27 August 2006

Left Helena at 8:45. There was a long climb about 9 miles out of town and then a long downhill to a road called Recreational Road. This is a road that follows Little Prickly Pear Creek until it flows into the Missouri River. It is windy with short hills and really pretty. There are lots of people floating the river, fishing, etc. There are also tons of campgrounds along the way, most not mentioned in the book I am using as a guide. The last portion into Great Falls was not as nice. Passed the turnoff to Yellowstone National Park (lots of miles away to the south).

I stayed in the most charmless of tent sites at a primarily RV Park. The tent sites are on a 30 x 50 meter plot of grass behind a storage shed, some abandoned cars and a trash compactor. It is near a new strip mall with a Barnes and Noble and a movie theater. I am basically camping on the edge of sprawl.