salt lake city to west yellowstone road trip

However, hotel prices here are much higher on average and there are fewer places to eat out. The 320-mile road trip from Salt Lake City to Yellowstone National Park takes 4 hours and 30 minutes to drive. Native Americans hunted, fished and gathered plants in the park. Canyon Village has a canteen style food court serving various cuisines and a huge seating hall centered around an open fireplace. Fastest Route: Salt Lake City to Pocatello to Idaho Falls to West Yellowstone (via I-15). In addition, we have noted which hotels we have personally stayed at and impressed us. Hi! In April, May, September and October the mornings and evenings will be cold so you need heavy layers, gloves, wooly hats and a winter coat in addition to your basic hiking or exploring gear. There are no rail routes or train services to Yellowstone National Park and the closest Amtrak station is in Salt Lake City. You'll pass through Jackson Wyoming, and then on Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. Highway 20 North to the Sugar City exit - 30 minutes. Recommended stay: 2 days minimum. Plus, flights into SLC are likely to be cheaper because of higher airline competition. Find pet-friendly stops. Teton Village is a quieter and more upscale place to stay for visiting Grand Teton. 17 helpful votes. Craters of the Moon National Monument The one geyser you cant miss at Norris is called Steamboat Geyser, which is the worlds tallest active geyser. A little further north on the loop road take the right turn onto Firehole Lake Drive, stopping to look at the various pools and geysers. Once you have seen enough, quickly drive over to Schwabacher Landing to catch the end of sunrise. Really unfortunate timing for you and thousands of others who are planning a visit to Yellowstone this Summer but it will still be a fantastic trip. You can do a little bit of everything in Grand Teton, from hiking to wildlife spotting and from sunrise photography to swimming in lakes. You might not be interested in spending a day in SLC, at which point you can spend an extra day in either Grand Teton or Yellowstone. The road to Gardiner is closed. Now you know the best things to do and places to stay in Salt Lake City, Jackson, Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Overnight in West Yellowstone or continue on to Pocatello, Idaho. Stay in Gardiner. Spend the night in Salt Lake City at Grand Americaor Homewood Suites. Day 5 Slowly explore Upper, Midway and Lower geyser basins. Drive back to Jackson. both provide incredible commentary and detail about the history and geology of Yellowstone. A surprise for many visitors is there is no Grand Teton entrance station when you head south from Yellowstone into Grand Teton. There isnt much to see between Tower and Mammoth. Here are some of our favorite things to do in Grand Teton from amazing hiking trails to scenic boat rides and the best huckleberry milkshake ever. This town is a home base for Grand Teton National Park. Some people may only want to day trip into each national park but spend more time in Salt Lake City. The park is home to various wildlife, including grizzly bears, bison, elk, and wolves. Some may want to enjoy more of the Tetons but others will want to get right into Yellowstone. US-191 turns left and your next stop is Oxbow Bend for more stunning mountain reflections. 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. If you want to visit Jackson Hole as well as Grand Teton National Park, the driving time is about 7.5 hours one-way. Watch sunset over Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Have a Shoshone-Bannock Native Experience The Traveling Child kayaking to Shoshone Falls with AWOL Adventure Sports. Jackson, Wyo.s best-kept secret offers a ton of activities for all ages, plus bike and SUP rentals. This salty oasis is home to birds, bison and pronghorn. 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. West Yellowstone to Salt Lake City road trip planner Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from West Yellowstone to Salt Lake City. Elk Country Inn But they might be worth a stop if you have enough time, which is why we have included several SLC to Yellowstone road trip itinerary ideas later in the guide. Just 15 minutes from Grand Teton National Park and two hours from Yellowstone, Jackson is a great stop if youre looking for anold West town with a touch of class and a lot of fun. Solitude Float Trips Idaho National Parks Northwest Road Trip Utah Wyoming Prepared By: Tobey Schmidt Across the border in Idaho, Fort Hall offers a glimpse into the culture of the Shoshone-Bannock tribes. I agree with Pam. The mountain drive to Bear Lake and the Snake River scenic views are worth it! Why Start A Yellowstone Road Trip From Salt Lake City? You also have a better range of hotel prices in West Yellowstone. Day 2 Drive to Jackson and spend the late afternoon around Mormon Row. Is there a pdf version for a quick reference? Heres the top six reasons to visit. 9 days: fly into Cody. Want to know more about Grand Teton? Like Afton, Jackson has its elk antler arches surrounding the town square. I booked a trip following your itinerary from July 26 - August 2nd. Drive Time From Salt Lake City to Yellowstone: approximately 4-5 hours. All hotels are similarly priced but we can definitely recommend both Yellowstone Gateway Inn and Yellowstone Riverside Cottages from positive experiences. John Moultons barn on Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park, Wyo. Well, we have personally driven this route ourselves, stopping to explore Salt Lake City, Jackson, Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Plan to drive this in one day. Starting your road trip to Yellowstone from Salt Lake City means you can access both Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park within 5 hours drive time. If you're planning a road trip to Salt Lake City, you can research locations to stop along the way. June, July and August are warm enough for light layers but you will need sunscreen, sunglasses and sun hats. Enjoy adventures in Jackson and nearby Grand Teton National Park. Follow the loop road until you reach Gibbon Falls for a quick waterfall stop. Of course, you could skip the last part of Day 5 and instead of driving to Canyon, drive back from Norris to West Yellowstone. Highway 89/191 winds through northern Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. Here are the best hotels in West Yellowstone MT: Want to read more about where to stay in Yellowstone? Is Salt Lake City near Yellowstone National Park? The park is enormous and it is most efficient to spend each night at a different hotel. Instead of driving all the way from Jackson through Grand Teton to reach Yellowstone south entrance, you could instead leave from a hotel near Moran (the area north of Grand Teton) and drive straight to south entrance. Head over to our Wyoming Travel Guides to explore Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park and beyond. Many visitors to Yellowstone choose to stay for 2, 3 or 4 nights exclusively in West Yellowstone which does work well enough but it also means a lot of driving. Gardiner works better if you are entering or leaving Yellowstone to the north, say to visit Glacier National Park before or afterward. It is located in the north-western United States, in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Headwaters Lodge & Cabins at Flagg Ranch As you continue along Highway 89 towards Jackson Hole, youll pass through Afton, Wyoming, and Alpine, Wyoming. You can then hire a car in Jackson so you only drive around Grand Teton and Yellowstone before taking the bus back to Salt Lake City from Jackson. Next up is Artists Paintpots Trail, which we highly recommend. Its gorgeous in the fall as the leaves change. Day 6 - Drive back to Las Vegas. Sugar City to Jackson 1.5 hours. We met plenty of people who used SLC airport to start and end their road trip to Yellowstone but had no time for Downtown Salt Lake City, which is a lovely place to explore for a day. Explore these four stops where youll see Stripes and Shoni, a place devoted to cleaning up,ancient curious creaturesand a hub of ethnic flavors. While you may hear the terms used interchangeably, the region is Jackson Hole, and the city is simply named Jackson. Where should I stay between Salt Lake City and Grand Teton? In our example itineraries we have you driving into Yellowstone via the prettier route and then back to SLC via the quicker freeways. If you cant find availability or prices are too high at cabins and lodges inside the park, you should consider staying at a hotel in either Gardiner or West Yellowstone. Some tribes visited the geysers and conducted ceremonies while others collected obsidian. This night of the itinerary works just fine if Mammoth has no availability or the prices are too high for your budget because you can stay in the town of Gardiner, which is just 5 miles north of Mammoth. Next, drive through the center of Yellowstone Loop road to Canyon. Salt Lake City to Yellowstone National Park Drive Time It depends which route you take. A booming culinary and brewing culture is emerging out of SLC, perfect for fueling up in between epic national park road trip loops. Day 8 Spend the morning revisiting any of your favorite spots before driving back to SLC. If you are not driving your own car from Salt Lake City to Yellowstone, you will need to hire a car when you land at SLC International Airport. Day 3 - Grand Canyon to Joshua Tree and arrive in Los Angelo's. Day 4-8 - Los Angelo's. Day 9 - Los Angelo's to Las Vegas. But Yellowstone has so much more to offer! Outside the park your best bet is West Yellowstone, which has several hotel options and makes it easy to leave for SLC the next morning. You can go inside with free entrance and might even strike it lucky with a choir performance. Stay in West Yellowstone. Day 6 Whether you are driving your own car or a hire car make sure you are carrying all of the following items: The roads around Grand Teton and Yellowstone are flat and easy to drive. Salt Lake City is the largest city and capital of Utah. Salt Lake City to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park is a popular bucket list road trip route filled with natural beauty and unique landscapes. Continue north to Snake River Overlook and look for bison roaming on the flatlands. Whether you like motorized recreation or exploring via your own two feet, theres an adventure for everyone on the Tetons western and if you ask a local better side. flying into West Yellowstone or Jackson Hole Airport. While it is less scenic than the route from Jackson Hole to Salt Lake City, the faster, direct route saves time and allows you to see new places. The town of West Yellowstone, located just outside the West Entrance to Yellowstone National Park, is a year-round, family-friendly destination. While located a short drive from Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park has an entirely different (and perhaps more impressive landscape). Follow the western shores of Bear Lake and cross into Idaho. Salt Lake City is located 320 miles from Yellowstone National Park. In Park City theres a trail for everyone, from mountain biking to al fresco dining to live music,and theres no better time to hit them than summer. While many visitors choose to drive directly from Salt Lake City to Yellowstone National Park, I argue that Grand Teton is a must-do stop on your road trip. Day 5 Hike Mt Washburn and Tower Fall, before venturing out into Lamar Valley. Photo: Tom Gainor / Unsplash. You will find dozens of photographers snapping away as sunlight kisses the snow capped Teton range at first light. Day 4 Walk around Artists Paintpots and Norris Geyser Basin, before driving over to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Hayden Valley. Grand Teton National Park is shaped a bit like your left-hand thumb and is dotted with three main entrances. Yellowstone is a different beast altogether when it comes to booking your accommodation. However, if youre short on time or plan on skipping Grand Teton National Park, you can take the Fastest Route above both ways. The Salt Lake City Temple Square, Logan Canyon Scenic Byway, Bear Lake, Grand Teton National Park, John D Rockefeller Jr Memorial Parkway, Yellowstone National Park, and Mesa Falls were some of the exuberant highlights of this super scenic road trip. For the purposes of this example itinerary and our personal preference, we will split the day exactly in half. Next, head north until you reach a short trail leading to the impressive Tower Fall. Re: Salt Lake City to West Yellowstone. The town of West Yellowstone sits right at the West Gate to Yellowstone National Park. Four days is the perfect amount of time to see the highlights in Yellowstone National Park at a relaxed but efficient pace. What about a trip week of thanksgiving? 3 Roadside Stops in Grand Teton National Park After multiple long term US road trips we have learned a thing or two about how to best prepare for a successful adventure. Also, keep an eye out for ultra-photogenic Star Valley Mormon Temple as you drive through Afton. Youll arrive in Yellowstone National Park via the South Entrance along John D. Rockefeller Jr Memorial Parkway. But heres why SLC is a great place to begin your road trip to Yellowstone: Lets take a closer look at each of these points. Follow US-191 N from Jackson and turn right onto Antelope Flats Road. Where To Stay On Your Salt Lake City To Yellowstone Road Trip, 5. Roundtrip, your driving time will be at about 10 hours. The best cities to stay between Salt Lake City and Grand Teton are Logan, Afton, and Jackson.

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salt lake city to west yellowstone road trip