roadtripper5092072

Fair Warning: i90 is never quiet for long but this sure beats a rest stop overnight.

Easy access from the highway, stay right to access the larger vehicle area. Decent Verizon speeds for streaming, did not try to work from here.

Due to a very busy cell tower anyone on pUDP Verizon plans can expect 1-2mbps max despite strong signal.

Beautiful spot, endless traffic for ORV and mountain biking access.

Strong TMobile project fi speeds.

This area remains free camping but is apparently often confused with it's Northern neighbor that is now inside a paid system for UtahRaptor State Park (North Klondike)

Excellent Verizon on b66 and T-Mobile 5g on n71 standalone 5g. 120mbps average for us. Starlink congested to an average of 12mbps here. Low latency and jitter across both cell carriers except for peak commuting hours around 5pm.

This place can be confusing so I've included a little map in my photo uploads. We called ahead and were told where to park if we didn't need hookups and there would be no fee.

With hookups (15 amp power, so be aware): 20/night

The dumpsite and water are very helpful and located right across from the back in RV hookup sites.

Excellent Verizon service for work, low jitter limited latency (tower is right above the office.)

Navigating: (see photos)

Enter off of 5th Avenue. You will see a large paved parking area about 200 yards in, head diagonally across it to head towards the white stalls. You will then cross the race track to enter the RV area (you are driving across the dirt circle course and into what the office calls "the infield.")

The office is directly under the cell tower if you need to leave payment near where you entered the first paved parking area.

Let me be clear that if you need to do any business in Bozeman, a great city for food and coffee, this place is kinda of the only show in town that isn't way too expensive. However, your experience is wildly dependent upon the neighbors you get. Also note, trains run a lot at night and are very loud.

We are typically huge fans of fairgrounds as they have a wide open space with less of the cramped campgrounds at peak summer issues, built for large trailers and rigs to access, etc. However, Gallatin is a bit different. They have a great layout on paper but as other reviewers mentioned, they sardine you in on top of each other where Walmart-docking gives you a more peaceful nights rest.

We dry camp at fairgrounds to avoid established parking areas but they don't let you do that here. You dry camp for 20 a night but you're in the electrical only lot with a power box that they padlock. Full hookups are 37 a night and also sardined in together and more busy.

What this turns into though as we found out after one night on our own was a slew of neighbors in RVs and trailers in complete disrepair, who then had visitors driving right under our slide outs until past midnight. They would leave and then be replaced with another challenging neighbor, trash everywhere and late night arguments, throw in a few Harleys doing their best to wake everyone up and well, you get the picture.

It is clear Gallatin has other priorities with how well the grounds are kept and the events including the weekend farmers market are spectacular, they just don't invest in really controlling what they are clearly making you pay for. My suggestion is get in here for a weekend, keep your slides closed and hope you get a good set of neighbors. Then leave soon after.

The Empire Ranch/Cienguita NCA is simply incredible. Stunning views, cooler weather, coyotes and wildlife everywhere. Great biking, dog walking and tasty well water at the Ranch House to refill on.

You have a choice of several campgrounds within the NCA, each with their pros and cons.

Best all around: Cienguita Campground. Most privacy, limited spots 6-10, large rigs can turn around here if no one is camping in the end spot. You are allowed through the cattle gate at the end of the road here but it will dead end into some very deep ruts and there are only 1-2 spots past the gate (close behind you.) No services. The road in is rough but Class A passable in dry weather only, expect tight spots.

Best for large rigs closest to entrance (least off roading required): Maternity Well with space for about 10 closely packed 5th wheels with a turn around at the bottom. No services.

Largest area with pit toilets: Airport (easily fit a festival of people twice while we were here.)

For you remote workers out there:

3-4 bars of unboosted Verizon LTE + AT&T LTE (avoid the ravines for best service.) TMobile ProjectFi was hit and miss. Speeds around 20 up/down for prepaid Verizon, great connection for meetings and conferencing.

An easy pull off on the way out or into Yellowstone Southern Entrance. We stayed in the second lot closest to the lodge and gas station. Easily 50 rigs parked here without issue.

As with most of the Tetons/Yellowstone, no Verizon or Tmobile cell service.

Edit: As someone apparently was told you can't stay the night here, there are at anytime 30+ rigs during season in the North Parking Lot every night (see my photo.) I believe they try to enforce the one night limit but this place is absolutely full of overnighters.

We used this as a go between to Vegas in our RTT setup, showed up late at night and went to bed. Woke up to an incredible view, wish I had stayed longer.

I have never stopped in Ritzville, and of course it surprised me as a long time Washingtonian as a great pit stop for the weary traveler or full timer. The camp hosts at this fairground have been volunteering here for four years and they truly care about your experience.

You check in with them before being assigned a space on a beautiful grass field. Spots are long but you will be packed together if things get busy. The open space to walk your dog (leashes required) or just take in the quaint little fair grounds make your stay super peaceful.

Trains go by often, but that never bothered us.

Tmobile was rock solid for Zoom and Slack here 20mbps down/ 5up, Verizon Prepaid was crowded and slow so I stayed on our Tmobile.

We will be back and this place has really set a high bar.

I'm still trying to remove flies from our rig and this was with preparation knowing the area would be filled with them. We caught so many our fly paper didn't have any spots left. With the wind going the wrong way you're going to smell some awful things coming from Hickmans.

The area is very beautiful albeit busy, Courthouse Road and Salome Highway are rarely quiet with a lot of high speed traffic of folks commuting to work at the power plant and hatchery nearby.

We would stay here in a pinch again, but its not worth it otherwise.