An Idaho Panhandle RV Trip on US-95: Sandpoint, Moscow & McCall

Posted on September 10, 2016 by Roads Less Traveled

July 2016 – After a truly stunning few weeks in northern Montana — from adventures on the east side of Glacier National Park to learning about the unique history of Libby, Montana, and photographing the special wildlife and unique giant trees nearby — we took our RV on Idaho’s scenic back roads in the panhandle southbound from Sandpoint through Moscow to McCall.

On the back roads of Idaho

The summer was really heating up in northern Idaho, and when we arrived in Sandpoint, on the shores of beautiful Lake Pend Oreille, we were delighted to find that the small town of Sandpoint transforms into a beach town when the temps climb over 80 degrees.

Sandpoint City Beach Park on Lake Pend Oreille

The small town hugs the shoreline of Lake Pend Oreille, and people were taking full advantage of the summer sun to get out on the lake in anything that floated, from boats to kayaks to stand-up paddleboards.

Sandpoint idaho has lots of summertime action on the lake.

We discovered the wonderful Pend Oreille Bay Trail that runs along the water’s edge. This biking and hiking path offers both brief glimpses of the lake through the trees and open sweeping views.

Pend Oreille Bay Trail

The trail is wonderfully shaded for much of its length and is a joy to walk, run or ride at any time of day.

This shaded path goes right along the shoreline.

There are paved bike paths all around Sandpoint City Beach Park too, and we rode everywhere.

Riding the bicycle path in Sandpoint Idaho

Sandpoint has bike paths all over the place.

Sandpoint, Idaho, is such a bike friendly town, we even found a colorful sculpture celebrating two wheeled transport.

Sandpoint is a two-wheeler town!

One day we spotted a van with bicycles on the roof. It turned out to be the famous PAC Tour, a challenging cross-country bicycle tour that puts even the hardiest cyclists to the test.

Pac Tour cross-country bicycle tour in Sandpoint Idaho

We bumped into the PAC Tour in Sandpoint!

Their route travels from west to east and takes a little over 30 days. The cyclists were still fresh, as it was only Day 5. They had barely hit the big western mountains and were still a week away from the daylong 130 mile slogs across the flatter plains states. Kudos to all of them for taking on this huge athletic challenge!

PAC Tour cross-country bicycle tour route for 2016

These energetic cyclists had just started and had a long ways to go…

The town of Sandpoint is very cute, and we enjoyed walking around the historic district. At one end of town we found the Libation District which has both brewpubs and a winery on both sides of the street. No shortage of fun there!!

At the other end of town we found Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters where we got a peak at all of their coffee roasting equipment. For lovers of dark, rich coffee, their Guatemalan roast is really yummy. We took home a bag!!

Evans Brothers Coffee Raosters Sandpoint Idaho

Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters makes delicious coffee!

We later discovered that they won 3rd place in the America’s Best Coffeehouse competition at the 2015 Coffee Fest Portland!!

Just a few blocks away, we were very surprised to find the Litehouse Bleu Cheese factory where the popular salad dressing is made.

Litehouse Bleu Cheese Factory Sandpoint Idaho

Litehouse Bleu Cheese salad dressing is made here!

But Lake Pend Oreille was the real focal point of our time in Sandpoint. One day we decided to get a view of it from high above. Locals suggested we take a drive up Schweitzer Mountain, a nearby ski resort.

Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort Sandpoint Idaho

Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort is on a nearby mountain overlooking the lake.

The view from up there was wonderful!

Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort view of Lake Pend Oreille Sandpoint Idaho

What a view — Sandpoint tucked up against Lake Pend Oreille!

After a week in Sandpoint we meandered south a little further and bumped into the cute town of Moscow. Instead of finding the grand turrets of Red Square, we discovered a lovely shaded main street that is lined with all kinds of boutiques and tempting eateries.

Tiny Moscow, Idaho, has a cute downtown area.

A fun paved bike path passes through Moscow, and we jumped on the Latah Trail to ride through the farmlands out to the village of Troy about 11 miles east.

Latah Bike Path from Moscow Idaho to Troy Idaho

Lovely rolling farmland on the Latah Trail from Moscow to Troy, Idaho.

Much of this pretty trail goes through open land with views across rolling hills covered with pastures and farm fields.

The Latah Trail goes through pretty farmland.

After a few hours of riding on the bike path, we returned to Moscow and stopped in at Bucer’s Coffeehouse and Pub. We got there shortly after the noon hour, perfect timing for a brew…either coffee or beer!!

Bucer's Coffeehouse and Pub in Moscow Idaho

We stopped for brews at Bucer’s Coffeehouse and Pub — coffee for me and beer for Mark!

Continuing our journey south along Idaho’s pretty US-95, we passed lots more farmland with hay bales spread across the fields and farmhouses looking very quaint in the summer sun.

The drive on US-95 was as lovely as the small towns along the way.

We passed some beautiful rural scenery.

The Little Salmon River accompanied us on our drive, and we had to stop a few times to get photos as we passed through a wonderful canyon.

The Little Salmon River ran alongside us the whole way.

We had never thought of Idaho as being home to vibrant beach towns, but when we arrived in McCall, we discovered that, just like Sandpoint, the whole town was out in force soaking up the rays at the town beach.

Sunbathers were lying on beach towels, and people were swimming and playing in the water, eating ice cream cones while strolling the paths by the water’s edge, and fooling around on boats and jet skis on pretty Payette Lake.

We loved the vibe of McCall so much that we stuck around for two weeks!!

Legacy Park on the beach in McCall Idaho

What a great surprise to find another sweet little Idaho beach town in McCall!

If you are taking your RV on a north-south route through Idaho, Route 95 makes for a very scenic and enjoyable drive. There are some links with more info below.

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Info about Sandpoint, Moscow and McCall, Idaho:

Other blog posts from our RV travels in NW Montana and Idaho’s Panhandle:

Scenic Drives for RV Touring in Idaho:

Northwest Passage Scenic Byway (US-12) RV Trip 01/12/24
McCall, Idaho – Summer Beach Fun on Pretty Payette Lake 09/14/16
An Idaho Panhandle RV Trip on US-95: Sandpoint, Moscow & McCall 09/10/16
An RV Cruise Along Idaho’s Salmon River on US-93 05/08/16
A Backcountry RV Roadtrip in SE Idaho – Quiet Splendor! 05/04/16
Mesa Falls Scenic Byway, ID – Pretty Waterfalls 07/25/12
Sawtooth Scenic Byway and Stanley, Idaho – Picturesque! 08/28/09

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Buckskin Mountain State Park – Fun on the Colorado River! 01/31/26
How to Install Starlink Gen 3 in an RV? Use the Speedmount! 08/07/25
Escape to Paradise – Rocky Mountain Magic! 08/01/25
Is Forest River a Good RV? Well Built? Here’s Our Experience 06/20/25
Sunset Crater Nat’l Monument – Lava & Camels at Bonito CG! 06/06/25

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Whitefish to Libby – Big Surprises on the Back Roads of Montana

Posted on August 28, 2016 by Roads Less Traveled

June 2016 – With the wonders and spectacular beauty of the east side of Glacier National Park still vivid in our minds, we took our RV south and west around the bottom of Glacier and out onto the back roads of northwestern Montana. On our way, we passed an RV park sporting a fantastic mock-up of a Volkswagen Beetle towing a small trailer. What fun!

Volkswagen Beetle Towing a Trailer RV Whitefish Montana

Now there’s a cool rig!!

In an earlier life, we were both avid recreational racing cyclists, riding well over 200 training miles a week. To make it through our long training rides and races, we relied a lot on products made by Hammer Nutrition, a company that is based out of Whitefish, Montana.

So we had to stop by and pay them a quick visit as we went through Whitefish!

Hammer Nutrition Headquarters Whitefish Montana

Hammer Nutrition makes amazing supplements for athletes and for good health.

They were more than cordial when we knocked on the door, and they gave us an impromptu tour of their facility. We’d expected to see enormous vats and cauldrons with steam rising out of them, but the products are actually made elsewhere by subcontractors. However, this is where the order fulfillment happens.

Besides their electrolyte replacements (very handy during a long, hot, sweaty hike), Mark got a few bottles of Tissue Rejuvenator which has been working wonders on his tender knees.

Hammer Nutrition Truck Whitefish Montana

With our shelves restocked with Hammer goodies, we continued on Montana’s back roads, passing some beautiful scenery on the way.

There is some lovely scenery on Montana’s back roads.

We stopped to watch some horses in a pasture and saw that one had a little bird riding on its back. The horse didn’t seem to mind. It was busy eating grass!

A little bird catches a ride.

We dropped south along the shores of Lake Koocanusa, and we enjoyed several lovely stops to catch a view.

The lake gets its name from the first three letters of the word “Kootenai,” the word “Canada” and the word “USA,” all concatenated together, because it spans both countries and is located in the region of the Kootenai tribe.

Lake Koocanusa

There are quite a few National Forest campgrounds along the banks of Lake Koocanusa, and lots of families were enjoying boating and playing in the water.

Crystal clear water at Lake Koocanusa.

The daisies were out in force everywhere too, soaking up the sun.

Daisies were sunning themselves in the summer sun.

Lake Koocanusa is formed by the Libby Dam which blocks the flow of the Kootenai River just east of Libby, Montana. Like all the big western dams, this dam is quite an engineering marvel.

We took a wonderful tour and were amazed by the high stakes game the US Army Corps of Engineers has to play to satisfy the widely varying needs of everyone that is affected by the dam.

Libby Dam

From communities that need electricity, to farmers wanting water for irrigation, to the fish and ecological system that are disrupted by an unnatural obstruction in their way, to fishermen, swimmers, boaters and campers looking for some good old fashioned summertime fun, the Libby Dam supports many uses of the lake and river.

Lake Koocanusa

I’ve written quite a bit about public land management on this blog, as public lands are an integral part of our lifestyle. Too often, we’ve seen the government’s land management agencies reducing public access, threatening to transform these precious places until they become “public” in name only.

Former campgrounds and dispersed camping areas have been blocked off with “Road Closed” signs. Behind these blockades weeds grow tall, graffiti grows wild and structures deteriorate.

Other former campgrounds sport brand new “Day Use Only” signs, but they go unused because no one is going to drive a long distance to a remote place just to have a picnic.

Worst of all, 40% of America’s public lands that were given to 11 western states at statehood have been sold off. For more info click here.

The Kootenai River below the dam.

However, on the Kootenai River and Lake Koocanusa at Libby Dam, the US Army Corps of Engineers is getting it right, and it is a total thrill to see a public area so well taken care of. In addition to managing the dam, they have also built a wonderful recreation area on the banks of the river that offers a little something for everyone. We dabbled our toes in the water at a large boat dock that has swim ladders.

Swimming dock Kootenai River Libby Montana

There’s a nice boat dock with swim ladders near Libby Dam.

They even offer free “borrow and return” life preservers for boaters who get to the lake and realize they don’t have enough to go around.

Life preservers Kootenai River boat dock Libby Montana

If boaters forget their life preservers, they can borrow one from here.

The kids’ playground and its massive series of jungle gyms, slides, chutes and climbing bars near the dam are truly heaven on earth for the three-to-twelve set. I have never seen a jungle gym or playground that is so big and so inviting, even for the over 50 crowd (I confess, I really loved swinging on the big swingset!).

Corps of Engineers Playground Libby Montana

The playground built by the Corps of Engineers next to Libby Dam is wonderful.

Out on the Kootenai River below the dam, fly fishermen zip downstream carried by a very fast moving current. The oars on these cool fishing boats are just for steering purposes!

Fly fishing Kootenai River Libby Dam Montana

Fly fishermen float downstream.

Hiking trails from Libby Dam’s recreation area took us past pretty lake views, and we found wildflowers blooming on the trails.

Pretty lavender wildflowers.

We rode our bikes on some of the back roads in the area, and along with discovering beautiful scenery we also bumped into a woman “long rider” who has been traveling cross-country on horseback for 12 years and 28,000 miles (blog post here).

Fog and mist on the Kootenai River Montana

Fog and mist on a small fork of the Kootenai River.

With all this quiet beauty surrounding us in every direction, we were blown away when we learned that due to decades of vermiculite mining as well as carelessness on the part of the mine owner, W. R. Grace, the area around Libby, Montana, is now a Superfund Site.

We discovered this when we camped with a group of out-of-towners who had grown up in Libby while the dam was being built in the 1970’s. They had returned to celebrate their 38th Libby High School reunion. While they were in the area, besides hanging out with old friends and reminiscing, they were all getting tested for Mesothelioma, the cancer caused by asbestos exposure.

Sunset at Lake Koocanusa.

Although this vermiculte mine had been active since 1919, when W. R. Grace bought it in 1963, they began distributing excess asbestos related material around town by for use in playgrounds, gardens, roads, school yards and even the high school track (which was known as being especially springy and fast!).

In the end, W. R. Grace was fined $250 million to contribute to the cleanup of the area. The EPA has removed the asbestos from 2,100 properties, including all the public areas, and has a few hundred more private properties to take care of. The cleanup has cost $540 million to date with at least $64 million more in anticipated expenditures.

Recently, asbestos has turned up during controlled burns in the Kootenai National Forest around the former mine site. The EPA is has shifted its Superfund focus in Libby and has increased the size of the area they are concerned about.

Sunset on Lake Koocanusa

Unfortunately, the latency period for Mesothelioma cancer symptoms to surface is 20 to 50 years. Several hundred residents of Libby and nearby Troy have died already, and another few thousand are suffering illnesses related to asbestos exposure. As our newfound friends waited nervously for their cancer test results, one of them told us he had already tested positive last year.

It was very shocking to look around at the stunning beauty of this part of Montana and hear this sad tale.

Reading about Superfund Sites while living far away from them, I’d always imagined them to be forelorn, desolate communities that had a post-nuclear explosion look about them. I had no idea that one of the most pristine natural areas that America is fortunate enough to embrace, a beautiful place that is so remote in spots that you can’t get cell phone service for many miles, is a Superfund Site.

We were charmed by Libby and the warmth of the people we met, both camping and around town.

There’s a sweet little campground right in the middle of town (smaller rigs only), called Fireman’s Memorial Park Campground, and there’s a fun microbrew pub, Cabinet Mountain Brewing, that refers to itself as “Libby’s Living Room.” They serve a fantastic coffee porter and have live music many nights.

Live Music Cabinet Mountain Brewing Company Libby Montana

Cabinet Mountain Brewing Company has great beer and live music.

We stopped in Libby because we got a flat tire on our truck while taking photos at the Libby Dam (blog post here). That turned out to be a wonderful stroke of good fortune, because otherwise we might have kept going and missed this really pretty part of Montana. Instead we stayed in the area for two weeks!

For RV travelers heading to Libby, Montana, there are some travel planning links below:

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“Going to the Sun” from Glacier National Park’s East Side – Breathtaking!

Posted on August 21, 2016 by Roads Less Traveled

June 2016 – During our visit to the east side of Montana’s Glacier National Park, we saw lots of storm clouds roll in and out, and at dawn and dusk the sky lit up in astonishing patterns and colors.

RV at sunset Glacier National Park Montana

We saw some amazing light shows in the sky.

The Going to the Sun Road is the famous and extraordinarily scenic drive that cuts through the center of the park from west to east, and one great way to do it is on one of the Red Bus Tours. Many of these buses were built by the White Motor Company in the early 1900’s but have been converted to run on propane and gasoline. Some have been in service since the 1930’s!

Here’s a fun way to tour Glacier National Park – with a Red Bus Tour!

We saw the red buses all over the place. They have tours of the west side of the park and tours of the east side of the park.

Red Bus Tour Glacier National Park Montana

What a classy ride!

Sometimes we saw them in groups of two or three. With the top of the bus rolled back, folks could stand up inside to take pics of the mountains with a totally unobstructed view. This seemed like the best way to enjoy this incredible drive, as the traffic can be pretty intense. Why not leave the driving to someone else?

Three Red Bus Tours Glacier National Park Montana

We saw the red buses everywhere!

Of course, there are many ways to enjoy the Going to the Sun Road, and driving it in a Led Zeppelin van looked pretty cool too.

Stairway to Heaven on the Going to the Sun Road

Take a drive up the Stairway to Heaven on the Going to the Sun Raod!

The views of Saint Mary Lake on the east side are just gorgeous, and we marveled at the ever changing colors of the water and the sky as the storms rolled in and out.

Saint Mary Lake Glacier National Park Montana

Saint Mary Lake – teal blue water under misty gray skies.

One of the nice things about driving your own vehicle (especially if you have a sweet hubby who chauffeurs you around) is that you can stop in every single pullout and see what’s there. We found wildflowers blooming on the banks of Saint Mary Lake.

Wildflowers Saint Mary Lake Glacier National Park Montana

Pretty flowers throw a splash of color in the greenery.

At the beginning of the Going to the Sun Road, we were greeted by tall, craggy, gray mountains that didn’t have a whole lot of snow on their peaks.

Going to the Sun!!

As the road twisted and turned and rose higher, the mountains grew taller too, and they were dressed in their snowy white best. The road snuck right through a mountain at one point too!

The Going to the Sun Road has snowy peaks and cool tunnels!

The temperatures quickly cooled as we climbed higher, and the snow on the highest peaks got thicker.

Snowcapped mountains Glacier National Park Montana

Mid-June in Glacier National Park!

Near the top, we found ourselves rounding a tight curve that took in an incredible view of the vivd green valley floor. What a setting!

Happy camper Glacier National Park Montana

The views down into the valleys from the Going to the Sun Road are stunning.

There were patches of snow on the ground in the valley, and the tall evergreens seemed miniscule so far below us.

Snow and trees Going to the Sun Road Glacier National Park Montana

Patches of snow were tucked between the trees in the valley.

In 1995, Waterton-Glacier National Park was named a World Heritage Site.

A century earlier, America and Canada joined hands across the border to to unite their adjacent National Parks, Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada, and Glacier National Park in Montana, USA.

12,000 years ago, thick, moving slabs of ice and snow — glaciers – carved the valleys between these towering mountains, giving them a distinctive U-shape.

Glacier valleys Glacier National Park Montana

Eons ago, glaciers carved wonderful U-shaped valleys.

Waterton-Glacier National Park is referred to as the “Crown of the Continent,” and no wonder. The spiky mountains that encircle the valleys and lakes look like a crown.

This area also straddles the Continental Divide, the ridge that runs north-south down the continent and separates the water flow through the eastern states provinces from that going through the western ones. The water that spills down the mountains from the Continental Divide in streams and rivers heads towards the two opposite and very distant oceans, the Atlantic and the Pacific.

Happy Campers Glacier National Park Montana

Happy campers on the Crown of the Continent.

Far below us, tucked between the cliffs and grassy slopes and pine trees, we spotted a waterfall that was about a quarter inch tall from our vantage point. No doubt this is a tall cascade that plunges down with a thunderous roar.

Far below us we saw a tiny waterfall.
A zoom lens brings it in close!

We found another waterfall right alongside the Going to the Sun road near the top of the continent’s crown. This one was wide and shallow, and it scurried this way and that as it rushed downhill between the rocks.

Waterfall Going to the Sun Road Glacier National Park Montana

We explored a beautiful wide waterfall right by the road.

Up near the visitors center at Logan Pass, the snow was still very deep in places.

Thick Snow Glacier National Park Montana

Mark stands by a wall of snow at the visitors center.

Snow covered much of the ground, and it was really fun to follow the little animal tracks in the snow until they disappeared into round and deep holes. We didn’t see anyone peeking out of their burrows, but we knew they were under there. We threw a few snowballs at each other too!

The Going to the Sun Road had just opened at Logan Pass when we were there in mid-June!

There are three entrances to Glacier National Park on the east side. The Going to the Sun Road starts/ends in Saint Mary, but 37 miles south of there is the entrance at Two Medicine, near the town of East Glacier Park Village.

Two Medicine is home to a fabulous historic log building that was once part of the Two Medicine Chalet rustic vacation destination built by the Great Northern Railway in the early 1900’s. Today it is just the Two Medicine Store, but it offers a little bit of everything to visitors.

From souvenirs to guidebooks, hiking gear and tourist info, they also serve fancy fluffy lattes and yummy lunch fare and bottled microbrew beer. This cute cabin in the middle of nowhere has everything the modern hiker needs!

The Lodge at Two Medicine Glacier National Park Montana

This simple log building serves up cheap beer and lattes as well as yummy lunches and souvenirs.

We were shocked at how reasonable the prices were too, especially after visiting the village of Waterton in the heart of Waterton Lakes National Park where the prices of certain essential food items (beer) were more than double the norm.

We were also very intrigued to chat with our latte barista and find out she was a college student from Colorado who was working at the store as a summer job. Her boyfriend was also working a summer job nearby at Amtrak’s East Glacier Park station.

People often wonder how to make a living while RVing full-time. One option is to get fun seasonal jobs at popular tourist destinations. You just have to be as much of a go-getter as a college kid and be willing to do things like make espresso drinks or work at a train depot!

Inside the lodge at Two Medicine Glacier National Park Montana

Inside the historic Two Medicine Store.

Mark had just purchased a Rokinon 12 mm lens for his camera, and he was absolutely loving the very wide angles that it could capture. He also found it made fantastic starbursts, so he had a wide-angle-starburst theme going for a lot of his photos at Two Medicine.

Starburst Two Medicine Glacier National Park Montana

A fiery sun shines on Two Medicine Lake.

Two Medicine Lake is a beauty. We wanted to get out on it for the little boat ride that goes across, but we ended up saving that treat for our next visit!

Beach Two Medicine Glacier National Park Montana

Two Medicine offers Glacier National Park beauty with a bit of peace and solitude to go with.

There are lots of canoe rentals, and this lake would be a great place for a kayak too, especially in the mornings before the wind picks up.

Canoes Two Medicine Glacier National Park Montana

Rental canoes wait for a ride at Two Medicine.

Besides camera-created starbursts in the sky, we also loved seeing the stunning crepuscular rays at sunset when the sun lit the sky on fire.

RV in sunset Glacier National Park Montana

The changeable weather at Glacier National Park created some wonderful sunrises and sunsets.

On the morning we left Glacier National Park, the gods treated us to some unbelievable theatrics in the heavens. It began innocently enough with a beautiful pastel sunrise over the mountains. The thick forest of dead trees below seemed to mirror the shades of gray in the heavy moisture-laden clouds.

Sunrise over dead trees Glacier National Park Montana

Storm clouds mirror the dead gray forest while pink shades dance in the sky.

As we drove, the sky began to turn wild shades of yellow and orange, and heavy rain fell from the clouds in the distance. We pulled over the enjoy the spectacle and were stunned by the light show that followed.

RV in dawn stormy skies Glacier National Park Montana

As we were leaving, the sky went wild.

The rising sun cut across the valley and lit the mountains in the distance with soft orange hues while rain fell from black clouds. Suddenly a brilliant rainbow appeared.

RV in rainbow stormy skies Glacier National Park Montana

Wow.

We ran around like mad snapping photos, and as if in joyful response to our excitement, the rainbow got brighter and brighter.

RV under rainbow Glacier National Park Montana

The rainbow seemed to jump out of the clouds!

Then a second rainbow appeared outside the first one. This surely meant double good luck — but which one led to the pot of gold??

And then there were two rainbows, one inside the other.

The outer rainbow eventually faded, so we knew it wasn’t that one! Off in the distance the remaining rainbow seemed to fall right into the heart of the valley below.

The rainbow ultimately aims right at the pot of gold down in the valley at Glacier National Park.

As clouds slowly parted and we made our way back to our buggy, we were breathless with excitement. What a sensational light show that had been.

The rainbow lands in the middle of the forest of dead trees, promising a new beginning.

We loved our visits to Glacier National Park this year, both the west side and on the east side. If you have a hankering to take an RV trip there too, there are more links for planning your adventure below.

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More info about the east side of Glacier National Park:

Other blog posts from our RV travels to Glacier National Park:

Other blog posts from our travels where the Sky went Wild

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Glacier National Park’s Quieter Side – Saint Mary

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Roads Less Traveled

June 2016 – After nearly six weeks in the Canadian Rockies, it felt funny to cross over the border with our trailer and be “home” again in America. And what a gorgeous spot we landed in — the east side of Glacier National Park in Montana! We were welcomed home with some incredible sunrises and sunsets.

The mountain clouds gave us some incredible sunrises and sunsets.

Glacier National Park is joined with Canada’s Waterton Lakes National Park just over the border from the eastern side of Glacier National Park to create Waterton-Glacier National Park, and the beautiful scenery around St. Mary Lake was very reminiscent of the vivid blues and towering mountains we had been enjoying in Waterton Lakes National Park for the last two weeks.

Saint Mary Lake is reminiscent of Upper Waterton Lake just over the border in Canada.

There are three entrances to the eastern side of Glacier National Park, one at Many Glacier, one at St. Mary and one at Two Medicine.

Glacier National Park’s eastern side is adjacent to the Black Foot Indian Reservation, so the communities have a distinctly Indian flavor. We were amused to see a series of teepees set up for visitors who wanted to camp the way the Indians used to.

Tired of your RV? Try a teepee!

The main entrance to Glacier National Park’s eastern side is at the tiny community of Saint Mary where the eastern half of the Going to the Sun Road that bisects the park from west to east comes to an end after passing by stunning Saint Mary Lake.

St Mary Lake Glacier National Park Montana

Saint Mary Lake

There are many different hikes in Glacier National Park on both the eastern and western sides and in the middle too! We were on the hunt for wildflowers, and a ranger told us there were some beauties on the Beaver Pond Loop trail right by the ranger’s station at the St. Mary entrance.

So we set out on that trail behind a mom and her three year old daughter who was a real trooper. This is a flat and easy hike that took us out towards the bright blue lake.

Beaver Pond Loop Hike Glacier National Park Montana

The easy Beaver Pond Loop hike is not notable or exotic or a signature hike, but we enjoyed it very much.

The ranger was right about the flowers. They weren’t in thick abundance in vast fields the way we’ve seen in some photos of Saint Mary Lake, but they were definitely there, scattered about the meadows.

Wildflowers Glacier National Park Montana

Wildflowers were in bloom… wonderful!

Lupine wildflower East Glacier National Park Montana

A pretty lupine (“loopin”)

The flowers were so pretty it was impossible not to sit down among them.

Little girl in the flowers East Glacier National Park Montana

Simple pleasures.

Daisy blooming East Glacier National Park Montana St Mary

The trail also took us through some nice stands of aspen and other wooded settings. Mark was totally in his element. He is a woods guy and a true tree hugger.

Tree hugger Glacier National Park Montana

Mark embraces his roots.

The most beautiful parts of the trail were a few off-shoots that went down to the pebbly beaches on Saint Mary Lake.

Saint Mary Lake has the lovely teal blue color created by glaciers.

The wind was quite strong and small waves lapped the beach, one after another.

Sitting at Saint Mary Lake Glacier National Park Montana

The strong wind kept the waves coming.

The hike crossed the meadows before turning into the woods and then delivering us to the beach again.

Hiking Beaver Pond Loop Trail Glacier National Park Montana

Hiking across the meadows.

What a view!

Near the end, we came across the original Park Ranger’s cabin for the eastern side of Glacier National Park. Built in 1913, the stories on the plaques told amazing tales of what it was like to live in this remote outpost with nothing but nature all around back in those days.

Ranger's cabin St Mary East Glacier National Park Montana

Back in the 1910’s, this is where the ranger and his family lived. No car, no stores…

One of the early rangers, Chance Beebe, went out hiking on patrol one day (there were no roads for cars in those days, and he preferred hiking to riding a horse). His wife and child were back at the cabin patiently waiting for him to return.

Suddenly, she heard something rattling around up in the attic of the log cabin. It was a mountain lion! He had jumped in from a tree through the open attic window!! Luckily, the mountain lion eventually went on his way, and she and her child were okay. When she told her husband about it later, he knew she wasn’t making it up when he saw lion paw prints in the dust in the attic!

The attic window has a wooden door covering it now, but the ground level window gives a glimpse of the simple life lived by the ranger’s family 100 years ago.

Ranger's house St Mary Glacier National Park Montana

Life was so rustic, the ranger’s wife discovered a mountain lion in the attic. Yikes!

One of the duties for rangers, both then and now, was to keep an eye on wildfires and try to extinguish them. In recent years, due in large part to mismanagement of the forests and wooded areas for a century, wildfires have become particularly intense.

Towards the end of the Beaver Pond Loop hike we came across a stand of trees that had been bleached silver by the sun during the years since a wildfire swept through the area. The tree trunks swayed and creaked in the breeze, as if they were talking with one another.

Live and dead trees East Glacier National Park Montana

Remnants of wildfires are prominently visible in all of the National Parks, and we found a ghostly tree community that was ravaged a while ago.

It was eerie and beautiful at the same time. We felt as though we had come across a community of ghostly tree spirits standing in each other’s company today just as they had for decades, but without even a hint an animal’s footsteps or the faintest rustle of a leaf.

Wildfire dead trees Glacier National Park Montana Saint Mary

The tree tops bent and swayed and knocked into each other and made wonderfully eerie noises.

We stayed among these skinny souls for a long time, looking for ways to capture the wistful beauty of this silver world.

Dead trees Glacier National Park St Mary Lake Montana

There was a special aura here that gave us a feeling of reverence.

The most famous part of Glacier National Park is the Going to the Sun Road, and we drove it many times during our stay. For a few days, the weather was misty and soggy, and the towering mountains were as mysterious as they were majestic.

Going to the Sun Road Saint Mary Glacier National Park Montana

The Going to the Sun Road looked more like the Driving Into the Mist Road.

On July 21, 2015, a wildfire erupted right along this road, sending huge plumes of smoke in the air and torching the forest. Again, we found ourselves wandering through wildfire devastation, but this one had happened just one year prior. And again, we found ourselves witness to an unexpected beauty.

The trees were wet from the mist and rain, and they still bore the scars of charring from the fire. The bark was peeling off many of them, revealing rich brown wood beneath, and tiny hints of life grew at their feet.

Stand of dead trees from Reynolds Creek Wildfire Glacier National Park

Last year’s fire was a fresh memory for these trees.

One of the surprise blessings of a big wildfire like this along a famous scenic road is that it opens up the view.

As the years have gone by, many of the most scenic roads in America’s National Park system have lost their views because the trees that were saplings when the road was built have grown tall and strong — and totally blocked the view.

We found this was true on much of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and we have seen it on many other scenic drives as well. So, although our hearts broke at the way the woods were stripped of life in a matter of days last summer, we loved being able to see the lake between the remaining trunks!

Continuing on, around one bend we noticed a thicket of bright blue wildflowers that jumped out from the misty backgdrop of mountains. They were growing right along the rocky cliffs.

Wildflowers on a cliff Glacier National Park St Mary Lake Montana

The gods threw a splash of color onto our gray day with wildflowers growing on a rocky cliff.

We snuck closer and saw they were growing against orange lichen covered rocks. Mother Nature had chosen a very colorful palette for her handiwork once again.

Wildflowers on cliffs Glacier National Park Montana

Bright blue flowers and orange lichen on the rocks. Wonderful!

There were several different types of blue flowers, each a slightly different shade. We loved them all!

The wildflowers at Glacier National Park were delightful.

The East side of Glacier National Park is the much less visited side. The villages on the east side are tiny, with just a few stores and family restaurants for the tourists. But in many ways it is the more beautiful side.

Although the Going to the Sun Road is not a good road for any but the smallest RVs, it is easy to reach Saint Mary and the other eastern villages from the western side of Glacier National Park with an RV simply by driving from west to east on Route 2 south of the park.

It is also an ideal jumping off point for a visit to eye-popping Waterton Lakes National Park just a few miles over the Canadian border.

RV Sunset Glacier National Park Saint Mary Montana

The east side of Glacier National Park is the less visited side, but it may be the more beautiful too!

There are more RV trip planning links below…

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A Little More info About Saint Mary and the East side of Glacier National Park:

RV Camping Options at Saint Mary:

Blog posts from our RV travels to Waterton-Glacier National Park:

Our most recent posts:

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Waterton Lakes Nat’l Park – Starry Skies, the Milky Way & Wildflowers

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Roads Less Traveled

June 2016 – Waterton Lakes National Park enchanted us. After all the grand and imposing majesty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains that we had seen in our RV trip on the other side of this mountain range at Banff and Jasper National Parks, there was an intimacy, charm and quiet elegance to Waterton Lakes that was very refreshing.

Prince of Wales Hotel Waterton Lakes National Parks Canada

Waterton Lakes National Park… Stunning!

The Prince of Wales Hotel really sets the stage for this special feeling at Waterton Lakes. We snuck down to the water’s edge one evening to get some photos of it reflecting its inviting warmth onto the lake.

Prince of Wales Hotel at night Waterton Lakes National Park Canada

The Prince of Wales Hotel has an inviting glow at night.

How rare it is to find this unique combination of natural beauty juxtaposed with man-made beauty in a National Park.

Prince of Wales Hotel, Waterton Lakes National Park

There was something about that hotel glowing across the water that just looked so appealing. It must be quite a place to stay!

Prince of Wales Hotel at night Waterton Lakes National Parks Canada

One thing we discovered quickly is that the night skies in Waterton Lakes National Park are extremely dark and absolutely jam packed with stars. The park is 35 miles away from the nearest “big” town, and by “big” I mean 3,700 people. So there aren’t any city lights to block out the view of the stars.

We crept out in the wee hours of the morning one night and got a quick pic of the buggy hanging out under the Milky Way. Wow!!

RV Roads Less Traveled Milky Way Waterton Lakes National Park Canada

Our buggy loves camping under the Milky Way!

This gave me an idea to set up a time-lapse video showing the Milky Way moving across the sky. Watching the result after I woke up in the morning was a total thrill!

So I did it again the next night and again the next. I combined all three nights into one 36 second video (below) which is very cool.

The first two sequences in the video show the movement of the stars between an hour after sunset and an hour before sunrise, revealing the entire night passage of the Milky Way on two different nights.

Since it was mid-June, we were nearly at the Summer Solistice, and because we were above the 49th parallel, the nights were darn short! So, the time-lapse videos from each night run from 11:45 pm until 4:15 am. There’s not much nighttime in those parts at that time of year!!

The third overnight sequence in this time-lapse video captures a bit of the Northern Lights playing in the sky for a short while just after midnight. Then, suddenly, the sky clears and you can see the Milky Way’s march across the sky that goes on all the time as our planet does its pirouettes across the heavens.

Shortly after we had all this fun capturing the Milky Way in still images and time-lapse videos, we read an article that said that 80% of the earth’s inhabitants have never had the good fortune to see the Milky Way, because our night skies all around the world are so full of artificial light.

The article went on to say that during a city-wide power outage in 1994 in Los Angeles which was caused by the huge Northridge earthquake, the police got calls from frightened residents claiming there was a big scary silvery cloud hovering overhead!

As the time went by during our stay in gorgeous Waterton Lakes National Park, we found our days were action packed.

Besides taking the wonderful Waterton Shoreline Cruise on the historic ship MV International along the length of the park from Waterton down to Glacier National Park in Montana and back (blog post here), we also got out on our bikes on the fabulous paved trail that wanders along the water and out of town a ways.

Bike Prince of Wales Hotel Waterton Lakes National Parks Canada

We loved the paved bike paths (and walking/running trails) around Waterton Lakes.

What a fantastic trail this is. The mountains soared into the sky all around us.

Bicycle Path Waterton Lakes National Parks Canada

Mark rode off ahead of me into the pages of a cycling brochure!

It is a fun, rolling ride that has a few tight turns. Reminders on the pavement — in French as well as English — kept us from going too fast!!

Sign on pavement at Waterton Lakes National Parks Canada

It was fun seeing official signs in French as well as English, even on the pavement.

We ran on this trail and walked on it too. We never got tired of the views!

There’s great cycling on the roads as well, and we saw some cycling groups going by. This is a fairly remote place, so the traffic on the roads was pretty light, making for some great road riding.

Cyclists Waterton Lakes National Parks Canada

The roads around Waterton Lakes National Park are great for cycling too.

But Waterton Lakes can be enjoyed by other means besides a shoreline cruise on a boat or a bike ride. We saw a group of horseback riders out enjoying the views too!

Horseback riders Waterton Lakes National Parks Canada

A group on horseback took in the views across Upper Waterton Lake.

The Red Rock Parkway is one of the main roads in Waterton Lakes, but it was closed for most of our time there. It did open on the weekends, though, and we had a chance to drive this wonderful scenic drive one Sunday.

Akamina Parkway Waterton Lakes National Parks Canada

The Red Rock Parkway took us into more distant parts of the park.

It’s a very pretty drive, and at the end is lovely Red Rock Canyon. It is a neat surprise to see red rocks amid all this green and blue scenery!

Red Rock Canyon Waterton Lakes National Parks Canada

It was such a great surprise to find red rocks in this
mountain-and-lakes National Park.

There was a thin stream of water flowing down the rocks, and we caught it in silky slow motion.

Red Rock Canyon was a pretty place to explore.

What we really wanted to see, though, was wildflowers, and these were scattered along the meadows on either side of Red Rock Parkway. We didn’t see huge fields of them, but instead we found tiny individual flowers of all different kinds.

Yellow wildflower Waterton Lakes National Park Canada

We found a pretty little wildflower looking up at the sun.

Pink round wildflower Waterton Lakes National Park Canada

Wildflower Waterton Lakes National Park Canada

Some of these were just the size of the end of my finger, and they were really delicate too.

Pink Wildflower Waterton Lakes National Park Canada

Mark discovered a little bed of lady slipper flowers. I’m used to these guys being fairly big (and pink!), but the tiny white ones he found were the size of a marble, if that. I loved the twisted pairs of ribboned leaves on each one. They were like the satin ribbons on ballet slippers… for Thumbelina or Tinkerbell!

Ladyslipper wildflower Waterton Lakes National Park Canada

This tiny lady slipper is so small only Thumbelina’s foot could fit!

Ladyslippers… and ribbon leaves to tie them with.

We found Bear Grass and cheerful yellow daisies and more.

Bear grass Waterton Lakes National Park Canada

Bear grass was blooming everywhere.

Yellow wildflowers Waterton Lakes National Park Canada

Some yellow daisies warm their petals in the sun.

Dandelion flower Waterton Lakes National Park Canada

We were both in our element for a few hours sitting amid the flowers in the meadows. I know there are great hikes out on the Red Rock Parkway, but we couldn’t tear ourselves away from this little dollhouse world of flowers.

Sitting in the wildflowers Waterton Lakes National Park Canada

We didn’t get much hiking or exercise in, but communing with the wildflowers sure was fun.

When we returned to town we were greeted by a pair of friendly deer.

Deer at campsite Waterton Lakes National Parks Canada

The fearless and ever so curious deer at Waterton Lakes were a highlight for us!

And a chipmunk showed us just how tall he could stand when there was a prize to be had.

This little chipmunk did tricks for us.

Waterton Lakes National Park is a really special destination, and it’s ideal for an RV trip. There’s a big campground with a variety of amenities in town and it’s just a stone’s throw over the border from the east side of Glacier National Park in Montana!

Class C Motorhome Waterton Lakes National Parks Canada

Waterton Lakes National Park is a wonderful destination for an RV trip!!

If you are planning an RV road trip to Waterton Lakes, there are more tips and links below.

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More info about Waterton Lakes National Park and RVing in Canada:

Waterton Lakes National Park – Parks Canada Website
Waterton Lakes Camping – (Parks Canada)
Prince of Wales Hotel – Official Website
Location of Waterton Townsite and the Red Rock Parkway
Location of Waterton Townsite and the Townsite Campground
Tips for RV travelers heading to Canada – Gas prices, border crossing, internet access, etc.

All of our RV blog post from the Canadian Rockies:

Our most recent posts:

More of our Latest Posts are in the MENU.
New to this site? Visit RVers Start Here to find where we keep all the good stuff!!

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Waterton Shoreline Cruise – A Classy Tour of Waterton-Glacier NP

Posted on August 5, 2016 by Roads Less Traveled

June 2016 – During our stay in Waterton Lakes National Park, we kept seeing an absolutely gorgeous tour boat parked at the main dock in town, just below the Prince of Wales Hotel. It turned out that this boat is the Waterton Shoreline Cruise and takes people on a two hour tour of Upper Waterton Lake, the main lake in the park.

All aboard Waterton Shoreline Cruise Waterton Lakes National Park Canada

The Waterton Shoreline Cruise is a really fun way to see Waterton-Glacier National Park.

We were intrigued. It would be such a delight to see Waterton-Glacier National Park from the water!

Prince of Wales Hotel Waterton Shoreline Cruise Waterton-Glacier National Park Canada

The MV International sails past the Prince of Wales Hotel

We read up a little on this cool cruise and found out that the boat, the MV International, cruises down the lake and crosses the international border between Canada and the US several times a day in the summertime.

It leaves from the village of Waterton in Waterton Lakes National Park and sails to the little landing dock at tiny Goat Haunt in Montana’s Glacier National Park.

MV International Waterton Shoreline Cruise Waterton-Glacier National Park

The MV International cruises Waterton Lake every day.

So, we got in line one day and boarded along with a big crowd of eager tourists. Little did we know that this was the maiden voyage for the season. How cool is that!

Taking the cruise midweek in early June, there was no concern about needing to sign up in advance. But on the weekends and on most days later in the season it’s best to get tickets a little ahead of time.

Boarding Waterton Shoreline Cruise Waterton-Glacier National Park Canada

“All Aboard!”

It was a beautiful sunny day, and we took a seat on the wooden benches on the upper deck along with everyone else.

Our host, Kevin, took the microphone and began pointing out the landmarks on the shore and telling us the history of this unique National Park that holds hands across the US/Canadian border with its twin sister, Glacier National Park in Montana.

Prince of Wales Hotel Waterton Shoreline Cruise Waterton Lakes National Park Canada

Our host Kevin told us about the history of Waterton-Glacier National Park

We headed out past the beautiful mountains on the far shore that had grown so familiar during our stay in the tiny village of Waterton.

Mountains Waterton Shoreline Cruise Waterton-Glacier National Park Canada

We cruised past stunning scenery.

And then the new mountains appeared before us as we made our way down the exquisite corridor of Upper Waterton Lake, heading towards Goat Haunt in Glacier National Park, on the south shore.

Kevin explained to us about how a 1909 treaty between the US and Canada joined the Glacier National Park and Waterton Lakes National Park together and created Waterton-Glacier National Park.

We learned that glaciers are huge masses of ice that are in perpetual motion, slowly moving across the landscape and grinding up the rocks beneath them.

Waterton Lakes National Park doesn’t have any glaciers any more but Montana’s Glacier National Park still has 25 of them. They are melting fast, however, and scientists predict that there will be no glaciers left in these parts by the year 2030, a mere 14 years from now.

However, there are loads of glaciers in the Canadian Rockies, and a wonderful place to play on one is at the Columbia Icefields on the Icefields Parkway in Jasper National Park.

Waterton Shoreline Cruise Waterton Lakes National Park Canada

On our way! We headed south on Upper Waterton Lake towards Glacier National Park in Montana!

We were free to move around and explore the boat, and I got a kick out of peering into the pilothouse where our captain, Phil, and his deckhand, Jack, were manning the ship.

Pilothouse Underway Waterton Shoreline Cruise Waterton-Glacier National Park Canada

I snuck a peek inside the pilothouse.

During the course of our ride, clouds began to form and the air cooled down quite a bit. I went down below to warm up for a few minutes, and I found a little boy and girl peering out a window and pointing.

Kids on Waterton Shoreline Cruise Waterton Lakes National Park Canada

Down below two kids were pressed to the windows.

The boy was excitedly explaining something to the girl. I listened to him and then caught snippets of our host Kevin talking on the loudspeaker and realized that a black bear had been spotted on a hillside. Captain Phil had slowed the boat so we could all catch a glimpse of the bear in the distance.

I didn’t see the bear, but the kids were awfully cute!!

Window view Waterton Shoreline Cruise Waterton-Glacier National Park Canada

The big brother pointed out the bear to his little sister.

Shortly after that, our captain slowed the boat again as we crossed the international border between Canada and the United States. It was very cool to look up in the dense woods and see a thin line of cleared trees that defined the border and to see the engraved stone monuments that mark the border by the shore.

This is a true international border, and sure enough, we saw US Border Patrol zip by on their speedboat just as we crossed into the US side of the lake.

US Canadian Border Waterton Lakes National Park

We slowed down as we passed the international border.

We didn’t need passports to do the two hour cruise, but a few people on board were planning to do a hike at our turnaround point in Montana and then catch a later boat back, or even hike the seven miles back to Waterton. So, they had brought their passports and had to clear US Customs and Immigration (a casual affair on a folding table at Goat Haunt) before hitting the trail.

Once we were across the border and had all gotten photos of this unique spot, Captain Phil sped up again. In no time we were at our turnaround point, Goat Haunt in Montana’s Glacier National Park.

Goathaunt dock Waterton Shoreline Cruise Waterton Lakes National Park Canada

We arrive in Goat Haunt, Glacier National Park, Montana!

But we couldn’t get off right away because our captain spotted two black bears on the trail between the boat dock and the ranger station as we tied up! We all stayed on the boat for a few minutes while the bears quietly made their way down the path and off into the woods.

This made for lots of excited chatter between all of us passengers as we got off the boat to stretch our legs and wander along the edge of the water. What a neat sighting!

Goat Haunt is wonderfully remote.

The hikers all headed to a folding table outside the ranger station to go through the clearance process with Customs and Immigration before beginning their hikes. The rest of us took in the view back up the lake.

Goat Haunt view of Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada

Nice!!

The woods were thick and very quiet. Unlike the other end of the lake where the adorable village of Waterton is filled with tourist boutiques, pretty eateries, a campground, hotels and a treelined shore, this end of the lake was virgin forest.

Wildflowers were blooming and we got a few photos of some pretty ones.

Wildflowers blooming Waterton Shoreline Cruise Waterton-Glacier National Park Canada

Pretty wildflowers were in bloom along the water’s edge.

Our stop was just 30 minutes long, so we wandered back towards the boat. Captain Phil was in the pilothouse ready to go, and he blew the ship’s horn to let everyone on shore know that we’d be leaving in a few minutes.

Pilothouse Waterton Shoreline Cruise Waterton Lakes National Park Canada

Captain Phil in the wheelhouse.

Gradually everyone came up the gang plank and took a seat on the deck or down below.

Goat Haunt Boarding Waterton Shoreline Cruise Waterton-Glacier National Park Canada

When the boat’s whistle blew, we all boarded the MV International for our ride back.

We made our way to the bow of the boat and found a little girl there with her mom. She was just loving the ride. She took a bunch of photos and then spread her arms wide. I’m not sure if she’d seen the move Titanic, but her sheer joy made us smile!

Titanic Waterton Shoreline Cruise Waterton Lakes National Park Canada

A little girl channels Kate Winslet on Titanic.

Bow selfie Waterton Shoreline Cruise Waterton Lakes National Park Canada

We went for a more conventional selife!!

The M/V International is a historic boat that has been taking tourists on rides on Waterton Lake for decades. The boat is in beautiful condition and is lovingly maintained.

Mark tried to order room service up on deck, but there’s no food service on this short tour (LOL).

Ship talk Waterton Shoreline Cruise Waterton-Glacier National Park Canada

Mark tried to order some food from the kitchen… silly boy, that’s an air vent!

We cruised along the shore watching for bears and birds of prey. Soon the Prince of Wales Hotel appeared in the distance.

Prince of Wales Hotesl Waterton Shoreline Cruise Waterton-Glacier National Park_

The Prince of Wales Hotel looks tiny on the far shore.

All too soon, we were back in Waterton where this gorgeous hotel presides over a spectacular landscape!

Our wonderful tour was over much too soon. Our host, Kevin, had done a superior job, and he happily posed for a pic with me as we were leaving the boat. What a great time we’d had!!

With the captain and crew Waterton Shoreline Cruise Waterton-Glacier National Park Canada

Our host Kevin posed for a pic with me while deckhand Jack looked on from the ship.

If you are visiting Waterton Lakes National Park, be sure to get out on the water. There are multiple cruises to Goat Haunt every day, and there are a variety of hikes on the far shore as well.

Next time we visit, we are going to take the shorter cruise across the width of the lake to do the Crypt Lake Hike. This hike has been voted Canada’s Best Hike is rated by National Geographic as one of the World’s 20 most thrilling trails.

A magical tour at Waterton Lakes National Park!!

For those lucky enough to go on this cruise, here are a few tips:

Dress in layers. The wind can blow hard on this lake. We wore jackets for most of the trip out because we had a cold headwind. On the way back, we wore short sleeves because we didn’t even feel the tailwind and the sun was warm!
Bring binoculars or a long telephoto lens just in case there’s some exciting wildlife on shore.
Bring whatever snacks and water you might need. There’s no food service on the boat. There’s no bathroom either, but there are nice bathrooms at the turnaround point at Goat Haunt.
Consider doing one of the hikes at Goat Haunt and catching a later boat back to Waterton. If you hike, bring bug spray, as there can be mosquitos, and bring your passport too.

There is more info and more links for planning purposes below…

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Waterton Lakes Shoreline Cruise Info:

Waterton Lakes Shoreline Cruise – Schedule and Info

Waterton Lakes National Park and Camping Info:

Waterton Lakes National Park – Parks Canada Website
Waterton Lakes Camping – (Parks Canada)
Where is Waterton Lakes? – Just over the Montana border! (Google Maps)
Prince of Wales Hotel & Townsite Campground Locations (Google Maps)
Tips for RV travelers heading to Canada – Gas prices, border crossing, internet access, etc.

Other unique rides we’ve done:

Mt. Washington Cog Railway – A Historic Ride to the Top of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire
Taking the Mail Boat ferry in Northern Maine – A fun ferry ride with the locals to tiny, remote islands in Maine!
Riding the Train Tracks on Bikes in Oregon – Pedaling a historic railway on unique railcars in Oregon

All of our blog posts from our RV travels in the Canadian Rockies:

Our most recent posts:

More of our Latest Posts are in the MENU above.

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Waterton Lakes National Park – Rocky Mountain High!

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Roads Less Traveled

June 2016 – Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada, is the northern tip of Montana’s Glacier National Park, and the two adjacent parks are united across the border of Canada and America as an “International Peace Park.” We’d heard rumors over the years that it was really beautiful, but when we got there, we found it is much more than that.

Waterton Lakes National Park is breathtaking!

Prince of Wales Hotel Waterton Lakes National Park Alberta Canada

Here’s the view that greets visitors as they drive into Waterton Lakes National Park. Incredible!!

Where we had found that the four Canadian Rockies National Parks surrounding Lake Louise and Banff are awe-inspiring, with bold, jagged soaring peaks, and stunning scenic drives on internationally renowned highways, with big, trendy towns that give the international public easy access to all there is to see, and while the Kananskis is a spectacular area beloved by locals from Calgary, Waterton Lakes offers yet another twist on Rocky Mountains travel — eye-popping beauty in a remote locale that is intimate and charming at the same time.

Waterton Lakes!

The glorious Rocky Mountains undulate around the long and narrow Waterton Lakes, and the historic Prince of Wales Hotel stands on a bluff in the middle of it all, completing Nature’s masterpiece with flair.

The historic Prince of Wales Hotel is a stunner.

The Prince of Wales Hotel is as grand inside as out, and as we wandered around inside we were floored by the dining room where you can enjoy a meal with an incredible view out enormous plate glass windows.

Picture windows Prince of Wales Hotel Waterton Lakes National Park Alberta Canada

Fine dining with a view — or High Tea if you wish!

Dining room view Prince of Wales Hotel Waterton Lakes National Park Alberta Canada

What a backdrop.

A little beyond the hotel is the adorable village of Waterton. This cozy little community sits on the shores of the lake. At one end there’s a small marina.

Boats Prince of Wales Hotel 05 761 Prince of Wales Hotel Waterton Lakes National Park Alberta Canada

There is a little marina just below the Prince of Wales hotel in the village of Waterton.

This is a great spot to launch a kayak, and we saw quite a few people enjoying them.

Kayaks Waterton Lakes National Park Alberta Canada

Here’s a nice way to get out on the water.

Kayak Waterton Lakes National Park Alberta Canada

Going for a little afternoon spin…

The community here is very small and very tight knit and it is situated right in the heart of the National Park.

There are just a handful of hotels and one campground, and the whole of Waterton Lakes is miles from anywhere, so anyone coming here generally stays for a few days or a week. Faces become familiar in no time!!

The Waterton Opera House shows all kinds of movies, and it made for an ideal spot to spend a blustery “indoors” afternoon. Next door, the Waterton Coffee and Bagel shop became a frequent haunt for us in the mornings during our stay!!

Movie theater Coffee Shop Waterton Lakes National Park townsite

The town is as cute as a button, and when the weather turns ugly, a matinee at the historic
Waterton Opera House is a great way to go.

There are lots of restaurants and bistros in Waterton, as well as a small grocery store and even a laundromat. Be forewarned, though, that prices are astronomical. Provision up before getting here, and don’t be surprised if a pint at the super cute restaurant overlooking the lake is C$19. We paid a Loonie (that is, C$1) for every two minutes on the dryer at the laundromat.

For tips on currency exchange, gas prices and Parks Canada annual passes, see our blog post: RV Tips for Going to Canada.

Restaurant and pub Waterton Lakes National Park Alberta Canada

One of many little eateries around town.

The Townsite Campground is beautiful, and there are lots of sites that back right up to the waterfront.

Unfortunately, the entire Park is undergoing renovations this year (2016), so the waterfront loop of the Townsite Campground was closed during our stay. Also the two primary roads that lead to the best hikes and bike rides were also closed during our visit (see the link at the bottom of this post for current closures in the park).

Townsite Campground Waterton Lakes National Park Alberta Canada

The Townsite campground is delightful.

But even with only a portion of Waterton National Park open, it was an awesome place to explore, and we stayed for two weeks.

We weren’t the only ones sticking around. A herd of resident deer likes Waterton so much they’ve moved right into town.

Deer sleeping in shade Waterton Lakes National Park Alberta Canada

How many deer do you see in this photo?

They like the shady spots around town, and they seemed to be under every bush and alongside the shady side of every house.

Deer in the grass Waterton Lakes National Park Alberta Canada

These guys are not afraid of people at all.

Deer portrait Waterton Lakes National Park Alberta Canada

They went about their business, doing their deer thing, as the people around them went about theirs, doing their tourist thing.

Deer nuzzle Waterton Lakes National Park Alberta Canada

Can we nuzzle, deer?

They had absolutely no qualms about people, and they entertained a good sized crowd in the main waterfront park one Saturday afternoon.

Deer in the park Waterton Lakes National Park Alberta Canada

The deer roamed between the picnic tables in the town park.

Deer at picnic Waterton Lakes National Park Alberta Canada

“What are you guys looking at on your phone?”

“You probably don’t even see me here!”

These guys are so tame you can walk right up to them and say hello!

I have a conversation with a deer

I even got to pat one on the nose… how fun!!

I’ve never petted a deer that wasn’t in a pen. Cool!

These guys probably hang around because they can get free treats.

“Yum!”

Just behind all the deer action at the town park, the views out onto Upper Waterton Lake were gorgeous.

Sailboat Waterton Lakes National Park Alberta Canada

Waterton Lakes is absolutely stunning.

What a lovely place to go out for a sail! We noticed that the wind always picks up in the afternoon and is usually quite strong, funneling up the lake between the mountains.

Every afternoon the wind picks up and the sailors head out.

Waterton Lakes National Park is incredibly scenic and accessible and is very peaceful too.

Shoreline Waterton Lakes National Park Alberta Canada

We loved Waterton Lakes National Park and we stayed for a nice long visit.

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Waterton Lakes National Park is a fantastic destination for an RV trip. When we were there in early June, the Townsite Campground had openings every night midweek, but it was generally necessary to reserve a spot on the weekend. It is a short walk to town, there’s a shower building and flush toilets, and amenities ranged from no hookups to full hookups (eletric/water/sewer).

Waterton Lakes National Park – Parks Canada Website
Waterton Lakes Camping – (Parks Canada)
Prince of Wales Hotel – Official Website
Waterton Lakes NP Road and Trail Closures 2016
Where is Waterton Lakes? – Just over the Montana border! (Google Maps)
Prince of Wales Hotel & Townsite Campground Locations (Google Maps)
Tips for RV travelers heading to Canada – Gas prices, border crossing, internet access, etc.

Blog posts from our RV travels to other parts of the Canadian Rockies:

Our most recent posts:

More of our Latest Posts are in the MENU above.

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Hot Springs in the Canadian Rockies – Swimming in Giant Hot Tubs!!

Posted on July 10, 2016 by Roads Less Traveled

May 2016 – During our stay in the Canadian Rockies we had a wild mix of weather. We were lucky and got some sunny days in the low 80’s but then Mother Nature changed her mind and delivered several weeks of grey, rainy days in the 40’s to the 60’s. That’s mountain weather for you!

Canadian Rocky Mountains and Canadian Flag

The Canadian Rockies are stunningly beautiful but can be stormy too!

The cold and rain didn’t stop the flood of tourists, though, and people were still out taking selfies at Lake Louise in the pouring rain with a pair of umbrellas to keep their phone dry!!

Lake Louise Alberta Canada Selfie in the rain

The tourists don’t quit coming just because the sun doesn’t shine…
If you need a selfie and it’s raining out, just use an umbrella (or two!)

Driving out on the Icefields Parkway the low hanging clouds made for a special kind of beauty.

Canadian Rockies Icefields Parkway Clouds

Storm clouds gather on the Icefields Parkway

Occasionally the mist rolled in and covered the peaks.

The mist descends.

It was very beautiful, but it was really chilly too!!

Icefields Parkway Canada Rocky Mountains Snow and Mist

A great view, but not so warm!

After a while, cruising around shivering and looking up at mountains shrouded in mist kinda got to us. Especially when we looked at the forecast for the week ahead. Brrr!

What kind of outdoor fun can be had in the Canadian Rockies with this kind of forecast?

Luckily, the Canadian Rockies have some fantastic hot springs that are an absolutely wonderful place to go on a cold, dreary day.

Radium Hot Springs, in Kootenay National Park, looks like a swimming pool from a distance. But unlike most swimming pools, the water is a toasty 104 degrees Fahrenheit!

Radium Hot Springs Kootenay National Park BC Rockies

Radium Hot Springs in Kootenay National Park

It was really weird to step into a swimming pool and have it feel like a hot tub.

Radium Hot Springs Kootenay National Park Canada Rocky Mountains

It is so crazy to get into a huge swimming pool that is downright hot!

The water for Radium Hot Springs bubbles up from underground and passes through the pool. So the pool is a few degrees warmer at one end than the other. There is enough hot water coming up from the ground to heat the building in the winter!

The hot springs were first discovered by Sir George Simpson, the governor of the Hudson Bay Company, in 1841. He dug a one-person sized pool in the gravel. An Englishman bought the springs from a homesteader for $160 in 1890 and built the first bathhouse and public pool.

Radium Hot Springs got its name because in 1914 McGill University scientists found the water was radioactive. However, the amount is so slight that a half-hour dip exposes you to less than you get from wearing an old glow-in-the-dark analog watch dial.

As we relaxed in the pool we got a great view of the natural surroundings…

Radium Hot Springs Kootenay National Park Rocky Mountains Canada

The view from Radium Hot Springs.

…and of our feet…

Radium Hot Springs Kootenay National Park British Columbia Rocky Mountains

We had fun playing with our waterproof camera under water.

Swimming Radium Hot Springs Kootenay National Park Rocky Mountains Canada

Who would guess this water was 104 degrees?!

It’s hard to believe looking at these pics that the air temp was 48 degrees. It even started to sprinkle while we were in the pool, but who cared. It was like playing in a huge hot tub.

Swimming Radium Hot Springs Kootenay National Park Canadian Rockies

This was so much fun!

Radium Hot Springs has a cool pool too, but they didn’t have many takers that day, only the folks that had signed up for swimming lessons!!

Cold Pool Radium Hot Springs British Columbia Kootenay National Park Canada

When it’s 48 degrees outside, not many folks use the Cool Pool at Radium Hot Springs!

The entrance fee for Radium Hot Springs is just a few dollars per person, and it is worth every penny. There are changing rooms and lockers to store your stuff and towels for rent, and there are showers with soap as well. There’s even a fancy spa if you feel like getting a massage!

The hot springs are at the southern entrance of Kootenay National Park, and the very scenic drive through the park starts right outside their door.

RV at Radium Hot Springs Kootenay National Park Canada

The stretch of road in Kootenay National Park near Radium Hot Springs goes through a neat canyons

About 80 miles northeast of Radium Hot Springs there is another fantastic giant hot tub: Banff Upper Hot Springs.

Like Radium Hot Springs, the Banff Upper Hot Springs pool is outside in a lovely, scenic setting, and there are lockers so you can shed your rain coat and long pants and dash into the warm and inviting swimming pool. And again, the water temperature is about 104 degrees and it really doesn’t matter how cold the air is when you find yourself swishing in this fantastic warm water.

Banff Upper Hot Springs is a pretty pool with another terrific Rocky Mountains view.

The Banff hot springs were first discovered in 1883, and even though the breathtaking mountains of Banff National Park were worthy of creating a National Park, it was actually the hot springs that led to the creation of Banff National Park.

The hot springs pools have been rebuilt and renovated at various times, and the bathhouse has undergone changes (the very first one burnt down just 15 years after its construction, in 1901).

Banff Hot Springs Alberta Canada Rocky Mountains

The existence of the hot springs was one of the reasons Canada’s national parks came into existence.

But it is the weird sensation of sitting in a normal looking swimming pool that is filled with such darned hot water that really surprised me. Even though we got so warm we had to sit on the side of the pool to cool off, we could tell what the air temps really felt like by looking at the lifeguard in her chair.

Think it’s warm there? The lifeguard is wearing a jacket!!

The two lifeguards actually took turns sitting in the exposed chair out in the open, because it was so cold there. While one froze their toes in the outdoor chair, the other warmed up and kept an eye on all of us swimmers from inside a glass room!!

Lifeguard Banff Hot Springs Alberta Canada Rocky Mountains

The lifeguards took turns warming up in the glass enclosed box by the pool!

If your RV travels take you to the beautiful National Parks in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, and you find yourself staring at a week of yucky weather, stop by one of the hot springs. Even on a cold, dark day, it feels like summer!

RV travel Banff National Park Canadian Rocky Mountains

An RV trip through the Canadian Rockies may happen under sunny skies — or may send you straight to the hot springs to warm up!

There is another hot spring a little further north in Jasper National Park called Miette Hot Springs. We didn’t get there this time but will definitely be bringing our bathing suits for that hot spring the next time we visit!

Yoho National Park – Emerald Lake & Natural Bridge – Aqua Magic!

Posted on June 26, 2016 by Roads Less Traveled

May 2016 – Just 25 miles from Lake Louise, there is a treasure trove of glittering aqua magic at the rushing waters of Natural Bridge and in the serene, glassy depths of Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park.

Yoho National Park British Columbia Natural Bridge

Views along Emerald Lake Road in Yoho National Park.

Four national parks are clustered together in this part of the Canadian Rockies, and Lake Louise is within reasonable shooting distance of all of them. Banff National Park and Jasper National Park lie on the eastern slope of the Continental Divide in the province of Alberta while Kootenay National Park and Yoho National Park lie on the western slope. All four parks abut each other.

Natural Bridge Yoho National Park British Columbia Canada Rocky Mountains

Despite the cold gray weather of a late May morning, we headed out to see what we could find at Yoho National Park. We’d never heard of it before, but being a National Park, it had to be good!

Natural Bridge Yoho National Park British Columbia Canada

We were aiming for Emerald Lake on the map. A name like that seemed to hold real promise! So it was a total shock when we rounded a bend on Emerald Lake Road and came across a fabulous bowl of turquoise waterfalls! This definitely wasn’t “Emerald Lake,” but it was a vivid aquamarine color and was very cool!

Natural Bridge came as a complete surprise on our way to Emerald Lake.

It turned out that this place was called Natural Bridge.

Waterfall at Natural Bridge Yoho National Park BC Canada

Water tumbled every which-way.

We wandered all around the rocks, totally mesmerized by the vivid color of the water flowing over them.

Waterfalls at Natural Bridge Yoho National Park BC Canada

Jagged rocks and rushing water.

It was all so beautiful, it was impossible to decide whether to stand still and try to take it all in and admire it quietly, or to run around on the rocks and zip back and forth over the bridge to try and see it from all angles all at once.

Bridge at Natural Bridge Yoho National Park British Columvia

Tourists line the bridge overlooking the falls.

The Natural Bridge itself is formed by two rocks that make a narrow arch over the rushing water.

Yoho National Park Natural Bridge Canadian Rockies

The “Natural Bridge” is an arch over fast moving water.

Natural Bridge Yoho National Park British Columbia

But the most beautiful spot is right in front of this bowl of waterfalls where they seem to cascade into each other from every direction.

This spot is also where the tour buses let people off, and the buses were arriving in droves!

Tourists Natural Bridge Yoho National Park BC Canadian Rockies

Busloads of people arrived in waves.

The mission of everyone on every bus was to jump off and get a quickie selfie before jumping back on and zooming away to the next destination.

Selfie Natural Bridge Yoho National Park British Columbia Canada

The name of the game of the modern tourist – Selfie!!

I thought it would be neat to do a timelapse video that would show the water flowing over the rocks. Instead, I captured an awesome 6 second snippet of selfie-crazed tourists visiting a world renowned travel destination!

Continuing a few miles further down the same road, we finally arrived at Emerald Lake. Our first glimpse was of the Emerald Lake Lodge peeking out between the trees.

Emerald Lake Lodge Yoho National Park Canadian Rockies

Emerald Lake Lodge appeared between the trees in the distance.

What a lovely lodge and in what a great setting!

Emerald Lake Yoho National Park British Columbia Canadian Rockies

Emerald Lake Lodge

Emerald Lake has canoes for rent, and even though it was a bit cool to be on the water, people were happily taking the canoes out.

Canoes ready and waiting on the dock.

Canoe Emerald Lake Yoho National Park British Columbia Canada Rocky Mountains

Maybe by taking the canoes out they persuaded the sun to come out for a little bit too. For a few moments, it was almost sunbathing weather on the dock!

Emerald Lake sunbathing Yoho National Park British Columbia Canada

Dreams of summer.

Like nearby Lake Louise and Moraine Lake as well as Peyto Lake and Waterfowl Lakes on the Icefields Parkway, we were blown away by the bright and rich color of the water here at Emerald Lake.

Canoes Emerald Lake Yoho National Park British Columbia Canada Rocky Mountains

Canoe Emerald Lake Yoho National Park British Columbia Canadian Rockies

Paddling across the pages of a brochure!

There is an easy trail that heads out around the western side of the lake, and we strolled along this path we came across a field of pretty wildflowers that lured Mark right down to the ground.

Wildflowers Emerald Lake Yoho National Park British Columbia Canada

Mark gets down with the flowers.

And what wonderful photos he took!

Wildflower Emeral Lake Yoho National Park

The view across the lake looking back towards the Emerald Lake Lodge was expansive, and the water was amazingly still.

Emerald Lake Lodge Yoho National Park Canada

The mountains reflect in the lake below.

Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something floating by. Then it splashed around a bit and threw a spray of water into the air. It was a loon!

Loon in Emerald Lake Yoho National Park BC Canadian Rockies

It’s a loon!

He was taking a late afternoon bath!

Loon Emerald Lake Yoho National Park BC Canada Rocky Mountains

He didn’t seem to mind being photographed as he dipped and bobbed in the water, so I clicked away. What luck!!

There is a lot more to see in Yoho National Park than just Natural Bridge and Emerald Lake, and on our way home we stopped in the unique little train depot town of Field to poke around. This is a cute village of B&B’s that is perched right on the edges of Banff and Yoho National Parks, making an ideal home base for visitors.

One of the homes is the original Yoho National Park Superintendant’s house. He had some pretty nice digs! A sign explained that he had such an elaborate house to give him an air of authority in the newly formed National Park where the more gritty industries of mining and railroads had always ruled.

Yoho Natioanl Park Superintendant's House British Columbia

The original Yoho National Park Superitendant’s House

The drive to and from Yoho National Park is beautiful — as are all the highway drives in the area. Some of the best mountains views to be found are actually right on the Trans-Canada 1 highway!

Yoho National Park Canadian Rockies Canada

The drive between Lake Louise and Emerald Lake was striking.

We returned home to Lake Louise and unwound a bit. It was cold and gray and wet, but the scenery we had been seeing was so heavenly we sure didn’t mind!!

Happy campers Lake Luise Banff National Park Canada

Yeah, it’s cold, but who cares?!

More info about Emerald Lake & Natural Bridge in Yoho National Park in the links below…

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Moraine Lake – Crown Jewel of Banff National Park

Posted on June 19, 2016 by Roads Less Traveled

May 2016 – While Lake Louise may be the heart of Banff National Park in Canada, Moraine Lake is its crown jewel. During our stay in this glorious part of the Canadian Rockies, we visited Moraine Lake several times.

Moraine Lake Banff National Park Alberta Canada

Moraine Lake is without doubt the crown jewel of Banff National Park!

If you do a Google search for Banff National Park and click on “Images,” almost every image is of Moraine Lake. It is such a beloved spot that the iconic view of the lake from the moraine rock pile on its northern shore was on the back of the Canadian $20 bill for ages.

Moraine Lake was on the back of the $20 bill in Canada.

For much of our stay in Lake Louise, the road to Moraine Lake was closed to motor vehicles. However, it was open to cyclists, and we enjoyed a fabulous 18 mile round trip bike ride to the lake and back.

Moraine Lake Bike Ride View Lake Louise Bnaff

The view over the handlebars!

The snow was still thick in certain areas, and Mark noticed someone had drawn a heart in the snow and put their initials in it. He made a slight modification to those initials so they would be “M + M.” Sweet!

Moraine Lake Bike Ride Lake Louise Banff National Park Canada

There was still a lot of snow along the road to Moraine Lake when we rode there on our bicycles.

The bike ride to Moraine Lake is very popular, especially in the pre-season when bikes have the entire road to themselves.

Tandem bicycle Moraine Lake Louise Banff National Park Alberta Canada

There’s a bit of a climb heading to the lake, but what a view to ride towards!

When we got to the lake we found hundreds of logs lying on the ground. Even though we were in cycling clothes, we scrambled all over the place on the shore to get photos and enjoy the views that were all ours for the moment.

Moraine Lake Bike Ride Banff National Park Alberta Canada

When we first got to Moraine Lake on our bikes, we were the only ones there.

Cyclist at Moraine Lake Banff National Park Canada

Woo hoo!!

The lake was extremely low. It was so low that a floating dock in front of the Moraine Lake Lodge was sitting on the ground.

Moraine Lake Dry lakebed Lake Louise Banff

The water level in the lake was low enough that a summertime float was sitting on the ground.

Luckily, there was still plenty of lake to enjoy. I crawled up on the huge pile of rocks to get a bird’s eye view. Wow!!

Moraine Lake Banff National Park Lake Louise Canada

What a view!

Our bike ride to Moraine Lake was one we will never forget.

Bike Ride Moraine Lake at Lake Louise Banff National Park Canada

What a fantastic ride this was.

On the return trip from Moraine Lake to Lake Louise, after an initial climb, we had a fantastic, screaming descent. I was surprised to look on my bike computer afterwards and see I’d hit 40.5 mph. Not bad for just coasting on a mountain bike! (But not quite as zippy as when Mark and I hit 64.5 mph on our tandem descending a steep hill in Texas years ago!).

Bicycle computer 40.5 mph riding at Moraine Lake Banff National Park

Not too shabby for a mountain bike.

The road to Moraine Lake was finally opened to motor vehicles in the last week of May, and we drove up there early one morning to catch a sunrise.

Sunrise Moraine Lake at Lake Louise Banff National Park

The first glimpse of sunrise at Moraine Lake.

The pink and orange hues of the mountain peaks reflected beautifully in the lake below.

Dawn Moraine Lake at Lake Louise Banff National Park

Reflections at daybreak.

As we were leaving, we noticed a nearly full moon between the peaks.

Moon at dawn Moraine Lake Banff National Park Canada

There was a cool moon too!

Moraine Lake deserves many return visits, and we couldn’t stay away.

Cycling Lake Moraine Banff National Park Alberta Canada

What a place to ride a bike!

Both cyclists and motor vehicles of all kinds drive up from Lake Louise all day long. It’s an okay road for a small RV, but I wouldn’t take anything much bigger than a short Class C because the parking lot at the lake gets crowded.

RV travel Moraine Lake Banff National Park Alberta Canada

RVing in the Canadian Rockies – Wow Wow Wow!

There is a terrific viewing area right next to the parking lot called the “Rock Pile.” When we had come by bike, we didn’t see it, and I had scrambled all over the slippery rock pile. But when we came by car, we saw the trail right by the bathrooms and joined the throngs of people that were walking on the easy and short paths and staircases in and around the rocks.

Rock stairs Moraine Lake Banff National Park

On our first visit, we had no idea there were stairs up onto the rock pile for the best lake views.

Everyone wants to see “The View” at Moraine Lake, and no wonder, it is gorgeous! But this is also a place where you can slip away from the crowd a bit, find a comfy seat on a rock, and take in other views around the lake.

Relaxing at Moraine Lake near Lake Louise Banff NP Alberta Canada

Mark took a little time out away from the crowds.

Snow clouds Moraine Lake Banff National Park

And how great it is to kick back and gaze at this view high above!

We both savored our time at Moraine Lake, and I wandered away from the rim too.

Happy camper Moraine Lake at Lake Louise Alberta Canada

Sometimes it’s most satisfying to stop dashing here and there and just to sit down and look around.

I looked up and saw the crests of the mountains were filled with beautiful patterns.

Patterns in the Rocky Mountains Moraine Lake Banff Lake Louise

Wonderful patterns in the mountains around Moraine Lake

We discovered the rock pile at the north end of the lake is filled with savvy little chipmunks. These guys are adorable little beggars (buggers) who are anything but shy.

Chipmunk at Moraine Lake Banff National Park Lake Louise

Smart little chipmunks live in the rock pile and keep an eye out for free food.

Their main focus is seeing who’s got what kind of snacks to share. Sometimes they get lucky and can have lunch with a view.

Chipmunk at Moraine Lake near Lake Louise Alberta Canada

Sneaking a snack with a fabulous view!

The views at Moraine Lake drew us back again and again.

Boulders at Moraine Lake Banff National Park Canada

Moraine Lake is truly exquisite.

Even when the scenic overlook is filled with people who have turned their backs to the view while they worship the selfie god, it is still a spectacular place to be.

Moraine Lake at Lake Louise Banff National Park Alberta Canada

Worshipping the selfie god – what a great place to do it!

If you take your RV to Lake Louise, a visit to Moraine Lake is an absolute must.

In the pre-season, the car-free bike ride is truly exhilarating and you’ll find the lake very peaceful and quiet when you get there. But even in the busier season when the road and parking lot are loaded with cars, and people are crammed in everywhere, it is still a beautiful drive with utterly breathtaking views.

Moraine Lake Lake Louise Banff National Park Alberta Canada

Moraine Lake – Sensational!!

There’s more info about Moraine Lake in the links below…

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Here are some helpful links for the area:

Other blog posts from our RV travels in Canada:

Tips for travelers visiting Canada by RV
Our RV travels in Canada

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Our most recent posts:

More of our Latest Posts are in the MENU above.

Roads Less Traveled

Are you dreaming of RV living or the sailing life? We've been doing it since 2007 and we have lots of nomadic lifestyle tips and stories for you!

Tag Archives: Lakes

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Hot Springs in the Canadian Rockies – Swimming in Giant Hot Tubs!!

Yoho National Park – Emerald Lake & Natural Bridge – Aqua Magic!

Moraine Lake – Crown Jewel of Banff National Park