glendo
Site CC-4

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Laramie KOA

22 06 2015

WP_20150623_001We’re parked at the Laramie, WY KOA.  After leaving Boysen Reservoir we traveled south through Riverton and on to Rawlins where we met I-80 to Laramie, about 250 miles total.  This is a “Journey” KOA, close to the highway for an easy overnight stop.  There are about 100 sites at this kampground, each with a bit of grass and maybe a small tree.  The facilities are good and clean, as you’d expect for the somewhat higher price point at a KOA.

WP_20150623_004

 


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Boysen State Park

20 06 2015
Upper Wind River, Site #72

Upper Wind River, Site #72

We’re parked at the Upper Wind River Canyon campground at Boysen State Park in central Wyoming. After departing Glendo yesterday, it was about 3 hours across through Casper to Boysen.  We along with friends are in sites #71 & #72, 2 of the 10 reservable sites in this campground.  There are a total of 50 sites in this grove of cottonwood trees just below the dam. Water faucets are scattered throughout the park, but we only found one that was threaded and usable to fill our fresh water tank.  There are also spotlessly clean toilet facilities.

Boysen Reservoir Dam was built around 1950, and replaced a smaller, lower dam originally built in 1908.  An interesting aspect of the new dam was the relocation of an important rail line between Billings, MT and Casper, WY.  Trains now traverse the canyon and dam through a 1.3 mile tunnel that runs under the bay near the marina and exits below the dam.  In 1949, each mile of this unique rail line cost an estimated $1 Million. Nearly half of the entire dam building project of $28M was spent on 12 miles of rail relocation.  POPULAR MECHANICS ARTICLE

On Friday afternoon as we arrive, the cotton is hanging like huge snow drifts piled in the trees. The slightest breeze made it feel as if we’re inside of a snow globe, except the “snow” was sticky and unpleasant.  After sunset, the winds picked up and the cotton accumulated in sticky piles around our feet and coated many of the window screens.  So sticky in fact, that a gooey mixture of cotton, leaves and small pebbles stuck in clumps to the bottom of our shoes and the outside patio carpet.  Allergy sufferers were at high distress levels during these frequent “snow” storms. In fact, living up to the name “Wind River Canyon”; high, gusty winds picked up every evening between sunset and 10pm, howling well into the early morning hours.

On Saturday we decided to explore around the lake a bit, and get out of our cotton laden surroundings for a few hours.  There are several water-side campgrounds near the marina just above the dam.  Beyond, Tough Creek Campground provides an additional 65 camping sites, a large day use area and a boat ramp.  The newest campsites, just at the end of the peninsula are completely under water due to a very wet spring in central Wyoming.  However, these campsites (once dried out) appear to have an ideal lakeside location and fewer cotton wood trees.  Returning to Boysen we’d like to check out sites in the upper 290’s, #295 and #296 look ideal.

After spending a somewhat sneezy 3 nights at Boysen, on Monday we’re headed home. We’ll probably make a quick overnight somewhere along the way.  More from there…

Upper Wind River Canyon Campground
Upper Wind River Canyon Campground
Boysen Resevoir
Tough Creek Campground
Tough Creek Campground
Upper Wind River, Site #71
Upper Wind River, Site #72

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A Quick Overnight at Lake Glendo

19 06 2015
Lake Glendo Sunset

Lake Glendo Sunset

We’re waking up in site #8, Two Moon campground at Glendo State Park.  We’ve been in this cliff-side site so many times – from back with the boat, to the truck camper and now several times with the 5th wheel.  The news for Two Moon is that it has power!  Recently they have added electric pedestals to about 15 sites on the outer loop.  These were never premium sites because they have no lake views and are closest to the main road that crosses the dam.  But, nearly all of these new power sites are full on this Thursday evening.  In fact, there are only about 20% of all sites left, this place is becoming very popular.  In addition to the new power sites, they have also added new water faucets scattered through the campground.

This is just a quick overnight on the way to Boysen State Park in central Wyoming – more from there over Father’s Day weekend!

Glendo Electric Sites

Glendo Electric Sites

Glendo Electric Sites

Glendo Electric Sites


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Lewis Park, Wheatland, WY

9 08 2014
Lewis Park, Wheatland, WY

Lewis Park, Wheatland, WY

We’re parked in one of the 10 free sites at the City Park in Wheatland, WY.  This park is located east of town, bordered by 8th St and just south of South Street.  The 10 RV sites and a few tent sites are located along the south side of the park, under huge old cottonwood trees.  On Saturday when we arrived, the park was quite busy, several group pavilions were packed, kids were using skate board area and one of the Platte Country Sheriff candidates held a rally at the small amphitheater.  There are also two baseball fields further to the south.

If arriving to Wheatland via I-25, the best way across town is on Gilchrist St then south on 8th Street.  There’s a water fill on the right as you enter the park.  There are also a few other water faucets scattered around the park, however the internal roadways are fairly narrow, so they could be a challenge for all but the smallest RVs.  The city asks for donations to support the RV sites – your donation can be left in the tube next to the water faucet.  Each of the RV sites have 30 amp electrical service, some (possibly all) have 50 amp available.    There are two restroom houses and showers can be purchased for $1.00 at the city pool on the SW corner of the park.  There is also a free dump station available along the rail road tracks on 8th St.

Even with lots of people in the park on Saturday evening, things were quiet by 10pm and remained very quiet well after sunrise.  The only exception were two trains that passed with whistles blowing in the night.  This is great alternative to RV parks close to I-25 and the price is certainly right – we’d stay here again.


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Categories : Duluth MN 2014, Summer Camping 2014