Nice stopover with hookups and a beautiful river view.
What an unexpected pleasure! With a name like this, and a purpose being a one night stand to make tracks back home, we were not expecting much from this campground. It turned out to be a delightful little place that we would have happily stayed in for another night.
The things you see on the road…
First off though, the drive out of Tetons taking Highway 22 was more of a mountain pass than I had expected. Perhaps the light up signs cautioning trucks not to exceed the maximum weight was a clue. Or maybe the other signs saying “Steep Mountain Grades of 10%.” There were signs, but Google and Honda navigation felt it was fine, so we did it, and it was fine, but not the most relaxing drive after coming off wheel bearing worries.
Very pleasant drive along the Snake River
After that, there was one more minor pass and then smooth sailing and pretty views following the Snake River. We stuck by that river all day and ended up next to it at the campground. Along the way, we stopped at a rest stop that was also unexpectedly interesting. In addition to having rest stop bathrooms, it also had paved trails that take you around the site of a lava flow. That was a nice way to stretch our legs a little before continuing on.
Prize Winner in the Most Interesting Rest Stop Competition
The campground is located between the highway and the river. If you get a site in the lower loop, you will be far away enough not to hear road noise. Instead, you can enjoy views of the Snake River and go on a little trail by the water. As our expectations were low, we found the whole stay to be very nice indeed. We did not walk the mile or so up to the actual rock that commemorates whatever massacre happened there. It was enough for us to know that something bad happened to somebody some time in that approximate place.
I mean look at that. What a nice view for a one nighter.
It was pretty hot, like pushing a hundred, but the AC is working great and walking around by the river after dinner was perfectly pleasant. If we were more intentional about staying there, it would be fun to boat around in the serene river. Noted for the future as a great place to stop when in that part of Idaho.
Total miles from Gros Ventre: 185.9, 18.8 mpg, 9 hours 24 min with several hours spent at Big O in the morning. Site 34 lower loop. Lower loop is much better because it avoids any road noise. Electric and water hookups. Dump, but didn’t use because one nighter. Good cell service for both. A few sites had views of the river, but this one had a view from the picnic table.
