World Museum of Mining

Orphan Girl Mine was first worked in 1875 and changed hands many times before being bought in the1920s by the Anaconda Company which operated it until the 1950s. It opened as a museum in 1965. The mine earned its unusual name because, unlike the cluster of mines east of downtown Butte, only a few were situated on the western edge.

The museum consists of a mine tour, a museum/gift shop, a recreated mining town, and the original building where the workers cleaned up after their shifts and where the huge engines that lifted the hoists and provide compressed air to run underground equipment are located. Dozens of pieces of old equipment are scattered around the property. We were surprised that there are no barriers preventing visitors from accessing any part of the grounds.  

Nothing at this museum is truly accessible but some of it can be experienced with assistance. Understandably, the mine tour is not accessible due to the rough and uneven ground. Although the mine shafts go down  2700 feet, the tour just reaches the 100 foot depth by walking down a long, sloping walkway. 

After navigating a rough patch to get to the entrance, the museum/gift shop is accessible. A room displaying a collection of dolls and doll houses is accessible.

The mining town has bumpy brick streets and boardwalks with extremely steep ramps or no ramps at all. The buildings are not opened but have plexiglass windows to view the interiors. Some windows are too high to peek in from a seated position. 

   The building housing the engines has a ramp on the side and is accessible. Go around to the back of the building to access the basement floor which has a mock up of a mine. The memorial to the hundreds of miners who were killed while working Butte’s mines is accessible. 

  

The grounds where the old equipment is stored are rough and uneven.  

The parking lot is large enough for any vehicle.  Museum  46.00904, -112.56456

 

Pine Creek Campground

Pine Creek is everything that a forest campground should be. :) It's in a beautiful and quiet setting in the mountains. The campsites are huge and widely spaced with a good mix of shaded or sunny sites. There's a short trail to a waterfall. It has all of the regular forest campground amenities such as picnic tables, fire rings, vault toilets, trash cans, and fresh water. 

The three mile road to the campground is paved but very narrow. That and the popularity of the campground and waterfall hike can be a bit of a problem. We met a pickup truck on the way up and could just barely squeeze by each other. There are pull off areas so backing up is a possibility. The host told us that as many as 200 day-trippers come up on the weekends to hike to the waterfall. We left early on our checkout day to beat the incoming traffic. 

The trail to the waterfall is not accessible but the first part goes to the stream and is hard packed and accessible. After that it becomes dirt with rocks and roots. We also walked/rolled along the paved road road for about 3/4 of a mile until it started to go downhill. 

We camped in site 24. It's not designated as accessible but it has a large, level area with a picnic table, fire ring with seating, and a bear box - all easily accessed. Campground  45.49896, -110.52252

 

Battle Ridge Campground

Twelve campsites are located along on either side of the campground road which has a turn around loop at the end. Since it's on a hill most of parking pads are not level; some to the extent that they are only suitable for tent campers. Amenities include tables, fire rings, and vault toilets. No water or trash cans. 

The land directly across from the campground road is national forest land. People were camped there but recent rains made the road a mess and old potholes could make rough going. Pretty spring flowers though. :)

We camped in site six or seven and, while the parking pad was fairly level, the table and fire ring were down the hill. None of the sites are accessible. Campground   45.88191, -110.8801

 

Canyon Campground

 After leaving the commotion of the national parks, this little forest campground is a welcome sight. It's very close to the US 89 so there's a lot of traffic noise but it's a cool location with the campsites tucked in among the trees and giant rocks. The campground is a bit rundown with large potholes in the road. Amenities include picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets. No water, trash cans, or phone signal.

None of the sites are designated as accessible but most are usable. We camped in site 7. As can be seen in the photo it's much longer than our RV. We parked close to the entrance to be as level as possible.  Besides all of the room around the table it has a secluded grassy tent area that's surrounded by rocks.   Campground 45.18321, -110.88811

 

Yellowstone National Park

This trip to Yellowstone was mostly a drive through because all the campgrounds except for Canyon Village were booked up. Some photos from the drive along the eastern side of the park -

We spent one night at Canyon Village. Most of the sites are short and either back-in or pull through. Of the 273 sites, only three are accessible and most likely unavailable unless reservations are made months ahead of time. 

The Canyon Visitor Education Center has exhibits about the Yellowstone caldera, hot springs, geysers, and geologic forces that formed the park. The museum is accessible. The parking lot has long RV spaces. 

 

We drove along the North Rim Drive and stopped at most of the overlooks . Many of the views are blocked by high stone walls. Skip the first lot if it's crowded because the viewpoint is accessed by steps only and it's easier to find parking spots in the lots farther along The trail from the Lookout Point parking lot to Grand View parking lot is paved. There are accessible parking spots but the trail is very steep and difficult even with assistance. Inspiration Point has a small loop lot with parking along the sides. A switch back paved trail leads to a good view of the canyon and river.

Our next stop at Forces of the Northern Range, a boardwalk, interpretive trail. This trail was built as an accessible trail and is fully accessible. The signs interpretive signs explore the natural history of the area including glacial boulders, open meadows, and the role of fires. The parking lot is small but doesn't fill so there is room for RVs. 

 Our last stop before leaving the parks was Mammoth Hot Springs. The area is constantly changing as the hot water bubbles up in different locations. We parked at the lower level and took the only section of boardwalk that doesn't have steps. It's very short but leads to beautiful travertine terraces. RVs will fit in the lot at the beginning of this boardwalk. There's also a lot just to the north where RVs will fit. Park   44.65702, -111.09015