MichelleFrom Idaho Falls, ID to Warren Bridge Campground and Green River/Lakes near Cora, WY. This drive is mostly Hwy 26 & 191 and is absolutely stunning in beauty! From sagebrush country, to farmland, to mountains, and back to high desert sagebrush country. Especially beautiful are the stretches that meander alongside the Snake River and then the Hoback River. I saw lots of rafters on the Snake River and was just a little envious since it was a beautiful sunny day.
One thing I’ve learned being on the road is that some states have boat inspection requirements if you plan to use any type of water device in that state. I have an inflatable kayak, so stopped at the inspection checkpoint where they check for Aquatic Invasive Species (snails, mussels, etc) on your boat. Since my kayak is only 10 feet long I don’t have to pay for the AIS decal, but do have to have the inspection. The kayak was all clean and it took only a few minutes. Luckily this station was right at the border between Idaho and Wyoming as I drove in.
I arrived at Warren Bridge Campground near Cora, WY in the late afternoon and luckily there were some sites left to camp in at only $10/night. It was quite a deal since they had a garbage can at each site, potable water with hoses to fill your tank, a dump station, and vault toilets. I and the cats got settled in and it was a beautiful evening even though there was a lot of smoke from fires in CA, OR, and ID. We were only staying one night here as my end destination was about 2 hours up into the mountains along the Green River. I set about washing the few dishes I had and as I was doing so I saw what I thought were cows (this is open range country). No! Really? Those are MOOSE! 3 of them wandering up from the river and through the sage brush. 2 males and a female. I have to say they are some of the most magnificent creatures! Although I wouldn’t want to mess with one up close. It was dusk and difficult to get good pictures but I did get a few and watched them wander their way up and out of the campground. Calm and graceful!
The next morning we were up and out of the campground by 9:30 (after filling the fresh water tank and emptying the black and grey water tanks). Another beautiful drive up a county then forest service road (Green River Lakes Rd) that wound between beautiful alpine homes and the Green River. My aim was to find a free campsite right on the Green River. Along this drive I saw several small herds of Pronghorn Antelope. I love seeing them since we don’t have them in Washington state… a special treat. Along the way I read a sign that said the Pronghorn migrate up and down to cooler or warmer climates usually in November and again in April. They travel 200-300 miles annually.
OMG! Do I have any teeth left in my mouth? The last 18 miles of the forest road is gravel and one of the most washboarded roads I’ve been on. RV’s are super loud on these roads with everything banging and clanging around inside (think dishes & glasses). I averaged 10 miles an hour and went about 12 miles before finding a nice free campsite just above the river. And off the road enough that I wouldn’t get much dust from passing vehicles. We got there at the perfect time. I could see a thunderstorm coming and got everything set up just as the first raindrops started to fall. So much for the weather prediction of a thunderstorm at 5pm and .10 inch of rain. It was 12:30pm and at least an inch of relentless pounding rain. As my sister would say, ‘It’s the Rockies after all’.
Some of you may have been in sagebrush country after a heavy rain, and some may not. It smells so good! I love the smell of sage and it is especially pungent after a rain or on hot sunny days. Very refreshing after all the smoke the last couple of weeks! It’s free aromatherapy!
The downside to this area? Mosquitoes and biting flies! Upside? I’m right beside the Green River. Downside? I can’t sit outside because of the mosquitoes and flies. Upside? I can see the river right out the main window! With the windows open it’s just like I’m outside. I decided to stay in the Green River Lakes area for about a week give or take, which allows me to have down time instead of going out sightseeing every day. One day I drove a few more miles up the road to the Green River Lakes. This is at about 8000’ elevation and boy do my lungs feel it! From the campsite to this lake is an ever changing geography. Of course the Green River and requisite sage brush, but then more pine trees, and more grassy meadows and TA DA!! The mountains! The most unique being Square Top Mtn which is fairly obvious in my pictures… totally flat on top like someone hacked it straight off with a knife. Unfortunately wildfire smoke made the vista hazy.
Another day I drove back down the horrid gravel road in my car (bumpity, bumpity, bumpity) that was a muddy mess after more thunderstorms and buckets of rain the previous night. Although the road is wide enough for two cars, the amount of mud is something to contend with. Most folks were cognizant of the result of two cars passing each other in a mud pit, so alternated driving through the worst areas. I was just about 2/3 of the way through a long muddy stretch when another car (as small as mine) decided to pass me going the other way. Sploosh! My entire car and windshield were slapped with a layer of dark brown MUD! This was not a good time to realize I had neglected to put more windshield washer fluid in the car! Sigh!
My purpose in going back down the horrid muddy road was to visit the town of Pinedale, WY. Home to 2,030 people. For such a small population this was a bustling town with beautiful parks and a cute Western theme. My first stop was the Museum of the Mountain Man. As I pulled into the parking lot a couple was grinning at me as I passed. I wasn’t quite sure why until I got out and saw my silver, now brown, mud covered car! Ugh!
I have to say that this was one of the best smalltown Museums I have ever seen. A beautiful building too. It was set up in chronological order with dioramas, display cases of artifacts, and placards explaining the actual life of a mountain man, the truths and misconceptions. How they came about and what they did after the beaver pelt industry busted. I don’t think I ever really understood why beaver pelts were so sought after. Now I know that it was the fashion at that time for ‘well to do’ gentleman to have a beaver hat and coat. There is a woolly part of the beaver fur that was processed, dyed, felted and used to make all manner of top hats and coats. When fashions changed the beaver pelt industry came to an end. If you are ever in the Pinedale, WY area I highly recommend going to this fantastic museum! Oh, and the best part of the museum… there is a cell tower in the parking lot! 😊 I spent the rest of this day walking around the very small downtown area, enjoying the parks, and having lunch at the ‘Heart & Soul’ café. What a delightful place!
Although I had hoped to kayak the lakes in the area, plans sometimes must change. First, there was a lot of rain and thunderstorms, and it was hard to predict ‘when’ they would arrive. Second, Misty developed a bladder infection, so my last two days were spent getting her in and out of a local vet office over an hour away. This would have been easier if I had cell phone service where I camped. Unfortunately, I had to drive 20-30 mins to get to cell signal just to call and make an appt. Misty did not make it easy for them to get a ‘sample’ for testing, so she had to stay overnight at the vet. Which also meant another long trip down and back to pick her up the next day. Not wanting to do that horrible drive any more than necessary, I opted to leave a day early. So Jasper and I came down with the RV and car to pick up our poor Misty girl and her antibiotics from the Vet. Stay tuned for more adventures!
After a sidetrack to read up on the Green River killer I realized you were in a different state. Great post and the pictures were amazing. You are putting some mileage on the RV. How is it handling?
LOL! Yes, the Green River killer was in Washington state! And he eventually got caught although years later. I have almost 14,000 miles on the RV and so far she’s handling pretty well. However, all the jiggling and rockin’ rollin’ has a way of making things break or come loose.
Hi, Michelle, Joe and I have just returned from our trip to Wyoming. We stayed in Lyman several days to visit with the family first, then headed to Pinedale for some R & R (in a motel!). Our first day we also visited the Mountain Man Museum, which does a wonderful job of bringing to life that particular period of history which is still reenacted by modern day mountain men! The next day we traveled further up the road from the museum to Fremont Lake where we went walking around the CCC ponds and there spotted a moose feeding in the foliage! I’ve never spotted a moose in the wild! Then we took the road way up to the end which included a viewpoint of the whole Wind River mountain range which was spectacular. There we saw two chipmunks running about and fed them some almonds we had. That evening we spotted three deer feeding in the local park while we were taking a walk after dinner! Three different animal sightings all in one day!
Oh I wish I had known about that view from further up the road. But as you could tell by my post, spending any more time on the road going to my campsite was not in the cards. So glad you had a good time.! Love you!