HiLine Route--Hwy 2

[slowpat]

I have been toying with the idea of going east on hwy 2 through Idaho, Montana, N. Dakota and Minniesoda. I'd like to end up where I lived for a couple of years. I drove this route coming back home in 2005 without a trailer. Had no troubles finding motel rooms even in August.

I'm spontaneous and hate to have mileages planned out in order to make it to a reserved spot somewhere not that there seems to be many places to reserve once east of Glacier NP.

Any suggestions of places to stay overnight? Do the small towns usually have a place to park for a night? Is it too late in the season to find spots?

[PamelaK]

We made a trip across hwy 2 from Mt to MN this spring. Almost all small towns have a city park. We had no trouble at all finding a place to camp over night. Many were free, some a nominal fee. Ask at a local gas station, every one we asked was very helpful. Enjoy your trip !

[Raz]

I followed rt 2 west one year. As I recall many of the Midwestern state parks are reservation only but support same day reservations. When I went, week days after labor day were fine but the campgrounds filled on the weekends. There are lots of county and town campgrounds. A campground app is useful in finding them but on more than one occasion I passed because they looked a little questionable.

[Dave Fish]

We drove US2 from Everett to St Ignace a few years ago this time of year with a class A pulling a car. You'll have no problem pulling a trailer on the route. We had campground reservations some nights like West Glacier and played it most nights by ear. We were always able to find a spot, some better than otbers.

[slowpat]

Thanks everybody. I think I'll do it.

[Dave Fish]

Originally Posted by slowpat

Thanks everybody. I think I'll do it.

One of the things we observed going across US2 was that virtually all of the land along the highway was productive - either farm land or forest with, of course, a few towns. Enjoy your trip.

[slowpat]

Originally Posted by Dave Fish

One of the things we observed going across US2 was that virtually all of the land along the highway was productive - either farm land or forest with, of course, a few towns. Enjoy your trip.

Yes. When I drove it in 2005, I bought a primitive satellite radio system for the trip. I have satellite radio in my current pickup. I also had to hurry on the original trip as I had to be back in Warshington to meet the moving van.

[Joy A]

I drove Highway 2 from Minnesota to Washington last year. You will find a lot of the little towns do have City Parks/campgrounds.

After you leave Northern Cascades national park you'll find quite a few US forest service campgrounds along the way in Wa, just look for the tent signs that indicate USFS campgrounds.

Then as you travel along Highway 2 in Montana there's a state park between Libby and Kalispell but again you have to have reservations. From the SP a few miles down the road towards Kalispell is McGregor Lake US forest service campground dry camping of course. It was a very nice place I stayed there two weeks.

On eastward, One of the places I liked was Fresno Reservoir it is about 4 miles west of Havre Montana. Strictly dry camping, the area is maintained by the local Walleye club and is on a donation-basis. It certainly is good for an overnight stay, however I enjoyed a two week stay there.

Fort Peck is another place you can stay it is just off highway 2. They do have a state campground by reservation only or it's I think BLM land and you can stay anywhere you want dry camping/Boondocking.

North Dakota is a blur, it seems to me that I went South off of highway 2 to visit Teddy Roosevelt national park south. I did stay at an Indian casino at Devils Lake which is just before you get to Minnesota on highway 2, was like $35 for water and electric.

Just inside Minnesota is the town of Crookston, they have a nice city park there with electric hookup.

[slowpat]

I did it. I drove from E. Warshington to Wisconsin and back. I had a hard time finding camping spots around Williston. N. Dakota doesn't have the signing that other states have. I ended up spending one night in a Cenex parking lot with the big boys, but pretended it was fire camp so the trucks running didn't interfere with my sleep. I did wake up cold and it was 41 degrees inside the Casita the next morning. My trailer has no furnace so I fired up the Little Buddy to warm it up.

I don't know why, but I noticed more signs for camping when heading back west. Was I missing them on the way east? Or do they only think that folks going west are going to stop? That was in North Dakota.

There was only one close call with a buck heading towards me in Montana. He pivoted and ran the other way after I laid on the horn. Otherwise, I might still be in Montana.

Note to others: This route follows the main line of the Burlington Northern etc. railroad so stopping in towns along the way can be noisy. The trains seem to stop or not be as numerous at night. I slept through them. The derailment happened just after I'd passed through that part of the state.

I splurged and mostly stayed in RV parks. I liked having heat via electricity and wifi. The Shelby RV Resort--at a Super 8 had difficult sewer hookups. I had to go with a pull through site in order to reach. I chose to stay there because it was on the edge of town and had some open land where my hyper energy dog could run off some of that energy.

In Wisconsin, I stayed with Lake Superior as my front yard. There was a tornado warning and I looked out to see a cop driving through with lights flashing so I grabbed a raincoat and my dog and headed through a couple inches of water to the concrete block restroom where the other campers were. I have had a few days of worry because nobody, including me had taken masks along and Covid was spreading around the country. All is well, I think. When I lived in that area, I was told that The Lake protects the area from tornadoes and that proved to be true. There was a heavy downpour, wind enough to rock the trailer, and lots of lightning popping around.

I find myself wishing that Eastern Montana and North Dakota would shrink up. The mountains had gorgeous fall colors on my return trip. I did not go to Glacier. I travel with a dog and National Parks are not dog friendly and I've hiked and worked in the mountains of Warshington. We are spoiled here.

The roads were good. There is one railroad crossing in Minniesoda that knocked the curtain rod off on both trips. Just the one.

[PamelaK]

I'm glad your trip went well and you found places to camp.