The History Museum and Research Center

The museum is housed in a former International Harvester dealership. The building is huge with a lot of empty space. Most of the exhibits are temporary. An overview of Great Falls' is not included which is disappointing as I like to get a feel for the history of places we visit. The second floor has a large research center with thousands of historic documents and records. 

The accessible entrance is on the north side of the building. The second floor is accessed by an elevator. Many of the displays in the research center are not accessible due to the height of the display cases. 

Parking is in the rear of the museum. The parking lot is small but it widens at the south end so RVs can be parked in those spaces without interfering with traffic flow. Museum  47.50002, -111.30515

Lowry Bridge Campground

This tiny patch of BLM land, barely 1/2 mile square, has a campground with five sites, picnic tables, fire rings, a vault toilet, and access to the Sun River. There's one bear box and a sign about bear activity. We didn't see any bears.

When we arrived in early afternoon only one site was occupied. By evening all the sites were full but everyone left the next morning. Stay limit is three days.

The ground at the sites is hard packed and rolling is fairly easy. The tables have extended tops. The road is rough with large loose gravel. The short trail is not accessible. 

The sites are long enough for most RVs but the bridge has a 10-ton weight limit. Campground   47.51288, -112.0083

Montana Museum of Art & Culture

The museum features changing exhibits. The the exhibits in main galleries when we visited were the works of Morton Levin which he created from the 1930s - 2005. He worked in a variety of mediums, and the exhibit included drawings, paintings, prints, etchings, woodcuts, and engravings. Some are very intricate and some, like his depictions of WWII, are disturbing. 

Photos were not permitted of Morton Levin's artwork. The other galleries are small - one featured weavings and the other had a timeline of the museum's acquisitions. 

The museum is accessible.

The museum is on the campus of the University of Montana. It does not have a dedicated parking lot and like most college campus the parking lots have restrictions. We found an hourly lot - W on this map - and walked/rolled 1/3 mile along Campus Drive to the museum. We tried to cut through the campus and found steps without a ramp. Stick to the sidewalk which is in good condition. Museum  46.86473, -113.98473

Lochsa Historical Ranger Station

The ranger's station has always been closed when we've crossed over the Lolo Pass so I was happy to see the open sign this time. When the station was built in 1925 a trail provided the only access to it. It was in operation until the late 1950s and was a hub for backcountry fire lookouts and smoke chaser cabins that were connected by a system of pack trails and telephone lines. 

The station has three building to tour - the alternate ranger's house which serves as a small museum and visitor center, the ranger's house which is furnished with period pieces, and the combination building which was originally four separate buildings. The combination building was used as the ranger's office, kitchen and dining room for the forest workers, and a tool room.

A paved trail loops through the woods and passes by several relocated cabins. Wild plum trees grow along the lower portion of the trail. The plums are about the size of cherries and delicious. 

The site is not totally accessible. A paved trail goes to all of the main buildings but there are some hills where wheelchair users may need assistance and some of the buildings have high thresholds or steps. The trail through the woods has steep sections and comes out in the lower parking lot.

There is one short accessible space (we just fit with our 25' RV) by the restroom. Do not drive past the restroom. Walk/roll up the road from the restroom to the visitor center. Larger vehicles must park in the lower lot which means an even longer trek up the hill. Ranger Station    46.33867, -115.32801

Pink House Recreation Site

The pink house, a landmark that stood near the current boat ramp, is long gone but the name stuck.  The name is not the only unusual thing about this BLM site. It's less than two miles from a town and has a full hookup campground - very different from many of the BLM sites in the desert.  

The campground was recently renovated and it's very nice although a little noisy due to its close proximity to US 12. Amenities include tables, grills, fire rings, restrooms, a boat ramp, and easy access to the water. We camped in the pull through site near the three tent sites because it's farthest away from the road and more private. That won't be the case if the tent sites are occupied. They are close each other and close to the pull through site. 

Two of the sites are designated as accessible. They have paving under the tables and around the fire rings. All of the sites have paved parking pads, tables with extended tops, and high fire rings so they all are usable.    Park    46.50292, -116.34876

Texas Rapids Recreation Area

We snagged the best site in this free Corp of Engineers park, out on a spit of land surround by water with views of the cliffs. It's a back in or out spot - no room to turn around. There two more sites with water frontage that can be easily accessed. The large parking lot can also be used for camping and the grassy area is good for tents. 

Amenities include picnic tables- some with shelters, grills, fire rings, vault toilets, a dumpster, a boat ramp, and docks. No cell signal. 

The ground is hard packed and rolling around is fairly easy, at least where the gravel is not deep.

Any size vehicle will fit in the parking lot.  Park     46.56312, -118.09968

Sacajawea State Park and Interpretive Center

The Lewis and Clark Expedition camped near the park location on October 16, 1805 as they made their way down the Columbia River. While the site doesn't have any connection to Sacajawea's tribal heritage, it's an historic gathering spot for hundreds of members of the local Native American tribes. The museum was built in the 1930s as a Works Project Administration project and features exhibits on the Expedition and the Native Americans who lived in the area at the time.  

The museum is accessible. A paved path with interpretive signs goes from the parking lot to the museum.

The parking lot is large enough for any vehicle.   Park     46.20018, -119.0402

Threemile Canyon-Quesnel Park

There are several very good spots along the river where large RVs will fit plus a large flat parking lot. When we arrived in late afternoon the lot was a third full with wind surfers who all left at twilight. 

The west end of the lot is a Native American Treaty Fishing Access Site and closed to non-native camping. 

The access road is gravel and washboard in spots but navigable by any vehicle. Park   45.81163, -119.96881