Grand Teton and Yellowstone Road Trip Ideas
“The mountains whisper for me to wander; my soul hikes to the call.”
This Summer, my husband and I had plans to travel to Hawaii for a family wedding but were canceled due to COVID. My soul was longing for adventure, so we adjusted our plans into a road trip. When we narrowed down ideas for our road trip, Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks were at the top of the list. These two places have been on our shortlist because I have heard from many that they are two national parks filled with an abundance of beauty.
I wanted to share some highlights and favorite parts of our road trip to each of these national parks. Since Grand Teton was only 10 miles from Yellowstone National Park, it made sense to see both places if we were already driving all that way. Though it was a short visit, a lot of adventure was packed in. From Portland, Oregon we spent a night in Boise, Idaho and then the following day, we made our way to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a 3 days. From there, we drove into Montana to Yellowstone for 3 days.
Grand Tetons National Park means “big breasts” in french. Really, it does! Nestled in the Rock Mountains, the Tetons extends across 40 miles and 310,000 acres in the Wyoming. We truly saved the best Summer vacation for last. Tim’s parents flew out to meet us in Boise, Idaho where we made the drive out to Grand Teton. Tim and I hiked Death Canyon to Patrol Cabin on the first day. On the second day in the park, we took a family drive through each corner of the Tetons and soaked in the history and views.
Here are some helpful maps of the Grand Teton area or they can be picked up at the park entrance or visitor centers.
Day 1: GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK
Smoky skies hid some of the panoramic views of the grand peaks, but it was still nothing short of spectacular. We even saw a herd of bison, a bull moose on our hike, and of course couldn’t get enough of the grandiose Tetons. Some must see stops and highlights in Grand Teton:
Death Canyon to Patrol Cabin Hike - This is a 9 mile hike with approx. 2,000 feet of elevation gain with beautiful canyon views of Lakes and we saw a bull moose. Overall the trail took us just under 4 hours.
We saw a bull moose on our hike in Death Canyon. This is the first moose I have ever seen out in the wild!
The alpine regions of Death Canyon in Grand Teton National Park were absolutely breathtaking!
Day 2 to 3: GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK
Luckily the 2nd day the smoke cleared a bit more for us to see the jagged peaks of the Teton Mountain range. We saw stunning colors during sunrise and stopped by Mormon Row before the crowds to snap some photos. The Tetons in mid September was a lovely experience. The crowds have thinned so we never ran into any stop and go traffic or had trouble parking.
Jenny Lake - A majestic turquoise lake with a trail around it. We didn’t have time to walk the lake but it was certainly worth the stop for a family photo.
Mormon Row Historic District Cultural Landscape - An iconic homestead with photographic backdrops of the Teton Mountains. I alway try to learn and appreciate the history of a place when traveling. The best time to capture photos is sunrise and before 9am to avoid crowds.
Fly fishing and photographing the Snake River - This was on my husband’s short list to fly fish in the Tetons. Make sure to obtain a license first at a local fishing shop. The famous photographer, Ansel Adam took many iconic photographs of the snake river here. The Snake River Overlook gives you a beautiful panoramic shot of the Teton Range.
Throughout the park, you will also see plenty of wildlife like bison, bear and deer. I am already doing some recon for future backpacking trips and scouting photography spots for a return trip.
Smoky skies and sunset in the Grand Tetons
The drive through Grand Tetons were jaw dropping!
Jenny Lake
Jackson Lake
Fly fishing snake river
Mormon Row
Bison at Mormon Row
Mormon Row Historic District Cultural Landscape - Iconic homestead with photographic backdrops of the Teton Mountains.
It was nice to share an adventure with my in-laws. Most of the time, my husband and I travel to national parks on our own, so it was lovely to share the experience. The second half of our trip was more than what I expected. Yellowstone National Park blew me away, literally.
The Grand Tetons borders the South entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone is the oldest national park covering over 2 million acres of public land and was officially established by congress on March 1, 1872. Yellowstone is home to the largest super volcano in North America. The latest known eruption was over 600,000 years ago. Tectonic movements of the North American Plate has thinned Earth’s crust in the area, forming a hot spot. This hot spot is a place where a dome of magma, or molten rock, comes close to the surface. Yellowstone lies over this hot spot creating thermal hot spots all throughout the park.
Having a map of Yellowstone Park is super helpful to see and enjoy all the spots along the way. One of the most scenic and unique drives you will ever take! Maps can be printed ahead of time or picked up at the park’s entrance or visitor centers. Just a note, the visitor centers weren’t open during COVID.
Day 1: Yellowstone national park
Our first stop into the park was classic Old Faithful Geyser. It is just 1 of the 5 geysers out of the 500 throughout the park that the park rangers can predict. Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to escape the crowds here as it the 5th most visited park in the National Park system with over 4.5 million visitors per year.
Many stops and highlights in Yellowstone are a short half mile to 3 miles of walking. Some of my favorite and beautiful highlights Yellowstone include:
Grand Prismatic Spring - Located at Midway Geyer Basin, Grand Prismatic is the largest hot spring in Yellowstone and the 3rd largest in the world. This multi-colored and vivid colors of the hot spring are the result of microbial mats around the edges of the mineral-rich water.
Artist Paint Pots - This 1 mile is filled with over 50 spring, geysers, vents and mud pots. The unique features here made this place extra special and definitely felt like I was in an artist’s potting studio. I loved all the bubbling clay like features scattered throughout the Artists Paint Pots.
Old Faithful Geyser
Grand Prismatic Spring
Day 2: Yellowstone national park
I have done many scenic drives through national parks, however day 2 through the west entrance of Yellowstone to the Lamar Valley drive was one of the most memorable. Start early to capture a glimpse of the valleys coming alive with wildlife.
Norris Geyser Basin - This wasn’t a stop on our list, but our family made a last minute decision to stop and it was so worth it. Norris Geyser Basin is the hottest and most thermal area in Yellowstone, covering over 2 miles of trails and houses over 18 geysers. Steamboat Springs was the most impressive in this area as it is world’s tallest and most active geyser with eruptions shooting more than 300 feet in the air.
Mammoth Hot Springs - Nestled on a hillside overlooking the town of Mammoth, which has a population of 200, the only census-designated portion of the park. Mammoth Hot Springs was created over a thousand years ago by hot water from the spring cooled and deposited calcium carbonate. The steaming hydrothermal features are some of the most unique in the park.
Llamar Valley - Located in the northeastern section of the park, the wildlife viewing in the Lamar Valley is world class. Many wildlife enthusiasts make the early morning drive to capture a glimpse of animals hunting for their morning meals. Though this area is famous for wolf watching, you must have a spotting scope at the Junction Butte and Lamar Junction area. The vast valleys and grassland of these areas feel like you escaped to another world outside of Yellowstone.
We stayed at the Faithful St. Inn in the town of West Yellowstone area so it took us a couple hours to get the Llamar Valley after making a few stops along the way. We saw tons of bison, pronghorn, osprey, and deer. It was perfect stop for our trip in Yellowstone.
The original entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Roosevelt Arch in Gardiner, Montana, and the only one open year-round
We ended our road trip through the Tetons and Yellowstone visiting family in the town of Livingston, a quaint little mountain town 40 minutes outside of Bozeman, Montana. It was wonderful to meet some of my husband’s family that I have yet to meet. They lived on a cute little homestead surrounded by mountains with chickens and a creek.
Family photo of 4 generations. Gotta love the trusty gorilla pod to capture all of us!
Adventures are made to be shared. Thank you for following my outdoor adventures and being part of the journey. Life is too short to sit back and let it all pass by. We were all made to wander and find what makes us the most alive. Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park was an impromptu trip during trying times, but has helped my soul feel a little lighter and little happier. Stay safe and well everyone!