ROUTE 66 Road Trip - ROUTE 66 RV Network

ROUTE 66 Road Trip
By Pete Zimowsky
In Idaho, camping season almost
never ends for RVers. The state
boasts such an extreme range
in elevations that RV camping
can run from February through
November, depending on your
location. And Idaho’s state parks
are known for catering to off-season crowds. With that in mind, we
asked a veteran RV camper and
outdoor writer for his top must-see
list of Idaho state parks and tips
for camping by the seasons.
Idaho
,
by the Seasons
State parks offer
spectacular camping
nearly year-round
Scenic Route
Vol.1 / No. 4
I
f variety is what you seek,
Idaho delivers it with
drama. From low river
canyons to high Rocky
Mountains, from windsculpted sand dunes to glacial
alpine lakes — Idaho state parks
are a showcase of scenic diversity.
Consider this: Hells Gate State
Park, along the Snake River bordering Washington State, rests at
an elevation of 713 feet. The terrain rises to 6,500 feet at the City
of Rocks, near the Utah border.
That makes for some amazing
— and varied — camping.
Of course, even some of the
low-elevation desert state parks shut
down their campsite water supplies
in the winter because of freezing
temperatures, but that’s hardly a
barrier to die-hard campers.
Hey, you’re in an RV and there’s
electricity at the parks.
It’s not hard to camp by the
season in Idaho. You can start by
(left) A mountain biker gets a lift
at Brundage Mountain Ski Resort, a
popular destination for hikers and
bikers visiting nearby Ponderosa
State Park.
don’t
forget
• Warm clothes for cool
summer evenings
• Binoculars for wildlife
watching
• Mountain bikes
• Canoe or kayak for
quiet mountain lakes
Route 66
Regional ROUTE 66
RV Network Dealers:
Bish’s RV Super Center
3911 N. 5th E
Idaho Falls, ID 83401
208-529-4386
Bish’s RV Super Center
1515 Garrett Way
Pocatello, ID 83201
208-232-4386
Seventh Heaven–
Camper Village
4044 Chinden Blvd.
Boise, ID 83714
208-336-0213
setting up camp at Bruneau Dunes
State Park in southwest Idaho —
with all its desert features — in late
February or early March.
As the weather warms, most
campers flock to mountain locations, like Ponderosa State Park, in
the summer. Located at the mountain town of McCall, it’s a popular
destination for RV campers who
like sailing or motor boating on
Payette Lake.
“It’s right near Payette Lake
where we can go (sea) kayaking
and it’s near for hiking,” said Jeff
DeWitt of Boise, who camps with
his family in their travel trailer.
This year, the DeWitt family was camping by early June at
Ponderosa and their travel trailer
proved a cozy shelter against cool
evening temperatures.
Fall is a good time of the year
to visit mountain locations before
the snows hit, and you can revisit
Bruneau Dunes State Park in late
October or early November when
temperatures are still fairly mild for
a northern climate. And no matter
where you are, Idaho’s state parks
are usually located within minutes
of major towns where you can dine
out, restock supplies and regroup.
The state parks also lie along
major interstates and north-south
highways for convenient stopovers
on long-distance trips across country or visits to the West Coast.
With lush scenery and varied
Seventh Heaven
Recreation
3880 Chinden Blvd.
Boise, ID 83714
208-343-6203
Seventh Heaven–
Meridian
203 S. Main St.
Meridian, ID 83642
208-846-8844
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Vol.1 / No. 4
Heybu
geography, you don’t have to go far
in Idaho to find a park that’s right
for you, whatever the season.
Here are a few to whet your
appetite:
About Idaho State Parks
•C
amping fees for RVs: $16 a night for water
and electricity; $18 a night if sewer hookups
are included. They are available in certain
parks. All visitors in vehicles must pay an
additional $4 motor vehicle entry fee to get
into state parks.
• Length of stay: 15 days in any 30-day period.
• Annual State Park Passport: This $25 annual
pass allows motor vehicle entry into Idaho
state parks as often as you wish in a year.
• Quiet hours: 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. No generators
or other motorized equipment emitting sound
and exhaust may be operated during quiet
hours.
• Check out time: 1 p.m.
• Information: www.idahoparks.org
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Vol.1 / No. 4
Priest Lake
State Park
Want to camp in some of the
most incredible mountain and lake
country in Idaho? Head to Priest
Lake State Park in the northern part
of the state this summer. The park
lies on the shores of Priest Lake,
a 19-mile-long lake at the base
of the Selkirk Mountains near the
Canadian border.
Amenities: RV campgrounds
with dump station, electrical hookups, boat ramps, docks, and hiking
and biking trails. Sites are 50-foot
maximum.
Activities: Hiking or mountain
biking on the northernmost tip of
Idaho’s Centennial Trail by Upper
Priest Lake which winds through
lush forests. Priest Lake and Upper
Priest Lake offer incredible boating for motor boaters, sail boaters
and canoeists and touring kayakers. White-tailed deer, black bear,
moose, waterfowl and bald eagles
can be seen near or around the park.
Grizzlies and caribou live deep in
the nearby Selkirk Mountains.
Supplies: Area resorts offer services for campers and boaters. The
park store at Indian Creek carries
supplies, too.
Getting there: From Boise take
Idaho 55 to New Meadows and
continue on U.S. 95 to Sandpoint.
Turn west on U.S. 2 to Priest River.
The state park is 33 miles north
on Idaho 57. It’s a full day’s drive
from Boise to Priest Lake (about
480 miles). It’s also accessible from
Spokane, Wash.
Information: (208) 443-2200
or www.idahoparks.org.
Farragut
State Park
This park sits on the shores
of Lake Pend Oreille in northern
Idaho — easily one of the state’s
most beautiful spots for late-spring
through early-fall camping. Lake
Pend Oreille is Idaho’s largest lake,
sprawling across 94,600 acres and
reaching 1,150 feet in its deepest spots. Besides the incredible
backdrop of the Coeur d´Alene
mountains, the lake offers trophy
fishing for 30-pound trout, nationally rated sailing and wide-open
water skiing.
Amenities: Full service hookups for water and electricity, a
dump station and maximum 60foot camp spaces. It sports nature
trails, boat ramps and lots of places
to go bike riding.
Activities: Hiking, mountain
urn
biking, motor boating or sailing are
popular. The park also hosts lots
of wildlife. Mountain goats can
be seen on the mountains across
the lake.
Supplies: Marinas can be found
at the towns of Bayview, Sandpoint
and Hope. Sandpoint is the place to
dine out and go shopping.
Getting there: It’s an all-day
drive from Boise. Head north on
Idaho 55 to New Meadows, then
U.S. 95 to Sandpoint. You can’t
miss the lake. It’s also accessible
by freeway from Washington and
Montana to Coeur d´Alene and
then north.
Information: (208) 683-2425
or www.idahoparks.org.
Heyburn
State Park
This park is located on Chatcolet
and Benewah lakes and Hidden Bay,
which are at the south end of Lake
Coeur d´Alene. It is said to be the
oldest state park in the Northwest,
dating back to 1908. Try it anytime
from March through October.
Amenities: The 7,838-acre park
includes three campgrounds and
two boat marinas. Campgrounds
offer full hookups for RVers, a
dump station and maximum
55-foot sites.
Activities: Fish for trout, northern pike, bass and panfish. Marshes
here are ideal for bird watching,
especially waterfowl. To see the
swans in early spring is a treat. Thick
cedar and pine forests are home to
deer and other wildlife. Check out
the Chatq´ele´ Interpretive Center
in the former Rocky Point Lodge,
which features information about
From top to bottom: Jeff DeWitt, of Boise, Idaho, helps his daughters with their
bikes at Ponderosa State Park in early June. The family likes the park’s proximity to Payette Lake for kayaking. Spotting swans in early spring is a highlight
for birdwatchers at Heyburn State Park in North Central Idaho. Idaho lakes offer
nationally rated sailing, water skiing, kayaking and canoeing opportunities.
the Civilian Conservation Corps,
the Coeur d´Alene Tribe, local history and wildlife. The lakes are also
great for motor boating, sailing,
canoeing, and sea kayaking.
Supplies: The towns of Moscow
or Coeur d´Alene are a little over an
hour away, but are worth the drive
for an evening out or shopping. The
marina store at the park provides
food, gas and camping gear. The
town of Plummer is the closest
place for stores and restaurants.
Getting there: From Boise,
take Idaho 55 north to U.S. 95 and
continue north to Plummer. Take
Idaho 5 east to the park. Expect
about a seven-hour drive. It is also
easily accessible from Spokane and
Coeur d’Alene.
Information: Call the park
at (208) 686-1308 or www.idahoparks.org.
Continued on page 10
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Reader Inquiry #104
Scenic Route
Vol.1 / No. 4
Top photos courtesy of Idaho Department of
Parks and Recreation
Bruneau
Dunes
Dramatic sand dunes tower nearly 500 feet high at Bruneau Dunes State Park. With lush scenery and varied
geography, you don’t have to go far in Idaho to find a state park that’s right for your needs. Idaho state parks lie
conveniently near major interstates and highways — usually within minutes of towns for shopping and restocking
supplies.
10
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Vol.1 / No. 4
Winchester Lake
State Park
Winchester Lake State Park,
north of Grangeville, has it all: a
lake, woods, trails, and wildlife. It’s
a family-friendly camping area, the
perfect place to just pitch camp and
hang out from late May through
October.
Amenities: RV hookups, a
dump station and 60-foot maximum sites. There are lots of summer programs for the kids. Be sure
to visit the nearby Wolf Education
and Research Center.
Activities: This is a mellow
place with trails for short hikes
or bike rides. Winchester Lake is
stocked with trout and great to
explore by canoe. Wildlife watching for deer, osprey, waterfowl and
eagles lures many people here.
Supplies: Stock up in the towns
of Grangeville or Lewiston before
heading to the state park.
Getting there: Drive about five
hours north of Boise on Idaho 55
and U.S. 95 to Winchester. Go
through town and follow the signs
to the park. It is also accessible
from Spokane.
Information: (208) 924-7563
or www.idahoparks.org.
Bruneau Dunes
State Park
This park is ideal for early spring
and late fall when other campsites
are snowbound. Shade trees and
shelters also make it palatable for
early summer campers. The main
attraction is the sand dunes that rise
470 feet above two small lakes.
Amenities: Full-service hookups for RVs, a dump station and
80-foot maximum campsites. The
park is a popular resting area for
RVers traveling I-84 across Idaho to
points West and Northwest. You’ll
find hiking trails, and small docks
for nonmotorized boats.
Activities: Try skiing or boarding on the dunes, fly a kite or fish
for bluegill and bass. Visitors also
enjoy hiking and wonderful photography opportunities of the dunes
and surrounding desert at sunrise
and sunset. A visitor center features
displays on local wildlife and information about how the unique sand
dunes were formed.
Supplies: The town of Mountain
Home to the north offers full services with cafes, burger joints and
grocery stores.
Getting there: Drive east from
Boise on Interstate 84 and turn onto
Idaho 51 at Mountain Home. The
park is just past the Snake River.
Access is also available on the interstate coming in from Salt Lake City
and points east.
Information: (208) 366-7919
or www.idahoparks.org.
Ponderosa
State Park
The park occupies a peninsula
jutting into the azure waters of
Idaho’s Payette Lake near McCall
in the west-central part of the state.
The view from the top of Brundage Mountain is worth the climb.
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11
Scenic Route
Vol.1 / No. 4
Ponderosa
Priest River
In June, visitors will find wildflowers around Meadow Marsh, ranging
from blue camas to wild orchids.
Camping is good from late May
through October.
Amenities: Electric and water
hookups, a dump station and 80foot maximum sites. It’s a busy
park in the summer and reservations are hard to get but worth
it. Fall is a good time to visit as
crowds decrease.
Activities: Picnicking, nature
trails, birdwatching and viewing
wildlife, including deer, red fox,
beaver, muskrat, and bear. Canoeing
or sea kayaking close to shore is
popular. Try beaching in one of
the coves for a picnic. The lake is
known for water-skiing or wake
boarding, but bring a wet suit. This
is a former glacial lake, so the
water is chilly, even in the summer.
Nearby, the Brundage Mountain
Ski Resort keeps chairlifts running
in the summer for mountain bikers
and hikers.
Supplies: The town of McCall
offers a variety of restaurants, from
ethnic cuisine to burger shacks.
You’ll find high-end grocery stores
and hometown drug stores, espresso shops and drive-through food.
Camp and enjoy a night on the
town only a few minutes away.
Getting there: McCall is 102
miles north of Boise. Take Idaho 55
to McCall and look for the signs to
Ponderosa State Park.
Information: (208) 634-2164 or
www.idahoparks.org. [
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Scenic Route
Vol.1 / No. 4
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TPhotos courtesy of Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation
Changing seasons brings changing
scenery at Idaho State Parks, with
sparkling lakes, summer wildflowers
and the breathtaking backdrop of
rugged mountain ranges.