Yellowstone to Glacier National Park Road Trip, 6 Best Hiking Trails in Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone Essentials: 12 Basic Things You Need to Know. Dont miss the Tabernacle right behind Salt Lake Temple. Alternatively, you could spend a night at Jackson Lake Lodge or another hotel near Moran. When planning your Salt Lake City to Yellowstone road trip, Grand Teton is the one place you simply have to include into your itinerary. While located a short drive from Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park has an entirely different (and perhaps more impressive landscape). Where Are Those Morgans LLC is a participant in the Amazon services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Want to know more about Yellowstone? Spend an hour walking around Abyss Pool, Black Pool, Big Cone Geyser, Fishing Cone and various other colorful hot springs located in West Thumb. In summer Yellowstone is like a theme park, so you have to be organized and book hotels way in advance. The night of Day 3 is the most open to your interpretation part of this Salt Lake City to Yellowstone road trip. Look no further than Yellowstone and Grand Teton! National Parks Road Trip Itinerary: Utah to Yellowstone & Grand Teton You have several options to reach Yellowstone and Grand Teton, such as Bozeman which is close and convenient, South Dakotas Black Hills which are stunning and often combined with the Wyoming parks or Denver Colorado which is another major city within driving distance. Places to see between Salt Lake City and Yellowstone Mesa Falls Scenic Byway The route from Salt Lake City to West Yellowstone traverses northern Utah and eastern Idaho, only to eventually enter Montana, the state where our destination town is located. When you are ready, drive north and enter Yellowstone via south entrance. Read more in our disclosure policy.*. If you get a good sunrise the waterfall, canyon and sky will light up with stunning browns, blues, greens, pinks and purples. Long before Yellowstone became the countrys first national park, this land was important to a diverse group of people. Like Afton, Jackson has its elk antler arches surrounding the town square. Adapt the itinerary below to suit your exact travel plans and please feel free to leave us a comment at the end if you need help planning for your specific vacation plans, such as hiking or photography focused. If it's a real road trip, you might want to check out interesting stops along the way, eat at great restaurants, and maybe even find a hotel to stay overnight. Its gorgeous in the fall as the leaves change. Road Trip from Salt Lake City to Yellowstone - Enterprise Rent-A-Car Mammoth has a grand dining hall serving food all day and Gardiner has a varied selection of places to eat, although far fewer than in West Yellowstone. In this guide, Im sharing the best road trip from Salt Lake City to Yellowstone and Grand Teton, including: Are you looking for more ideas for your trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton? Hi Jim, yes you'll need to cancel your Gardiner reservations but you will still be able to complete your full Yellowstone itinerary within the park. Then, on the return trip to Salt Lake City, take the fastest way back through Idaho Falls. But we have filtered through every lodging option at each stop you will make and have listed only the top rated hotels available. Salt Lake City to West Yellowstone - Tripadvisor We will cover where to stay on the Salt Lake City to Yellowstone road trip in much greater depth later in the guide. We stayed in a cabin during our first visit to Yellowstone in October and it was great. Here are the best hotels in West Yellowstone MT: Want to read more about where to stay in Yellowstone? As you continue along Highway 89 towards Jackson Hole, youll pass through Afton, Wyoming, and Alpine, Wyoming. This viewpoint overlooks Bear Lake, the second-largest natural freshwater lake in Utah. With just 3 days you will be rushing to tick off attractions and we think 5 days is only necessary for visitors who wish to move slowly through the park. Was This Guide Helpful? Take a Dip in Lava Hot Springs All things considered we think SLC is the best airport to use for Yellowstone because it is the most convenient for long haul travel and offers low budget airlines for domestic US travel. Yellowstone National Park is Americas oldest national park and the 2nd largest park in the Lower 48. Continue to both Grand View and Inspiration Point and if you arrive at the right time, you will be at Inspiration Point for sunset directly behind Lower Falls. If Idaho makes you think potatoes, stop in Blackfoot to learn everything there is to know about this humble tuber. Elk Country Inn Ive put together this interactive map that allows you to scroll, zoom, and click through the destinations covered on this Salt Lake City to Grand Tetons to Yellowstone road trip. Surrounded by the Wasatch Mountains at over 4,000 ft high with incredible skiing opportunities and an array of national parks within a stones throw, Salt Lake City is an outdoor enthusiasts dream come true. If theres a Utah Jazz basketball game on. Follow the western shores of Bear Lake and cross into Idaho. Next, follow the Yellowstone Loop Road until you reach Old Faithful. The rest of the park is accessible so you will be able to see all of the most popular hot springs and geysers. Plan to drive this in one day. You might only be planning to drive from Salt Lake City to Yellowstone and Grand Teton, but thousands each year use SLC as a hub to drive through Wyoming and Utah. However, if you stayed in West Yellowstone, you will need to drive back to Old Faithful to begin Day 5. Rent an RV with Outdoorsy Read our guide on the best things to do in Yellowstone National Park which covers the top attractions, hikes and geyser basins. One of our favorite parts about Jackson is how the small town has managed to retain its wild west feel, despite the obvious potential for commercialization. Thanks in advance! are my favorites, both close to all the most popular places to see in the park. West Yellowstone is the closest place to Old Faithful that you can stay outside the park. Alternatively, you could continue onto the Utah parks straight after completing your Wyoming loop. Town Square Inns of Jackson Hole At the end of the 7 days, we will assume you have a late flight booked on the 7th day or an early flight on the 8th day. Unfortunately, Our Mammoth Lodge reservation has been cancelled and it appears the Northern Loop is going to be closed the remainder of the Summer. Insurance, license, registration, identification, roadside assistance and extra car keys. The only road currently closed that will impact a typical Yellowstone visit is the road between Tower-Roosevelt and Cooke City, that means you won't be able to go out into Lamar Valley which is one of the best places for spotting wildlife in the park. What do you suggest to finish out our yellowstone trip before we do the 5 parks in Utah. But if you have an afternoon flight we recommend you drive south past Norris Geyser Basin before leaving the park via West Yellowstone. 9 Uncrowded Gems in Southern Idaho Go Local in Logan and Cache Valley Hi Roopa, right now we don't have a pdf version but we are currently working on creating pdf guidebook itineraries for all our popular road trip guides. Enjoy your time off! Salt Lake City is less than 5 hours drive from Grand Teton National Park, 3. We have created this guide based on our extensive knowledge and experience in the region to help you plan the best possible trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. 17 helpful votes. best things to do in Yellowstone National Park, How to plan the perfect road trip in 10 easy steps, Complete list of road trip packing essentials, 30 best things to do in Yellowstone National Park, 10 key things to know about visiting Yellowstone in October, Best places to stay in Yellowstone National Park, Mormon Row sunrise and sunset photography guide, Schwabacher Landing sunrise photography guide, Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone 10 days road trip itinerary, 10 key things to know about visiting Yellowstone in April, Zion to Bryce Canyon 3 days road trip itinerary, Best things to do in Capitol Reef in one day, 1. Grand Teton National Park is a nature and landscape photographers ideal arena and it one of our personal favorite places to visit in the US. After you are done at Bear Lake, take Merkley Lake road to US-30 W and get back on US-89 N. Follow US-89 as far as Afton, which is the largest town in Star Valley. Yellowstone is a different beast altogether when it comes to booking your accommodation. Drive over to Mammoth and explore the terraces. For all accommodation outside of the parks, we recommend using Booking.com and then comparing against Hotels.com to find the best deals available. We're Mark and Kristen Morgan, former career scientists turned travel, hiking and photography experts after an 18 month honeymoon around the world forever changed our lives. Its truly a sight to see! West Yellowstone to Salt Lake City road trip planner Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from West Yellowstone to Salt Lake City. 4. A misty morning at Lower Falls in Yellowstone, from mountain biking to al fresco dining to live music, Discover the stories behind this unsung hero of a vegetable, Here are some of our favorite things to do, Enjoy adventures in Jackson and nearby Grand Teton National Park, old West town with a touch of class and a lot of fun, Via Ferrata assisted climbing course, riding the gondola, tackling the ropes course or biking and hiking downhill, a ton of activities for all ages, plus bike and SUP rentals, Go paddling, fishing, boating, or take a boat cruise tour, Here are the top seven ways to avoid the parks crowds and see the best of the area, Chicago to Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone Road Trip. Whether you decide to go to Park City, the Great Salt Lake, hiking or to a museum, we highly recommend you spend at least an hour walking around Temple Square in the center of town. Only have 5 nights 6 days. Hi, thanks for an easy to understand road trip itinerary. A little further south you will reach Mud Volcano and Mud Geyser. From here, youll cross Utah, Idaho and Wyoming on your way to Yellowstone, escaping the crowds to see a side of the West thats often overlooked. Day 3 - Morning in Grand Teton, then drive to Old Faithful via West Thumb, exploring all of Upper Geyser Basin once arriving at Old Faithful. Photo: Tom Gainor / Unsplash. Take the ferry across Jenny Lake to cut out a long walk around the lake to Cascade Canyon trailhead. Summer Fun Starts at Snow King Mountain Resort However, we know many visitors prefer to book one hotel and stay there for the duration. Some tribes visited the geysers and conducted ceremonies while others collected obsidian. However, we will also explain how to drive this road trip route in less and more time later in the guide. Cover Photo:12019 on pixabay.com . The third day is when your Salt Lake City to Yellowstone road trip bursts into life.