Gallatin National Forest, MT

7/21 Note: Playing catch up – almost there!
6/20 Gallatin National Forest, MT. I stayed here for the weekend before I began my Yellowstone summer job. This was the most beautiful campsite of all of the ones I stayed at. Along Hegben Lake, the Cabin Creek Campground was about 18 miles off of Highway 191 going south toward West Yellowstone. Total miles from West was about 26. All I can say is WOW! Hegben Lake is big and winding roads through the mountains provided beauty all around. Cabin Creek campground was small and secluded and my camp site was right off of the parking area. Each campsite gets 2 parking spots and I just needed one and had plenty of room. There was a picnic bench and a fire pit and pit toilets right across from the parking lot. It was a nice surprise that the toilets were clean and well kept. Water was also available and I really enjoyed that spot. The creek was next to the campground and offered a trail for hiking (too steep for me) and allowed horses to the trail. There was also a campground host who kept everything in order. The campground was quiet and pleasant, though a few bears did come through.

I hiked on a trail that led to the lake called Refuge Point, named after an earthquake hit the campground in August, 1959. I learned more about that when I came to the visitor center at Earthquake Lake. It was the saddest story I ever read about a campground. 250 people were affected and 28 died with 19 missing. The earthquake caused a landslide from the mountain and the center is situated in the middle of the rubble. There is a memorial on one of the boulders commemorating the dead. I also walked over to the scarp next to the campground, where the earth dropped 20 feet during the quake. It was amazing to see! My battery died, so no pictures of the scarp… 😦