Montana

Yellowstone and Grand Teton are very close, and that’s what makes them such a great road trip destination. They are joined at the south border of Yellowstone and the northern border of Grand Teton. These are two of my favorite national parks in the entire country, with each having its own unique reasons to visit. Yellowstone has some of the most incredible geothermal and wildlife viewing places on earth, while Grand Teton has some of the most epic mountain views you will ever see. fly into Bozeman (MT) and drive south from there. Typically this will be the cheapest option that is within an hour of one of the parks. I have routed the above itinerary from Bozeman, but you can also fly into Jackson Hole Airport and flip the itinerary if that works best for you. Bozeman, and West Yellowstone, Jackson, all conveniently have car rental options at the airport. There are a few tours that are going to take you around in the main view sites so if you want to skip renting car its possible If you have the means, staying in the national park lodges is a really special experience, especially Old Faithful Inn. When traveling in a large group or as a family, you may want to consider nearby vacation rentals. staying in Jackson is the most common when your visiting Grand Teton National Park, For the most budget-friendly option, you can choose to stay in campgrounds, either within the parks or just outside. Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks host some of the most breathtaking, but also some of the most dangerous natural sights on the planet. As such, it is vital to follow the National Park Service’s rules when visiting the park. give wildlife space. They are called WILDlife for a reason, and these animals are unpredictable. They may look cute, but if you get too close and they feel threatened, they may threaten your life in retaliation. The national park recommendations are to keep a distance of 100 yards (90m) from bears and wolves, and 25 yards (23m) from bison and other animals. If you get too close and an animal attacks, not only are you in trouble, but the animal is likely to be destroyed in response. Give them space

Yellowstone and Grand Teton are very close, and that’s what makes them such a great road trip destination. They are joined at the south border of Yellowstone and the northern border of Grand Teton. These are two of my favorite national parks in the entire country, with each having its own unique reasons to visit. Yellowstone has some of the most incredible geothermal and wildlife viewing places on earth, while Grand Teton has some of the most epic mountain views you will ever see. fly into Bozeman (MT) and drive south from there. Typically this will be the cheapest option that is within an hour of one of the parks. I have routed the above itinerary from Bozeman, but you can also fly into Jackson Hole Airport and flip the itinerary if that works best for you. Bozeman, and West Yellowstone, Jackson, all conveniently have car rental options at the airport. There are a few tours that are going to take you around in the main view sites so if you want to skip renting car its possible If you have the means, staying in the national park lodges is a really special experience, especially Old Faithful Inn. When traveling in a large group or as a family, you may want to consider nearby vacation rentals. staying in Jackson is the most common when your visiting Grand Teton National Park, For the most budget-friendly option, you can choose to stay in campgrounds, either within the parks or just outside. Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks host some of the most breathtaking, but also some of the most dangerous natural sights on the planet. As such, it is vital to follow the National Park Service’s rules when visiting the park. give wildlife space. They are called WILDlife for a reason, and these animals are unpredictable. They may look cute, but if you get too close and they feel threatened, they may threaten your life in retaliation. The national park recommendations are to keep a distance of 100 yards (90m) from bears and wolves, and 25 yards (23m) from bison and other animals. If you get too close and an animal attacks, not only are you in trouble, but the animal is likely to be destroyed in response. Give them space

Lamar Valley Next up, drive roughly an hour east towards the Lamar Valley. Along the way, you might want to stop if you spot wildlife, or just pull over to enjoy the beautiful panoramic views of the area.

The Lamar Valley is in my opinion the best wildlife viewing area in the whole park. Here you will no doubt spot plenty of bison, but may also be lucky enough to see a bear, wolves, pronghorn, coyotes, bald eagles, and more! Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Around an hour south of the Lamar Valley is the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. This is one of the most dramatic scenes in the park, with its main feature being “Lower Falls” seen from Artist Point. This is the tallest waterfall in the park and drops 308 feet down into the canyon below. There are a few other viewing points for the canyon also worth checking out and they are spread out across the North Rim and South Rim. These include Inspiration Point, Grand View, and Upper Falls View. (check out the guided tour options in this part of the park.)

Norris Geyser Basin continuing 20 minutes west you will hit Norris Geyser Basin, one of the park’s most popular geyser basins. This particular basin is home to Yellowstone’s oldest, hottest, and most dynamic geothermal features. It is also home to the world’s tallest, currently active geyser named Steamboat Geyser. here are two areas to explore here, Porcelain Basin (1 mile roundtrip) and Back Basin (1.75 miles roundtrip). Both are definitely worth checking out, but I suggest arriving and following the trail that grabs your attention. You can always do the other one afterwards if you’ve got the energy. Lower Geyser Basin- Midway Geyser Basin- Upper Geyser Basin Head 35 minutes south to Lower Geyser Basin where you will find the beautiful Fountain Paint Pots Trail. This is a short, 0.5-mile roundtrip loop to see some really cool thermal features.

Continue 5 minutes south to Midway Geyser Basin, home to the famous Grand Prismatic Spring. This can get very busy, so be prepared to potentially have to wait for a parking spot, but it’s worth the wait. Here you will take a short boardwalk from the parking lot to see the amazing Grand Prismatic Spring and a couple of other springs nearby. Continuing this epic journey south for another 15 minutes, your next stop is Upper Geyser Basin. Old Faithful Geyser No trip to Yellowstone is complete without a stop at this popular area of the park. Here you will find Old Faithful Geyser and Old Faithful Inn, Morning Glory Pool, Old Faithful Visitor Center, as well as many other incredible geothermal features. West Thumb Geyser Basin Your last major stop in Yellowstone National park will be West Thumb Geyser Basin, 30 minutes southeast of Old Faithful. Here you can take the 1 mil West Thumb Geyser Basin Trail to see some more really interesting geothermal features, but this time you’re going to have the gorgeous Yellowstone Lake as a backdrop! White water rafting water rafting For something a little different, consider hopping on the water and Experience some of the finest whitewater rafting on the Yellowstone River.

Marvel at wildlife such as deer, elk, osprey, and bald eagles along the way . Try dipping in the Yellowstone River to cool down after the rafting adventure

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Grand Teton National Park After a 45 minute drive from West Thumb, you’ve made it to Grand Teton National Park,

welcome! Jackson Lake Overlook is an easy-to-get-to roadside overlook and the perfect rocky mountain vista to introduce you to the park. With epic views across Jackson Lake to Grand Teton and accompanying peaks, this is definitely worth a photo stop! Much like Yellowstone, there are lots of tours and excursions in Grand Teton to help your plan your trip. Colter Bay Village Next up on your Yellowstone to Grand Teton, head 10 minutes south of Jackson Lake Overlook to Colter Bay Village. This is an optional stop for gas, or lodging. Here you will find a visitor center, campground, restrooms, and convenience store. While in this area you could also consider visiting Jackson Lake Lodge. Oxbow Bend From Colter Bay, continue south-east for 15 minutes to one of the most picturesque roadside views in Grand Teton National Park, Oxbow Bend. Here the Snake River leads towards the dramatic Mount Moran and surrounding peaks, making for some truly epic photos. Sunrise is the most popular time to photograph this spot, but you can still get some nice shots at any time throughout the day if you don’t want to rise so early. Signal Mountain-Jackson lake Next, head down Teton Park Road to the top of Signal Mountain. Here you get gorgeous 360-degree views of Jackson Hole and beyond. Make sure to take the short little stroll to Jackson Lake Overlook while you are up there. Keep in mind that this is a different overlook of Jackson lake to the one mentioned previously. I’ve been lucky enough to spot black bears along this road, so keep your eyes peeled! Jenny Lake boat shuttle- Inspiration Point- Hidden Falls Onwards 30 minutes south to one of the most popular areas in the park, Jenny Lake. This is what I think of as the “hub” of Grand Teton. Jenny Lake has a campground, water activity rentals, a visitor center, a general store, amazing hiking trails, and views that will take your breath away! If you are there in spring, I recommend hiking to Inspiration Point and Hidden Falls. This is a great spring activity as it’s likely to be snow-free and provide you with some really beautiful panoramic views of Jackson Hole. The total hike is 2 miles round-trip if you take the boat shuttle across Jenny Lake, or you can add an additional 5 miles if you intend to hike from the parking lot. If you’re there in summer and the snow has melted . Head another 10 minutes south down Teton Park Road and make a stop at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center. This is the main visitor center in the park and provides lots of useful information, souvenirs, restrooms, and snacks. I’ve also

spotted moose in this area multiple times, so keep your eyes peeled. Continue east to the end of Teton Park Road . horse back riding Swift To finish up we would recommend swift creek horse back riding Swift Creek Outfitters and Teton Horseback Adventures Specializing in the finest trail rides in the Jackson Hole area and perfected expertise to offer the most exhilarating and picturesque journeys with lots of creek crossings, flowered trails, wildlife and the best views of the Teton Mountain Range! In addition, there are multiple amazing roadside stops along this stretch of highway that you won’t want to miss. Then as you continue north the perspective of the mountains changes dramatically. It’s definitely worth heading as far north as Snake River Overlook before turning back south and heading to Jackson for a well-deserved rest and bite to eat. Some of the must-see stops along the highway (or just off of it) include:  Blacktail Ponds Overlook  Mormon Row Historic District  Schwabacher Landing  Snake River Overlook Phelps Lake Jumping Rock If your in for some out of the ordinary adventure try a hike to phlaphes lake a 5 mile hike to the Phelps Lake Jumping Rock. This granite outcropping juts out over the lake and offers the adventurous a chance to plunge 20-feet to the frigid waters of the lake below. the rock is located approximately three quarters of the way through the Phelps Lake Loop trail on the northeastern edge of the lake.

This is the end of your Yellowstone to Grand Teton itinerary! We hope you enjoy. As we wrote in the beginning, this could also be your starting point (in reverse)