Montana campgrounds help

[patperry2766]

Thinking of moving to MT next year, so there are some towns we want to scout out. Trying to stay relatively centrally located to the Bozeman, Helena, Missoula and Kalispell area.

Have looked at the Lewis & Clark Cavern SP, but can anyone make other recommendations. Would like 30A with H20 and site dump, or a nice bathhouse.

If anyone is from that area, would like to communicate with them about the area. Pros, cons, etc. The kinda info that you can only get from someone who lives in a place, not just visits for a week.

Thanks

[Blazing_Zippers]

IF you've never experienced the "joy" of a northern winter, you will be in for a awakening. I saw a road side sign that read "I've NEVER heard anybody say that they wanted to retire and move north." In WY. the folks never see anyone because they are constantly bent over at the waist due to the wind. Oh yeah---the term "tie line" is a rope tied to the house and the other end at the barn, so you don't get lost in between during winter.
Having traveled a large portion of the states you are mentioning, you will have a pretty good choice of employment, but the weather might be a shock. Now, also having been in Texas in July--that can be a shock too.
The comments about Butte are funny. Where else can one watch dead geese fall from the sky.

[fanrgs]

To partially answer your question, the copper kings of Butte ran Montana, economically and politically, for a century. Since the end of mining, Butte has been searching for a reason to exist. I am not sure they are even close to finding an answer at this point.

A quick way to compare Missoula, Bozeman, and Butte is to look up the size of the student bodies, breadth of the degree programs, size and age of the facilities, and extracurricular activities available at the University of Montana, MSU, and Montana Tech (formerly the Montana School of Mines). Most students like the same outdoor places and activities you do!

[patperry2766]

Exactly what is it about Butte that 2 people have said they would never live there?

[westernrvparkow]

patperry2766 wrote:

jgrimes wrote:
What are you looking for? What do you like to do? Work? In town or out? Your request is way too broad to respond to. Are you thinking you can like in your camper during the winter? I have lived in Missoula, Helena and (now) Kalispell. I'd suggest you come and spend the summer in each location and get a feel for what you want. And, then, plan to spend a winter. It's really not that horrible, unless you've never spent time in the northern part of the country.

Ideally, 20+ acres where I can set up an archery/shooting range, maybe a few horses and cows to raise, a shop to putter and a place for my wife to have a garden, photography, biking, fishing, hiking, 4-wheeling. We are an outdoor family but the summers and being around so many people are really starting to take a toll on me and my psyche.

I want a slower pace of life and a better quality of life, and that won't happen in a suburb of Ft Worth Texas. I want to walk out of the house and be able to feel alive, not just a rat trapped on the same wheel that is constantly going around and around. I want scenery and to experience more than the 2 seasons we get in Texas, cool and hotter than h*((.

That's what I want..now I have to figure out how and where to make it happen. I have read that the Butte/Silverbow area is the site of some EPA Superfund cleanups due to past mining. Is this an area that I need to shy away from because I have seen some tracts of land near Hackney that looks interesting.

You will have to go and visit each potential area to even begin to get an idea of what is available. Shopping for property on the internet is exactly the same as online dating, the photos and descriptions never match the actual person. I am pretty sure Jeffrey Dahmer's profile would have included that fact he liked intimate dining with friends.
20 acres near Bozeman or Kalispell is going to be expensive. Add in waterfront and you will be looking at 7 figures plus.
There can be many stumbling blocks unseen by the uninformed. Water rights, septic permitting, power, road maintenance are but a few. If you are three miles down an road that is not plowed by the local authorities you are going to have to figure out how to get yourself plowed out. If you have never done a Montana winter, don't buy until you do. The aren't necessarily the end of the world, but many people think you can see the end from there. Daylight is very limited, it will be cold and often the roads are close to impassible. Some individuals see that as a plus, some feel winter is a minor inconvenience, others feel the the onset of winter is the onset of six months of doom and gloom.

[fanrgs]

You couldn't pay me enough to move to the Butte-Anaconda area, but there are some semi-rural subdivisions just southwest of Bozeman that are just what you are describing as your "dream location." However, be prepared for high-priced property and very cold winters, just as others have described. You may also see some inexpensive property around Libby, MT, but there is a good reason for that too (ie., Superfund).

BTW, I grew up in Arlington and moved away as soon as I was old enough to leave home. That was 55 years ago and the D-FW area has gotten a whole lot more crowded since then. So, I can sympathize with your predicament, but it wouldn't be any better in Denver, Colorado Springs, SLC, Las Vegas, or, especially, Phoenix (IMHO, the worst traffic in the West outside Texas and California).

[patperry2766]

jgrimes wrote:
What are you looking for? What do you like to do? Work? In town or out? Your request is way too broad to respond to. Are you thinking you can like in your camper during the winter? I have lived in Missoula, Helena and (now) Kalispell. I'd suggest you come and spend the summer in each location and get a feel for what you want. And, then, plan to spend a winter. It's really not that horrible, unless you've never spent time in the northern part of the country.

Ideally, 20+ acres where I can set up an archery/shooting range, maybe a few horses and cows to raise, a shop to putter and a place for my wife to have a garden, photography, biking, fishing, hiking, 4-wheeling. We are an outdoor family but the summers and being around so many people are really starting to take a toll on me and my psyche.

I want a slower pace of life and a better quality of life, and that won't happen in a suburb of Ft Worth Texas. I want to walk out of the house and be able to feel alive, not just a rat trapped on the same wheel that is constantly going around and around. I want scenery and to experience more than the 2 seasons we get in Texas, cool and hotter than h*((.

That's what I want..now I have to figure out how and where to make it happen. I have read that the Butte/Silverbow area is the site of some EPA Superfund cleanups due to past mining. Is this an area that I need to shy away from because I have seen some tracts of land near Hackney that looks interesting.

[jgrimes]

What are you looking for? What do you like to do? Work? In town or out? Your request is way too broad to respond to. Are you thinking you can like in your camper during the winter? I have lived in Missoula, Helena and (now) Kalispell. I'd suggest you come and spend the summer in each location and get a feel for what you want. And, then, plan to spend a winter. It's really not that horrible, unless you've never spent time in the northern part of the country.

[patperry2766]

fanrgs wrote:
If you want big, snow-capped mountain peaks with lots of nearby campgrounds and trout streams, but milder winters than Montana, check out Bayfield, Colorado. Very mild winters, cool summers, located just east of the tourist mecca of Durango, but with median home prices $100,000 less than Durango. Mesa Verde and Silverton an hour's drive away and your kids (and grandkids?) will want to spend every summer at your new home!

I've also been looking around Grand Junction, Gunnison, Durango, Cortez, Salida, Buena Vista and Glemwood Springs.

I work in a hospital so I need to be close, or within a reasonable commute distance for gainful employment. The DFW, TX area where I live has close to 7.7 million people, so big towns like Denver, Colorado Springs, etc don't hold much interest unless I can get into the mountains reasonable priced.

[fanrgs]

If you want big, snow-capped mountain peaks with lots of nearby campgrounds and trout streams, but milder winters than Montana, check out Bayfield, Colorado. Very mild winters, cool summers, located just east of the tourist mecca of Durango, but with median home prices $100,000 less than Durango. Mesa Verde and Silverton an hour's drive away and your kids (and grandkids?) will want to spend every summer at your new home!

[missourijan]

There's a park in Three Forks, MT, just off I 90 at Hwy 287, west of Bozeman that used to be a KOA. Can't remember the name but it's full hookups and it would be a good base to check out the SW area of MT. It might be Camp Three Forks. Check www.rvparkreviews.com for the name. There's a state park around Flathead Lake with water & elec with a dump onsite.

[GeoBoy]

Columbia Falls RV Park, in Columbia Falls, MT.

[jamesu]

Private campground just off I-90 on West end of Missoula that we like: Jim & Mary's Campground. Very clean and orderly. Laundry facility. All hookups. Nice people. Quiet place.

[n7bsn]

The cheapest city to buy a house is Butte, but there are reasons... (if God were to give Montana an enema, he'd do it in Butte)

Summers in all four areas are great. Spring and fall are nice... Bare in mind I've seen it snow in every month of the year though. Spring really doesn't come until about now and fall is in full swing by the day after Labor Day, with winter pounding in by Thanksgiving.

I just saw a story that the fastest growing town is St. George Utah, why I couldn't guess.

I really don't like the Salt Lake area, with the mountains to the east it can get real bad air pollution and the roads are ugly crowded (that from a guy that regularly drives in Seattle)

[4huskers]

I lived in Havre for three years and finally ended up in Keller, TX. I'd say you need at least a month in the winter to get a feel for what winter conditions can be. I can't help with real estate questions, but feel free to PM me with winter survival questions and I'll try to help.