In lieu of being able to visit Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks (see here for more details) I decided to visit a couple of state parks along the route between Bozeman MT and Idaho Falls ID (I was committed to the first five nights of hotels as they were prepaid thanks to the strange policy of AAA that if you book online, you pay for the first night per hotel.....grrrrr.....a policy I do not like). I originally intended to visit Henry's Lake State Park and Harriman's State Park. However, I left Bozeman before sunrise and must have missed the Henry's signs. I found Harriman's and they told me about Mesa Falls about 12 miles away. Both were very good places to visit as you will see from the photos.

Harriman's is devoted to preserving the natural habitat for birds. There are small foot trails (human and horse, so the humans always need to watch where they step!) throughout the park. A good map of it all can be gotten at the entrance office where the park entrance fee is paid. A special note: once a state park pass is purchased, it is good for all state parks for the day, Montana is the same way). Peaceful place. Beautiful scenery on the warm sunny fall day I was there.

Mesa Falls is all about the falls. There is the upper and lower sections that are about a mile apart, each with their own separate entrance. I happen to visit the lower falls first. The falls were quite a distance away from the place where they let the tourists stand. Impressive and the gushing water makes quite a sound. Tourists can get up close and personal with the upper falls. The standing platforms are mere feet from the falls. Bigger falls, closer to them, bigger sound. Wow! I took some mini movies of them. The speaker on the camera cannot do justice to the sound of the falls.