Help with Montana Itinerary
Feb 28th, 2008, 04:30 PM
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Help with Montana Itinerary
In August, we're spending several days in Yellowstone with two young kids, 4 and 7. We are staying at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge in Yellowstone. When we leave Yellowstone, I'd like to head north and drive the Beartooth Highway and then spending three or four days in Montana before heading down to Salt Lake City. I was thinking of staying in Red Lodge, MT for a night and then a couple of nights in Bozeman. Does this make sense? Any suggestions of nice places to stay? Can we do the drive from Old Faithful to the Beartooth in one day? I'm confused. Help, please. Thanks.
Feb 28th, 2008, 04:53 PM
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I am headed to Red Lodge about a month after you. Please post a trip report.
We are staying at the Blue Sky Cabins (http://www.blueskycabins.com) in the Red Lodge area and have been told by numerous people to go to the Grizzly Pub to dine.
We are staying at the Blue Sky Cabins (http://www.blueskycabins.com) in the Red Lodge area and have been told by numerous people to go to the Grizzly Pub to dine.
Feb 28th, 2008, 07:27 PM
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Yes, you can do Old Faithful to Beartooh in a day. Gizzly Pub is still a good bet for food. Be sure to allow time to linger on the Beartooh Plateau and enjoy the vistas. A great place for a picnic in August!
The top of Beartooh is the only place where I've seen it snowing on the 4th of July!
The top of Beartooh is the only place where I've seen it snowing on the 4th of July!
Feb 29th, 2008, 04:15 AM
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Hello trav1er 
Oh, you will love Yellowstone! How fun your young children will have seeing all the wildlife. (Please be safe and keep a big distance away.)
The Beartooth Highway is a lovely drive. There are quite a number of places to pull over and enjoy the scenery, like the many glacial lakes with their turquoise blue waters.
We were on a daytrip to Cody, so I can't recommend lodging in Red Lodge. But we did stop for lunch. We had been recommended on this site to eat at the Bridge Creek Backcountry Kitchen and Wine Bar. It's a quaint place right on the main street, with a lovely outdoor patio if it's nice. (We ate indoors, rather chilly in late September.) But the food was delicious! Here's a link:
http://www.eatfooddrinkwine.vcn.com/
Happy travels!
Oh, you will love Yellowstone! How fun your young children will have seeing all the wildlife. (Please be safe and keep a big distance away.)
The Beartooth Highway is a lovely drive. There are quite a number of places to pull over and enjoy the scenery, like the many glacial lakes with their turquoise blue waters.
We were on a daytrip to Cody, so I can't recommend lodging in Red Lodge. But we did stop for lunch. We had been recommended on this site to eat at the Bridge Creek Backcountry Kitchen and Wine Bar. It's a quaint place right on the main street, with a lovely outdoor patio if it's nice. (We ate indoors, rather chilly in late September.) But the food was delicious! Here's a link:
http://www.eatfooddrinkwine.vcn.com/
Happy travels!
Feb 29th, 2008, 05:35 AM
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Hi there cmcfong
Sorry, but we didn't do any hiking in those areas. We were basically heading to Cody, so when we stopped it was just for short periods.
That restaurant was REALLY good! Hope you have a chance to try it.
Sorry, but we didn't do any hiking in those areas. We were basically heading to Cody, so when we stopped it was just for short periods.
That restaurant was REALLY good! Hope you have a chance to try it.
Feb 29th, 2008, 06:39 AM
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Swisshiker, I am relying on your good advice and it will be our first dinner in Red Lodge! I signed up for all their email news. It does look great. If you think of anything special about the area do post it. Your counsel is always welcome.
Feb 29th, 2008, 07:42 PM
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Bozeman is a good place to spend a couple of days. It has lots of restaurants and lodging choices plus the Museum of the Rockies. The C'mon Inn and Wingate Inn have nice pools for the kids.
There are nice drives in all directions. Try Virginia City, Lewis and Clark Caverns, Chico Hot Springs, or Big Sky. Enjoy your visit.
There are nice drives in all directions. Try Virginia City, Lewis and Clark Caverns, Chico Hot Springs, or Big Sky. Enjoy your visit.
Feb 29th, 2008, 10:38 PM
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Our plan was to drive not simply from Old Faithful to the Beartooth but from Flagg Ranch, just south of Yellowstone off the south entrance. Our first problem was that a huge herd of bison decided to cross the road (right in the middle of Yellowstone somewhere), half a dozen at a time and really taking their time. Park rangers were there trying to let a few cars through between bunches of bison without arousing their ire. It was boring when we were in a 10 mile lineup of cars but kind of fun when we were in the middle of the herd.
Our next delay was when we discovered that Cooke City had no fast food restaurants (the nerve!) and we had to wait for an hour in a restaurant to get some hamburgers.
We finally got on the beautiful Beartooth and drove up approximately to the summit. We stopped several times for pictures and a short hike (near a small lake but I can't really tell you where. I had seen several interesting looking longer hikes on a brochure, but we didn't have time to do one).
Our destination was Cody, so we turned around and headed back. Because of the delays, it got dark when we were only halfway to Cody, so we missed out on some of the lovely scenery of the Chief Joseph Highway. So, to answer your question, yes, you certainly can drive from Old Faithful to Red Lodge in one day. Have a great time!
Our next delay was when we discovered that Cooke City had no fast food restaurants (the nerve!) and we had to wait for an hour in a restaurant to get some hamburgers.
We finally got on the beautiful Beartooth and drove up approximately to the summit. We stopped several times for pictures and a short hike (near a small lake but I can't really tell you where. I had seen several interesting looking longer hikes on a brochure, but we didn't have time to do one).
Our destination was Cody, so we turned around and headed back. Because of the delays, it got dark when we were only halfway to Cody, so we missed out on some of the lovely scenery of the Chief Joseph Highway. So, to answer your question, yes, you certainly can drive from Old Faithful to Red Lodge in one day. Have a great time!
Mar 1st, 2008, 07:41 AM
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Bozeman? I would have thought you'd do Yellowstone, Red Lodge, back through Yellowstone and the Tetons to SLC via I-15. Aside from I-15 the Montana/Wyoming part of your trip is the most scenic. As to hiking with small kids, Broadwater and Curl Lakes are perhaps the easiest however not very "scenic"! In the Teton's however the kids would love the boat ride to the Hidden Falls at Jenny Lake and taking the trail back past moose Ponds. Remember that Moose are very dangerous.
Mar 10th, 2008, 12:05 PM
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if your young ones are into dinosaurs the museum of the rockies in bozeman would be a treat for them. If you have other questions I am in Billings if you want to contact me [email protected]
Mar 11th, 2008, 04:11 AM
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jere, we will leave Red Lodge the last night of our trip and move to Billings. There are eight adults in our group. Could you recommend a nice hotel and restaurant for one night of our trip? Thanks.
Mar 11th, 2008, 04:47 AM
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I grew up in the Bozeman area but live in a 'burb near Chicago now. Bozeman's a cute little town near two ski areas with fun shops and restaurants.
www.bozemanonline.com
Your kids might like the Museum of the Rockies especially if they like dinosaurs.
www.museumoftherockies.org
If you plan to be there at the beginning of August, the Sweet Pea Festival should still be happening.
www.sweetpeafestival.org/index1.html
The drive from Bozeman to Yellowstone is very pretty, too.
www.bozemanonline.com
Your kids might like the Museum of the Rockies especially if they like dinosaurs.
www.museumoftherockies.org
If you plan to be there at the beginning of August, the Sweet Pea Festival should still be happening.
www.sweetpeafestival.org/index1.html
The drive from Bozeman to Yellowstone is very pretty, too.
Mar 13th, 2008, 09:51 AM
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Did this 2 years ago w/ 2 kids slightly younger. One tip: Take a cooler or check one on the plane.
Yellowstone - although it is on the other side of the park, I would recommend taking your kids to the brand new and interactive Canyon Visitors Center. Just go up to the Madison Interchange, cut across Norris Canyon Road and you are there. You will want to do this anyway to see the Artist Paint Pots - way cool!
Also, your oldest child might be interested in earning his Junior Ranger Badge. Go to the Old Faithful Visitors Center and get the info when you arrive - cute worksheets, questions, hints, etc. for the kids.
You most certainly can drive from Old Faithful through the Beartooth Highway in one day. I would get an early start to avoid as much of the crowds as possible when hitting the Beartooth. We made it from Billings to Yellowstone in about 6 hours, with several stops in between for eating, exploring, watching wildlife, taking photos... etc. Honestly, there was not a lot for the kids to 'look at' on the Beartooth Highway - it is beautiful but you will be hard-pressed to get your kids excited about the mountains, glaciers and some alpine lakes. When we stopped, the kids loved climbing on rocks and skipping stones though.
Billings: SuperWalmart to re-stock that cooler. They were suffering from wildfires during our visit so we did not see much. We did eat at a great restaurant downtown - Montana Brewing Company - then caught our flights out from the very interesting airport!
On the drive from Billings to Bozeman, there is not much to see/do, but there is a cheesy little Praire Dog Park that we stopped at for about 15 minutes. We just opened the van doors and slowly drove by - the kids absolutely went crazy - the little prairie dogs come right up to the road, stick their heads out of windows - et cetera. Yes, they are a pest, but the kids will love it.
Bozeman - can't say enough about this delightful town. We LOVED it - the Museum of the Rockies is a MUST for kids - the dinosaur egg clutches are worth the ticket alone. Be sure to catch the film as it shows how they find and extract the dino bones.
Search online for a B&B in the area - it will be worth it to have that peace and quiet and breakfast served up for you. (There is also a laundromat down in the main area of town that we used).
Bozeman - Beans & Berries has delicious sandwiches that they could pack up for you into a 'box lunch' one day when you drive over to skip rocks on the river. It was glorious...
Beware of the bears though and be sure to get your kids shoes equipped with some bear bells or make lanyards with a brass bell, an ID tag, and a whistle on them that they wear everyday in case you get separated while hiking. Ours also carried their own fanny pack with a ziplock bagged snack and a water bottle - again, in case of separation. Please remind your children that the animals are wild - not pets or caged zoo animals. Keep the distance and be safe.
Would love to offer more advice if you need it...
Yellowstone - although it is on the other side of the park, I would recommend taking your kids to the brand new and interactive Canyon Visitors Center. Just go up to the Madison Interchange, cut across Norris Canyon Road and you are there. You will want to do this anyway to see the Artist Paint Pots - way cool!
Also, your oldest child might be interested in earning his Junior Ranger Badge. Go to the Old Faithful Visitors Center and get the info when you arrive - cute worksheets, questions, hints, etc. for the kids.
You most certainly can drive from Old Faithful through the Beartooth Highway in one day. I would get an early start to avoid as much of the crowds as possible when hitting the Beartooth. We made it from Billings to Yellowstone in about 6 hours, with several stops in between for eating, exploring, watching wildlife, taking photos... etc. Honestly, there was not a lot for the kids to 'look at' on the Beartooth Highway - it is beautiful but you will be hard-pressed to get your kids excited about the mountains, glaciers and some alpine lakes. When we stopped, the kids loved climbing on rocks and skipping stones though.
Billings: SuperWalmart to re-stock that cooler. They were suffering from wildfires during our visit so we did not see much. We did eat at a great restaurant downtown - Montana Brewing Company - then caught our flights out from the very interesting airport!
On the drive from Billings to Bozeman, there is not much to see/do, but there is a cheesy little Praire Dog Park that we stopped at for about 15 minutes. We just opened the van doors and slowly drove by - the kids absolutely went crazy - the little prairie dogs come right up to the road, stick their heads out of windows - et cetera. Yes, they are a pest, but the kids will love it.
Bozeman - can't say enough about this delightful town. We LOVED it - the Museum of the Rockies is a MUST for kids - the dinosaur egg clutches are worth the ticket alone. Be sure to catch the film as it shows how they find and extract the dino bones.
Search online for a B&B in the area - it will be worth it to have that peace and quiet and breakfast served up for you. (There is also a laundromat down in the main area of town that we used).
Bozeman - Beans & Berries has delicious sandwiches that they could pack up for you into a 'box lunch' one day when you drive over to skip rocks on the river. It was glorious...
Beware of the bears though and be sure to get your kids shoes equipped with some bear bells or make lanyards with a brass bell, an ID tag, and a whistle on them that they wear everyday in case you get separated while hiking. Ours also carried their own fanny pack with a ziplock bagged snack and a water bottle - again, in case of separation. Please remind your children that the animals are wild - not pets or caged zoo animals. Keep the distance and be safe.
Would love to offer more advice if you need it...
Apr 15th, 2008, 02:56 PM
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As recommended previously, the C'Mon Inn in Bozeman, despite its cheesy name, is a great place for families. There's also a HI Express in Belgrade (a suburb of BZN) but that's further from the action.
the bozemanonline website recommended earlier should be good help. Google the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce and search their hotel options for more info. You really have lots and lots of lodging choices.
The Pollard Hotel in Red Lodge is a very nice historic hotel but on the pricey side. Red Lodge is the northern gateway to the Beartooth Hwy and it gets LOADS of summer tourists. There's a fun throwback toy shop on the main drag (can't remember the name) which is especially good for grandparents.
Best of luck,
-doo
the bozemanonline website recommended earlier should be good help. Google the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce and search their hotel options for more info. You really have lots and lots of lodging choices.
The Pollard Hotel in Red Lodge is a very nice historic hotel but on the pricey side. Red Lodge is the northern gateway to the Beartooth Hwy and it gets LOADS of summer tourists. There's a fun throwback toy shop on the main drag (can't remember the name) which is especially good for grandparents.
Best of luck,
-doo
