nervous about camping spots

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antsypants
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nervous about camping spots

Post by antsypants »

Hi everyone,
so we will be in glacier for at least 7 nights in mid July. We have a reservation at SEARS for first night so we can get a first come sight at Two Medicine or Many Glacier. Is one better that the other. Should we try and do two sites in 7 days. My hubby kinda wants to stay put. We have a 29-30ft hitch to bumper fifth wheel. I missed out on the reservations on many glacier. I found out about it 4 hours after it opened and there where no good spots left for a camper. How do I go about trying to get a spot there? It will be twice as hard now that half the campground is reserved..... yikes. Maybe we should just stick to Two Medicine. Any advice for camping there? We have a generator and a 4 year old granddaughter. Im a little nervous because she won't have any other kids to play with. hopefully we will make a friend where we go. Please, any kind of advice is helpful. I am really nervous we won't get a spot. Then what?? :?

Debbie
smahurin
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Re: nervous about camping spots

Post by smahurin »

antsypants wrote:Hi everyone,
so we will be in glacier for at least 7 nights in mid July. We have a reservation at SEARS for first night so we can get a first come sight at Two Medicine or Many Glacier. Is one better that the other. Should we try and do two sites in 7 days. My hubby kinda wants to stay put. We have a 29-30ft hitch to bumper fifth wheel. I missed out on the reservations on many glacier. I found out about it 4 hours after it opened and there where no good spots left for a camper. How do I go about trying to get a spot there? It will be twice as hard now that half the campground is reserved..... yikes. Maybe we should just stick to Two Medicine. Any advice for camping there? We have a generator and a 4 year old granddaughter. Im a little nervous because she won't have any other kids to play with. hopefully we will make a friend where we go. Please, any kind of advice is helpful. I am really nervous we won't get a spot. Then what?? :?

Debbie
I like both two medicine and many glacier. However, I'd recommend you consider both rising sun and st. mary. While Two medicine is an awesome area, I wouldn't base a 7day trip out of there as its too far away from some areas of the park. If I were only going to base out of a single area for 7 days it would be out of st. mary (or rising sun which is only 5 miles away from st. mary). St. mary is the most centrally located spot on the east side of the park and gives you access to two medicine in the south, many glacier in the north, and the st. mary valley and logan pass. Many glacier is an awesome place (and I really like two med also) but they are far enough to the extremes (north and south) that its logistically more difficult to base an entire week long trip out of either although some might disagree.
MarxMN
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Re: nervous about camping spots

Post by MarxMN »

The park campgrounds (Two Medicine, St. Mary, Rising Sun or Many Glacier) are great places to stay. However there are two private campgrounds at St. Mary - the KOA and Johnson's. The KOA, in particular, is more commercialized than the park campgrounds. The advantage of the private campgrounds is that one can reserve a site at either one and usually that reservation can still be made a day or two before arriving. Both are near the entrance to the park at St. Mary.
Last edited by MarxMN on Sun Apr 24, 2016 1:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: nervous about camping spots

Post by PeteE »

Yeah, I'm going with Bill's suggestion for you and your monster RV and consider KOA or Johnson's campgrounds which are right outside the gate at St Mary.
The sites for big RV's at both campgrounds have nice views.
Not so much on the lower ground at St Mary. I don't care for St Mary CG at all anyway.
Rising Sun is very nice but small. Getting a spot there would be dumb luck imo.
Both Johnson's and KOA0 have laundry facilities. KOA has a nice pool and hot tub. KOA has a small store and there is a grocery store in St Mary as well.

And as said, St Mary is very centrally located for the East side area and the Sun Road access.
More places to eat in the St Mary area if you tire of cooking in your RV--- if that's important.
I have tent camped at all of them.

pete :wink:
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

George Carlin
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Re: nervous about camping spots

Post by teapot57 »

I'd go wth the KOA. More of a chance for your granddaughter to make a friend, with the pool and all. Good luck!
antsypants
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Re: nervous about camping spots

Post by antsypants »

Thanks everyone. Sounds like a better idea to stay centrally. What if we stay 3 nights two medicine and 4 at Johnson. The KOA is a bit pricey. I guess the pool would b a great place to go though. Thanks for your thoughts and ideas! Great advice.
Debbie
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Re: nervous about camping spots

Post by MarxMN »

Location wise Johnsons and the KOA are within a mile of each other. They both place you in the middle of the east side of the park. The KOA has more amenities (like the pool and hot tub) but that makes the price higher. I have camped at both (but with a tent) and have enjoyed both.
smahurin
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Re: nervous about camping spots

Post by smahurin »

I hadn't caught the size of your camper, I'd definitely opt for one of the private campgrounds. There are very few spots at the park operated campgrounds that allow vehicle lengths in excess of 25ft, most of the spots are only fit for 15-20ft set-ups, which will make finding a spot very difficult.

Ya there really isn't an appreciable difference between the KOA and Johnson's in terms of location. Both are in St. Mary (which is very small). Also a third campground option in that area is Chewing Backbones... although to be honest, I wouldn't count on them. I think their hours of operation are 1 weekend per year, every 3rd year (I'm only slightly joking)... but something to at least consider.

In terms of space to operate your big trailer, the KOA is really set-up best to handle that size. Large RV/Trailer/campers are really the KOA's bread n butter and what its mostly set-up to handle. But yes, it is the most expensive option so that will have to be a consideration.
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