This site is really fantastic. It's great to be able to talk to some people that have first hand experience. I have lots of questions. I do sincerely appreciate your help!
Can anyone share their camping experiences at Bowman Lake and Kintla Lake? Does anyone have any pictures? Has anynone been their in late June? Has anyone paddled either of those lakes?
How is the garbage handled at the campgrounds? Is it removed daily?
Are there actually Rangers stationed at the FC campgrounds like Bowman and Kintla?
I think I read on the NPS website that you are not to use the campground faucets to wash dishes. How else are you supposed to wash them? What is the preferred method?
Bill Garvin wrote:1. Can anyone share their camping experiences at Bowman Lake and Kintla Lake? Does anyone have any pictures? Has anynone been their in late June? Has anyone paddled either of those lakes?
2. How is the garbage handled at the campgrounds? Is it removed daily?
3. Are there actually Rangers stationed at the FC campgrounds like Bowman and Kintla?
4. I think I read on the NPS website that you are not to use the campground faucets to wash dishes. How else are you supposed to wash them? What is the preferred method?
Welcome bill,
1. I've camped at both Kintla and Bowman many times. The lakes can get rough when the wind is blowing but both can be good for paddling a canoe or kayak. Bowman also allows motors up to 10HP. These lakes are in heavily forested areas but offer great views up valley to the mountains at their heads. More day hikes are available from Bowman which is a much larger campground than Kintla. Roads to both are rough but passable for a 2 WD auto. Just drive carefully as th roads are narrow and there is always some knucklehead coming the other way in a big hurry.
2. Each campground has bearproof garbage containers and the trash is collected daily as a way to keep food scraps from bears.
3. There are rangers or campground hosts at every campground. All campgrounds are patrolled regularly.
4. Some campgrounds have slop sinks in between the restroom for cleaning dishes. If these are not available you should take water to your campsite for washing dishes in a container you bring. The standard procedure is to wash dishes in that container so any food scraps or residue stays in the container. After dishes are washed and rinsed, you should filter the wash water to remove food scraps. Throw those scraps in the trash bins. The scatter the wash water in the forest away from the camps. Minimize you use of soaps and soaps that biodegrade quickly are preferred. We always carry Biosuds for washing our selves and dishes.
The other challenge we have is that since this is our first trip to Glacier we want to see a lot but at the same time I don't want to spend too much time in the van traveling from site to site. We plan on arriving at the park on the 23rd of June and departing on the 30th. We prefer a campground with some solitude. You know, not too many huge RV's. We want to have some nice day hikes, nothing too extreme as we are all physically fit but range in age from 11 to 61. We want to see spectacular views ( I don't think that will be a challenge considering we are coming from the flattest part of the Earth, central Illinois) and we would love to be able to float our canoe easily enough.
I know you get asked this question repeatedly, but in regards to our objectives do you have any suggestions for us to consider? We've been looking at Bowman and Kintla but nothing is ectched in stone.
Bowman, Kintla, Quartz Creek and Cut Bank are the campgrounds with the most solitude. No RVs allowed at Sprague and it's a nice site but it is right next to Sun Road so traffic noise may intrude.
Kintla and Bowman are at the end of narrow rough roads that limit the RV crowd. Takes a while to reach either spot so you spend a good part of the day getting there. If you want to camp, day hike and canoe all in one place then I'd suggest Bowman for a night or two. Then go over to the east side for some different scenery (more open, fewer trees). You might have to drive around the park on US 2 if Going-to-the-Sun Road is not open yet. Two Medicine is a quieter east side camp with good day hikes, spectacular scenery and water to float the canoe (if it's not too windy).
Many Glacier also has water for the canoe and a trip across Swiftcurrent Lake, portage to Josephine Lake and a canoe up that lake might be nice. Spectacular scenery there too along with lots of hiking opportunities. A little more crowded but in late June maybe a little less so.
BTW: If you do go to Kintla or Bowman be sure to stop at the Pole Bridge Mercantile. Their bakery is superb and the coffee is always on. It's kind of a must do. If it's supper time the Northern Lights Saloon had good eats and drinks.
Bill Garvin wrote:
The other challenge we have is that since this is our first trip to Glacier we want to see a lot but at the same time I don't want to spend too much time in the van traveling from site to site. We plan on arriving at the park on the 23rd of June and departing on the 30th. We prefer a campground with some solitude. You know, not too many huge RV's. We want to have some nice day hikes, nothing too extreme as we are all physically fit but range in age from 11 to 61. We want to see spectacular views ( I don't think that will be a challenge considering we are coming from the flattest part of the Earth, central Illinois) and we would love to be able to float our canoe easily enough.
I know you get asked this question repeatedly, but in regards to our objectives do you have any suggestions for us to consider? We've been looking at Bowman and Kintla but nothing is ectched in stone.
Here are some other ideas on your first trip. Glacier is kinda several parks in one I think. As a major breakdown there's the west side looking east, the east side looking west, and the Continental Divide looking any way you want to! The west side, even tho' there are incredible mountains, is much more heavily forested....the east side is much more rugged with wide open vistas for nearly unreal scenery. The primary link between the two is Going to the Sun highway, with Hwy 2 outside the park providing access also....GTTS is a 2-hour (depending) fabulous scenic drive (actually, it's easy to run out of superlative adjectives rapidly!) and Hwy 2 is pretty much a high speed 2-lane around the south of the park....it's a scenic drive but not often as spectacular. Staying only at Bowman Lake, while giving the 'wilderness experience', would require some pretty long driving down the North Fork road (Hwy 486)to Camas road to get over to Apgar to GTTSR and access to the other scenery. Kintla Lake is even farther away up the west side road. By the way, don't plan on driving north-south on the inside-the-park road on the west side unless you are very adventurous.
So, you might consider half your time on the east and half on the west. If you were to stay 2-3 days on the east side at Many Glacier, St. Mary, or Two Medicine (in that order of preference?) you could hike many of the areas that show off the incredible mountains of the eastern front. THen spend a day driving GTTSR leisurely and continuing up the west side to Bowman or Kintla....there is much to see in that process that could easily take a good day. Then finish up your visit exploring and canoeing the west side. That routine I think would minimize your 'van time', combining sightseeing with travel, as opposed to needing to travel to get to sightseeing.
However you do it, you are in for a mind-bending experience. Enjoy....!!
Larry C.
Echo Lake
"Here is where God sat when he made America...", (Tom Dillon, 1912)
Great suggestions! What a great resource this site is! I can't say enough how much I appreciate the knowledge that is shared here. Keep sharing everyone! It's a beautiful thing!
I camped and paddled at Bowman Lake last year in early August. The lake is gorgeous, especially in the morning and evening. A buddy and I actually threw backbacks in our canoe and paddled the entire length (about 7 miles) of the lake in the morning. Then we stashed our canoe on the far side, and backpacked up to Brown Pass for the night. We hiked back down the following morning, and paddled west back down the lake. Let me tell you, the trip the previous morning was about 3 times as fast as the trip coming back. In the morning, the lake was like glass, and we made great time. When we came back, we tried to get up early enough to beat the wind, if it did come up--and it did!!--but we were too late. The trip there took about 2 hours, and the trip back took about 6. We were paddling against a 15-20 mph wind the entire way back, zigzagging our way, trying to paddle where the waves and wind were at their least, the waves sometimes reaching 2-3 feet in height. I still can't believe we did that, really. It was insane. It seemed as if we were getting nowhere,the waves threatened to swamp us the whole way, and my arms have never been so sore. We were getting the craziest looks from people on the lakeside trail, and I have to admit, what we did WAS crazy. It was an adventure I won't forget however. I would probably do it again=) We saw a huge black bear on the trail up to Brown Pass, and the next morning I saw 3 grizz in the clearing, about 60-70 yards from camp at Brown Pass. Anyway, back to the lake. I definitely say be careful, because the conditions on the lake can change in just a few minutes, I'm sure you know this. The morning we left the sky was clear, the lake was like glass. About an hour later, and halfway down the lake, I looked behind us, and the sky in the west was grey and ominous. I thought were were going to get caught in a thunderstorm and some heavy wind in the next 20-30 minutes, so my buddy and I rowed like madmen to try to get to the end of the lake. Luckily the storm blew to the south, and the skies cleared again. You will love Bowman Lake--it's beautiful. The water is crystal clear and cold. Visibility is at least 50 feet I would say. Some parts of the lake are shallow for along ways out, and some get deep very fast. Have a great time, it sounds like you will.
Brian
"A road is a dagger placed in the heart of a wilderness."
If you are looking for solitude, you may prefer Kintla to Bowman as it is a smaller campground. Many people canoe up the lake to the backcountry campground (overnights there require a backcountry permit). You could also beach your canoe at the head of the lake and hike up to Upper Kintla Lake. There is some interesting scenery between the lakes and the terrain is pretty flat and easy. IN June, you'll probably not have to deal with big crowds anywhere, but Kintla is guaranteed to be pretty quiet. I don't believe they allow any motorized watercraft.
One week in Glacier and you'll hooked. Have a great time.
Bill Garvin wrote:
I think I read on the NPS website that you are not to use the campground faucets to wash dishes. How else are you supposed to wash them? What is the preferred method?
Just so you are clear, the faucets you read about are exposed- out in the open. There is no indoor running water at Bowman and Kintla. I would definetly follow Ear Mountain's directions (although i've never seen the "slop sinks" he refers to). Keep a clean camp and enjoy!
"So how was your trip to Minnesota, or Canada, or wherever it is you go?"
Seriously, I'd so love to be able to just decide to hop up to Kintla to camp and canoe for the weekend. I guess I'll need to start figuring out how I can make that happen.
As a former Illini, don't worry too much about driving. However, you will wish you had a can opener so you could take off the top of your van. There is such spectacular scenery you just have to drive the GTTSR both eashbound and westbound - you won't believe what you missed when you turn around and head back.
When these folks say solitude, they mean real solitude - often no one else or only 1 or 2 people.
I wouldn't worry too much about the RVs. When we camped we didn't even notice them. You can't even drive a big crew cab dually across GTTSR so you don't see the kind of monster RVs you see in other areas of the country.
My better half and I are in the 55-65 range and we drove well over 500 miles, all with our mouths agape! Actually, we covered almost 3000 miles in Idaho and Montana in less than 2 weeks.
July Guy wrote:Just so you are clear, the faucets you read about are exposed- out in the open. There is no indoor running water at Bowman and Kintla. I would definetly follow Ear Mountain's directions (although i've never seen the "slop sinks" he refers to). Keep a clean camp and enjoy!
There are outdoor faucets at Bowman. There is only a pump for water at Kintla.
I think I errored regarding the slop sinks. The typical Mission 66 restroom facilities throughout much of the National Park System have them. You need to go around the back of the restroom and there is a door there inside of which is the sink. In some parks though these door are locked and either the sink is not available or there is no sink. I remember washing dishes in one of those sinks in Yellowstone NP but not that I think of it I don't recall using one in Glacier.
We are going to Kintla Lake. Leaving Friday noonish or so to return Sunday. Our goal is to escape! We're all sick of being cooped up by the rainy and snowy weather this month. I will post pics next week. If you are subscribed to the RSS feed on the ChoteauCam you will receive a notice. The weather forecast looks good.
Glacier Park Chat
