Yellowstone National Park without the crowds??? Take the back roads!

[99Discovery]

We had the opportunity of spending some days in Island Park and decided to go adventuring. I was expecting something akin to the high Colorado Rockies, but the terrain in Northern Idaho was pretty different. More trees, more water. Not as rocky. But amazing in its own right. And as most people swarm to the technical trails of Moab, the high scenery of the San Juans and the multi-colors of the Sedona Desert, Idaho seems to be forgotten. Which is incredible, with a 3-hour wait to enter Yellowstone during the biggest time of the season, we were able to have the Picnic area of Cave Falls and the rocky out cropping of Sheep Falls all to ourself:





The next day brought us to Sawtell peak outside of Island Park. Being one of the tallest peaks around, you are rewarded with grand vistas for a full 360-degrees, and since the mountain is also used by the military/FAA for flight monitoring as well as a host of other radio and television equipment, the access is very easy.





After Sawtell, we wanted to take Black Canyon Loop around the continental divide road (an old abandoned railroad grade), but a snow bank thwarted us, so we had to turn back and take a norther route to West Yellowstone. Which turned out to be an amazing trail.




Honestly, if you have already been to Moab and Colorado (some of my favorite places on Earth), consider Idaho if you want to mix things up. The technical terrain won't awe you like Moab, and the cliff-hugging shelf roads won't terrorize you like Colorado, but the experience is awesome in its own way..

 

[99Discovery]

Here our our short trail reviews of each trail:

 

[jeepers29]

This is exactly what we look for . Great outdoors without the crowds. Looks like y'all scored big time.

 

[DVD]

we were able to have the Picnic area of Cave Falls and the rocky out cropping of Sheep Falls all to ourself

Thanks for reviving good memories of our northern Rockies adventure from a couple years ago. We were in the area for the eclipse, so tons of people at the major attractions, which we didn't even bother with. But it was great to take the forest roads to this remote part of Yellowstone. We too were the only ones at Cave Falls.

 

[99Discovery]

That would be a sweet place to go for the eclipse. How was it? I'm surprised that even during the eclipse week Cave Falls was desolate. It is SO easy to get to!

But it is out of the way, so I guess that's all it takes..

 

[DVD]

That would be a sweet place to go for the eclipse. How was it? I'm surprised that even during the eclipse week Cave Falls was desolate.

We made a couple week trek for the eclipse, and we were at Cave Falls a week or so before the actual eclipse. I'm pretty sure Cave Falls wasn't directly beneath the totality zone.
In keeping with the theme of this post, for the actual eclipse, we took a 4WD trail to Railroad Ridge in Idaho and enjoyed the eclipse in a beautiful spot away from the crowds.

Railroad Ridge, ID​

The trail to Railroad Ridge​