sample four alpine playgrounds on <strong>the</strong> Continental divide. dAys: 14-16 dRivinG tiMe: 17 houRs/1,029 Miles DAYS 1-2 I like to imagine <strong>the</strong> Rocky Mountains as a buffet, and when I’m in <strong>the</strong> vicinity, I heap my plate tall. R o A D RuleS <strong>the</strong> AuthoR’s hARd-won tips The Rockies Rocky Mountain, Wind Rivers, Yellowstone, Glacier Here’s how to do that: Reserve two nights at Moraine Park’s drive-up campground in Rocky Mountain National Park and <strong>hike</strong> 10 miles round-trip from <strong>the</strong> Glacier Gorge trailhead, past alpine lakes, to one of <strong>the</strong> best lunch spots in <strong>the</strong> park, a rock peninsula in Mills Lake. Next day, drive 30 minutes south to <strong>the</strong> trailhead for Longs Peak and take your pick: an 8.4- 2 1 mile, round-trip <strong>hike</strong> to Chasm Lake and lunch below Longs’ famous Diamond east face (chill option), or summit 14,259-foot Longs via a 15-mile round-trip on <strong>the</strong> Keyhole Route (start hiking by 2 a.m. to avoid afternoon thunderstorms July through August). D AY 3 Beat it northwest 420 miles on I-80 to Pinedale, Wyoming, gateway to <strong>the</strong> Wind River Range, and a pullin site at Fremont Lake Campground (opens early July). DAYS 4-7 Prep your pack and fishing gear for a three- or four-day, (1) Bison roam Yellowstone’s valleys. (2) Grab a cuppa at Montana Coffee Traders outside Glacier. (3) Titcomb Basin lies deep in <strong>the</strong> Wind Rivers (see page 74). (4) In July, wildflowers replace snow in Glacier’s Hanging Gardens. 32-mile <strong>hike</strong> into Titcomb Basin, a route linking one broad glacial cirque to <strong>the</strong> next with plenty of chances to cast a line for brook, rainbow, cutthroat, or golden trout. Head north to Jackson for burgers at Snake River Brewing and a bunk at <strong>the</strong> Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch. DAYS 8-10 don’T skiP The best two-day Tetons sampler follows <strong>the</strong> 20-mile Cascade Canyon- Paintbrush loop, traversing a series of steep-walled canyons with <strong>the</strong> Tetons overhead. Grab one of <strong>the</strong> two sites at Holly Lake and skip rocks in <strong>the</strong> shadow of <strong>the</strong> Tetons to <strong>the</strong> south. In <strong>the</strong> morning, tackle <strong>the</strong> climb to <strong>the</strong> Paintbrush Divide, and stop for lunch next to Lake Solitude and a view of <strong>the</strong> craggy summits of Teewinot, Mt. Owen, and <strong>the</strong> Grand Teton. From <strong>the</strong> trailhead, drive to <strong>the</strong> park’s Gros Ventre Campground. DAYS 11-15 Go where <strong>the</strong> wild things are—moose, bighorn sheep, bison, and maybe bears (both kinds)—on <strong>the</strong> Specimen Creek Trail in Yellowstone National Park. Trek past lodgepole pines and meadows to flower-fringed Shelf Lake (reserve campsite WE5) and back for a 15.6-mile roundtrip. On your way out of <strong>the</strong> park, <strong>hike</strong> <strong>the</strong> .6-mile Fountain Paint Pots Trail to tour geo<strong>the</strong>rmal features. DAY 16 The grand finale lies far<strong>the</strong>r north among <strong>the</strong> terraced peaks of Glacier National Park. Drive Goingto-<strong>the</strong>-Sun Road to Many Glacier (car-camping available), and round-trip 10.7 miles up <strong>the</strong> Ptarmigan Creek valley through <strong>the</strong> Ptarmigan Tunnel, to a view of Elizabeth Lake and <strong>the</strong> rainbow cliff bands above <strong>the</strong> Belly River Valley. Trip Planner Rocky Mountain NP: $20/vehicle; (970) 586-1206; nps.gov/romo. Moraine Park Campground: $20/night, reservations recommended (recreation .gov). Wind River Range: No permits; info at (307) 739- 5500, fs.usda.gov/btnf. Grand Teton NP: Entrance: $25/ vehicle; (307) 739-3300; nps.gov/grte; backcountry permits are required, $25; pick up in-person after May 14, show up early. Grand Teton NP: Climbers’ Ranch bunks; $25/person; reservations at (307) 733-7271; americanalpineclub.org. Gros Ventre Campground: $22/night; no reservations. Yellowstone NP: $25/vehicle; (307) 344-738; nps.gov/yell; backcountry permits may be reserved by mail or fax anytime after Jan. 1; $25; info at (307) 344-2160. Glacier NP: $25/vehicle; (406) 888-7800; nps.gov/glac Bottled water is for suckers. Buy a 5-gallon water container and never miss a chance to top it off. Put a can opener in your glove box. And a corkscrew. And a bottle opener. Make a playlist that’s 1.5 times your expected driving time. Starbucks has <strong>the</strong> most consistently clean bathrooms. Get <strong>the</strong> smallest car you can sleep in (most mid-size station wagons have fold-down backseats). You can ofen pick up free Wi-Fi from parking lots of closed libraries. A 50-pack of wet wipes is cheaper than a hotel room shower. The $80, all-access annual pass to <strong>the</strong> national <strong>parks</strong> is worth every cent. Reserve popular sites and permits in advance to avoid drive-up disappointment. PHoToS BY (FRoM leFT) InGo ARndT / MInden PICTuReS; CHuCk HAneY; AARon kRAFT; CHARleS GuRCHe 68 06.2014
Glacier National Park Columbia Falls 15 ID MT Yellowstone Grand Teton National Park Wind River Range Pinedale WY CO 80 START Rocky Mountain National Park 3 4
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