Back to Big Timber and Red Lodge by Vicki Rains

The Boulder River at Spring Creek Campground.

After all that traveling we looked forward to a few days rest at our favorite campground, Spring Creek Campground & Trout Farm in Big Timber, MT.  In the 5 summers we have been on the road we have stopped there 4 of them.  You can find out more about it here.  We'll just share a few pictures.   We did eat at the hotel in downtown Big Timber this trip and the food was excellent.  Be sure to try it if you find yourself in the area.

Schnoodles on the dash board with the river through the windshield

Prairie Dogs

While in Big Timber we did drive a short distance to Greycliff Prairie Dog Town State Park to see the prairie dogs.  We like prairie dogs almost as much as we like bison (meaning we are, by now, getting tired of them.)  Compared to Custer State Park or Badlands SD, the dog town was pretty small and the rodents  were more skittish in MT than they were in SD or at Devil's Tower in WY, but we got a few photos anyway.

This was parked out front - I don't know why

We also took a drive to Livingston to see another train museum.  The Great Northern Railroad once crossed the northern plains and the museum is inside the old train depot.  Trains rumbled by about every 40 minutes taking coal east and empty cars back west again, but I don't think any of them ever stop in Livingston any more.  Across the street from the museum was a tackle shop with an interesting facade.  We also stopped and had Dairy Queen treats while we were in town. 

Original Station Wagon

Train art

Ticket office in the museum

Model engine - about 2 feet tall

Fishing shop across the street

From Livingston we drove Hwy 89 along the Yellowstone river about half the way to the Gardner entrance to the park just to enjoy the scenery.  Then we doubled back to our campground.

Along Hwy 89

Next we moved on to Red Lodge.  During our first summer as full time RV'ers we traveled the Bear Tooth Hwy after taking the Chief Joseph Hwy from Cody WY, ending up at Red Lodge, MT.  You

Starting out along the Bear Tooth Highway

can find that story here.  It was so beautiful that we decided to take it in the opposite direction from Red Lodge this trip.  We drove it to the northeast entrance of Yellowstone, then returned back the same route to Red Lodge.

Our first visit we never figured out where the Bear's Tooth was exactly.  Well, this is it.

Visitors play with the ground squirrels

A couple of mountain goats at the top of the pass

The Bear Tooth Hwy is an All American Road.  Earlier this year we drove another one, along UT Hwy 12.  You can find that story here.  The scenery is so different it is hard to compare them.  There is something about the Bear Tooth.  One just doesn't remember how beautiful it is until one is driving it again.

Scenes along the highway

Picnic at a road side rest area

Lake Creek Falls and Bridge