Along the trail are milky blue pools and rusty red geothermal crusts. Stay in Canyon. The downtown area is clean, neat, and architecturally pleasing, telling a story of pride and preservation. This 1-mile hike takes you through a cedar forest and leads to Avalanche Lake Trail. Walk the loop trail before continuing up the loop road. Taking this 11.6-mile trail for even a short distance will take you to spectacular views. 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. You shared so many great recommendations. Drive 20 miles to West Thumb Geyser Basin. Take short hikes to geyser basins and waterfalls. What do you suggest to finish out our yellowstone trip before we do the 5 parks in Utah. Without stopping the drive should take around 5 hours, but you will be stopping so plan for more like 6-7 hours. Mountain goats are common sightings. The land literally hisses, steams, and bubbles while bison and elk roam the grasslands. The rest of the park is accessible so you will be able to see all of the most popular hot springs and geysers. 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. Canyon Village has a canteen style food court serving various cuisines and a huge seating hall centered around an open fireplace. You can either stay at hotels, lodges and cabins inside the park boundaries or you can stay in resort villages right outside the park boundaries. Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton National Parks are three of Americas most valued treasures. Only have 48 hours? 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. Drive 17 miles south to visit Fountain Paint Pots or 2.5 miles further to Grand Prismatic Spring. Dramatic Scenes in Logan and Cache Valley 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. I love this area so much. Farther north, youll discover Yellowstone National Park. Drive south 5 miles to Mammoth Hot Springs. I have 7 days off! However, if you stayed in West Yellowstone, you will need to drive back to Old Faithful to begin Day 5. Want to know more about Grand Teton? Sponsored. Take the left onto Teton Park road, cross Jackson Lake Dam and continue until you take a left turn up Signal Mountain Road. Right next to Grand Teton National Park,spend a day on the newVia Ferrata assisted climbing course, riding the gondola, tackling the ropes course or biking and hiking downhill. Our top SLC food and drinks recommendations include White Horse, Siegfrieds Delicatessen and Caffe Molise. Will land at Salt Lake City. going to print this out and put this on my boyfriends desk as a *hint hint* haha . Follow Your Trail in Park City The Clark Fork River runs through the town and offers some of the best opportunities for white water raftering in the region. You might be able to find a cheaper rate with Hotels compared to going direct so it is worth checking. While both parks have easy access from within the United States, international visitors may find Yellowstone a little less complicated to reach. Salt Lake City, Utah - Salt Lake is a combination of metropolitan city and quaint mountain town; . Day 6 Spend the morning revisiting any of your favorite Yellowstone spots before driving back to SLC airport. It's around 350 miles off, but the essential thing to know is that a few Canadian, European, and Mexican cities have nonstop flights operating into SLC. Would love to spend some time in Glacier National Park next time! The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. What Is The Best Route From Salt Lake City To Yellowstone? Logan Pass is the highest point along Going-to-the-Sun Road and a site where the Continental Divide passes through. In addition, dont forget bug spray if you visit Yellowstone in summer. Grand Prismatic Spring has bright colors of orange, yellow, and green with deep blue waters. Save. Take the boardwalk to Yellowstone Lake, the backdrop to unique geysers and pools as well as peculiar fishing cones. Day 2 Drive to Jackson and spend the late afternoon around Mormon Row. 2 Days in Grand Teton National Park Both were great and worked perfectly for our itinerary. Norris Geyser Basin is the hottest geyser basin in Yellowstone. Kids will love this place. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. And a 2-hour direct flight from Salt Lake City International Airport. The only downside if you stay at Old Faithful is being limited to eating in the restaurants or food courts on site. With 6 days you wont have to compromise as much and you will still have enough time for both parks. Plus, flights into SLC are likely to be cheaper because of higher airline competition. Explore these four stops where youll see Stripes and Shoni, a place devoted to cleaning up,ancient curious creaturesand a hub of ethnic flavors. Next, follow the Yellowstone Loop Road until you reach Old Faithful. It is valid for one year for admission to any national park or federal recreation site, including Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Park. 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. We have visited Yellowstone in both April and October when crowds were at a minimum, but even then it was busy enough both times. Get inspired with tips about where to go and what to see on your national park vacation, delivered right to your inbox. Mormon Temple at Temple Square, Salt Lake City, UT. Sounds like a great trip you have planned with the Utah Mighty 5 right after - enjoy! 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. From there head east for adventures in beautiful Park City. You can really slow things down with a 9 day itinerary for this route. The overheating problem had gotten progressively worse. 4. Barker-Ewing Scenic Float Trips Especially at dawn or dusk, keep an eye out for herds of elk and other wildlife enjoying rivers and ponds. Then head back to town to explore pioneer life or see a live show. Do this road trip in an RV to stay close to nature. Going-to-the-Sun Road is an engineering marvel of switchbacks passing through and to numerous trailheads, glacial pull-outs, and overlooks. Overnight Ketchum, Best Western Kentish Lodge. Head over to our Wyoming Travel Guides to explore Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park and beyond. Bear in mind this would mean you have to loop from Jackson through Teton and Yellowstone before returning to Jackson. The park headquarters is located in this area as well as Albright Visitor Center and Museum, lodging, campgrounds, a grill, and more. Duration 5h 46m When Every day Estimated price $400 - $1,200 . Argentina (6) Australia (9) Austria (32) Bhutan (10) Bulgaria (10) . We will cover where to stay on the Salt Lake City to Yellowstone road trip in much greater depth later in the guide. Yellowstone to Glacier National Park. I prefer hiking shoes over hiking boots and certainly for easy and short hikes. Saint Mary Falls trail is a 1.7-mile out and back hike. Fly out of Glacier Park International Airport on day 4. No other geyser is more dependable, erupting at least every two hours. Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone's Midway Geyser Basin. If not, have a great trip and good luck! Unsubscribe anytime by clicking the link at the bottom of your email. I chose to explore the parks in order from Glacier National Park to Yellowstone to Grand Teton. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sunshineandvine_com-mobile-leaderboard-2','ezslot_13',127,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sunshineandvine_com-mobile-leaderboard-2-0');Lexington at Jackson Hole Hotel & SuitesI stayed here during my most recent visit. Lodging inside Yellowstone can be booked through the official Yellowstone National Park Lodges site but we strongly recommend you try to beat the prices with Hotels.com before booking anything. This is the perfect spot for extraordinary views of Lower Falls. The airport is only an eight minute drive from Downtown . I am bookmarking this for a future trip! The one geyser you cant miss at Norris is called Steamboat Geyser, which is the worlds tallest active geyser. This is a coveted area for lodging and RV parking as well. Enter the chapel to take the iconic mountains through the church window photograph. Plan to park along the roadside and walk a distance. Day 8 Spend the day revisiting any of your favorite spots in Yellowstone. Airport Options:Salt Lake City International AirportJackson Hole AirportGlacier Park International AirportBozeman Yellowstone International AirportIdaho Falls Regional Airport, Drive Times to Consider When Planning Your Itinerary:Salt Lake City to Grand Teton National Park: 5 HoursGrand Teton to Yellowstone National Park: 3.5 HoursYellowstone to Glacier National Park: 6.5 Hours. Simply use my 7 Day Road Trip Itinerary and allow an extra day in each of the parks. It looks delicious! Hotels Between Grand Teton And Yellowstone, Salt Lake City to Yellowstone Road Trip Variations. Both Opal Pool and Turquoise Pool are worthy of keeping the camera handy. The trail leads to Hidden Lake, a beloved fishing destination. Spend the night in Salt Lake City at Grand Americaor Homewood Suites. Make the most of your time by visitingsome of our favorite spots in the parkincluding wildlife watching, dining at historic lodges and see geysers erupt. The cheapest way to get from Glacier National Park to Yellowstone National Park costs only $97, and the quickest way takes just 7 hours. I chose the Comfort Inn Yellowstone North. Walk around Lower Geyser Basin and then drive to a hotel in West Yellowstone. The drive from Salt Lake City to Yellowstone National Park's south entrance covers around 330 miles and takes about five and a half hours. But I had NO trouble justifying paying for THE BEST steak I could find while in Bozeman.:-). The easiest option would simply be to cut out the day in Salt Lake City and pick up the full itinerary above on Day 2. This is one of the most famous elevated views in the entire park and shouldnt be missed. 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. Bison on Antelope Island in Great Salt Lake. Jenny Lake to West Thumb Geyser Basin in south Yellowstone is around 60 miles and will take approximately 1 hour 30 minutes without stops. If so, you might benefit greatly from taking a look at this interactive Google Map we created to show show the potential stops you can make each day for 7 days on our Salt Lake City to Yellowstone example itinerary, which is featured right after the map. 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. Helena is another great college town and the capital of Montana. 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. Drive 21 miles south to Norris Geyser Basin. Yellowstone is a different beast altogether when it comes to booking your accommodation. Your final day on this epic Salt Lake City to Yellowstone road trip begins back in Lamar Valley. you will have limited camping options in the parks so book now for 2015. 3 Roadside Stops in Grand Teton National Park You may be keen on saving on flights, and arriving at an airport which is a bit further away could be the right choice for you. There are several direct long haul flights into Salt Lake City from major cities around the world. Continue with Recommended Cookies. ), From West Thumb drive 1.25 hours to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. 9 Uncrowded Gems in Southern Idaho The most popular trail at Logan Pass leads to Hidden Lake and is accessed via the Hanging Gardens Trailhead. The City Lastly, Salt Lake City itself is well worth a visit if you have the time. See my Utah National Parks Road Trip Itinerary.Coming soon: Top Things to Do in Salt Lake City and Park City. The smaller size of Teton allows you to really see and do everything in a day or two, depending on how long you spend taking photographs of the sheer beauty inside the park. Yellowstone National Park WY-Wyoming, Lake Yellowstone Vintage Postcard. Static Peak DivideA difficult hike with epic alpine scenery.Lake SolitudeA difficult hike offering a subalpine lake and the largest waterfall in the park.Cascade CanyonOne of the most popular hikes in the park with views of Teewinot Mountain. In summer Yellowstone is like a theme park, so you have to be organized and book hotels way in advance. Stay west of the Tetons to discover all the gems in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. You will stop in Boise and Twin Falls, Idaho, before heading to Salt Lake City, Utah. With temperatures reaching new highs, figuring out how to stay cool is key to enjoying your summer. Hit desert highlights on this road trip from Salt Lake City to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, returning through Craters of the Moon National Monument and southern Idaho. Considering how close they are to one another, it is amazing how much Grand Teton and Yellowstone differ, not just in scenery but also in the overall experience. Distance From Salt Lake City to Yellowstone: approximately 320 miles. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sunshineandvine_com-leader-2','ezslot_3',136,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sunshineandvine_com-leader-2-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sunshineandvine_com-leader-2','ezslot_4',136,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sunshineandvine_com-leader-2-0_1');.leader-2-multi-136{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}, (Avid anglers will love spending a day fly fishing the Yellowstone River in Livingston, Montana. A short walk through forest ends with bubbling mud pots and colorful hot springs. Jackson, Wyo.s best-kept secret offers a ton of activities for all ages, plus bike and SUP rentals. After multiple long term US road trips we have learned a thing or two about how to best prepare for a successful adventure. There is so much to see and explore. Salt Lake City to South Yellowstone (300+miles, 4.5-6 hours) Unless you arrive at West Yellowstone airport, you will end up renting a car and being on the road for at least an hour. Jackson is Wyomings incredibly popular and wealthy ski resort town located just 12 miles from Grand Teton National Park loop road. Read our popular 2 days in Grand Teton itinerary which organizes the best things to do into two easy days. Straddling the Utah-Idaho border, this recreational paradise is known for its turquoise waters and a delicious treat. If not adapt the itinerary below to fit your plans. Pin It For Your Road Trip! Once past Helena, MT turning onto highway 287 will be a more scenic route and a little shorter than continuing on !-15. . 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. Open RangeThe steak is exquisite! 2 Days in Yellowstone I would love to see the bison and elk. Having to backtrack from east to west along Going-to-the-Sun Road due to road construction was a blessing in disguise. Youll lose the crowds and find affordable lodging options. Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more. On the north side of Yellowstone, you'll find wildlife galore along the banks of scenic rivers. Thank you! And crowded. Head south on US-20 W as far as Idaho Falls and join I-15 S all the way to Salt Lake City airport. Explore Antelope Island on Great Salt Lake Hood and Ponderosa State Park. Check out NPS lodging website for info- It will be getting into mid afternoon by now. Was This Guide Helpful? Glacier National Park features over 20 glaciers and 200 lakes as standing reminders of the last ice age. Please let us know if you have any questions or need any help planning your road trip. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sunshineandvine_com-leader-1','ezslot_12',119,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sunshineandvine_com-leader-1-0');Also accessible at Logan Pass is Highline Trail, an 11.6-mile one-way hike. Note: For those interested in increasing their chances to spot moose, bison, grizzly and black bears, wolves, elk, and eagles, consider taking a Grand Teton 4-Hour Wildlife Tour. Hi Ashley, yep you'll definitely be too late for Yellowstone and Grand Teton end of November, we would recommend heading south from Salt Lake City instead. Read our guide on the best things to do in Yellowstone National Park which covers the top attractions, hikes and geyser basins. Watch for a majestic bull elk resting in the grass keeping watch over his lady-herd. Follow the loop road until you reach Gibbon Falls for a quick waterfall stop. Just watch for the crowd taking pictures. 6 Amazing Places on the Other Side of the Tetons If you choose to spend a day in downtown SLC there are plenty of hotel options available. Here are the top seven ways to avoid the parks crowds and see the best of the area. The Abyss Pool is equally mesmerizing. Feel Like Youre On Another Planet as you explore volcanic formations, including lava tube caves, on the trails and scenic drives at this uncrowded national park site. Covering nearly 9,000 square kilometers, Yellowstone is best known for its 10,000 geysers and hot springs.