Category: 2020, July North Dakota, Wyoming

Started home. Hope to return to the Big Horn Mountains soon.

Yesterday I just relaxed, read a book.

Today, Sunday after driving a half-hour northwest to see Devils Tower I drove west a few hours and then through Sheridan Wyoming and south about an hour to Tie Flume Campground 8400 feet up into the Big Horn Mountains in Big Horn National Forest. Very beautiful mountains and campground. When I made the reservation I was only able to reserve one night. There are many campgrounds in Big Horn National Forest. Each campground has a handful of first-come-first-serve campsites. My plan was to nab a site for another four nights. Not to be. The camp hostess was a real sweetie and tried to find me a site but nothing was open. I spent one night there and started home. There’s a beautiful large stream/small river that runs through the campground. Crystal clear gently flowing water in a gorgeous setting. The host told me they catch fish “they are small guys but fun”. It was about 6:30 pm when I walked down to the river. Many fish were rising. The river isn’t small and there are some undercut banks. Have to believe there are some decent size fish. Wishful thinking. Looks like you can walk and fish a long way upstream and downstream without wading unless you want to cross the river. The host told me moose walk through and check the campground out around 6 to 6:30 am. Made sure I was up at 5:30 to check it out but the host was making a lot of noise emptying garbage cans. I forgive her. She was so nice. I’m thinking of trying to make reservations for two weeks in August if a site is available.

It was a hot day. Drove from Medora ND straight south to my campground for the next two nights. It’s called Reuter Campground and is in a small section of Black Hills National Forest just outside of Sundance Wyoming. Many tall pine trees with some appreciated shade after four days at a campsite void of trees in 90 degree heat.

Looked at a beautiful section of TRNP The Painted Canyon.

My birthday. Toured the Northern Unit of TRNP which is an hour drive north. There are a couple of spectacular overlooks of The Little Missouri River. It’s a muddy rive because it doesn’t flow over rocks. 

Toured the Southern Unit of TRNP. Part of the scenic drive had collapsed so I couldn’t see all of the Southern Unit. Much of TRNP looks like a combination of The Grand Canyon and The Badlands but not as huge. Saw maybe six wild horses, many bison and many prairie dogs.

Settled into my campsite at Sully Creek State Park in Medora ND which is a town of 128 people and across the street from Theodore Roosevelt National Park. TRNP is kind of a cross between The Grand Canyon and The Badlands but not as huge.

All set up at my campsite at Oak Park Kampground (their spelling) in Garfield MN. It’s a very nice family-owned, family orientated campground with a full hook up and it’s a pull-through site. Very nice helpful people. Perfect. Only about a six-hour drive tomorrow to get to my campground at Sully Creek State Park outside of Medora ND.

A change of plans. New Mexico State Parks will not be open anytime soon so I’m going to stay in the northern Great Plains. After camping two days at Reuter Campground in Black Hills National Forest near Sundance Wyoming I think I’ll head west to Bighorn National Forest which is just west of The Great Plains. There are several campgrounds there and I’ll play it by ear.