My install date is 4/30 in the late afternoon. I’m coming from the Hood River area and looking to dispersal camp Friday the night before, somewhere close to Bozeman the night of and then some place on the way back (this is unfortunately a quick trip with minimal exploring. Would like to camp ~1/2 way on the way there and back. If anyone has any good suggestions let me know. I was thinking the spot along the Lochsa across from Wilderness Campground but I’m not sure if the Lochsa will be drawing large enough crowds to make the dispersal spot rowdy yet or not.
Any suggestions are much appreciated!
Mike
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Do you know if you’re planning to take I-90 through Spokane or I-84 through Boise, yet? The Boise route is quite a bit longer (distance & time) so I wasn’t sure. I haven’t done any dispersed camping so I can’t give you any specific recommendations there, but I have done several “quick stops” for a night at small campgrounds along the I-90 route and been pretty pleased with them. The small price was fine with me to have a proper toilet and the crowds were small enough to not bother us. Just an option to throw out there, and there are several to choose from that are close to I-90 as to not add too much to your drive time. I will say, the very best one we ever camped at was along Hwy 12 right on the banks of the Clearwater River. It was a small first come-first served campground with about 5 or 6 spots, each one was fairly secluded, the sound of the river all night was heavenly, and the drive along Hwy 12 up through Lolo Pass was some of the most beautiful you could ask for. I don’t know what road conditions are like right now, they might still have some decent snow up there, but it would add roughly 90 minutes to your total drive, and puts you out in the south side of Missoula, ready to jump right back on I-90. My fiancé and I do road trips all the time and we’re always looking for long-cuts like this to get off the beaten path and see new things. It took us 3 tries to make this one happen, and it was worth the persistence.
I live in Missoula and have some spots I can send outside of Missoula and going towards Lolo/inbetween Lolo and Idaho there.
