A proposal · Summer 2026

A northern loop,
by truck camper.

Park City to Lopez Island and back, threading the wildest stretches of the Rockies, the Canadian interior, the North Cascades, and the Sawtooths — at a pace that lets us actually sit in the places we go.

Departure July 10
Home by Sept 15
Total nights ≈ 65
Crew 2 + 1 + 2
§ One

The shape of it.

A counter-clockwise loop: north through Yellowstone and Glacier, into the Canadian Rockies and BC interior, west to Lopez for a long stay, then home through the North Cascades and the Sawtooths.

Easy boondocking

Most nights are free dispersed sites on national forest, BC Crown land, or BLM — the camper handles a week without services, so we stay in remoter places without juggling reservations.

Low driving days

Average drive between basecamps is under 3 hours. Only two transit days exceed 5 hours. The longest stretches sit at the start and end, when we're home-territory comfortable.

Real dwell time

Multi-night basecamps with hiking and biking right out the door. Dog-friendly trails throughout — particularly in Canada and on national forest land surrounding the parks.

§ Two

The stops.

Fourteen basecamps across two months. Each one earns its keep with a real reason to be there — a hot spring, a granite spire, a flow trail, a quiet ridge with the dogs.

Stop 01 · Jul 10–11

Teton Valley

Caribou-Targhee NF · Driggs side, ID

The quiet backside of the Tetons. Two-stage arrival: a low-elevation soft landing on day one, then up the canyon into the Jedediah Smith Wilderness on day two — where unlike the parks across the pass, dogs are welcome on every trail.

Stay 2 nights
Drive in 4.5 hr from PC
Night 1 — Mike Harris CG (~6,200 ft, off Hwy 33 between Victor & Driggs): easy paved approach for a tired baby, Nemo trail leaves from camp for a morning dog walk. Night 2 — Teton Canyon CG ($17, 6,500 ft): book site #1 ahead — it's the only one that fits a 24-26 ft rig (others cap at 20 ft). Bear lockers, vault toilets, Jed Smith Wilderness trails from camp. Dispersed exists on Teton Canyon Rd but the road is rough and tight; not ideal for first night with the rig.
Trails & rides
Teton Canyon Trail (from CG) Dogs OKEasy · creekside↗ Alaska Basin (long day) Dogs OKHard · alpine basin↗ Table Mountain (West Face) Dogs OKHard · backside of the Grand↗ Horseshoe Canyon MTB Bike · flowy XC singletrack↗ Grand Targhee Bike Park Bike · lift-served, 2,000 vert↗
Stop 02 · Jul 12–14

Tom Miner Basin

Custer-Gallatin NF · Yellowstone N. gateway, MT

A grizzly basin north of Gardiner, basecamp for a south-to-north traverse of Yellowstone. Skip the geyser zoo and drive Hayden → Lamar Valley for wolves at dusk, then sleep in shaded NFS dispersed sites away from crowds.

Stay 3 nights
Drive in 3.5 hr (via park)
Tom Miner Campground + free dispersed along Tom Miner Rd. Petrified Forest trailhead from camp. Bring binoculars — bears in the meadows below.
Trails & loops
Petrified Forest Loop Dogs OKModerate · NFS↗ Mount Washburn (no dogs) Moderate · panoramic↗ Lamar Valley wildlife drive Drive · dawn or dusk↗
Stop 03 · Jul 15

Bozeman

Paradise Valley · Montana

A real meal, a real shower, a resupply. One night at Chico Hot Springs or a quiet site up the Yellowstone River. Easy bridge between the Tom Miner ridge and Glacier.

Stay 1 night
Drive in 1.5 hr
Chico Hot Springs (paid, family-friendly soak) or Pine Creek Campground in Paradise Valley. Either works as a transit night.
Activities
Pine Creek Falls Dogs OKEasy · waterfall↗
Stop 04 · Jul 16–17

Missoula & Lolo NF

Western Montana

Marshall Mountain's flow trail is the local gem — fast, smooth, the kind of run that makes you want a second lap. Rattlesnake NRA right in town for dog miles. Optional: drop into the Bitterroot for a deeper night.

Stay 2 nights
Drive in 3 hr
Lolo NF dispersed on Rock Creek or up the Blackfoot corridor. 30 min from town, free, shaded. River swim with the dogs after a hot ride.
Trails & MTB
Marshall Mountain MTB Bike · flow trails↗ Rattlesnake Main Trail Dogs OKEasy · gentle grade↗
Stop 05 · Jul 18–20

Glacier National Park

East side · Many Glacier / Two Medicine, MT

The east side of Glacier is the dramatic side — sheer faces, the chain of red-rock cirques. Sun rises over the peaks instead of setting behind them. We base on Lewis & Clark NF dispersed and day-trip into the park, with one alternates-and-dogs day on the adjacent NFS.

Stay 3 nights
Drive in 3.5 hr
Lewis & Clark NF dispersed outside East Glacier — free, forested, dog-friendly. Verify timed-entry rules for Many Glacier closer to dates; Two Medicine generally easier.
Hikes
Iceberg Lake (no dogs) Moderate · iconic cirque↗ Grinnell Glacier (no dogs) Hard · classic↗ Scenic Point Hard · sweeping views↗
Stop 06 · Jul 21

Waterton Lakes

Alberta · Canada

First night across the border. The Chief Mountain crossing puts us straight into the park; Waterton townsite is small and walkable, dogs welcome on Parks Canada trails (a luxury after Glacier). Bear's Hump for sunset.

Stay 1 night
Drive in 1.5 hr + border
Crandell Mountain Campground in-park (forest sites, dog-friendly) or backroad Crown land just outside park boundary.
Trails
Bear's Hump Dogs OKShort steep · sunset↗ Bertha Lake Dogs OKModerate · alpine↗
Stop 07 · Jul 22–24

Kananaskis

Alberta · Canadian Rockies

Banff's quieter back door. Same Rockies, same impossibly turquoise lakes, a fraction of the crowds — and provincial park trails that all welcome dogs on leash. Day-trip into Lake Louise at sunrise; sleep in a creek-side dispersed site on Forestry Trunk Rd.

Stay 3 nights
Drive in 3 hr
Forestry Trunk Road (Hwy 940) — free Crown land dispersed, multiple proven sites, true Rockies views from camp.
Trails & day-trips
Ptarmigan Cirque Dogs OKModerate · alpine wildflowers↗ Chester Lake Dogs OKModerate · classic↗ Moraine Lake (day-trip, dawn) Iconic · shuttle only↗
Stop 08 · Jul 25–26

Yoho National Park

British Columbia · Canada

Banff's quieter sibling on the BC side of the divide. Emerald Lake's turquoise is a rumor confirmed; Takakkaw Falls is one of Canada's tallest. The Iceline Trail is a glacier-hugging traverse for the no-dog day; Emerald Lake circuit is ours together.

Stay 2 nights
Drive in 2 hr
Free Crown land in the Blaeberry River drainage near Golden, or paid Kicking Horse Campground in-park if convenience matters.
Trails
Iceline Trail Dogs OKHard · glacier traverse↗ Emerald Lake Loop Dogs OKEasy · iconic↗
Stop 09 · Jul 27–29

The Bugaboos

Bugaboo Provincial Park · BC interior

Granite spires straight out of Patagonia, dropped in the middle of British Columbia. Few people, big quiet, world-class climbing happening overhead while we hike. Conrad Kain Hut as the marquee day; Cobalt Lake as the sleeper. Lussier Hot Springs as a soak en route.

Stay 3 nights
Drive in 3 hr (last hr rough)
Bugaboos trailhead lot doubles as base — primitive, free, and you wake up below the spires. Pack rats are the one real hazard: pre-trip, wrap the engine harness with capsaicin tape (Honda P/N 4019-2317), bring rodent spray, and prop the hood open overnight.
Trails
Conrad Kain Hut Dogs OKHard · classic approach↗ Cobalt Lake Dogs OKHard · alpine cirque↗ Lussier Hot Springs (en route) Soak · primitive↗
Stop 10 · Jul 30 – Aug 1

Revelstoke

British Columbia · the Selkirks

Lift-served flow MTB at reasonable prices, hot springs nearby, a real town for resupply, Mt Revelstoke's Meadows in the Sky Parkway for an alpine drive without the climb. We've found dog sitters here before — could mean a real bike-park day for both of us.

Stay 3 nights
Drive in 3.5 hr
Boulder Mountain Rd or Frisby Ridge area — free dispersed BC Recreation sites, 15 min from town. MTB park at Revelstoke Mountain Resort.
Activities
Frisby Ridge Dogs OKBike or hike · ridge↗ Eva Lake (Mt Revelstoke) Dogs OKModerate · alpine↗ Halcyon Hot Springs Soak · paid resort↗
Stop 11 · Aug 2

Manning Park

E.C. Manning Provincial Park · BC

A natural break on the long Revelstoke–Squamish stretch. Wildflower meadows, alpine lakes, dog-friendly Provincial Park trails — the kind of stop where you arrive late, walk a short loop with the dogs, and sleep with no schedule.

Stay 1 night
Drive in 4 hr
Lightning Lakes Campground ($) — large shaded sites in old-growth, hot showers, lake at the door. Or BC Rec dispersed off Hope-Princeton Hwy if the park's full.
Trails
Paintbrush Trail (subalpine meadows) Dogs OKEasy · wildflowers↗ Lightning Lakes Loop Dogs OKEasy · lakeside↗
Stop 12 · Aug 3–4

Squamish

Sea-to-Sky · British Columbia

Granite, rainforest, ocean. Half Nelson and the Bonk-area trails are the world-class flow on the way down to Lopez. Stawamus Chief towers above town. Last Canadian stop before the ferry — a Pacific exhale before two weeks on Lopez.

Stay 2 nights
Drive in 3 hr from Manning
Alice Lake Provincial Park (paid, family-friendly) or BC Rec dispersed in the Mamquam corridor. Squamish core 15 min away.
Trails & MTB
Half Nelson Bike · world-class flow↗ Stawamus Chief (1st peak) Dogs OKHard · granite slabs↗ Shannon Falls Dogs OKEasy · waterfall↗
Stop 13 · Aug 5–24

Lopez Island

San Juan Islands · Washington

The reason for the loop. Two to three weeks. Iceberg Point, Shark Reef, the slow ferry rhythm. Time to actually unpack, swim, ride the island, watch the baby learn to crawl on grass instead of inside a moving truck.

Stay ~21 nights
Drive in 3.5 hr + ferry
Stop 14 · Aug 25–31

North Cascades & Methow

Mazama base · Washington east side

One basecamp at Mazama, two flavors of country: NCNP's drama up Hwy 20 (Maple Pass, Blue Lake, Cutthroat) and the dry, golden Methow Valley with its Sun Mountain flow trails. East side dodges most of the late-summer smoke. Late August is peak in both.

Stay 6–7 nights
Drive in 4 hr + ferry
Okanogan-Wenatchee NF dispersed on Lost River Rd or Goat Creek. NCNP day-trips up Hwy 20; Methow MTB and dog hiking from camp.
Trails & MTB
Maple Pass Loop Dogs OKHard · alpine larches↗ Cutthroat Pass Dogs OKHard · ridge views↗ Sun Mountain MTB network Bike · flow & XC↗
Stop 15 · Sep 1–2

Wallowas

Wallowa-Whitman NF · NE Oregon

Oregon's "Little Switzerland" — granite peaks, alpine lakes, far fewer crowds than anything comparable. The natural break on the long Methow–Stanley stretch. Joseph is a real little western town; Wallowa Lake sits at the base of the Eagle Cap Wilderness like something out of a postcard.

Stay 2 nights
Drive in 5.5 hr
Wallowa-Whitman NF dispersed up the Lostine River corridor — free, shaded, creek-side, dog-friendly. Or Wallowa Lake State Park ($) for showers and lakefront convenience.
Trails
Chief Joseph Mountain Trail Dogs OKHard · alpine views↗ Ice Lake (long day) Dogs OKHard · classic↗ Wallowa Lake West Side Trail Dogs OKEasy · lakeside↗
Stop 16 · Sep 3–7

Sawtooths · Stanley

Sawtooth NRA · Idaho

September in Stanley is genuinely the sweet spot — cool nights, warm days, larches starting to turn, mosquitoes gone. Redfish Lake as the picture-postcard, Sawtooth Lake as the harder day, Iron Creek as the dog-friendly classic. Stanley itself is a dust-and-pickup-truck basecamp town.

Stay 5 nights
Drive in 5 hr from Wallowas
Sawtooth NRA dispersed on FS roads outside the wilderness boundary. Iron Creek, Stanley Lake, Pettit Lake all have proven free sites with trail access from camp.
Trails
Sawtooth Lake Dogs OKHard · classic↗ Iron Creek to Alpine Lake Dogs OKModerate · gentle↗ Bench Lakes Dogs OKModerate · lake chain↗
Stop 17 · Sep 8–9

Bonneville Hot Springs

Boise NF · Lowman, Idaho

A drive-up, family-friendly Idaho hot springs. Park at the campground, walk a quarter-mile flat trail to river soaks. Easier-on-the-baby alternative to Gold Bug. Last real soak before home.

Stay 2 nights
Drive in 2 hr (Hwy 21)
Bonneville Campground ($) — short walk to springs, river-side, well-maintained. Or free dispersed nearby on the South Fork Payette.
Activities
Bonneville Hot Springs trail Dogs OKEasy · soak↗
§ Three

Open questions.

Two real decisions shape this trip more than the others. Here's how they break down — interested in your read.

Canadian Rockies: BC interior, or the Icefields Parkway?

Both are 14-ish days, both end at Squamish. The fork is whether we chase the iconic glacier-and-lakes drive (Banff → Lake Louise → Icefields → Jasper) or take the quieter granite-and-hot-springs route (Kananaskis → Yoho → Bugaboos → Revelstoke). Boondocking matters here: Option A has multiple 3-night basecamps with dispersed sites, Option B is structurally a windshield tour with paid campgrounds.

Working plan
Option A · BC interior
  • Multi-night basecamps, easy dwell time
  • Granite spires, hot springs, Revelstoke MTB
  • Quieter, dog-friendly throughout
  • Skips Icefields Parkway & Lake Louise
  • Skips Jasper & Mt Robson
Option B · Icefields & Jasper
  • One of the world's great drives
  • Lake Louise, Peyto, Bow, Berg
  • Crowded, mostly paid campgrounds
  • More transit, less dwell time
  • Skips Bugaboos & Lussier

Lopez: two weeks or three?

The plan books ~21 nights on Lopez, arriving Aug 4 and departing Aug 24. Buffer on the return is now ~3 days (Wallowas is in, breaking up the long Methow→Stanley stretch). The question is whether to hold that buffer for weather/smoke flexibility, or compress Lopez to two weeks and extend dwell time at one of the basecamps you fall in love with along the way.

Working plan
~3 weeks Lopez + buffer
  • Real Lopez time — actually unpack
  • 3 days slack for weather/smoke
  • Baby gets a long break from the road
  • Less dwell-time flex on the road
~2 weeks Lopez + roaming
  • Extra week to extend a basecamp
  • More flex if Bugaboos or Sawtooths sing
  • Lopez itself stays a "vacation" rather than a stay
  • Less reset for the baby

Yellowstone: full pass-through, or skip?

The plan has us entering at the south, traversing through Hayden and Lamar Valleys, exiting at Gardiner — basecamp in Tom Miner Basin. We skip the Old Faithful zoo entirely. The alternative is to skip Yellowstone too, save a day, and put it elsewhere (Glacier? Canada?). Yellowstone is 4 hrs from Park City — easy to revisit. But Lamar at dusk with binoculars is a real experience.

Working plan
Traverse with Tom Miner base
  • Lamar Valley wildlife at dusk
  • Tom Miner is genuinely wild basecamp
  • No real detour cost
  • Park traffic is real even on traverse
Skip — go straight to Glacier
  • Save 1-2 days for Canada
  • Avoid park crowds entirely
  • Misses Lamar, which the trip won't replicate
§ Four

The full ledger.

Every stop, every night, every drive — start to finish.

Leg Stop Region Nights To next
Outbound Teton Valley
Mike Harris + Teton Canyon		 Caribou-Targhee NF 2 3.5 hr
Tom Miner Basin
via Yellowstone traverse		 Custer-Gallatin NF, MT 3 1.5 hr
Bozeman / Paradise Valley
resupply night		 Montana 1 3 hr
Missoula / Lolo NF
Marshall Mtn MTB		 Montana 2 3.5 hr
Glacier NP
East side · Many Glacier		 Lewis & Clark NF, MT 3 1.5 hr + border
Canada Waterton Lakes
first Canadian night		 Alberta 1 3 hr
Kananaskis
Banff back door		 Alberta 3 2 hr
Yoho NP
Emerald Lake, Iceline		 BC 2 3 hr
Bugaboos
granite spires + Lussier en route		 BC interior 3 3.5 hr
Revelstoke
flow MTB + hot springs		 BC 3 4 hr
Manning Park
drive break · meadows		 BC 1 3 hr
Squamish
Sea-to-Sky		 BC 2 3.5 hr + ferry
Lopez Lopez Island
the long stay		 San Juans, WA ~21 4 hr + ferry
Return North Cascades + Methow
single basecamp · Mazama		 Okanogan-Wenatchee NF 6–7 5.5 hr
Wallowas
"Little Switzerland"		 Wallowa-Whitman NF, OR 2 5 hr
Sawtooths · Stanley
peak season		 Sawtooth NRA, ID 5 2 hr
Bonneville Hot Springs
last soak		 Boise NF, ID 2 6 hr
Park City · home
~Sep 10		 Utah — —
Total nights
~65
Stops
17
Total drive
~60 hr
Buffer days
~3