Thompson Falls Campground

The Great Outdoors

When you bring your rental motorhome to Thompson Falls Campground, you're well-placed to explore northern Montana's wild spaces while enjoying a scenic drive to get to where you want. Perhaps you're planning to spend quality outdoor time at Kootenai National Forest; then, you can take State Highway 37 from Libby and follow the Lake Koocanusa Scenic Byway all the way to Eureka some 60+ miles on the other end of the forest.For most of its length, the byway affords spectacular views of the Kootenai River and Lake Koocanusa and gets you within spitting distance of bighorn sheep. Also keep your eyes sharp for other wildlife inhabiting the forests along the byway: elk, moose, and bear make regular appearances.Maybe a few thousand acres is not enough playground space for you. Maybe the two-million-acre Lolo National Forest on the Montana-Idaho border is a much better destination. A great place to get started is at the Superior Ranger District if you want to be on two feet or two wheels. The 15-mile Route of the Hiawatha takes you through tunnels and into the other side of the state line - downhill.Get closer to the forest's plants and animals in one of the many nature walks and wildlife viewing areas. Follow the Maclay Flat Nature Trail to spot birdlife; the Petty Creek for bighorn sheep; and the Babcock Mountain Trail for admiring abundant wildflowers. With so much ground to cover, you might want to take your Thompson Falls camper rental on a scenic drive through the "Chain of Lakes" on State Highway 83 or follow in the historical wake of Lewis and Clark on US Highway 12.Thompson Falls is on the road to Glacier National Park, enough reason for you to book an RV in Sanders County and find RV parks in Thompson Falls to see for yourself why the park is nicknamed the "Crown of the Continent."The stunning 50-mile Going-to-the-Sun Road is the quintessential scenic drive in the Glacier National Park, taking Thompson Falls campers through the park's diverse terrain ranging from glacial lakes and cedar forests to weathered alpine tundra atop the 6,000-foot Logan Pass. Here you have a good chance to spot mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and the occasional grizzly bear, and admire purple and yellow wildflowers that carpet the ground throughout the summer.The park can also be accessed from the west via the glacially carved Lake McDonald Valley, or from the east, via the St. Mary Valley if you wish to combine wildlife viewing with watching Blackfeet, Salish, and Kootenai tribal members perform at the Visitor Center.For a more isolated experience of the park, the North Fork is a more suitable destination. Accessed by rough dirt roads, this northwest corner of the park beckons self-sufficient campers who are prepared to enjoy the journey in their campervan rental without the aid of modern conveniences. Otherwise, stick to where the thick of the action is: the Many Glacier area where you may view glaciers after reaching them by car, foot, or horseback.

Exploring the Area

A visit to the century-old Old Jail Museum is a great introduction to understanding how Thompson Falls and its surrounding area fit in the larger picture of linking Coeur d'Alene, ID and Spokane, WA. Here you'll get a look at the early European settler David Thompson and the construction of the dam. Naturally, the 588-foot High Bridge is hard to overlook, built in 1911 to support the construction of the hydro-electric dam. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this historic bridge has been opened to foot and bicycle traffic.Railfans camping in Thompson Falls will also be delighted to discover that the town is one of the few in the county with a surviving passenger station originally built by the Northern Pacific Railway. Other places in the county with their own extant passenger stations are Dixon, Paradise, and Plains.Down the "Road to the Buffalo" about 90 minutes' drive from your campsite at Thompson Falls Campground, the National Bison Range provides habitat to the once-endangered American bison. A Pend d’Oreille tribal member helped rescue the American bison from extinction in the wild with four calves brought from the eastern plains of Montana. Today this refuge protects not only the American bison but also supports populations of Rocky Mountain elk, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep. Two hundred species of birds can also be found in the refuge.With so much to do in and around Sanders County, you could easily fill your days with adventures that will delight all ages. So when you're looking for a family-friendly campground in Montana's Glacier Country, camp in an RV near Thompson Falls, and you'll have more than a fair share of the Treasure State's natural wonders.