Day 26 August 6

Photos from Day 26

Comments about Day 25

Our route on day 25

We left the Bay Bridge campground around 7:15 and had a 30 mile drive to get out of the park.  Early starts make such a difference:  no traffic, cooler temps, more wildlife, and less smoke!  That route was pretty much a steady and beautiful climb with both a grizzly and a mule deer sighting.   

Once out of the park our route  followed the Yellowstone River for 50 miles to Cody, Wyoming, where we did our laundry, washed the van, and grabbed some more coffee and muffins.  From Cody we headed northeast along I-94 to Montana largest state park, Makoshika. 

Along the way we stopped at Pompey’s Pillar National Monument, which marks the location where Lewis and Clark reunited in 1806 on their return to St. Louis after reaching the Pacific coast in Oregon.  This spot marks the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers and was the towering bluff that overlooks the spot was named after Sacagawea's  son, who Clark nicknamed Pompey.  

The town just outside Makoshika State Park,  Glendive, was very poor with many empty storefronts, but the neighboring park was incredible, very reminiscent of South Dakota’s Badlands.  We arrived at our campsite just at dusk, and repeated our dinner menu from last night with fresh corn and the last of barbecue leftovers.  After dinner we sat outside, under the stars, just enjoying this incredible.