Flying into Bozeman, then off to ...? Suggestions?

Hi everyone.

Well I had my first trip to Yellowstone planned for the last two months, then I get a call this week from the airline telling me that the Jackson airport is going to be shutdown the week we are there (May 20-27) and now we are flying into Bozeman.

However, we WERE going to stay one night in Jackson before heading up to Gardiner for the rest of the trip, so now I have one day to explore some place new before Gardiner.

Can anyone give me some suggestions on what you would do/where you would go if you were me, before heading to Gardiner?

We are coming up there for the relaxation. Wherever we go does not have to be nice, and prefer quiet and rustic. Would love to spend a day fly fishing somewhere in the middle of nowhere!!! Or just somewhere we could explore nature for the day.

Things I%26#39;ve considered: GNP and Beartooth Hwy

GNP is just too far north to go I think to drive up there, then right back down, so I%26#39;m thinking something west or east of Bozeman. I would LOVE to drive over to Red Lodge, then take Beartooth through Cooke City and into Gardiner, but I don%26#39;t know if it will be open in time??

Sorry for the long post, but I would truly appreciate all of your opinions.

Consider this your trip ... what would you do?

Thanks

Kevin

Flying into Bozeman, then off to ...? Suggestions?

Beartooth may well not be open yet by May 20.

Were it me and I had to ';check up'; short of Gardiner I would probably spend a night just up the road at Chico Hot Springs and have a good soak in the hot water. The restaurant there is excellent. There are other places from Bozeman you could explore but there is basicaly only the one way in to Gardiner, via the Paradise Valley, so would involve back tracking. From Chico you could pass through Gardiner, drop down into YNP and even make a day trip all the to GTNP and then back north to check in. Similarly if Beartooth is open you could pass through YNP to go up there and back track to Gardiner.

Flying into Bozeman, then off to ...? Suggestions?

Beartooth will not be opened. What about a side trip to Cody and enjoy the museums. Take a day and go thru Grand Tetons and spend the night in Jackson if you have the time. We were there late May/early June of 2007 and 2008.

Bozeman itself is a great town. Lots of things to do there.

Main Street is cute and fun, Museum of the Rockies is very well done, highlighting the work of Jack Horner, noted Montana paleontologist and local history. Have a piece of pie at the Western Cafe for a local experience. Go fishing on a destination trout stream -- the Gallatin River runs on the north edge of town. There are outfitters all over to take you fishing if you%26#39;ve never been. This is a different kind of fishing than bait fishing -- give it a try.

If you want to get out of town, there are hotsprings in Four Corners west of Bozeman and in Norris

(great fishing on the Madison) a little further West. Just north of Norris is Lewis and Clark Caverns. Not too far in that direction (great fishing on the Jefferson) is Butte, a fascinating historical city largely unaffected by time. Go to the Mining Museum there, and the Mineral Room on college campus (formerly known as School of Mines). Have a pasty at Joe%26#39;s, or a pork chop tenderloin sandwich at Pork Chop Johns.

I would not go to Cody that day because it is too long of a drive for the payoff. I love Cody, and you should go, but it is far for a day trip from Bozeman and back to Gardiner. Remember, time slows down when you go through the park.

The Bozeman to Columbus to Absarokee to Red Lodge trip to Gardiner is a classic if the road is open. Just keep checking.

Livingston is a fun town, too.

There is river rafting on the Yellowstone near Chico, and Chico itself is a very worthy stop. You don%26#39;t have to stay overnight there to swim.

Thank you all for the replies.

I think the museums would be great to tour, but I probably would not drive a long distance just to go.

The fishing, wildlife and outdoors are our main objective. I was born and raised on Arkansas%26#39;s White and Little Red Rivers, so I%26#39;ve been fly fishing for a long time.

However, I know that we are going to miss the Yellowstone fishing season, one of the reasons I want to stay in Montana that first day, so I can get my flies in the water!!

I will be traveling with my 65 year old grandmother, so probably will not be much on the swimming or rafting (but definitely one of these days!)

Would still love to hear everyone%26#39;s opinions. Thanks!

Sorry, still me, just posting under my wife%26#39;s account because she was already signed in!!

Generally, the projected opening date of the Beartooth Pass is Memorial Weekend which this year is early (May 23-25). The highway department works really hard on plowing the road because its always been a big tourism event. Most years they get it opened by then but it can close quickly if there is a snowstorm. Usually they get it back opened the next day. Last year was an unusually wet and cool Spring so the opening was delayed. The pass also closed a couple of times (for a day or two) in June. If you go to my profile you can see what the top of the pass looked like in the end of June last year. In the 30 years I%26#39;ve been going up over the pass (multiple times each year) last year was the first time there has been that much snow (next to the highway) that late in the year. There have been many times I%26#39;ve gone up the weekend after Memorial Weekend and there is hardly any snow. I remember going over the pass 15 years ago and watching skiers use the extreme ski school at the top of the pass in mid July. This year the Beartooths have gotten quite a bit of snow. However, the last two days here it has been over 80 so that melts snow pretty quickly. I don%26#39;t know what the long term May weather outcast is predicting.

If you can be really flexible and don%26#39;t mind last minute changes I%26#39;d keep the idea of going over the pass open. It is definately worth driving over it. The status of the pass is posted on the Montana Department of Transportation website:

http://www.mdt.mt.gov/travinfo/

Thank you so much for the link. I%26#39;ve been looking for that.

Yeah I really had my heart said on Beartooth. I guess I could plan for that, and then have a back-up plan.

I would not necessarily mind backtracking from the Red Lodge area, back into Bozeman and down to Gardiner if you guys think that the Red Lodge/ Absarooka area would be worth it for me?

Any lodging that you know of with fishing out the back door???

Thanks~!

Hmmm. If you%26#39;re flying into Bozeman, spending one night there, and then onto YNP . . . maybe spend your first night at the Gallatin River Lodge http://www.grlodge.com/, and do a little fishing right there at the lodge?

Considering all the snow dumped on that area this past week, it%26#39;s highly doubtful the Beartooth Pass will be open by the time you arrive, so I wouldn%26#39;t plan on it. But, as another advisor posted, you never know . . . if the pass is open, plan for an entire full day from Bozeman east to Red Lodge, over the pass and back west through Cooke City to your destination in Gardiner.

Another spot for fishing is in Ennis MT, a little over an hour away from Bozeman. Not sure how the fishing is early in the season.

www.ennischamber.com

Ennis has a lake, from which the Madison River flows. Below the Bear Trap Canyon you can fish the Madison without a boat, but you%26#39;d want waders and gear. The Madison is a blue-ribbon trout stream known for huge trout.

Be sure to check in to local fishing rules for catch and release, and get the appropriate license.