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Your Guide to a Western United States Road Trip (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming & More!)

This summer, we took a 10-day road trip through the Western United States, hitting Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, and briefly passing through Utah and Nevada on the way back to San Francisco. This part of the country is famously beautiful, characterized by lush green alpine landscapes and snow-capped peaks, winding rivers, and countless small towns dripping with old western charm. We rode horses and ate beef, as one must, and went on some of the most scenic hikes anywhere.

Our itinerary included three out of the five most conservative states in America — Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho — and I now know what it feels like to experience culture shock in my own country. People live in isolated rural areas hours away from the nearest grocery store. Trump 2020 banners hang proudly in front of houses and wave in windy fields and farmland. At local businesses and restaurants, taxidermy animal mounts outnumber patrons. A waitress showed us a photo of herself at four months old next to a bear her father had just killed. Locals openly carry guns at family-friendly tourist destinations, and, I assume, elsewhere.

At a restaurant in small-town Idaho, we had a lengthy conversation with a man about his stockpile of 100 guns, the 300+ gophers he killed with his 5-year-old grandson on a recent hunt, and his belief that the standoff between liberals and conservatives will end in a bloody civil war. While his convictions differ significantly from mine (I’ve lived in liberal cities my entire life and have never handled a gun), it was eye-opening to hear an opposite perspective on familiar issues. It hits different when you are talking to a flesh-and-blood human rather than working yourself up over the contents of a Facebook comment.

We took our road trip at the height of summer, and I highly recommend anyone considering a visit to this region to travel during this time. In Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, sunsets are well after 9 pm each day. You’ll be able to do and see so much more compared to the rest of the year. In this guide, I divulge essential tips and tricks for a successful road trip, share a 10-day itinerary, and outline detailed guides to every destination we visited, including where to stay and places to eat. I hope you find it useful when planning your own road trip through the Western United States!

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Table of Contents

• Road Trip Tips & Tricks
• 10-Day Western US Road Trip Itinerary
• Destination Guide Stanley, Idaho Salmon, Idaho Missoula, Montana Big Sky, Montana Livingston, Montana Beartooth Highway Yellowstone National Park Grand Teton National Park Escalante, Utah Las Vegas, Nevada

Western United States Road Trip: Tips & Tricks

Consider your accommodation budget.

We mainly used Booking.com to book low-cost motels located on our route. However, because we road-tripped in the summer and stayed near well-known US national parks, these cost about $100 an average each night — not the cheapest option for accommodation. Alternatively, you can rent an RV or campervan and have your shelter conveniently on wheels. Outdoorsy has a diverse selection of road trip vehicles ranging from no-frills campervans to glamping-ready RVs that fit any budget. If we could redo our trip, I would have gone this route. If you are on a tighter budget, you can do a mix of motels and camping, or even camp the whole time. Find and book campsites wherever you are with ReserveAmerica or Campendium (roughly $30 a night) or use an app like Free Roam to locate Forest Service and BLM land where you can legally boondock.

Bring Snacks & Lots of Water!

We brought a cooler from home to use during our trip and bought groceries along the away. Doing this will spare you both money and time during long stretches of driving and help you eat a little healthier. For water, we purchased a few 1.5-liter bottles and refilled them at gas stations throughout our trip.

Aim for a Good Balance of Driving vs. Sightseeing

I’ve made the common road trip mistake of trying to pack too many stops into a short time period. This time around, we tried to keep driving at a minimum outside of a few necessary travel days. A good rule of thumb is to aim for under four hours of driving per day so you have time to enjoy your destination. It’s always better to see fewer destinations more completely than more destinations incompletely .

When planning your itinerary, keep in mind that the estimated driving time on Google Maps is often longer when you factor in bathroom and restaurant stops.

Get the AllTrails App

If you plan on hiking — a must on any Western US road trip — AllTrails is a great resource for locating the best trails in your area. The app provides route maps, difficulty levels, trail photos, user reviews, and more.

Buy a National Park Pass

If you plan to go to more than one national park, opt to buy an annual pass for $80 instead of individual day passes at $35 a pop. The pass also gets you free parking at all federal recreation areas.

Download Offline Maps & Media

The United States is an enormous country, and there are large swaths of sparsely populated land without cell service. Download offline maps on Google to ensure that you will never get lost and your favorite playlists and podcasts on Spotify to stay entertained.

Our 10-Day Western United States Road Trip Itinerary

Here is our exact day-to-day road trip itinerary from San Francisco:

Day 1: Drive from San Francisco to Stanley, Idaho (~12 hours) Day 2: Stanley, Idaho Day 3: Salmon, Idaho & Missoula, Montana Day 4: Drive from Missoula to Big Sky, Montana Day 5: Big Sky, Montana & Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming Day 6 : Livingston, Montana Day 7: Beartooth Highway and Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming Day 8: Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming Day 9: Escalante, Utah Day 10: Las Vegas, Nevada Day 11: Drive from Las Vegas to San Francisco (~8 hours)

We had a rough plan in place prior to our trip but gave ourselves the leeway to make unexpected stops the way — hence why we hit Yellowstone twice! In the next section, I’ll dive deeper into what we did in each destination.

Western United States Road Trip Destination Guide

Stanley, idaho.

Stanley, population ~60, is located in Central Idaho, about 130 miles from Boise. With rustic log cabins, winding rivers, and rolling green meadows — all framed by the snow-capped the Sawtooth mountains — the town looks straight out of a fairy tale. Minus the ostentatious Trump 2020 banners hanging on some of the houses, of course.

In all seriousness, I had no idea Idaho was this beautiful. The entire state is a paradise for anyone who loves hiking, swimming, or anything outdoorsy. Here’s what we did in Stanley:

• Hike! We did the Iron Creek trail to Alpine Lake , a moderate seven miles out-and-back. You can go further to Sawtooth Lake, which adds an additional three miles. The hike is lovely, with wildflowers and sweeping views of Sawtooth’s jagged peaks along the way. The AllTrails app can guide you to even more hiking options in the Stanley area.
• Swim, raft, SUP, boat, or fish. It seems like you are never far from a river, creek, or lake in Idaho. Stanley is located on the banks of the Salmon River, and Redfish Lake is right nearby in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. There are numerous shops that offer equipment rentals and guided rafting adventures in the area—just give it a quick Google search once you arrive.
• Horseback riding. Mystic Saddle Ranch offers trail ride in the Sawtooth mountains and near Redfish Lake.

Stay: The Sawtooth Hotel is a charming and relatively budget-friendly option.

Eat: Sawtooth Luce’s serves up cold local beer and a mean Idaho Kobe beef burger, and we had a delicious breakfast at Stanley Baking Company. The oatmeal pancake is a must-try!

Salmon, Idaho

Salmon, two hours north of Stanley, is another small Idaho town of 3000+ residents.

Our main activity was a visit to the Goldbug Hot Springs in the Salmon-Challis National Forest. The springs, located at the top of a mountain, are reachable via a relatively short but steep hike. Once you complete the hike, you are rewarded with six warm pools, a waterfall, and sweeping views of the scenery below.

Stay : Super 8 by Wyndham Salmon.

Eat: We ate at Last Chance Pizza & Pasta in town. The artichoke spinach dip and conversation with local patrons were to die for. Ponderosa Pies is a food truck in Salmon that I wish we tried (they were sold out when we went). Their pizza is cooked in a wood fire oven installed directly in the truck.

Missoula, Montana

After Salmon, we drove to Missoula, a funky college town of 75,000 that we loved.

We arrived in the evening, so we watched the sunset at Higgins Street Bridge, took a walk downtown, and had a few drinks at The Rhino Bar , a proper dive with yummy beers on tap (this part of the country has consistently incredible beer). Though Missoula is pretty small, the nightlife is young and lively and there were a lot of people out and about. We had many “hmmm….should we move here?” moments during our visit.

On Saturday morning, we checked out the city’s weekly farmers’ market , which we read is a must during any visit to Missoula. It was cute, and we picked up some locally grown cherries and bison pepperoni for the road.

Stay: Econo Lodge Eat : The Hob Nob on South Higgins Street has good coffee and very filling, all-American brunch fare — all at a very reasonable price.

Detour to Garnet Ghost Town On our way to Big Sky from Missoula, we stopped at Garnet Ghost Town, a former mining town active from the late 1800s to the end of World War I. The town was apparently poppin’ in its heyday and had no less than thirteen saloons. I guess when you live in the middle of nowhere you’ve got to entertain yourself somehow. Because of its recent history and remote destination in the mountains, the buildings are well-preserved and worth a quick stop if you have time.

Big Sky, Montana

Big Sky, like so much of Montana, is absolutely stunning, with wide-open skies, winding rivers, and purple-hued mountains in the distance. Here are the top things to do in the area:

• Horseback riding . We went horseback riding in Big Sky with Jake’s Horses . The horses are gentle and well-trained, and in an hour-long ride you’ll cross creeks and scale a hill for sweeping views of the valley below. At $50 per person, it is 100% worth it!
• Take in the scenery on Taylor Fork Road. Our horseback riding guide told us to visit Taylor Fork Road if we were interested in seeing bears, moose, and other wildlife. While we didn’t see any animals (much to Lenza’s dismay), the views and photography opportunities made the trip worth it. If you are looking for a free place to camp, there are many options, but be warned that Taylor Fork is a dirt road where an off-roading vehicle is ideal. Bear spray is also a must.
• Hike. Beehive Basin Trail No. 40 is a popular 7.1-mile hike with spectacular views, meadows, creeks, waterfalls, and wildflowers. Use the AllTrails app to find even more options in the area that fit your hiking level.
• Visit Yellowstone National Park. Big Sky is a scenic hour away from the West entrance of Yellowstone. We ended up driving through the park en route to Livingston and visited a few iconic attractions along the way.

Livingston, Montana

Livingston is a historical railroad and ranching town in Southwestern Montana, a short distance north from Yellowstone National Park. Downtown Livingston, pictured above, looks like an idyllic old western town, though vintage shops and cafes now line the street instead of saloons. Like everywhere we stopped in Montana, mountains frame the city in the distance.

The highlight of our Livingston visit was Pine Creek Lake , a 12-mile out-and-back trail to not one, not two, but three alpine lakes (AllTrails says this trail is nine miles, but don’t believe it). The scenery at Pine Creek Lake is stunning, but boy, do you have to work for it. The hike consists of six unforgiving miles straight uphill, covering 3653 feet of elevation.

I almost gave up and turned around halfway through but persisted with the encouragement of Lenza and a one-pound bag of Tillamook beef jerky. When we reached the first lake, I came close to tears because we had worked so hard for the beautiful views.

Be warned—this trail is not for the faint of heart, but you will be rewarded with some of the best views Montana has to offer. If you choose to take on the task, make sure to bring sunblock, plenty of water, and snacks to fuel you along the way.

Stay: Country Motor Inn is a budget motel in town. And it actually feels homey!

Eat: Tru North Cafe , owned by a recent Los Angeles transplant who came to Livingston on vacation and “accidentally bought a coffee shop,” serves a mindblowing Maple Mountain Cloud latte and blueberry jam breakfast sandwich. All around high-quality food in a rustic but modern wild west ambiance.

Detour to The Old Saloon in Emigrant, Montana 20 minutes away from Livingston is The Old Saloon , an old western restaurant and bar established in 1902. The menu is creative and modern, with local twists like elk meatballs and a bison burger. We really enjoyed our chicken fried steak and roasted pork tenderloin with rosemary and huckleberry demi-glace.

The venue is an experience in itself, with wild game taxidermy lining the walls, a sturdy wooden bar, and a vintage piano in the corner. There is a stage and ample seating outside where live shows are hosted in the summertime, and guests flock in from Bozeman, Livingston, and other nearby towns for the experience.

Beartooth Highway

From Livingston, we took a two-hour drive to Red Lodge to enter Yellowstone via the 68-mile Beartooth Highway. This excursion — essentially a big loop back to where we started — took almost the entire day, but I really wanted to see what is considered one of the most beautiful and treacherous roads in America.

If you choose to explore Beartooth, I would budget at least 3-5 hours so you can get out and explore. There are lots of unique views and hiking opportunities along the way.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

So much has been said about Yellowstone already, so I’ll just share a list of attractions we visited in the park:

• Mammoth Hot Springs
• Norris Geysers
• Grand Prismatic Springs
• Old Faithful
• Lamar Valley (to see all the bison!)

Detour to Ashton, Idaho It is impossible to find a campsite in Yellowstone in the summertime. Jackson, the closest town, is crowded and expensive. So, we made the hour and a half drive to Ashton for affordable lodging, which we found at the Eagle Peak Lodge . In the morning, we had a gluttonous, all-American breakfast at Trails Inn Restaurant in town, which was just amazing. I’d never seen so many taxidermy animals in one place, and near the counter, a sign read “gun safety rule #1: carry one.” Seriously, look at this place:

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

We walked 7.7 miles around Jenny Lake , one of the many hiking trails in Grand Teton. It was flat and easy, with gorgeous views of the lake and the Tetons. Still, I’m not sure I would choose this trail again as it was crowded and there is a large portion that runs alongside a road.

Again, a quick search on AllTrails will present you with a list of trails within the park that you can choose from based on scenery, difficulty level, and user reviews. If I return to Teton in the future, I would try the more difficult Delta Lake vis Amphitheater Lake Trail .

Escalante, Utah

After Teton, we embarked on the 8-hour drive towards Escalante, Utah, stopping at Salt Lake City to sleep overnight. In the morning, we arrived to these views:

Utah is home to Bryce Canyon, Zion, Arches, and other majestic but crowded national parks. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, on the other hand, is just as impressive and a true hidden gem.

Never heard of it? Me either. But fun fact: designated in 1996, Escalante was the last part of the continental U.S. to be mapped .

We spent our afternoon hiking to the Escalante Natural Bridge , which we had all to ourselves. It is an easy walk on soft sand with multiple river crossings. The trail is so gentle on the feet that we actually did it barefoot!

Eat: Circle D Eatery has yummy BBQ ribs and a buttered trout plate. Georgie’s Outdoor Mexican Cafe has a quesadilla bursting with melted cheese and generously portioned fish tacos.

Stay: We slept at our friend’s quaint and reasonably priced Airbnb, though there are also a few motel options in town.

Detour to Capitol Reef or Bryce Canyon National Park Capitol Reef National Park is an hour and a half north of Escalante, and Bryce Canyon is about an hour South.

Bryce Canyon is obviously more famous — we’ve all seen photos of the park’s breathtaking Sunrise Point — but Capitol Reef received raving reviews from our friends and is far less crowded.

Whichever you decide, they are both great stops for your Western United States road trip!

Las Vegas, Nevada

I would write about Las Vegas, but really, what hasn’t been said about it already? The strip is obnoxious and ostentatious, crowded with symbols of American capitalism, casinos, wedding chapels, and strip clubs. Visitors range from overweight midwestern American families on their annual vacation to scantily-clad young girls ready for a night at the Marquee. People have a lot to say about Vegas, but in my opinion, you just gotta enjoy it for what it is: a tacky fabulous adult Disneyland.

Eat: Vegas is a food destination that I hope to explore more in the future. We had all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ at Ginseng BBQ on the strip and authentic, mouthwatering Shanxi beef noodle soup at Shang Artisan Noodle. I had an “I love America” moment at Shang’s because only here will you see a Hispanic person hand-pulling noodles in the Northern Chinese tradition. So good! If you are a Chinese food enthusiast and find yourself in Vegas, I highly recommend this place.

Stay: We loved our stay at Luxor, the Egyptian-themed, pyramid-shaped casino hotel located right on the strip. Obviously, there are many other options at all price ranges.

Few things are more romanticized than an all-American road trip, and I’m happy to report that they do indeed live up to the hype.

If you have any questions about this Western United States road trip guide, leave a comment below. I am always happy to help!

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Dottie is a travel blogger and YouTuber, and one part of Dots on a Map. Check out her YouTube at www.youtube.com/dotsonamap, where she tells stories about travel, food, and local cultures around the world.

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12 Days Road Trip through Idaho, Montana, the Dakotas, & Wyoming

Teddy and I took the road trip of a lifetime in the late summer of 2022. We headed to five states that were new for the two of us to visit together – Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wyoming. I’d been to each of these before, but some were brand new to Teddy. We wanted to see National Parks and Monuments, small towns, the open range and mountains, wildlife, and beautiful scenery of more rural parts of the United States. We accomplished all of that and so much more. This was also the trip where Teddy proposed and we were able to enjoy our new engagement in some of the most beautiful areas of the United States.

Below you’ll find suggestions on what to do each day if you plan to do some portion or all of this trip. I’ve linked both blog posts to a deeper dive into some of the areas as well as posts to business or location websites to help you in your research. Teddy and I don’t mind driving and being in the car for 3-6 hours a day to get places. We call these trips our “Scouting Trips” so that then we know where we’d like to go back to and where we’d don’t necessarily need to visit again. While some places like Glacier you may know ahead of time you’d like to visit for a few days, others like the Black Hills or the Bitterroot National Forest area you may not realize until you’re there. After each trip, he and I write down what we would like to revisit in the area and for how long and what we’re okay to not do again. We also include anything we missed or just didn’t have time for along the way. So by the end of each trip, we have a few additional trips planned in our minds for the future.

I’ve also included a map at the bottom of the post to show. you where exactly we went in each state. It doesn’t include every single stop but includes most of them. We drove about 3000 miles in 12 or so days which is about 250 miles a day or 4 hours of driving on average per day. If you’d like to travel slower than that, cut out some of the stops or add more days to your trip. We are fully aware that our travel style is not everyone’s travel style.

DAY 1 – Boise & Southern Idaho

• Fly into Boise. Depending what time your plane lands, grab lunch or coffee in town before beginning your exploration of southern Idaho .
• Visit Box Canyon. Go for a hike on the Box Canyon Springs Trail . We did part of this trail but the heat was quite awful the day we were there so we opted to just get a few looks over the trail, and not finish it completely.
• Drive 30 minutes east to Twin Falls. Check out the Perrine Bridge and see if you can spot any base jumpers. We saw so many the afternoon we were there.
• Walk under a waterfall at Perrine Coulee Falls . I’ve never been able to do that at a waterfall before, so this was a stop we both have as a highlight of our trip.
• Drive over to the 900 foot wide falls at Shoshone Falls. I do think it’s worth a look, but keep in mind it is man made because of the hydroelectric plan there. It’s not a fully “natural” waterfall.
• Head to South Market in town for dinner. It’s a food hall and you have an opportunity to try an array of food and ice cream!
• Stay overnight along I-84 (We stayed in Blackfoot)

DAY 2 – Tetons National Park

• Get up early the next morning and begin making your way to Wyoming. Try to get up early enough that you’re able to see sunrise in Teton National Park .
• Drive to Mormon Row and check out the various old barns along the dirt road.
• Check out the Snake River Overlook and Oxbow Bend
• Take the boat across Jenny Lake and then hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point
• Get lunch in Jackson Hole downtown where there are quite a few options or grab coffee at Cowboy Coffee Co. in town. Stretch your legs and walk into some of the shops.
• Head back into the park and go on the hikes from String Lake to Leigh Lake . This is one of the most peaceful ares that’s easy to get to in the park. (And a special place for us since Teddy proposed here)
• Find a spot for dinner in the park at one of the Restaurants or back in Jackson. We enjoyed the sunset view at the Mural Room in Jackson Lake Lodge as an engagement celebration dinner. We probably would have eaten somewhere a little lower key if it hadn’t been for us celebrating.
• Check into your lodging for the night within the park or in Jackson. We stayed in a small cabin at Colter Bay which was perfect for us.

DAY 3 – Tetons & Yellowstone National Parks

• Get up early and go to Schwabacher Landing for sunrise. It’s one of the most magical experiences in the park. Try to get there 30 minutes before sunrise.
• Head into Jackson for Breakfast. Bonus points if it happens to be their farmer’s market day like it was when we went.
• Head back into the park and hike one of the trails like Taggart Lake or Moose Ponds . We opted to hike the other direction at String Lake which we didn’t see the day prior and because we wanted to take some photos of where got engaged.
• Drive north into Yellowstone National Park . It’s a pretty drive but not a lot along the way until you get into the park.
• Take the left at the branch to drive into the West Thumb toward Old Faithful. Since we both saw Old Faithful before, we skipped it, but if it’s your first time, it’s worth a stop.
• Head to the parking lot for the Fairy Falls / Grand Prismatic Overlook trail. Depending on how much energy you have, at least hike to the Grand Prismatic Overlook . If you want, you can head a few miles further to Fairy Falls. Our intention was to go to both on our trip but we had a thunderstorm roll in when we were hiking so we headed back to the car after the Grand Prismatic.
• Drive to West Yellowstone for dinner. We loved our food at The Buffalo Bar and highly recommend the Bison Queso and the Huckleberry Margarita
• Drive toward the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone area and check out some of the scenic stops along the way. We were able to see a bear along our drive!
• Stay overnight inside the park. We picked Canyon Village since it was a good location for us.

DAY 4 – Yellowstone National Park, Cody, & The Big Horns

• Get up early and try to go see some wildlife. We went to the Hayden Valley to hopefully see some wolves. Unfortunately no wolves but quite a few bison.
• The next stop was Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. While I appreciate the waterfall, I thought the view looking the other way with the red rocks into the canyon was even more spectacular.
• We grabbed breakfast at one of the lodges before heading out of the park through the east entrance. Teddy and I have both been to Yellowstone on previous trips, so we intentionally planned our time here to be just one day, especially since some portions of the park were still closed after the flooding earlier in 2022.
• Drive to Cody and stop in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West . Teddy and I are not really museum people but we went to this one for a few hours and loved it. It is 5 museums in one so I checked out the Plains Indian Museum and Teddy visited the Cody Firearms and part of the Natural History museum. To see this whole museum would probably take days, so choose 1-2 areas you’d really like to see.
• Have lunch in Downtown Cody. We ate at the Proud Cut Saloon . We loved the decor and the food was our vibe. Walk around some of the shops in town before heading further toward Ten Sleep.
• If you’re hungry, grab a bite to eat in 10 Sleep before heading into Big Horn National Forest. There’s the Sleepy Coyote Cafe & Bar and 1 Cow.
• Go for a hike in the Bighorns. We loved the James T. Saban Lookout hike. It’s short but steep and had beautiful views. We were also the only ones there during our visit.
• Stay overnight in Buffalo.

DAY 5 – Devil’s Tower, Wind Cave National Park, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Memorial

• Drive to Devil’s Tower National Monument. Like most other days, this is a great one to get up early to not only beat the crowds, but to see Devil’s tower in a beautiful bluish purple light in the morning.
• Hike around the base of the Tower. You can choose either the Devil’s Tower Trail at 1.7 Miles or the Red Beds Trail at 2.8 miles. Or both! It’s really hard to describe our experience here but it felt a little magical, very peaceful, while also feeling like you were part of something bigger that happened there. Again, really hard to describe, but it was one of my favorite places on our entire trip and we were only there for about 2-3 hours.
• Head toward Rapid City, South Dakota.
• Take a cave tour through Wind Cave National Park . You’ll need tickets for this one since you can only do a guided tour, but worth it. It’s very different than other caves I’ve visited like Luray , Carlsbad , and Mammoth .
• Drive north after your tour into Custer State Park . On the way, check out the fire lookout hike to a firetower on Rankin Ridge .
• Drive the scenic Wildlife Loop in Custer. This one does cost an entrance fee, but is good for 7 days and you’ll use it the next day. Hopefully you will see bison, wild burros, and other unique animals along your drive!
• Drive into Custer for dinner. Go to The Begging Burro . Teddy loved his meal so much he wanted come back the next day. He got a Mezcal Steak and it was incredible.
• Watch the Light Show at Crazy Horse Memorial . While you wait for the show, visit the museum and learn about the individuals who lived in this area initially as well as the development and meaning of the Crazy Horse structure. This was another favorite stop.
• Pick a spot in the Black Hills to stay overnight. We opted to stead in Hill City because of it’s location to what we were doing in the area.

DAY 6 – Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Badlands National Park, Spearfish Canyon

• Walk the Presidential Trail at Mount Rushmore . Did you know the park opens at 5 AM? If you get there at first light, again no crowds, and yes beautiful light on the faces of the rock, but also you can see an incredible sunrise over the parking deck.
• Drive to Sylvan Lake . Again, another perk of this being first thing in the morning is that the sunlight on the rocks and lake is beautiful but also it is not packed full of people. This was another really special place to use on our trip. It was peaceful, surprising, and majestic. The 1 or so mile walk around the lake is worth the stop. If you want, check out the Sunday Gulch Trail that starts at the back of the lake for a more epic hike.
• Since it’s still early, drive the Needles Highway and go through the tunnels with again, pretty much nobody else on the road. If you have time, stop at the Cathedral Spires hike. We wished we would have done the hike as it looks incredible.
• Wall Drug & Badlands National Park is the next stop. It was about lunch when we got there, so we ate at the Badlands Saloon & Grill after checking out the famous Wall Drug. We also picked up coffee at Wall Stompin Grounds Coffee House before heading into the park.
• Drive the Scenic Road from west to east in the park. Stop at the various pulloffs and if you can, download the GyPSy guide to learn about the park while you’re driving.
• Hike the Windows, Doors, or Notch Trail (or all 3) and visit the Ben T. Reiffel Visitor Center and learn about the wild and mind blowing animals that used to live in this park millions of years ago.
• Drive back toward Rapid City and check out Spearfish Canyon – both the waterfalls and the wildlife. We did a short waterfall hike and on the way saw mountain goats along the stream.
• Stay overnight in the northern part of the Black Hills.

DAY 7 – Theodore Roosevelt National Park

• Stop at Blackbird Espresso for coffee and breakfast in Spearfish before your drive to Theodore Roosevelt National Park
• Make the 3 hour drive north to Theodore Roosevelt National Park . Grab a picnic lunch in Medora or sit down to eat prior to heading into the park as there aren’t options inside.
• Choose a few hikes in the park you’d like to do as you drive the scenic route. We opted for the Wind Canyon Trail which was short and ideal for a very hot day. We stopped at Buck Hill as well as the Coal Vein Trail area.
• Go to the Medora Musical. We didn’t get a chance to do this as we were tired and wanted to get more sleep rather than stay up for the musical.
• Overnight in Medora or Glendive

DAY 8 – Glacier National Park

• Pack your snacks and drinks and get ready for a long day of driving. Depending where you stay overnight, you will have about 8-9 hours of driving ahead of you to get to Glacier .
• We stopped at Milk River Mocha for coffee along the way, and then grabbed gas and snacks at a gas statoin, but other than that we just kept doing so we could get to Glacier by late afternoon.
• We stayed in Apgar Village because they had 2 nights of availability and it was within the park which meant we didn’t have to get passes for those days into the park.
• We relaxed at our cabin along the river before heading into Columbia Falls for dinner at Gunsight Saloon and to watch the Penn State Game.

DAY 9 – Glacier National Park

• Time to get up early again. To get a parking spot and beat the crowds, you will want to get to the trailhead for Avalanche Lake early. We got there before the sun even rose and were able to see that bluish purple light again on the mountains and lake. We even got to see a bear from a safe distance at the lake. This 6ish mile hike is a must do on the trip. The waterfalls in the background of the lake are beautiful as is the trail.
• Drive to Polebridge Mercantile for a Bearclaw. Be prepared as the roads to get there are more country stone/dirt roads than paved but it’s worth it. You can even grab lunch there too at the food truck or cafe.
• Relax by Lake MacDonald in the afternoon before getting dinner in Columbia Falls, Apgar, or somewhere else in the park. Then drive up to Logan Pass to watch the sunset.
• Then back down the Going to the Sun Road to your accommodations for the night.

DAY 10 – Glacier National Park

• Another early morning. Get up before sunrise so you can get to the trailhead for either the Highline Trail or Hidden Lakes Overlook Trail in the morning. They both depart from Logan Pass. While we wanted to do part of the Highline Trail, heights aren’t really our thing and neither are crowds, so we opted for the shorter and less crowded hike.
• We drove down the other side of the mountain with the attempt to go to Many Glacier. It was already full by the time we got there, but if you are able to get in, please go. So many people told us it was their favorite part of the park.
• Otherwise, grab lunch in St. Marys at the Snowgoose Grill & Gift Shop. We had a bison quesadilla which was divine.
• Go back into the park and hike the St. Mary’s, Virginia, and Baring Falls Hike. We only made it to Baring Falls because of where we parked and the heat, but would have loved to make it to all of them.
• We were tired, so we headed to our lodge in East Glacier for the night. We had intended to do another hike in the evening, but decided dinner and relaxing at the lodge sounded more appealing.

DAY 11 – Missoula & Hamilton

• Drive 3.5 toward Missoula stopping in Columbia Falls on the way for breakfast at coffee at Copper Mountain Coffee. Make a short stop at Great Gray Gifts along the drive.
• Grab lunch in downtown Missoula and walk around the city. We enjoyed our lunch at Tamarac Brewing Company and had hoped for ice cream at Sweet Peaks but it was closed the day we were there. We walked around town for a bit before heading just outside of town.
• Hike the “M” Trail. We didn’t get to as the smoke was coming in from the wild fires in the area but plan to next time we’re in the area.
• Drive to Hamilton and hike Blodgett Canyon . This was another we didn’t get to do because the smoke was awful further south and it was not a good idea to be outside for longer periods of time.
• Enjoy dinner downtown and check out some of the spots where scenes from Yellowstone were filmed.
• Stay overnight in Hamilton.

DAY 12 – Red Fish Lodge, Stanley, & Craters of the Moon National Monument

• Continue the drive south toward Red Fish Lodge in Stanley, Idaho.
• Hike the Fishhook Creek Trail. You’ll start off by taking a boat over to the trail. This is another one we didn’t get to do because of wildfire smoke. The road we planned to take to even get to this area had intermittent closures so we ended up detouring over to Craters of the Moon National Monument.
• Get your permit at the Visitor Center to go into a cave at Craters of the Moon or just enjoy a hike like the Devil’s Orchard Trail in the park. Check out the splatter cone and Inferno cone along the Scenic Loop.
• Head into Ketchum for dinner and walk around the cute shops.
• Stay overnight in the Ketchum and Sun Valley area.

DAY 13 – Homeward Bound

• Drive to Boise for your flight. If you’re from the east coast, stop at Dutch Bros. one last time before you leave. Don’t forget to dispose of your bear spray at a local recycling facility or check with your hotel if they take them.

Below is the map of about what we drove on our 3000 mile trip.

Happy travels!

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A road trip around Utah’s scenic Yellowstone Loop

The nearly 2,000km scenic Yellowstone Loop starts and ends in Salt Lake City in Utah, winding through Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Here, we show you how to drive Utah’s sections of this iconic road trip…

Every minute of the nearly 2,000km scenic Yellowstone Loop makes you stop and stare: cloud-reflecting lakes bordered by undulating mountains, never-ending skies polka-dotted with infinite stars, cliffs hiding fossilised dinosaurs. The 13-night journey begins in the capital of Utah, Salt Lake City, and winds through Idaho, Montana and Wyoming via the volcanic Yellowstone National Park, before looping back to the start. Here we shine a light on the places you can visit on Utah’s adventure-filled segments of the loop…

Read the full road trip below, or click on the segment you most want to explore…

Salt Lake City  

The Bear River Migratory Refuge

Flaming Gorge 

Dinosaur National Monument 

1. Salt Lake City

This mountain-flanked capital acts as the start and end of the route. Its highlight is Temple Square. Now part of the city’s downtown, Temple Square was once the capital’s centre, when Salt Lake City was first founded in 1847. To this day, the square remains a hub of activity. Stroll the flower-filled gardens, marvel at the architecture and visit the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints. The steepled, white-washed building dominates the entire area and casts elongated reflections in the pool at its feet.

Stroll the rest of the compact and art-filled downtown to enjoy views of the Wasatch Mountains before stopping for dinner in the restaurant-stuffed city centre. SLC Eatery makes a good choice and offers up tasty modern twists on traditional dishes using locally sourced ingredients.

If you want to escape the city, head to the Utah Olympic Park where you’ll find the starting point for over 700km of cycling and walking trails. These will take you high into the mountains, across grass-flanked paths sprinkled with wildflowers.

Also worth visiting is Clark Planetarium. Here you can learn about Utah’s many International Dark Sky Places – places where the lack of pollution means stars shine particularly bright. In fact, Utah has more International Dark Sky Places than anywhere else in the world, so it’s worth learning about where and how to see them.

Don’t miss… Antelope Island State Park

Around an hour’s drive from Salt Lake City lies the rugged beauty of Antelope Island State Park. Hike, bike, or horse ride the 25km-long park to see free-ranging antelope and one of the USA’s largest herds of buffalo. Enjoy views across the mountains and over lakes with surfaces so smooth they look like a layer of ice. The true magic happens after sundown, when this recognised Dark Sky Park is lit from above with tightly-packed stars.

Your next stop will transport you back to the wild west when you walk Historic 25th Street. You’ll pass the rickety railway station (now a civic centre and museum), the Senate Saloon (now a coffee shop) and the Bigelow Hotel, first built in 1891 and at that time one of the grandest hotels in Utah. (You can still spend the night there today!) As well as historic sites, the famous street is filled with galleries, boutiques and antique stores which make for a pleasant browse.

Later, swap history for a scenic drive by heading into the Upper Ogden Valley. Get out of the car to enjoy a hike past trout-filled streams and rustic houses.

Don’t miss… North Fork Park 

Just a 40-minute drive from Ogden will take you to the 2,600 ha park, another of Utah’s Dark Sky Parks. With its beautiful byways, this is a perfect spot for those in a motorhome. Park up and get ready to explore. Hike the mountain trails by day and at nightfall, get comfy outside your motorhome and look up at the astrological display taking place above you.

3. The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

Head to the spot where the Bear River flows into the Great Salt Lake near Brigham City to discover more than 32,000 hectacre of marsh, open water and mudflats. Here you will find the largest colony of white-faced ibis in North America along with many other birds. 

Don’t miss…Golden Spike National Historic Site

On your way back to Bringham City, be sure to visit the Golden Spike National Historic Site, where the transcontinental railway was completed. 

An hour’s drive north of Ogden will take you to Logan, a city which sits within the rugged greenery of the Cache Valley. This is a playground for adventure lovers, and the mountains surrounding the town are great for hiking, mountain biking, horse riding and canoeing. Birdwatchers should head to the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest to see hummingbirds, warblers and kingfishers among many other species.

The arts are a huge part of life in Logan, so take time to walk around the many art museums. The Artist’s Gallery is a cooperative, showcasing the work from the 26 local artists involved. The Logan Fine Art Gallery is the biggest in the area and displays the work of artists from all across the Cache Valley.

Don’t miss… The American West Heritage Center

A visit to the American West Heritage Center is like stepping back in time. Discover the wild western life of the 1800s, with costumed interpreters helping to make the experience more real. Visit the mountain men encampment, pioneer cabins and a turn of a century farm. 

5. Bear Lake

This 20km long and 12km wide lake is so blue it looks as though it’s been Photoshopped. In fact, the intense colour is a result of calcium carbonate suspended in the water, giving it its nickname as ‘the Caribbean of the Rockies’. The vast, silky space makes it perfect for water sports. Stand-up paddleboard, kayak or sail across its surface, or opt for more of an adrenaline-inducing sport such as kitesurfing or jet-skiing. If you head to Cisco Beach on the east side of the lake, you can go scuba diving, where depths of 200ft reveal a whole host of marine life, including four endemic fish species: Bonneville cisco, Bonneville whitefish, Bear Lake whitefish and the Bear Lake sculpin.

Outside of the water, make your thighs sigh by climbing the surrounding mountains, pausing every so often to see the sun twinkling on the surface of the lake below. All of this adventure is a lot to fit into one day, so spend a night or two glamping at Conestoga Ranch. Their luxury wagons are surrounded by nature and parked nearby the lake, so you can come and go between activities easily.

Don’t miss… Grand Teton National Park

Drive north for around three hours through Idaho and across  the Wyoming border to visit Grand Teton National Park. The peaks of Grand Teton National Park rise and fall like a castle’s turrets, and are an ever-present sight on the 320kms of trails that wind through this green-drenched park. Paddle Jenny Lake and watch out for wildlife as you walk through the miles of forest before overnighting in nearby Jackson.

6. Flaming Gorge

After exploring Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park, loop back into Utah to see the rock-strewn landscape of Flaming Gorge and its Red Canyon. This park may be famous for its fish – with nearly 15,000 fish per mile on the Green River – but the waters throughout Flaming Gorge are perfect for adventure. Paddle on the glassy reservoir or enjoy rafting along the muddy expanse of the cliff-flanked Green River.

There are hundreds of hiking trails to choose from; a great way to see the dramatic and diverse landscapes on display. Choose the Dowd Mountain hiking trail to be taken up to one of the best viewing platforms over Flaming Gorge. On a clear day you’ll even be able to see as far as Wyoming. The more challenging Elk Park trail offers completely different scenery as you trek under the shelter of the Ashley National Forest.

7. Dinosaur National Monument

On the Utah border with Colorado near a town called Vernal, you’ll find the nearly 800 sq km Dinosaur National Monument. This site is famous for being the final resting place of dinosaurs, and you can marvel at the artistic way nature has arranged the 1,500 fossils in the Wall of Bones.

The adventure doesn’t end there, with seven hikes in the park helping to deepen your understanding of the prehistoric site. The Discovery Trail, for example, will take you on an hour-long walk where you can marvel at the 80 million-year-old geology on display. Or spend time learning about the culture of the area’s early settlers, such as the Ute.

Don’t miss… Red Fleet State Park

Just a few miles north of Vernal, you will find Red Fleet State Park, where you can enjoy more dinosaur sightings, as the park is home to a giant fossilised foot.  Flanked on all sides by sandstone cliffs, this slice of the outdoors offers wild swimming, hiking, paddling, biking and star-lit camping.

8. Park City

If you’re still feeling energetic, Park City, in the Rocky Mountains, offers year-round adventure. Ski, snowboard and snowshoe through winter and bike and hike through 700km of trails in summer. Year-round thrills can be had at the Olympic Park, where you can enjoy bobsleiging and ziplining. Or, up your heart rate with some white-water rafting. 

One activity you can enjoy year-round is stand-up paddleboarding on the warm cobalt blue waters nearby the Homestead Crater. The incredible beehive-like shelter is a result of melted snow from the mountains seeping into the earth, then being heated by the planet’s interior and rising upwards for 10,000 years. The hole at the top allows the natural phenomenon to be lit naturally.

Don’t miss… Yellowstone National Park 

The Yellowstone Loop wouldn’t be complete without a visit to it’s namesake park. Located in the north of Wyoming near the boarder with Montana, Yellowstone National Park quite literally looks like it’s from another planet. With 60% of the world’s geysers letting off dramatic steam, surrounded by pools of turquoise water and boiling mud. Don’t miss a wander in the mountainous forests, too, to spy elk, moose and even the odd bear.

There’s still more of Utah left to discover…

Read our best reasons to visit Utah 

Read our top parks in Utah 

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5 reasons you should visit Greenland’s Scoresby Sund on an Expedition Micro Cruise

A local’s guide to Northern Portugal

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America's Most Scenic Road Trip

Tour seven National Parks, fourteen National Monuments and three Heritage Areas all on one road—US Route 89. From Canada to Mexico through Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah and Arizona you will behold the West’s most spectacular scenery. Named the #1 Drivers’ Drive in the World by National Geographic, you will also visit 150 towns, cities and reservations to learn about the history and culture of Native Americans, Spanish explorers, mountain men, Mormon pioneers, prospectors and cowboys. Recreational opportunities abound to suit every taste. Climb a mountain, raft a river or relax in a luxurious spa. Plan your next road trip here.

Last summer, we spent 10 days seeing the Pacific Northwest on a road trip. I was able to visit Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and a little bit of California in 10 days! The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful area that you MUST visit! If you are short on time, I’ve detailed my trip so you can get ideas on what is possible. My philosophy for travel is fit in as much as I can, because I never know if I’ll get back to the area. I can always sleep when I get home, lol.  I know that doesn’t work for most, but my husband tolerates me.

Day 1: Montana

I flew to Spokane solo, rented a car and then headed towards Whitefish, Montana. One of my good friends moved there a year ago and this was my first opportunity to come visit. Technically Montana is not part of the pacific northwest, but I couldn’t be this close and not visit her!

I stopped for a quick breakfast at Frank’s Diner in Spokane, super cute! It’s in a train car!

I took the scenic route by accident, but it was gorgeous! Of course, I’m from Dallas, so any kind of elevation makes me happy.

Stopped in Libby at Kootenai Falls and Swinging bridge.  Very easy to get to, right off the highway. Short walk to a beautiful waterfall in one direction and a swinging bridge in the other. It was perfect. Just what I needed after being in a car and plane for hours.

Finally made it to my friend’s house. So jealous of her, she wakes up to mountains every day now!

Day 2: Montana

First full day of fun! We explored the cute downtown area of Whitefish in the morning.

For the afternoon, we went to Glacier National Park. We rented a small boat and went out on Lake McDonald. Gorgeous!! Unfortunately, it down poured after that, so we headed back to her house.

We had Kobe Steak & Sushi for dinner, Hibachi style, very good!

Sweet Peaks ice cream for dessert. Huckleberry ice cream was hands down the best!!!

Day 3: Montana

My last day in the area, and it happened to be the first day the Going to the Sun road opened in Glacier National Park!!! I had been watching that website daily for the past couple weeks hoping the road would open.  It was so awesome, it has its own post .

After the park, I packed up the car and started back towards Spokane.

I stopped at Lake Coeur d’ Alene in Idaho to view the scenery and get out of the car.

Quick note, we decided on a Pacific Northwest road trip so we could visit my son who was playing for a drum corp in the Seattle area. He called while I was in route to Spokane and told me he had a few free hours the next morning to hang out. My plan was NOT to drive all night to be in La Conner, Washington the next morning, so I don’t recommend it!

The original plan included hanging out by Lake Coeur d’Alene longer. If the timing was right I would have loved to kayak around this beautiful lake. Dinner at Capone’s Pub, because I try and hit all the Triple D places I can while I travel (Diners, Drive Ins and Dives). Relaxing in a hotel in Spokane, getting up early and seeing a bit of this city and then driving towards La Conner going through the North Cascades National Park via the east entrance.

A few things to note about Montana:

*Try huckleberry everything!!! I had pie, ice cream and huckleberry lemonade! Seriously, you can’t go wrong!

*Cell reception sucks!!! Have a map, know where you’re going.

*Slow down and look for wildlife. On my way to Spokane, I saw a bear running in a field!! So cool!!

Day 4: Washington

I stopped at Snoqualmie Falls as soon as the sun was coming up….it was an ungodly hour. I don’t even remember the time. Unfortunately, it was very foggy, so I could not see the waterfall at all. I heard it, but the clouds would not lift. It’s supposed to be beautiful, maybe next time.

I arrived in La Conner with some time to kill, so I drove around the area. It’s super cute!! And very small! Nothing was open, because it was still freaking early, so I just headed to wait in the parking lot for my son to come out. I may or may not have fallen asleep….

Anyways, my son had a few free hours and we were going to make the most of it. We drove to Deception Pass and hiked down to the coast. Beautiful area!!! It was still kinda foggy, but it made for some cool pictures with the bridge.

North Cascades National Park was my main goal today after I dropped him back off.  It was AMAZING!! Enough to have its own post as well. This is a must do on a Pacific Northwest road trip!

As if the day couldn’t be longer, my hubby had a late flight coming to meet me. So, I drove to Seattle around midnight to pick him up and then drove back to the La Conner area. Needless to say, when my head hit that pillow, I was out!!

Day 5: Washington

Started the day early with breakfast at Frank’s Place on Whidbey Island. Good food and a patriotic theme, you could tell he was a veteran.

Watched Austin play for a bit before heading to the Anacortes ferry.

Took the ferry to Friday Harbor, very cool experience! I’ve been on a ferry before, but not with this kind of scenery. It took about an hour to get there. FYI, very cold and windy! Bring a warm jacket.

We met up with some friends and they took us on a tour of San Juan Island . Post is here . This is another must do in the Pacific Northwest!

Day 6: Washington

Left San Juan island and stopped at a roadside stand that sold huckleberry ice cream! YUM!

Mount Rainier was our top destination today.

After a few hours, we finally spotted the mountain. GORGEOUS!!! I think I stopped at almost every turnoff and took a million photos.

We went to the Paradise visitor center to get my passport stamped and a better look up the mountain. Hiking a couple easy trails was on our agenda, but Patrick’s ankle was hurting so we weren’t able. I’m honestly not sure we would have had the time anyways. It took a lot longer to get there and around the mountain than I thought. This is definitely a day trip in and of itself if you plan on doing any hiking. Mount Rainier must be added to every Pacific Northwest road trip itinerary!

We tried to make it to Mount St. Helens before the sunset, but we were about 30 minutes to late ☹ Not gonna lie, I was disappointed. I also knew that it would have been a miracle to fit everything in as well, so I got over it quickly. One more reason to go back to the area. We did see it from a distance and that was pretty cool.

Portland was our next stop. Powell’s Books and VooDoo Donuts were the must dos here. Powell’s claims to be the largest independent bookstore in America. It was HUGE! I love bookstores, so I just had to check it out and of course buy a couple books!

VOODOO Doughnuts had the weird theme going on. Definitely fit the whole Portland vibe! The donuts we got were huge and delish! I will be back. FYI, cash only!

We drove for a couple more hours to get a head start on our destination for tomorrow.

Day 7: Oregon & California

Crater Lake National Park!!!

I feel like I’ve said this all week, but this place was GORGEOUS!!! It had the bluest water I’ve ever seen. It took about an hour to drive around the lake. We learned so much about volcanos at the visitor center. This volcano explosion was like a 100x bigger than Mount St. Helens! Crazy!!

Apparently, you can drink the water out of this lake, because the lake is enclosed. The water is all from rain and snowmelt. This is also the deepest lake in America. Another must do that should be on every Pacific Northwest road trip!

When we were done, we made our way towards Cali! We stopped for lunch at the cutest quirkiest place in Shady Grove called Mac’s Diner. It’s in an older home by a river.

Redwood National Park was up next! I’ve wanted to come here forever!!! There’s a ton of different Redwood areas and we only saw a little bit, but it was INCREDIBLE!!! We did a couple small hikes, because how could we NOT!!

We headed back towards Oregon and tried to watch the sunset from the coast. Our pizza ended up taking to long and we missed it.

Day 8: Oregon

Most of the day was spent on the Oregon Coast . Click here for all the details. The Oregon coast is beautiful! I could have spent many more days here. It is a must do for every Pacific Northwest road trip!

In the evening we finally made it to Washington. Stopped at the Quinault Rain Forest for a quick hike.

We made our way to Ruby Beach for the sunset. Again the weather was not cooperating and it was very cloudy. However, the area was still beautiful. It was a small hike down to the beach and I was worried we’d be tripping over everything after it got dark, but we were fine. There was a good amount of light to see going back and we stayed down there at least 30 minutes after the sunset.

Day 9: Washington

Forks Washington- Home of the Twilight series! Yes, I was a Twilight fan and you can click here for more details on Forks.

Olympic National Park is huge! There are many different areas of the park with a lot of diversity. I only hit a tiny portion, but I plan on coming back to see the rest. This park should be on your Pacific Northwest road trip agenda!

I got up early to take a hike solo in Hoh Rain Forest. The hubby’s ankle was still bothering him. This place was amazing!

We drove through Olympic National park towards Port Angeles. There was a beautiful lake.

We were going to try and drive to the Hurricane Ridge visitor center, but it was raining, and we didn’t have much time. Port Angeles was such a cute town! I wanted to eat at Bella Italia, but they were only open for dinner and we decided to rush through everything to try and see Austin this evening.

Purple Haze was a must do! Even though I already went to a lavender farm on San Juan Island, I had to see another one!

This one was bigger and sold white chocolate lavender ice cream! Ugh, yes, please! It was good, not as good as the huckleberry but still good. I spent way too much money in that lavender gift shop.

Made it to Port Townsend for the ferry. We walked around town until the ferry was ready to leave.

The rest of the day was spent watching Austin and then driving to our hotel in downtown Seattle.

Day 10: Seattle

Seattle Day! A must see city in Pacific Northwest!

First stop, Biscuit Bi$%#! for breakfast. Yummy! I got there 15 minutes before it opened for the day. By the time it did open, the line was already 20 people long!

Hopped on the monorail and headed to the Seattle Center. Seriously people, Seattle has a monorail! I almost said the Disney phrase when I got on “ Please stand clear of the doors…” Finally got to see the iconic Space Needle. It was under construction, so people recommended not going until it was complete. Plus, it was of course, cloudy.

Chihuly Garden and Glass has been on my bucket list for a while, so I was thrilled to finally be here. Crazy beautiful and amazing. I probably stayed here less than an hour.

Next stop, Museum of Pop Culture . I stayed a little over an hour here, but I did rush to meet back up with Patrick. Favorite exhibits: Marvel, Nirvana and the Fantasy area. You can read more about it here .

Pike Place is overwhelmingly amazing!!! So much to see and eat! And it’s super crowded!! We ended up staying here a couple hours longer than planned since it was cold and rainy.

The rest of the day was spent looking for a Walmart or Target. I bought way too many souvenirs, so we had to buy another suitcase to get everything back home….whoops.

Looking back over the whole trip, it was a LOT of driving! Like between 40-50 hours…the Pacific Northwest is huge! But I’m so glad I got to see all that I did!  Obviously, this itinerary isn’t for everyone, but hopefully it’ll help some who are on a time budget or some who have a couple weeks and can spend their time enjoying the different areas. The Pacific Northwest is such a beautiful area with so much to do! There’s something for everyone!

Bonus that I got some girl time and hubby time. We haven’t had a vacay with out kids in over 10 years, so this was much needed!

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Ultimate Itinerary: The Great Pacific Northwest Road Trip

Posted by Arthur McMahon August 31, 2020 Updated May 21, 2024

The Great Pacific Northwest Road Trip is an epic journey that showcases the PNW’s most iconic scenery as well as a number of hidden gems.

This trip has it all. Get ready to embark on a grand tour of the region encompassing all that makes the Pacific Northwest a special place beloved by adventurous people. The coast, the Cascades, the desert, the rainforest, and every town along the way all add to the magic of the PNW. It’s time to see it all for yourself.

Related Read: The 10 Best Scenic Drives in Oregon

The Great Pacific Northwest Road Trip

Traversing the most epic territories within Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, this road trip leaves plenty of room for customization. This is an excellent route broken down into several sections. For each section, you’ll find highlights, interesting side trips, places to stay, plus some place where you can save some time if you’re on a tight schedule.

This epic PNW road trip includes:

• 54 Hours of driving
• 14 National Forests
• 4 National Monuments
• 4 National Parks

The journey as we put it together starts and ends in Seattle, but the road also passes through other urban areas including Portland, Boise, Bend, and Spokane. You can start this loop from wherever you’d like.

Take a look at the complete route on Google Maps  to follow along as you read the guide below. At a comfortable pace, the entire journey will take about two weeks. Make it your own, though, and enjoy the ride.

Related Read: The Ultimate Portland to Seattle Road Trip Itinerary

PNW Road Trip Section by Section

Seattle to Spokane

This first stretch of the Great Pacific Northwest Road Trip starts off in the skyscraper canyons of downtown Seattle. Our chosen route travels northward along the eastern edge of the Puget Sound and then turns east as it winds through the magnificent Northern Cascades.

Once you’re done exploring the evergreen mountains, you’ll drop down to the Columbia Plateau and cross over an early stage of the grand Columbia River at Chief Joseph Dam before arriving at The Lilac City of Spokane.

Related Read: 14 Vanlife Hacks: How to Make Van Living Easier

North Cascade National Park

The rugged mountain landscape and heavy snowfalls of North Cascades National Park severely limit winter exploration of the area, but the roadside views are spectacular throughout the year. The entire park is mostly protected as wilderness. There are wondrous hikes and backpacking trails aplenty for the most intrepid of explorers.

Ross Lake National Recreation Area

Ross Lake is a popular recreation destination in the Northern Cascades. It’s a 23-mile long reservoir that extends beyond the national border into Canada. There are camping and hiking opportunities galore, and the lake is renowned for its stellar fishing. You can also opt to spend some time at the unforgettable floating Ross Lake Resort.

Lake Chelan

Certainly worthy of its own mention, Lake Chelan is the largest lake in the state of Washington and is the 26th deepest lake in the world with a maximum depth of 1486 feet. Visitors can stay at the remote tourist town of Stehekin which can only be accessed by long-distance hikers, such as those that arrive via the Pacific Crest Trail or by boat. The Lady of the Lake passenger ferry is a relaxing and romantic trip that carries travelers across the lake.

Where to Stay

• 6 Romantic Seattle Houseboat Vacation Rentals
• 9 of the Best Airbnbs in Seattle, Washington

Spokane to Boise

Incredibly scenic and remote, this section of the Great Pacific Northwest Road Trip starts with a short drive to the beautiful lakeside town of Couer d’Alene. Leaving the city behind, the road turns south and hugs the Salmon River as it threads its way between three different national forests.

Our route loops out to eastern Idaho to include the Sawtooth Mountains and the Craters of the Moon National Monument . Though these are stupendous places worthy of a visit, this part can be easily cut out to save a full day or more of driving by rerouting directly to Boise.

Related Read:   10 Scenic Drives in Washington State That’ll Blow Your Mind

Coeur d’Alene

The waterfront district of Coeur d’Alene is a delightful place to grab a meal or stay the night. The marina, golf course, restaurants, and parks allow for hours or even days of entertainment. Tubbs Hill is a fantastic urban hiking area along the waterfront with easy trails and excellent views of both downtown and the lake.

Take a Hike: Guide to the Best Hikes Near Spokane

Craters of the Moon National Monument

Craters of the Moon is an awe-inspiring destination. It is literally a vast ocean of lava rock. Here you can explore 410,000 acres of basalt floodplain filled with lava caves, gigantic cinder crags, and, of course, plenty of extraordinary volcanic craters.

Wallowa Whitman National Forest

Full of hiking and backpacking trails, the Wallowa Whitman National Forest stands out because of its sky-high granite peaks and the lush diversity of its flora and fauna. It’s an expansive forest that includes the Eagle Cap Wilderness within its borders, a hidden gem of the Pacific Northwest reminiscent of California’s Sierra Nevada.

Wallowa Lake

Taking a detour a Lewiston, Idaho will lead you toward Joseph, Oregon and Wallowa Lake, as well as the primary entrance into the grand Eagle Cap Wilderness. The town of Joseph is named after Chief Joseph, of the Nez Perce Tribe . The area is rich in indigenous history. The lake is gorgeous, and there is a spectacular tramway that can take you straight to the mountain tops.

Save Time: Stay the course due south on Highway 55 and head straight to Boise.

Boise to Bend

This is an arid trek through Eastern Oregon with many geological oddities to see and plenty of pioneering history to explore. The route we chose travels north to Baker City and cuts through John Day. The southern Highway 20 is a quicker route, but the northern passage is much more interesting.

You’re on the historic Oregon Trail now, and there are plenty of points of interest in the early stages of this section for history buffs to discover. Most of the towns on this road have the look and feel of the Old West, and that’s because some of these places haven’t changed much in the last 100 years.

Baker Historic District

Located smack dab in the middle of downtown Baker City, this district is rife with artifacts and properties that date back to the 1800s. The Baker Heritage Museum is a treasure trove of interesting stories to absorb, and the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center lies just 5 miles down the road.

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is actually divided into three sections, two of which are on this route. The Sheep Rock Unit features a mesmerizing canyon drive and an awesome fossil museum filled with animals that no longer exist which were discovered in the nearby John Day Fossil Beds. The Painted Hills Unit is another spectacle deserving of a pit stop.

Lake Owyhee State Park

If you’re interested in a remote, lightly-visited state park to spend some time exploring, Lake Owyhee is a gorgeous place to stay. It’s a long lake that fills a deep canyon, the walls of which are vibrant with colorful volcanic rock. Bighorn sheep frequent the area, and there are several varieties of fish to catch in the reservoir.

Smith Rock State Park

Smith Rock is known as the birthplace of rock climbing, but you don’t have to scale the cliff faces here to enjoy their beauty. This is a relatively small park with a 4-mile loop trail that covers most of what there is to see, but it is absolutely stunning. There are often dozens of climbers at a go which can be just as interesting to observe as the lovely scenery.

• Oregon’s 17 Best Lake Camping Destinations
• The 18 Best Camping Spots Near Bend, Oregon

Bend to Crescent City

Outdoor lovers could easily spend a week or more in Bend without running out of fun things to do and places to explore. From backpacking around the Three Sisters to skiing to slopes of Mount Bachelor and kayaking the white water of the Deschutes River, the recreation opportunities are truly endless.

Yet there is so much else out there between Bend and the coast that you’ll have to whittle down your options to make the most of your time. Your mind will be blown the first time you see Crater Lake in person, Cave Junction has awesome spelunking tours, and a walk through the Northern California redwood forests can be a life-changing experience.

Crater Lake National Park

Oregon’s crown jewel, Crater Lake ‘s sapphire waters are breathtaking to behold. This is the only national park in all of Oregon. It is a natural wonder that one could see from every possible angle without growing tired of its presence. There are trails and roads all the way around its rim to explore.

Take a Hike:  Guide to the Best Hikes in Crater Lake National Park

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

For as much time as you spend looking down at Crater Lake, you’ll be spending an equal amount of time looking up at the mighty redwoods at Jedediah Smith . These behemoths are a world apart from any other type of tree on this road trip, and they are a marvel that can only be truly experienced in person with your own eyes. This park contains 70% of all the old-growth redwood trees remaining in the entire world.

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

If you chose to skip over Craters of the Moon, you still have miles upon miles of lava to explore just outside of Bend. This monument features the Newberry Caldera, a large walk-thru lava cave, two lakes, the Deschutes River, and many hiking trails. Here you’ll also find the High Desert Museum which succinctly encapsulates the area’s geological and biological diversity.

Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve

Near the Oregon town of Cave Junction lies the Marble Halls of Oregon. There is a massive marble cave to check out, parts of which are family-friendly, ADA-accessible, well lit, and offer interpretive signage. Cave tours are given by rangers. Within the cave lies the River Styx, the only designated subterranean Wild and Scenic River, which was named after the underground river from Greek mythology.

Save Time: Head northwest from Crater Lake toward Eugene and cut over to the coast at Florence, or head straight up to Portland.

Take a Hike:  Guide to the Best Hikes Near Eugene, Oregon

• 9 Beautiful Free Camping Spots in Oregon
• 11 Best Campgrounds Near Eugene, Oregon

Crescent City to Portland

The Oregon Coast is special not only for its pacific beauty, but also because all 362-miles of coastline are designated as public land. From the sea up to the existing line of vegetation, all ocean beaches in Oregon are open to the public. This scenic coastal drive is made all the better by the fact that you can pull over at any of the countless waysides to dip your toes in the sand and surf.

And each town along the coast offers its own unique experience to travelers. Coastal towns are welcoming to tourists because tourism is a large part of the coastal economy. There are dunes for off-roading all up and down the coast, lighthouses and state parks aplenty to visit, and numerous charming seaside shops and restaurants to try with excellent seafood fare and cute beach town gifts.

At a glance, most people who see Astoria on a map would assume it’s just another coastal town, but it’s not actually on the pacific coastline. Astoria is a historic port town set on the southern bank of the Columbia River Delta. Nearby Fort Stevens State Park is a popular beachside park and campground, and the Lewis and Clark National Historic Park is another historic park worth a visit.

The big city has its appeal too, and it’s a nice change of pace after a long trip up the laid back coast. Portland has its own vibe, and it’s generally a pretty friendly city to explore on foot. If you’ve still got the itch to get outside and hike, though, you’ll want to take a look at our article on the best hikes in and around Portland .

The Beach, Everywhere

No two stretches of beach are the same in Oregon. Some are riddled with dazzling agates to collect, others are home to mini-ecosystems like tidepools and sea caves, while others are loaded with piles of driftwood, broken apart by freshwater streams, or adjacent to lively boardwalks. You’re sure to find something special about each beach you visit along this route.

Shore Acres State Park

Once a lavish estate of a wealthy timber baron, Shore Acres State Park is a beautiful combination of both natural and human-made wonders. Much of the park rests atop tall sandstone cliffs above the raging ocean where waves crash against upturned strata. A large, manicured botanical garden is maintained on the property, and there are multiple magical beach coves to discover.

Take a Mailboat up the Rogue River

This is less of a side trip and more of a thing to do, but you can turn this into an overnight or multi-day excursion. The Wild and Scenic Rogue River is mostly accessible only to hikers, rafters, and these mailboats. You can take a ride over 100 miles long and stay at a remote lodge far upriver from civilization and deep within the Wild Rogue Wilderness.

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Portland to Seattle

It’s all about those snow-capped Cascade peaks, baby! This final stretch of the Great Pacific Northwest Road Trip winds through the region’s tallest mountains. Starting with a scenic drive up the Columbia River Gorge, the road skirts past awe-inspiring Mount Hood and then crosses the river to weave between Washington’s regal giants.

Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Rainier are the climax of this grand tour. But the final leg of the journey sweeps back over to the coast for one last glimpse of the Pacific Ocean and a tranquil ride through the temperate rainforests of Olympic National Park before arriving back at the Seattle Metropolitan Area.

Columbia River Gorge

A scenic drive unlike any other, the Historic Columbia River Highway follows the gorge upriver as the scenery transitions from temperate rainforest to arid grassland. Attractions along this road include dozens of plummeting waterfalls , volcanic geological oddities, and the ever-present looming peaks of Mount Hood and Mount Adams.

Mount Adams and Goat Rocks Wilderness

Driving by Mount Adams, you may not be able to help yourself from finding a trail to hike. There are several popular paths up to sky-high trails on Mount Adams and within the neighboring Goat Rocks Wilderness . Here, on a clear day, you’ll find alpine lakes, wildflowers, goats, marmots, and epic views of the surrounding mountains.

Olympic National Park

Return once again to the coastal beauty and dark rainforests of the Pacific Northwest’s coastline, but crank all of it up to 11 here at the national park. Olympic National Park is a verdant wonderland set just outside of Seattle. It’s wet, wild, and everything is covered in green. Moss and lichen abound, as do the terrific ocean views.

Take a Hike:  Guide to the Best Easy Hikes at Olympic National Park

Mount Hood and the Timberline Lodge

You’ll miss much of the majesty of Mount Hood by bypassing it along the Columbia River Gorge. If you have a spare day, we suggest heading up to the mountain from the town of Hood River. The lodge is quite an interesting place, and it provides access to year-round ski slopes as well as the Timberline Trail which circumnavigates Mount Hood.

Take a Hike: Guide to Best Hikes at Mount Hood

Mount Rainier National Park

The pinnacle of the Pacific Northwest’s Cascade Range, Mount Rainier reigns above the region and can be seen from all across Washington and Oregon on a clear day. The national park provides a closer view of this iconic monolith. The mountain is what you make of it. There are miles of trails, suburban tourist attractions, scenic gondola rides, and so much more to discover on this mountain’s slopes.

Take a Hike: Guide to the Best Hikes at Mount Rainier

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

Known for its destructive eruption from a few decades past, Mount St. Helens offers a unique experience for adventurous folks who seek to climb or hike around the active volcano. You can experience first hand the remnants of the recent lava flow, the newly formed glacier, and numerous lava caves.

Save Time: Cut out either the mountains or the coast, or both, by heading up I-5 directly to Seattle.

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Posted by Arthur McMahon

Arthur loves to walk. It’s as simple as that. Whether it be in the mountains, on the beach, or along the city streets — he believes walking is the best way to experience the world. Thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail was his first backpacking foray, and he hasn’t stopped crushing miles since. Arthur and his wife now regularly travel into the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest seeking new trails to hike.

Coastal History: A Guide to the Oregon Coast’s Lighthouses and Historic Sites

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Best Road Trips in the Northern Rockies: Montana, Wyoming and Idaho

Updated : April 19, 2023

AAA Travel Editor, Katie Broome

Bkamprath/iStockphoto.com

Best Montana Road Trips

The scenery in Montana is as impressive as it is varied. Thick forests, towering mountains, deep valleys and pristine lakes characterize the western part of the state, which includes the northern Rocky Mountains and the Continental Divide. It’s the topography of Montana’s west that inspired the name montaña, the Spanish word for “mountain” or “mountainous region.” Of all Montana road trips, this one is perhaps the most popular (and is sometimes referred to as Glacier National Park’s “Road to the Sun”). The 50-mile route cuts across Glacier National Park at an elevation of 6,646 feet and is open seasonally, so you’ll want to plan accordingly. To include the road as part of a longer trip, consider AAA’s , a 374-mile journey that starts in Kalispell, Montana, and ends in the capital city of Helena. (AAA members can take advantage of exclusive member benefits with car rentals from Hertz .)

A drive through the eastern portion of Montana will have you wondering, “Why is the sky so big in Montana?” It’s the prairie grasslands and wide-open vistas of the east that gave Montana the nickname “Big Sky Country.” To see these expansive, impossibly blue skies, consider the following road trips:

• Big Sky Country Road Trip : A scenic 425-mile journey that starts and ends in Billings, Montana, looping through southern Montana and a small section of northern Wyoming. You’ll see the cowboy town of Cody, snow-capped mountains and hairpin turns along Beartooth Scenic Highway , and important sites in Native American history like Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.

• Big Sky Back Country Scenic Byway : Farther east in Montana’s Great Plains region, this 111-mile journey takes you through badlands, buttes and rolling prairies.

For Montana drives under one hour, consider these additional trips:

• Flathead Lake West Shore Scenic Highway : Follows the shore of glacially formed Flathead Lake, said to be the largest natural body of freshwater west of the Mississippi River

• Bitterroot Valley Scenic Highway : Begins in rustic Darby, a filming location for the TV series “Yellowstone”

Road Trips Around Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Established in 1872, was the first national park in the U.S. and continues to be one of its most-visited, with approximately 4 million visitors each year. If you want to be among those visitors and experience one of the best places for road trips in the U.S., here are a few things to know about Yellowstone:

• The park is big — very big. Based on total land area, Yellowstone is larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined.

• The vast majority of Yellowstone’s 3,472 square miles lie in northwestern Wyoming, but its boundaries also extend into Idaho and Montana. (Three of the five park entrances are in Montana.)

• Wildlife sightings are common from park roadways, so drive with caution; you may see grizzlies, black bears, elk, bighorn sheep, moose and bison.

• Most park roads are open May through October (weather permitting), but check the Yellowstone road status website for the most current information.

To see Yellowstone’s dramatic river canyons, geysers, geothermal pools and waterfalls in all their glory, take the road trip, a 400-mile journey from Bozeman, Montana, to Jackson, Wyoming, with plenty of national park stops along the way. You’ll enter through the park’s west entrance (in West Yellowstone, Montana) before making a scenic loop that includes the popular Yellowstone Grand Loop in the heart of the park. This Yellowstone drive includes a trip through Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, with magnificent views of Jenny Lake, the Teton Range and the valley of Jackson Hole.

What Else to See on a Wyoming Road Trip (Besides Yellowstone)

Once you’ve done the scenic drives around Yellowstone National Park, what else should you see in Wyoming?Just outside Yellowstone’s northeast entrance is , a two-lane road that’s been called one of the most scenic American road trips. It rises to an elevation of almost 11,000 feet, with plenty of overlooks where you can stop for a photo. (If you’re starting from Cody, Wyoming, take the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway to reach Beartooth Scenic Highway; it offers more views of snow-capped mountains and deep canyons.)South of Yellowstone, you can explore the ski resorts and mountains around Jackson Hole and Star Valley. The Star Valley to Yellowstone Scenic Highway will take you from Yellowstone’s south entrance into Grand Teton National Park and then through Jackson Hole and a handful of small towns near the Idaho border. This trip is a good jumping off point for visiting Snow King Mountain and the National Elk Refuge in Jackson, Wyoming.North-central Wyoming near the Montana border offers many scenic drives and small towns worth exploring. From I-90 just south of the Montana–Wyoming border, you’ll have your pick of two scenic drives that start on US 14: the is a roughly 200-mile route across the Bighorn and Shoshone national forests on the way to Cody, while the Medicine Wheel Passage Scenic Highway heads toward Bighorn Lake on US 14A.The follows SR 120 past the vast prairies of Bighorn Basin to Thermopolis, Wyoming, a town known for its hot springs. Continue south on the Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway to Shoshoni for more views of canyons, rock formations and the Bighorn River.

Best Idaho Road Trips

Breathtaking mountain scenery, diverse wildlife, raging river rapids and a ski town that rivals Aspen — it’s easy to see why the state of Idaho makes a great road trip destination.The west region of Idaho boasts the , a 90-minute drive that snakes along the Payette River, with frequent pull-offs to admire the view.Scenic drives in Idaho’s central region will acquaint you with the state’s remote wilderness and craggy granite peaks. The follows SR 75 through Sawtooth National Recreation Area, passing the popular resort towns of Hailey, Ketchum and Sun Valley along the way. You may see wildlife like pronghorn antelope, deer, elk and wolves in this area.Another must-do road trip in the central region of Idaho is the , which follows the Salmon River (also known as the River of No Return, due to its strong current) past waterfalls and spectacular areas for whitewater rafting. As you near the Montana border, you can put yourself in the shoes of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who traveled through these mountain passes in 1805 on their journey west.In northern Idaho’s panhandle is a portion of the only International Scenic Byway in North America: . This 88-mile section of the Selkirk Loop offers great river scenery and wildlife watching opportunities around the Selkirk Mountains. (Make the full international loop — bring your passport! — by adding on Washington’s International Selkirk Scenic Loop to the west and British Columbia’s International Scenic Loop to the north.)Nearby is the Pend Oreille Scenic Byway , a two-lane road that follows the Clark Fork of the Columbia River from the Idaho–Montana border to Lake Pend Oreille (pronounced pond-ah-RAY), one of the largest freshwater lakes in the Pacific Northwest.

Best Time of Year for a Northern Rockies Road Trip

June to September is the best time of year for a Northern Rockies road trip, with the best chances of sunny skies and mild temperatures occurring in summer. July is the hottest month on average in these states.

Given the ideal driving conditions in June, July and August, expect plenty of crowds when road-tripping through tourist-heavy areas like Yellowstone, Glacier and Grand Teton national parks in summer months.

If you plan to visit Yellowstone National Park in the fall or spring, keep in mind that roads may close for winter conditions as early as October and remain closed until mid-April. In Glacier National Park, roads at higher elevations (such as the alpine portion of Going-to-the-Sun Road) can close in October and remain closed until late June or early July.

Some roads in Grand Teton National Park may close from November through April or mid-May for winter recreational use.

Winters are particularly harsh in the Northern Rockies, and driving in winter months can be dangerous due to slush, frost, snow, ice and white-out conditions.

No matter the season, always be prepared for dramatic temperature changes and unpredictable weather in the Northern Rockies, especially at higher elevations.

Start Your Next Road Trip with AAA

AAA Travel provides peace of mind for travelers — from the first mile of the journey to the last. Get inspiration for your next road trip and locate AAA Diamond designated hotels and restaurants with AAA’s TripTik Travel Planner , or browse pre-planned itineraries on AAA.com/RoadTrips . Estimating fuel costs for your trip is easy with the AAA Gas Cost Calculator , and if your car needs a quick tune-up before the trip, find a AAA Approved auto repair facility near you at AAA.com/AutoRepair . For printed maps, AAA TourBook guides and trip planning advice, contact your local AAA office .

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Montana Idaho Road Trip

Montana holds the Lower 48 record for the most dramatic temperature change to occur over a 24-hour period. On January 15, 1972, in Loma, the temperature rose from -54˚F to 49˚F. Remarkably, the -54 F is not the all-time record low. But remember: first, Montana is north, and second, much of western Montana is in the Rocky Mountains. The state has a dozen mountains reaching over 11,000 feet (3353 meters). However, this post is about more than Montana weather and mountain peaks! I’m talkin’ here! It’s about 10 days of road tripping in the northwestern part of the US. All things considered, I hope you enjoy this Montana Idaho Road Trip. (See the table of contents below the picture.)

Interesting Facts

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Do you need travel clothes or travel supplies? Check out L.L. Bean for some of what you need! No pressure, but if you do buy something, I will get a commission at no additional charge to you. See my  Disclaimer.

Western Montana

Famous people.

• Dana Garvey – Comedian – Missoula
• Gary Cooper – Actor – Helena
• Evel Knieval – Daredevil motorcyclist – Butte
• David Lynch – Filmmaker – Missoula
• Jeannette Rankin – First woman elected to US Congress – Missoula
• Brad Bird – Actor – Kalispell
• Jesse Tyler Ferguson – Actor – Missoula

Other facts

• Out of 56 counties in Montana, 46 are considered frontier counties meaning there are less than 10 people per square mile
• Montana has more bookstores per capita than any other state
• Montana is home to the largest grizzly bear population in the Lower 48
• There are more cattle in Montana than people
• No state has as many different species of mammals as Montana.
• Montana is the 4th largest state by land area and 44th largest by population. Montana has the third lowest population density with 7 people per square mile, just ahead of Wyoming with 6 and way ahead of Alaska with 1 person per square mile!

By the way, if you are planning to go to Montana, especially Glacier National Park, you really need to stay hydrated for all that hiking! (Full disclosure: I do earn a commission if you purchase something from here, at not additional cost to you.)

Western Montana Weather

• The coldest temperature recorded in the Lower 48 is -70 F (-57 C) in Rogers Pass on January 20th, 1954 near Missoula, (For those from other countries, the Lower 48 means the states on the North American continent south of Alaska. Hawaii is the 50th state and is officially the Hawaiian Islands about 2500 miles [4000 Kilometers] from the continental US west coast. Those two states do not physically touch any other state.)
• The warmest temperature recorded in Montana is in Glendive but that is in the east. That temperature is 117 F (47 C). Temperatures in western Montana reach over 100 F (38 C) but are of short duration. For example average summer highs in Kalispell (near Glacier National Park) are 82 F (28 C)
• Humidity in western Montana is lower than eastern Montana
• Here is a link to climate information in Kalispell . Click on the link if you really want to know about the year around weather including temperature, rainfall, snowfall, sunrise and sunset.

Terrain and other geographical facts

Western Montana is dominated by the Rocky Mountains. “The Rockies” as they are known in the vernacular, stretch from northern British Columbia in the north to northern New Mexico in the south. The mountain range includes the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. US states include Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. Here is a link to information about the the Rockies .

The Rockies make up much of western Montana and Northern Idaho. At the end of the last Ice Age, known as the Pleistocene Epoch, erosion occurred as the glaciers melted, which in turn created many U-shaped valleys. Lakes like Flathead Lake in western Montana are also the result of this Ice Age. At the beginning of the Ice Age, the earth’s plates came together to push up the land into rocky peaks and valleys. When the French fur traders came to this area in the 1700s, one of the native tribes called the mountains “the Rockies” in their native language and that became the name of this huge mountain range.

More Montana Mountains Background

Further background, the Rocky Mountains include approximately 100 separate ranges, which are generally considered in four groupings: The Canadian Rockies and Northern Rockies of Montana and northeastern Idaho. The Rockies of Wyoming, Utah, and southeastern Idaho. and the Colorado Rockies, although they extend in northern New Mexico. Lastly, the Four Corners Plateau is in the region where Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico join. By the way, that’s the only place in the US where 4 states join. (Wondering if there is a place in the world where 4 countries come together? I asked this question on Facebook. My first cousin answered it! Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe in sub-Saharan Africa have the only International Quadripoint.)

These four subdivisions differ from one another in terms of geology (origin, ages, and kinds of rocks) and geography (land-forms, drainage, and soils). Nonetheless, they share the physical attributes of high elevations (many peaks higher than 13,000 feet [4,000 meters]), great local relief (typically 5,000 to 7,000 feet [1525 meters to 2135 meters]) in the vertical difference between the base and summit of ranges). They also share shallow soils, great mineral wealth, spectacular scenery from past glaciation and volcanic activity, as well as similar trends in climate, economy, and early exploration.

Western Montana Definitions

The definition of Western Montana varies by source. Initially, the definition included only the area west of the continental divide. Here is the link to a Western Montana map with that definition. Over time, the definition has broadened (in some official documents and in the vernacular) to include about six counties in the mountainous area on the east side of the divide. In any case, all of the Montana information in the individual posts (below) is in the original definition of western Montana.

Native Americans

Of course, Native American tribes were the first recorded inhabitants of Montana. Originally there were nine tribes in the area that is now Montana. Originally, the tribes were: Assiniboine, Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Crow, Gros Ventre, Kootenai, Salish, Sioux, Shoshoni. Over time, some tribes consolidated and others moved or were driven out by the Federal government. (That’s another story and I won’t get into it until I feel like being controversial!)

Seven Tribes in Montana Today

Today, there are seven tribes in Montana. These tribes base themselves on seven reservations which are: 1. Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Reservation, Browning Montana 2. Chippewa (Ojibwa) Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy’s Reservation, Box Elder Montana 3. Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation, Pablo Montana 4. Crow Tribe of the Crow Reservation, Big Horn County Montana 5. Fort Belknap Tribes of the Fort Belknap Reservation, Harlem Montana 6. Fort Peck Tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation, Poplar Montana 7. Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, Lame Deer Montana The state of Montana also recognizes the Little Shell Chippewa (Ojibwa)Tribe but they don’t have a defined reservation. See map of Montana reservations below.

European Influence and Settlement

In spite of folklore, the French fur traders were not the first Europeans to venture into the area. Although the Lewis and Clark expedition is the most well-known, others came before them. In 1793 Alexander Mackenzie became the first Euro-American to reach the Pacific coast by the overland route via the Rocky Mountains. In 1798, another explorer, David Thompson, created a detailed map of the Missouri River. His trip took him to the Continental Divide. (By the way, he’s no relation to the basketball player of the same name in the 1970s and 1980s!)

Louisiana Purchase

David Thompson’s book enamored President Thomas Jefferson and his assistant Meriwether Lewis. Jefferson wanted to know more about the territory he purchased from France. (For those in other countries, the US purchased much of the center of the US from France in 1803.) Actually, the purchase only included New Orleans and much of the state of Louisiana and the “rights to acquire” the remainder through treaties and conquests. (By the way, if you are from the UK, you can’t “put us down” for colonization!) Below is a map of the area acquired by the purchase. By the way, France and Spain also owned parts of what is now the United States. European ownership ended in the mid 1800s when a treaty between the UK and the US defined the border between the US and Canada.

After the purchase and Jefferson’s need to know more about just what he did purchase, he created a plan to explore and document the new territory. His assistant, Meriwether Lewis, an Army Captain, recruited Lieutenant William Clark. Their trip is widely known as the Lewis and Clark expedition. Their assignment; explore and map the area around the Missouri River, make diplomatic contacts with many of the Indian tribes, expand the American fur trade throughout the area, and locate the hypothetical Northwest Passage (by water). Other than not finding the Northwest Passage, their trip was very successful. Here is a link to a more complete account of their journey.

Off Topic Montana Idaho Road Trip!

I’m going way off base here regarding western Montana but wanted to add an interesting sideline. A Shoshoni woman, Sakakawea, from North Dakota, accompanied the Lewis and Clark expedition. She joined them at Fort Mandan, North Dakota for the remainder of the trip. The expedition had spent the winter at Fort Mandan. (By the way, here is a link to a post from The Driveby Tourist touching on the Lewis and Clark expedition while traveling the Great River Road in 2017.)

Interestingly, her name more commonly is Sacagawea, but North Dakota officially named her Sakakawea in its history and recognition of her accomplishments. She and her husband, Toussaint Charbonneau, a French fur trader acted as guides and interpreters along the way. She became well known in American history. Her likeness is on a silver dollar initially produced in 2000. This silver dollar, along with others, lacked popular acceptance and was not circulated regularly. Why can’t we be like Canada and have “loonies and twonies”!

Now, let’s get back on the subject. Montana became Montana Territory in 1864. From the Louisiana Purchase, Montana fell under 7 different governing structures. I won’t go into all the details , but you can read about them here at this link if you want that much detail. Montana became the 41st state admitted to the US on November 8th, 1889.

Continuing on with Montana, there are many interesting facts about the state. The links above will give you much of that history. However, Glacier National Park is the only National Park fully in the state. Yellowstone is also partially in Montana and Idaho but most of it is in Wyoming. Yellowstone became the first National Park in 1872. It was the only National Park until Sequoia (in California) became a park in 1890. Glacier National Park “came to life” in 1910 and was the 8th National Park. (There are now 61 US National Parks.)

Northern Idaho

• Lillian Disney – wife of Walt Disney – Spalding
• Sarah Palin – Former Governor of Alaska and former Vice Presidential Candidate – Sandpoint
• George Kennedy – Academy Award winning actor – Boise
• Picabo Street – Olympic Champion skier – Triump (No, the name is NOT Trump!)
• Mark Fuhrman – Los Angeles detective known for his role in the O J Simpson trial – Sandpoint
• Jerry Kramer – Green Bay Packers right guard – Sandpoint
• Ben Stein – lawyer, writer, political commentator and actor – Sandpoint
• Brock Osweiler – NFL quarterback – Coeur d’Alene
• Gregory “Pappy” Boyington – World War II flying ace – Coeur d’Alene

Other Facts

• Idaho grows nearly one/third of America’s potatoes
• It is referred to as the Gem State. Seventy two types of precious stones are found here
• The Idaho State Capital in Boise is the only state capital warmed by a renewable energy source – geothermal water form 3,000 feet (914 meters) underground
• It might sound a little strange, but it is against the law for a man to give his beloved a box of sweets that weighs more than 50 pounds.
• The Idaho Panhandle approximate population is 331,000 while the state population is 1.74 million . The Panhandle comprises over one quarter of the state land and less than 20% of the population.
• Idaho has 44 counties, 16 of which are considered frontier counties with less than 10 people per square mile.

Northern Idaho Weather

Let’s talk about Coeur d’Alene weather. I know I said Northern Idaho, but since we were in Coeur d’Alene, I’ll stick with that.

• The lowest temperature ever recorded was in January – 30 F (-34 C)
• The highest recorded temperature was in August – 109 F (43 C)
• Average high and low in Coeur d’Alene in January – 35 F (1.5 C) – 25.2 F (-4 C)
• Average high and low in Coeur d’Alene in August – 82.5 F (28.1 C) – 55.5 F (13.1 C)
• Annual precipitation – 27 Inches (69 Centimeters)
• Annual Snowfall – 42 inches (107 Centimeters)
• Here is a link to more climate information

Much of Northern Idaho is very similar to western Montana. As you go toward Washington state to the west, the elevation lowers and becomes less mountainous. The elevation of Coeur d’Alene is 2,188 feet (660 meters). By comparison, Spokane Washington is 1,843 feet (562 meters). That’s 34 miles west (55 Kilometers). Again, very similar to western Montana. I’ll just say it’s the Rocky Mountains and elevation declines toward the west. It’s just smaller mountains or large hills! By the way, the highest peak in Idaho is Mt. Borah in east-central Idaho near Montana at 12,662 feet (3,859 meters).

Native American tribes were the first recorded inhabitants of Idaho. Originally there were seven tribes in the area that is now Idaho. The tribes in the Panhandle include Kootenai, Kalispell and Salish, Coeur d’Alene, Palouse, and Nez Perce. While the Nez Perce cross the line between the Panhandle and the rest of Idaho, the Paiute and the Shoshone/Bannock are in the southern part of the state. Two of the tribes continue from Montana. The Kootenai, and the Kalispel and Salish, continue across the state boundary. Of course, state boundaries didn’t exist in past history!

Four Tribes in Idaho today

Today there are four tribes in Idaho, two of which are in the Panhandle. They are: 1. Coeur d’Alene Tribe – Plummer Idaho (Panhandle) 2. Kootenai Tribe of Idaho – Bonners Ferry Idaho (Panhandle) 3. Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho – Lapwai ID 4. Shoshone-Bannonck Tribe – Fort Hall ID

Pre-statehood

Northern Idaho history is very much like western Montana. Given the information above, differences will be covered here. Of course, Lewis and Clark also crossed Idaho. Fur trading also played a role in the early development. Due to the distance away from transportation to the eastern US and to Europe, fur trading didn’t develop as it did further east.

From the 1840s through the 1860s, many settlers traveled through here on the Oregon Trail and the California Gold Rush travel route but very few people settled in Idaho. However, missionaries, both Catholic and Protestant, entered Idaho as early as 1809. Cataldo Mission, the oldest standing building in Idaho was built in 1850-53. The building is in the town of Cataldo along I-90 east of Coeur d’Alene.)

Gold was discovered at Pierce in 1860 which led to the first of several gold rushes.

Governing units and statehood

Prior to 1853, much of Idaho was part of Oregon Country, the border of which was long disputed and finally settled in 1846 by treaty with the UK. The northern boundary of the US became the 49th parallel from the Pacific Ocean to the state of Minnesota. In 1853, US Congress assigned northern Idaho to the new Washington Territory and southern Idaho to Oregon Territory.

When Oregon was admitted as a state in 1859, southern Idaho became part of Washington Territory as well. In 1863 Idaho Territory was established including the areas that today include Montana and most of Wyoming. Montana and Wyoming had been part of Dakota Territory. The following year, Montana was removed from Idaho Territory. Following additional minor changes, Idaho became a state in 1890 with the boundaries established as they remain today. In 1868, Wyoming became a Territory as well, removing it from Idaho territory.

Parks to visit on Montana Idaho Road Trip

Montana has 55 state parks. Many of them are in the west. I’m highlighting a few in the Glacier National Park and Flathead Lake area. Lone Pine State Park features dramatic views of the Flathead Valley on overlooks and along its trails. Some activities here include hiking, mountain biking, nature viewing and photography, cross country skiing, and horseback riding. Here’s a link to the park website .

Flathead Lake Parks – Montana

West Shore State Park – Glacially carved rock outcrops rise from Flathead Lake to provide spectacular views of the Swan and Mission Mountains. Activities here include wildlife viewing, bird watching, camping, and water skiing. Here’s a link to the park website .

Wild Horse Island State Park is a landmark rich with history since the Salish-Kootenai Indians used the island to pasture horses. The island is one of the largest islands in the northwestern United States. The park is only accessible by boat and still has some wild horses from the days when the Indians kept horses there. Wildlife includes bighorn sheep, mule deer, songbirds, waterfowl, bald eagles and falcons. Here’s a link to the park website . Finley Point / Flathead Lake State Park is located on the southern end of Flathead Lake. Activities here include many family activities such as swimming, camping, picnicking, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, and RV Camping. Here’s a link to the park website .

Idaho’s Panhandle is home to three beautiful state parks. As stated below, Idaho has 21 state parks. I’ve highlighted three that are great examples of scenic Northern Idaho.

Heyburn State Park

Heyburn State Park is the oldest state park in the Pacific Northwest. Within the park, towering Ponderosa pine give way to flower-filled meadows and placid waters. The park contains serene cottages, cabins, and campsites. The park came into being in 1908. Many buildings owe their existence to the Civilian Conservation Corps who built them in the 1930s. Here’s a link to the park web site .

Farragut State Park

Farragut State Park is located on the southern tip of Lake Pend Oreille. The park began life as a US Navy training center during World War II. Now, it provides camping opportunities with over 200 individual campsites and 7 group campsites. Interestingly, the Museum at the Brig highlights this park. (A brig is a jail in Navy terms. It was used to house “unruly” seaman during training.) Beginning in 1945, German POW’s were housed here.

However, it’s now a state park with all the activities one would expect on a park located on a lake. There are over 40 miles of trail for hiking and biking. Farragut has five 18 hole disc golf courses. Picnicking sites are available in a Day Use area. Swimming in the lake on a beach that warms enough to swim in the summer. And there are over 20 miles of horse trails on the north side of the park. The south end of the park has a boat launch for Lake Pend Oreille, the largest lake in Idaho. (And based on my comments, you probably thought Coeur d’Alene Lake was the largest!) Here is a link to the park web site .

Round Lake State Park

Round Lake State Park is a smaller park. There are 16 serviced campsites and a total of 35. Some of the sites are RV-ready with trailers limited to 24 feet (7.3 meters). Activities include camping, picnicking, hiking, biking, swimming, fishing and wildlife, and wildflower viewing. Winter activities include snowshoeing, cross country skiing, ice fishing, and ice skating. By the way, those of you from warm climates need to know that “ice fishing” is not fishing for ice! Here is a link to the park web site .

More on Idaho State Parks

Idaho has 21 state parks (link here) . In addition to the state parks, there are National Forests, National Historic Parks and National Wildlife Refuges. Using the link above will give you information on all of them, plus let you narrow your search by area of the state. (Yellowstone National Park’s great expanse overlaps briefly into eastern Idaho, although most of the park is in Wyoming.)

• David Creek Trail – The trail is a “get away from it all” experience. It’s a great place to camp for a couple of nights in the East Pioneers Recommended Wilderness Area. Torrey Lake lies at the end of trail and is just shy of 9,000 feet (2740 meters) with Torrey Peak towering above it at over 11,000 feet (3350 meters). Excellent camping with great views and time to explore around the lake.
• Palisades Trail – This hike into the Stony Mountain Roadless Area provides great views of the “other side” of the Bitterroot Mountains (across the valley) from a more “typical” route. It’s a great hike for those who want less strenuous hiking. Not too long or steep but very scenic. Also, not too crowded.
• Nelson Lake Trail – This very rugged trail is just the thing for those wanting a good workout complemented by great scenery and more solitude than other hikes. Nelson Lake is particularly intriguing due to the immense rock slide that created a natural dam.
• Canyon Creek Trail – Challenging trail with great scenic rewards. Great views of streams, a lake, and a steep, rocky climb. This hike can be a day hike but also has suitable camping at Canyon Lake.
• Upper Miner Lake Trail – The trail is also suitable as a day hike. However, several camp sites at Miner Lake are well worth the time. The added bonus of great star-gazing on clear fall nights suggest a night of camping.

While Idaho has hiking trails (and Montana has biking trails), Idaho seems to be more focused on biking. That’s likely due to the lower elevations on the western edge of the Rockies.

• Independence Creek Tour – Difficult – 21.1 Miles (33.9 Kilometers) – Point to Point – 3,032 Feet (924 Meters) Ascent – Pinehurst – Link to details .
• Beauty Bay Loop – Intermediate/Difficult – 19.8 miles (31.9 Kilometers) – Loop – 3498 Feet (1066 Meters) Ascent – Coeur d’Alene – Link to details .
• Upper Caribou Loop – Intermediate – 12.4 miles (19.9 Kilometers) – Loop – 2,418 Feet (737 Meters) Ascent – Coeur d’Alene – Link to details .
• Bernard Peak Loop – Intermediate – 18.3 Miles (29.5 Kilometers) – Loop – 2,711 Feet (826 Meters) Ascent – Spirit Lake – Link to details .
• 4th of July Pass-Killarney – Easy/Intermediate – 12.8 Miles (20.6 Kilometers) – Loop – 1,680 Feet (512 Meters) Ascent – Coeur d’Alene – Link to details .
• Gravity Hill in Grangeville Idaho. At Gravity Hill; stop, put your car in neutral and watch your car roll uphill! Actually, it’s an optical illusion but your eyes will play tricks on you. Maybe not worth going miles out of your way to see.
• Oasis Bordello Museum in Wallace Idaho. It’s a brothel turned museum! It’s probably not a place for the kids but it was an operating brothel in the 1800’s. The museum does try to keep things tasteful and even throw in some humor (how could they not!) .
• The Bar stool Ski Races, Martin City Montana – The races are actually on bar stools equipped with skis. The races are part of the Cabin Fever Days festival in Martin City near the west gate to Glacier National Park.
• The Montana Vortex and House of Mystery, Columbia Falls – Also near the west gate to Glacier National Park. It’s a gravitational anomaly. Pass through the Portal, feel the energy of the vortex. A sign says “Management is not responsible for world view changes”.

Individual posts about the Montana Idaho Road Trip

Following the information provided above, here are additional posts about the Montana Idaho Road Trip. Each one focuses on a highlight of the trip. A picture from and a link to the posts follow. A very brief commentary on each post shows you a bit of an overview and links each part of the trip to other parts.

The first day of this trip included the drive to Coeur d’Alene and time spent around the lake. It’s really a beautiful lake. Much of this post is about the lake and the resorts and sights around the lake. Coeur d’Alene is also the fastest-growing city in Idaho. With the national parks, the mountains, and more well-known lakes, Coeur d’Alene is almost a “well-kept secret”. Click on the link in the caption above to get more information.

Above is a general store on the road to Harrison. Great place to stop to browse or have a snack. The drive is beautiful with great views of the private homes along the way. Harrison is a historic town with a few eating places, a museum, and a couple of bike rental shops. More information is provided above in the paragraph above on bike routes.

How about some information on the drive from Coeur d’Alene to Kalispell? The first part is a stop at the famous 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar. Following the stop, is a viewing of the mountains and Flathead Lake. Another highlight among highlights!

RV Camping Glacier National Park

There are 13 campgrounds in Glacier National Park. However, only seven of them are suitable (and allow for) RV camping . RV campers, especially with large rigs, will need to do considerable advance planning to find a campsite that works for them. Also, keep in mind that crossing the full length of Going to the Sun road has a size limit of 21 feet (6.4 meters).

Tent Camping in Glacier National Park

There are 13 campgrounds in Glacier National Park. Six of them are strictly for tent camping. Glacier Park campgrounds cater to tent camping as many of the 7 campgrounds that do allow RV’s have a limited number of them for RV campsites. For example, Rising Sun Campground has 83 campsites and only 10 will accommodate RVs . These 13 campgrounds have over 1000 campsites. In addition to these campgrounds, there are 65 backpack campsites along the trails. These small campgrounds have a total of 208 campsites. A permit is needed for all backpack sites. The cost in 2019 is/was $7 per person, per night. Here is a link to a website that gives full details. There is a Glacier National Park backpack map included on the website.

Due to the closing of the Going to the Sun road middle section, we spent the first day and a half on the west side. We enjoyed our time in the park and dinner in Kalispell. Making use of hotel reward points saved some money as well! (Hotel and airline reward points are also a subject for another post!) As the day ended, we were fired up about a visit to the east side of Glacier National Park. By the way, below is a Glacier National Park map. Still another part of the Montana Idaho Road Trip.

Our Montana Idaho Road Trip took us to the east side of Glacier National Park. I believe the eastern side is more scenic than the west side. Apparently, many agree with me as it is more crowded. There are more open vistas to seeing the beauty of the mountains, valleys, lakes, and streams. The elevation is higher, so be prepared for more effort resulting from “thinner” air. Elevations are near and far over 5,000 feet (1525 meters). The above photo shows Glacier National Park weather on the day we were there. This suddenly descended on us as we got to the Logan Pass parking lot. Please see the post, clicking on the above link.

Garnet Ghost town is 45 minutes outside of Missoula. A fascinating place to visit. The foundation that operates Garnet calls it “arrested decay”, meaning it’s not restored but the gradual decay has been stopped by keeping it in the same condition as when they took over. Garnet was not like many of the boom-towns “back in the day”. Many of the miners brought their families and settled down in the town. There are a couple of the old homes that have been restored on the inside and are for rent during certain times of the year. Another unexpected highlight of the Montana Idaho Road Trip.

This is the last stop on our Montana Idaho Road Trip. The post includes some sights around Missoula as well as some history and terrain. The University of Montana is located here. It’s also the second-largest city in Montana.

Our Montana Idaho Road Trip was a “fun” trip for us. Both of us wanted to visit Glacier National park and Coeur d’Alene in Idaho. Coeur d’Alene has some great resorts and, of course, Coeur d’Alene Lake. Western Montana is beautiful. Much different from the eastern part which is at lower elevations and much flatter. The Driveby Tourist has now visited 14 of the 61 US National Parks. Long ways to go! So, add it to your bucket list! Take the kids! Take the grandkids! Go by yourself! (As we said back in the 60s and 70s, “whatever turns you on”.)

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Classic Rock Recollection

“The Long and Winding Road: by The Beatles The long and winding road That leads to your door Will never disappear I’ve seen that road before It always leads me here Lead me to you door The wild and windy night That the rain washed away Has left a pool of tears Crying for the day Why leave me standing here? Let me know the way Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney (Not sure if it’s a match but we drove a lot of winding roads!)

#glaciernationalpark #Montanaroadtrip #Idahoroadtrip

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TRAVEL: Road Trip through Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, + Idaho

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June 5, 2017

As kids, my sisters and I grew up hearing the most wonderful stories about the cross-country road trip my parents took on their honeymoon in the ’80s. Every few years, we’d pile onto their bed and watch slideshows projected on the bedroom wall of the photos they took as they adventured through the country in the back of my dad’s old work van. It wasn’t the most extravagant honeymoon, but it was oh-so-them in every way. My mom always spoke of the awe she felt upon seeing the Badlands in South Dakota, and my dad always swore that Utah was by far the most beautiful state in all of the U.S.

Taking the same trip was something my sisters and I always dreamed about, but unfortunately never got around to as kids or teens. When my mom passed away in 2014, my dad shared a new dream of taking all of us on an adventure where we could create new memories. After tossing around a few ideas (Europe? An all-inclusive beach vacation?) we realized that a trip out west was the perfect way for us to bond and honor mom’s memory while getting to discover some of those incredible sites and experiences that my parents had on their honeymoon.

What started as a plan to visit Utah quickly grew into a wishlist of sites we each wanted to visit and experiences we all wanted to share. It can be hard to coordinate a family vacation now that we’re all older! But before long, we had booked an RV (we booked through Road Bear RV in Las Vegas – they were great!) and started charting our trip.

We flew into Las Vegas from Boston, spent a night on the strip, started our first morning with a brunch buffet at the Paris Casino (yum!), and we were off on our way. We picked up our RV  (a childhood dream come true!) and headed straight for Utah. 

Our first destination was Zion National Park which couldn’t have been more beautiful. We camped out at Zion River Resort and started the next day with a drive through the stunning National Park. We stopped on the side of the road a couple of times to take in the views, and even went for a short hike through some of the natural pathways. I still can’t get over how gorgeous the red rock was in person!

We had intended to stay awhile and hike some more, but ended up driving a bit too far and found ourselves in a tunnel leading out of the park. We decided to just go with it and vowed to try and come back before the end of our trip! One tip I have if you plan to rent an RV is to do some research ahead of time to make sure it’s allowed on certain paths/roads. Dirt roads are almost always a no-go (mostly for your own sanity, and for the sake of the RV dishes – RIP glasses!) and it can be really tricky to find a place to turn around.

A quick stop for lunch at Thunderbird Restaurant and to peruse through the gift shop, and then we were back on the road to Bryce Canyon.

I didn’t think it was possible, but I found Bryce to be even more beautiful than Zion. The views, the colors, the landscapes, and the wildlife were all jaw-droppingly stunning and I could have stopped and stared for hours. We drove up to the top of the road at Bryce and went for a short hike. There are a few different trails to choose from, but all are amazing. 

Our RV park for the night had the friendliest folks and the most beautiful sunset. Not to mention these gorgeous flowers as far as the eye could see. I can’t get over all of the colors!

A man we had met in Bryce recommended that we take Route 12 through Escalante on our way towards Arches National Park. The route wasn’t the quickest by any means, but the views around every corner made up for it. If you’re headed that way, I highly recommend taking Route 12! I truly didn’t know how anywhere we went would top Zion or Bryce, but I was pleasantly surprised the entire way. We stayed overnight at Shooting Star RV Park in Escalante after stopping for the most delicious pizza in town (and I think the only pizza in town?) at Escalante Outfitters . That night we had the most magnificent view of the stars, and again, I could have stared forever.

Per a recommendation, we had planned to hike Spooky Gulch and Peek-A-Boo Gulch in Grand Staircase-Escalante, but about 10 minute into the dirt road drive it took to get there, we realized the RV couldn’t handle it. By car, it’s about a 30 minute drive off the paved road, and seems totally worth it!

The next day had us back on the road, and we stopped at a pull-off where there were some other cars, and were pleasantly surprised to find one of the most beautiful hiking trails I’ve ever seen. It was the perfect spot for some of us to stretch our legs, read a book, or take a nap in the sun while my sister Julia and I went exploring. We kicked off our shoes, crossed a small stream, and took a sandy path flanked on both sides by red rock cliffs. The smell of sage was overwhelmingly lovely and we had so much fun exploring the natural rock formations. I don’t know that I’ve ever been somewhere so magical. We continued on through Capitol Reef National Park, and I probably sound like a broken record but the views were to die for. There’s no other way to put it!

We spent the night in Green River, Utah which boasted the most quintessential western-town main street, and the best neon signs of the trip.

Right around this part of the trip is when we realized we were going slower than we had planned (we just couldn’t keep ourselves from stopping to take in the views!) and we reached Colorado. We hugged the western border of Colorado by Utah, and went north to Dinosaur National Park. If you know me, you know I have a not-so-secret love of dinos, so I was especially excited. Unfortunately, after a long day of driving we got there just as they were closing and weren’t able to see the fossil exhibits. BUT we were still able to get a peek of the petroglyphs which left me in complete awe. It’s so hard to believe that these cave paintings are still visible, and it was so fun to think of the stories and history the artists wanted to convey as they painted. If you ever find yourself in the area, I highly recommend camping at their campground overnight. We didn’t because we still had a lot of ground to cover, but signs there boasted of incredible starry sky views since they have the least light pollution in the US. I’m already planning a trip back to check it out!

Our travels continued on into Wyoming, where we stopped for breakfast in Jackson Hole and explored the shops. Dad’s classic “Indiana Bob” hat that he’d had for 20+ years blew off while taking in the views at Bryce which was so sad, so my sisters and I all pitched in and got him an early Father’s Day present at the local hat shop. We spent a little too much time at a sweet little shop called Roam , and bought some fudge at the local candy shop before continuing on our way.

We traded in the earthy reds and sage greens of Utah for the icy cool blues of Wyoming as we approached the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park.

Between the colorful hot springs, the anticipation of seeing Old Faithful, encountering wild bison, and taking in the fresh air and unbelievable sights, we could have stayed in Yellowstone forever. We hiked, explored, and soaked it all in, and were even able to snag a last minute camping spot to stay overnight. I definitely recommend planning to stay at least a couple full days in Yellowstone if you visit. There’s so much to see and do!

Our drive out of Yellowstone took us through a little corner of Montana where we stretched our legs and explored the Main Street of West Yellowstone, MT. Of course, there was ice cream involved.

As our trip came closer to the end, we took in the views through Idaho, ranging from forest to mountains to open field, and during a quick stop to eat dinner on one of our last nights, Dad called us out of the RV. We all gathered around to see the smallest little turtle who had somehow made its way up a pretty steep hill from the river below. If you know my family or knew my mom, you likely know that turtles were “her thing”, so it was the most perfect feeling to know she was there with us. She really would have loved this trip!

After a short stop in Salt Lake City, we finished up our trip back in Southern Utah with a final stop in Zion so that Julia and Sarah could hike the Angel’s Landing trail (a bucket list item for sure!). After spending almost 10 days in an RV, we were ready to be back in the comforts (and let’s be honest, the privacy) of home, but I’ll always remember these beautiful places and incredible sights. How lucky are we to live in a country with so much beauty?! I can’t wait to go back!

Hi! I read this blog a few months ago and wanted to revisit it for a trip i’d like to plan. But none of the words are showing up…is it me? Is this how the end of net neutrality presents itself?!! Help 🙂

Thanks for following along – I hope my post can help with planning your trip. The text not showing up was a design glitch on my end, but I think I’ve fixed it now! Let me know if you have any trouble reading, or if you have any other questions. Happy planning!

Curious as to how long your trip was. Planning 5-7 days out west and can’t decide where to go!

The entire trip was 11 days, including travel days in and out of Las Vegas. I think we easily could have made it a full two weeks or more – it would have been nice to spend one more day in southern Utah, one day at Dinosaur National Park (we arrived right at closing and couldn’t appreciate it – it’s supposedly one of the places in the US that you can see the night stars the best!), and one more day in Yellowstone. But all in all my best tip is to pick your 3-5 top must-see’s and prioritize getting to and staying at those locations for as long as you need to! Have a wonderful trip!

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Western US Road Trip: A California to Montana Itinerary

Are you planning a Western US road trip? We did a 20+ days epic California to Montana road trip with our kids and I’m sharing with you our exact itinerary.

This road trip will bring you through Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Utah, with a quick stop through Nevada and Arizona. It will show you the marvelous landscapes of Western USA: Red rocks, natural hot springs, waterfalls, volcanos, waterfalls, and wildlife.

In this article, I’m giving you our day-by-day detailed California to Montana road trip itinerary to help you plan your trip. It’s filled with fun stops along the way.

Disclaimer: Just a heads up, this free article contains affiliate links . If you purchase after clicking one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost . Also, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Your support helps me continue to provide helpful and free content for you .

Overview map of Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana road trip

You’ll see that our route wasn’t optimal for this road trip. There are a few reasons for that, but mostly because:

• We had some commitments first in Idaho, so we had to start in Idaho . We then drove down to Utah and back up.
• We wanted to be flexible for this trip. We didn’t book campgrounds or hotels in advance , but that meant we had to change plans a few times.
• We had to be in Alberta, Canada, on a specific date, so we sadly had to skip some places and rush through some. This road trip could easily be done twice/triple the time.

If you’re planning this Western USA road trip from California to Montana, I recommend starting in Utah, then Idaho, Wyoming, and finishing in Montana .

💡 INSIDER TIPS to make the most of your Western US road trip 🚗 If you’re renting a car or campervan , most car and RV companies charge a one-way fee if the drop-off location differs from the pick-up location. Keep that in mind when planning your trip . 📱 Download a few apps to help you plan your road trip! The  GoWhee app  is perfect for finding fun, kid-friendly activities along the way.  AllTrails  is our app for looking at trail reports and seeing if the trail is kid-friendly. Harvest Hosts for lodging. Also, don’t forget to download GuideAlong  audio tours to learn about the areas you’re road-tripping to while driving.

Detailed itinerary for a Western US road trip from California to Montana

Day 1: sacramento to winnemucca sand dunes:.

🚗 The drive from Sacramento to Winnemucca is 285 miles (459 km).

We left Sacramento in the afternoon and slowly went to Winnemucca Sand Dunes following I-80. We stopped in Lovelock for the boys to play in the playground.

🏨 Sleep at: Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Winnemucca

👉 If it’s your first time in California, I recommend stopping in Lake Tahoe . It’s a beautiful lake and a great way to cool off on a warm summer day. You may also want to stop in Reno, NV. There is also the Lovelock Cave in Lovelock , which is worth a stop. They were sadly closed when we arrived. Also, for a California west coast road trip itinerary, check this 10-day itinerary along the Pacific Coast Highway .

Day 2: Winnemucca to Givens Hot Springs

🚗 The drive from Winnemucca to Givens Hot Springs is 219 miles (352 km)

We started our day at the Winnemucca Sand Dunes . This is the largest dune field in Nevada. The dunes do not reach more than 100 feet but span almost 40 miles. The kids had so much fun.

👉 On the way to Givens Hot Springs, you might want to stop at the Pillars of Rome . They are imposing formations of fossil-bearing clay that look like Roman ruins. The 100-foot-high rock formations measure about five miles long and two miles wide.

When we arrived at Givens Hot Springs , we relaxed at the campground. The kids played in the playground and swam in the hot springs.

📝 Note that the “hot springs” is an indoor pool heated by natural hot springs. It was great for the kids, but nothing special if you are not sleeping at the campground.

🏨 Sleep at Givens Hot Springs Campground

Day 3: Givens Hot Springs to Boise

From Givens Hot Springs, we were only an hour away from downtown Boise. In Boise, we started the day at Esther Simplot Park .

We walked around the park, did some paddleboarding on the lake, and the kids played in the playground. Then, we walked downtown, stopped at THE STIL for ice cream , and played at JUMP .

🏨 Sleep at KOA Meridian Campground

Day 4: Boise to Three Island Crossing State Park

🚗 The drive from Boise to Three Island Crossing State Park is 73 miles (117 km).

We started the morning at the Old Idaho Penitentiary . Plan at least 2 hours to visit. Then, we did the short Old Oregon Trail hike before going to Three Island Crossing State Park . It’s only about an hour from Boise.

There is a local winery, the Y Knot Winery , a few minutes before the state park. We stopped by, visited the winery, and grabbed a bottle of wine.

At the Three Island Crossing State Park is the Oregon Trail Interpretive Site to learn more about the Oregon Trail and the emigrants who traveled that trail.

We spent the end of the day enjoying the beautiful campground and park.

🏨 Stay at Three Island Crossing State Park Campground

Day 5: Three Island Crossing State Park to Twin Falls

🚗 The drive from Three Island Crossing State Park to Twin Falls is 60 miles (97 km)

On our way to Twin Falls , we stopped at the Malad Gorge Unit of the Thousand Springs State Park . There is a nice short trail to do, the Devil’s Washbowl Overlook.

We then stopped at Shoshone Falls Park to admire the falls. There is a nice park with picnic tables.

After the falls, we went to Dierkes Lake, where the kids played in the playground. There is also. A lovely small beach and swim area

🏨 Stay at TownePlace Suites Twin Falls

Day 6: Twin Falls

We started the day visiting downtown Twin Falls (and a good breakfast at Twin Beans). We then made our way to Centennial Waterfront . We stopped at Perrine Coulee Falls on the way down.

At Centennial Waterfront , we inflated the paddleboard and spent a few hours on the Snake River . We ended our day at First Federal Playground . Check out this detailed article for more information on things to do in Twin Falls .

👉 AWOL Adventure Sports is a great place to rent paddleboards and/or kayaks. In the summer, they have a booth at Centennial Park where we can rent paddleboards and kayaks directly. Otherwise, they have an office downtown in Twin Falls.

Day 7: Twin Falls to Buhl/ Hagerman

We started the morning at the Banbury Hot Springs . It’s a pool-style hot spring facility, but it was so much for the boys.

👉 Miracle Hot Springs is also a pool-style hot spring and close by. If time allows, you may want to add this to your list if you’d like while in the area.

Then, we visited the three units of the Thousand Springs State Park: Box Canyon, Niagara/Crystal Springs, and Ritter Island . They are all unique and beautiful. Worth exploring. We even paddled a little around Ritter Island (but be careful; the water current is strong).

We ended the day relaxing at the beautiful Billingsley Creek Lodge.

🏨 Stay at   Billingsley Creek Lodge

Day 8: Hagerman/Shoshone to Twin Falls

Today was all about volcanos and lava tube caves. We started our day at Idaho’s Mammoth Cave , where we walked in the lava cave. It’s a quarter-mile in and a quarter-mile out. The temperature in the cave is 41 degrees all year round.

Then, we drove to Shoshone Ice Cave . Sadly, we didn’t get to visit the ice cave due to an unexpected cave closure. But the owner told the time to talk to us and gave the boys each a gem kit so they could try gem panning. It ended up being a lot of fun.

We then slowly drove back near Twin Falls for our last night there.

🏨 Stay at KOA Twin Falls/Jerome Campground

Day 9: Twin Falls to Lava Hot Spring 

The drive from Twin Falls to Lava Hot Spring is 149 miles (240 km).

👉 We drove from Twin Falls to Lava Hot Spring without really stopping, but Lake Walcott State Park and Rupert would be two good stops.

In Lava Hot Springs, we spent a few hours soaking in the five different hot spring pools and then walked in the garden.

We ended our day with a wagon tour on the bison farm, where we were staying overnight with Harvest Hosts .

🏨 Sleep at : Diamond P Grassroots Bison (with Harvest Hosts membership )

Day 10: Lava Hot Springs to Salt Lake City

🚗 The drive from the bison farm to Salt Lake City is 144 miles (232 km).

Today, we are changing states as we head south from Southern Idaho to Utah. We made a quick stop at Crystal Hot Spring and arrived early in Salt Lake City.

👉 If time allows, you may want to do a detour to Antelope Island State Park to see the bison’s herd.

We first visited the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City and walked around Memory Grove Park . We then headed to downtown Salt Lake City and spent a few hours at the Clark Planetarium. The boys loved it.

We ended the day with an evening stroll at the City Creek Center . They have nice water fountains and outdoor stores and restaurants.

🏨 Stay at: Salt Lake Plaza Hotel

Day 11: Salt Lake City

We first drove to the Great Salt Lake State Park for our full day in Salt Lake City. It’s a short 25-minute drive outside the city. We spent a few hours there, having a picnic lunch. Note that there is a minimal parking fee.

We had much fun playing in the water and on the beach. The boys went on a brine shrimp hunt. They could easily have spent the entire day.

Back downtown, we did a guided tour of Temple Square to learn about the Mormons.

Day 12: Salt Lake City to Torrey

🚗 The drive from Salt Lake City to Torrey is 213 miles (343 km)

On our way to Torrey, we stopped at Hidden Falls , a super quick 0.3-mile (0-5 km) out-and-back hike just outside Salt Lake City.

When we arrived in Torrey, we headed straight to Capitol Reef National Park , one of the five national parks in Utah , where we did the following:

• A quick stop at the visitor center to grab the Ranger Program booklets
• Drive a section of the Capitol Reef Scenic Drive, a sixteen-mile round-trip stunning drive
• Hike the Sulphur Creek Waterfall Trail (1.8-mile round trip easy hike with a natural swimming pool hole

🏨 Stay at :  Wonderland RV Park Campground

👉 If you have extra time and energy, you may want to hike the Hickman Bridge Trail (a 1.8-mile round trip hike in full sun) and do some fruit picking in Frutas. Also, make sure to download the self-guided tour of Capitol Reef National Park offered by GuideAlong .

Day 13: Torrey to Bryce Canyon National Park

The drive from Torrey to Bryce Canyon National Park is 116 miles (287 km) and is STUNNING. We drove on the scenic Byway-12. There are so many things to see that we had to choose from. We ended up stopping at the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Calf Creek Recreation Area .

For a detailed Utah National Park road trip itinerary, check this 10-day itinerary through Utah’s Mighty 5.

We made many stops and took most of the day to drive the 116 miles between Torrey and Bryce Canyon.

Arriving near Bryce Canyon, we stopped at Mossy Cave, a 0.8-mile out-and-back trail leading to a waterfall, where we cooled off. We ended the day at Bryce Canyon City, a small town where we stayed overnight.

🏨 Stay at : Bryce View Lodge

👉 Make sure to download the self-guided tour of Bryce & Zion National Parks offered by GuideAlong .

Day 14: Bryce Canyon National Park

We woke up early and headed to the main section of Bryce Canyon National Park . We took the park shuttle from Bryce Canyon City to the furthest stop: Bryce Point .

We then returned to the visitor center, stopping at Inspiration Point, Sunset Point, Bryce Lodge, and Sunrise Point . Each stop offered breathtaking viewpoints and nice little hikes.

Day 15: Bryce Canyon National Park to Page

The drive from Bryce Canyon NP to Page is 151 miles (243 km)

A few minutes outside Bryce Canyon City, we stopped at Red Canyon and took pictures of the beautiful arch. We then did a playground stop in Kanab before arriving at our campground at Lake Powell in Glen Canyon National Recreational Area .

We spent the rest of the day in the water of Lake Powell, swimming, playing, and paddleboarding.

The lake was super low, so access to water was hard. We ended up neat at the marina boat launch. There is a small beach.

🏨 Stay at :   Page Lake Powell Campground

Day 16: Page (Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend)

We first drove into town from Lake Powell, stopping for a quick view of the Glen Canyon Dam. Then, we drove to Antelope Canyon X for our hiking tour in the Slot Canyon. It was amazing, and not crowded at all (I highly recommend it as an alternative to busy Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon) .

After the slot canyon, we went to Horseshoe Bend, where we had lunch and walked to the viewpoint, a short 0.75-mile walk (a really hot and sunny walk…bring LOTS of water).

We ended the day back at the marina beach to enjoy the water and cool off.

🏨 Stay at : Page Lake Powell Campground

Day 17: Page to Zion National Park

🚗 The drive from Page to Zion National Park is 104 miles (167 km)

From Page, we stopped at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes for a few hours. We played in the sand but didn’t do the sandboarding.

👉 If you have extra time, you may want to stop at Moqui Cave and /or at Best Friend Animal Sanctuary . Make sure to download the self-guided tour of Bryce & Zion National Parks offered by GuideAlong .

We then slowly crossed Zion National Park , admiring the view (it was raining a lot, so we sadly didn’t stop much). Arriving in Springdale, we enjoyed the campground facilities for the rest of the day once the rain stopped.

🏨 Stay at : Zion Canyon Campground

Day 18: Zion National Park

From our campground, we had to walk almost to the park entrance since all shuttles were full when they passed our stop. We then took the park shuttle to the Temple of Sinawava stop, where we walked the Riverside trail .

After, we hopped back on the shuttle to The Grotto stop, where we had a picnic and walked on the trail to Zion Lodge. The boys played in the grass area while enjoying an ice cream cone. We ended the day on the Lower Emerald Pool trail , a 1.4-mile out-and-back.

Day 19: Zion National Park to Park City

🚗 The drive from Zion National Park to Park City is 310 miles (499 km).

I think this is one of the longest driving days we did on the trip. But we stopped for a long and amazing time at Meadows Hot Springs , where we got to soak in 3 different natural hot spring pools. It was perfect and gave us the energy to drive the second half of the day.

When we arrived in Park City, we enjoyed the pool and hot tub at the hotel and got some delicious oven-baked pizza from the hotel restaurant.

🏨 Stay at :  Park City Peaks Hotel

Day 20: Park City to Bear Lake

🚗 The drive from Park City to Bear Lake is 119 miles (192 km)

We spent the morning walking around Park City and exploring this Olympic town before traveling from Utah to Idaho

But we did one last stop in Utah before Idaho at Rendez-Vous Beach around Bear Lake . Bear Lake is a lake at the border of Utah and Idaho, often called “The Caribbean of the Rockies.” We spent the rest of the day at the beach.

🏨 Stay at : Rendez Vous Beach – Bear Lake State Park

Day 21: Bear Lake to West Yellowstone

The drive from Bear Lake to West Yellowstone is 281 miles (452 km)

On that day, we drove from Utah to Idaho, then from Idaho to Montana.

We first stopped in Soda Spring , where we saw the Soda Spring captive geyser erupt. We also tasted some naturally carbonated water at the Soda Springs Historic Site .

Then, we drove a little more to Idaho Falls , where we walked in the Idaho Falls River Park and admired the falls.

We arrived late afternoon in West Yellowstone and enjoyed our campground.

🏨 Stay at : Yellowstone Park / West Gate KOA Holiday

👉🏻 If you’re looking for the best Things to do in Idaho with kids? Add this item to your list!

Day 22: West Yellowstone to Jackson Hole

🚗 The drive from West Yellowstone to Jackson Hole is 130 miles (209 km)

Today, we are exploring a section of Yellowstone National Park one of the best National Parks in the U.S . To help you plan your trip to Yellowstone, read this article , where you’ll find lots of tips.

• Fountain Paint Pot
• Grand Prismatic Spring
• Old Faithful 
• and a few other lookouts

We then stopped at Oxbow Bend for an outdoor dinner. We stayed there for a few hours to enjoy the sunset before heading to Jackson Hole , where you spent the night.

👉 Make sure to download the self-guided tour of Grand Teton National Parks offered by Gypsy Guide .

🏨 Stay at: The Hostel at Teton Village

Day 23: Jackson Hole / Grand Teton National Park

We drove across Grand Teton National Park . We did the loop in the clockwise direction. It was a recommendation from the visitor center. We have a better view of the Teton mountain range in that direction.

• Mormon Row Historic District (the famous barn)
• Cunningham Cabin trail
• Jackson Lake Dam

Day 24: Jackson Hole / Grand Teton National Park to Gardiner

🚗 The drive from Jackson Hole to Gardiner is 150 miles (241 km).

We woke up early to enjoy our second day in Yellowstone National Park. We did:

• Yellowstone Lake
• Fort Yellowstone
• Hayden Valley 
• Grand Canyon Of The Yellowstone
• Mammoth Hot Springs

We were really fortunate to have seen many bison (one of them crossing the river). Also, we went to Yellowstone National Park during elk rutting season, so we had quite a few at Mammoth Hot Springs.

We ended the evening at our campground.

🏨 Stay at Yellowstone RV Park in Gardiner

👉 Make sure to download the self-guided tour of Yellowstone National Parks offered by GuideAlong.

👉 Then, if you still have some time, you could continue this road trip to Montana up to Glacier National Park .

👉🏻  For families planning to camp in or around the park, make sure to  download some camping apps  such as  The Dyrt  to find all the camping options around.

How Far is Montana from California

If you’re planning a road trip to Montana from California, the total driving distance between California and Montana is 20 hours and 50 minutes (1,306 miles) to make the journey. Starting in California, you’ll drive north through Nevada and Idaho before reaching Montana.

Once you arrive in Montana, explore Montana’s incredible natural resources, forests, lakes, mountains, and more!

Final Thoughts

We had an amazing 25-day road trip from California to Montana. This road trip was way too quick, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.

We saw so many amazing landscapes, from red rock formations to geysers and natural hot springs. We saw so many wild animals. Each state of the western United States is unique and worth exploring.

We did a lot in only 25 days because we couldn’t decide where to cut 😉

I hope this itinerary will help you plan a memorable Western US Road Trip through Wyoming , Montana, Idaho, and Utah.

Related Articles

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like to read the following articles:

• Canada & USA Road Trips for Families: Our Best Itineraries
• 21 of the Best National Parks for Kids ? (USA Edition)
• 10 Day California Road Trip with Kids: San Diego to San Francisco

Emilie is the founder of Love Life Abroad. She helps moms plan epic road trips and outdoor adventures with their families. Because who said adventuring had to stop once we have kids? She's based in the Canadian Rockies and shares her love for the region as well as other unique places in Canada & USA. She works with tourism boards and outdoor brands to inspire families to experience new unique destinations and outdoor activities.

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A Rookie’s Road Trip Through Montana, Wyoming and Idaho

A car-averse traveler finds freedom in the driver’s seat, covering 700 miles and three states over three days.

Heading down U.S. Highway 20 West, from Idaho Falls to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Arco, Idaho. Credit... Janie Osborne for The New York Times

Supported by

By Stephanie Rosenbloom

• June 30, 2015

If you long to answer the call of the open road but lack experience behind the wheel, look no further than the rental lot at Billings Logan International Airport in Montana.

On this sleepy strip of pavement you can spend a leisurely half-hour trying to deactivate the electronic parking brake you unwittingly turned on; practice a few turns to help ensure you won’t deep-six anyone; and attempt to allay the rising trepidation of your fellow traveler. Then, perhaps you will do as I did: drive (the wrong way) into town for lunch at the Burger Dive, a 1950s-style diner with chrome-trim chairs, burgers with names like the “Outlaw” and tattooed employees who look as if they’d just stepped off the L train from Brooklyn.

Thus, with a side of onion rings, began my all-American road trip, the one most romantics take when they’re 22 and there’s “nowhere to go but everywhere” as Sal Paradise put it in Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road.”

I’ve had a driver’s license for years, but in New York City the miles I log are on foot. Besides, I had never understood people’s fascination with driving. A car, in my mind, was merely a means to move from here to there, a burden to its owner and the environment, and potentially a way to get hurt or do harm.

Yet the remote, roughhewn beauty of the West has beckoned since I was a teenager. Who can say why you finally decide to do a thing?

On a cool June morning, I slid into the driver’s seat. The plan was to travel from the peaks of the Beartooth Range in Montana, through Yellowstone in Wyoming, to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho, some 700 miles. In the rental lot I buckled myself into a white Subaru Legacy alongside my travel companion, Dan, an unflappable, natural teacher tasked with the job of keeping us alive. To that end, he would do most of the driving. I’d try my hand at it here and there, putting my cowboy boot to the pedal where the road was wide and empty, hoping to experience a flash of transcendence.

Heading for Yellowstone along Beartooth Pass, one of the trickiest, and most breathtaking, stretches of road in the country.

West Thumb Geyser Basin, a caldera formed by a volcanic explosion 174,000 years ago, is one of the many attractions at Yellowstone.

A rear-view mirror reflects the Teton Mountains in Jackson Hole, Wyo.

Bob Turnbull, at right, assists a customer at Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters in Billings, Mont.

The road out of Jackson Hole, Wyo.

The Best of the Bash hamburger at the Burger Dive, a ’50’s-style diner in Billings.

Farmland near Rexburg, Idaho.

At the Montana Candy Emporium in Red Lodge, Mont., the walls are covered with many things, including vintage advertising signs for beer and Pepsi-Cola.

In Jackson Hole, Wyo., outdoor seating at Persephone Bakery.

Heading down U.S. Highway 20 West, from Idaho Falls to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Arco, Idaho.

My first drive of the trip, into downtown Billings, lasted seven minutes — nine if you count my initially going in the opposite direction. I moved gingerly, never feeling entirely in control, though we skated past a sheriff’s car and arrived at the Dive unscathed. After lunch we considered touring the turn-of-the-century Moss Mansion, perhaps refining our aim at Three Sights Indoor Shooting Range. But at Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters — where cowboy boots come studded and stitched, made of reptile skins and ostrich leather — a salesman in a cowboy hat said, on hearing of our destination along Yellowstone Lake: “Some people take three days to get where you’re going.”

We planned to do it in an afternoon, driving about 200 miles from Billings through Beartooth Pass to Yellowstone, where we would spend the night at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Cabins, which has been around in one form or another since 1891. Cresting at nearly 11,000 feet amid the Beartooth Mountains, Beartooth Pass is among the most breathtaking and perilous stretches of road in the country. It can be shut down even in summer because of ice, falling rocks, mudslides, fires and avalanches. At the airport Hertz counter a woman had said that if we made it, we should get out of the car and write our names in snow on a mountainside, “because that’s what everybody does.”

Everybody willing to drive Beartooth Pass, that is. I was not. But I’d try and get us to a nearby town where Dan could take over.

“It’s a great time of day to go,” said the salesman at Lou Taubert as we set off. “Game come out in the evening.”

Driving west from Billings, a gray road rises like the hump of a whale and you momentarily can’t see where it leads. As I approached, I thought about an old nightmare I used to have. I’d be in the back seat of a car and the highway would morph into an unfinished roller coaster track and the car would begin to fall. “Just look at the truck in front of you,” Dan said. “Focus on the truck.” I looked hard at the taillights and white-knuckled it toward nothingness. As the rest of the road came into view, the dread burned off like the morning fog.

Billings was disappearing, its Ferris wheel shrinking in the rearview mirror. The Tractor & Equipment Company and the Walmart Supercenter off U.S. Route 212 gave way to grassy fields, muted in the afternoon light like a 19th-century Albert Bierstadt painting. A billboard asked: “Where are you going? Heaven or hell?” Dan talked of curves in the road, how to glide in slow, then accelerate inside the pocket.

Mile by mile, town by town, I eased my death-grip on the wheel. I felt the road unrolling beneath me, and something else, too — a flutter of exuberance, like the scene in “Peter Pan” when the Darling children are learning to fly, though in my musical I was singing, “I’m driving!”

Around 3:15 we pulled into Red Lodge: former coal boomtown, site of a bank robbery by the Sundance Kid, rest stop for Calamity Jane, and the last stretch of civilization before Beartooth Pass. “Hemingway drank here once,” said a blackboard on the sidewalk outside a bar, “at least we thought he did.”

Inside the nearby Montana Candy Emporium, the walls were covered with vintage advertising signs for beer and Pepsi-Cola, which the young man at the register said the owner has been collecting for 40 years — apparently along with a stuffed ostrich and a bison head. Below are baskets and trays of sweets befitting Willy Wonka’s factory: chicken and waffle taffy, huckleberry (a favorite local ingredient) jelly fruit slices, and moose pies (potato chips, toffee and milk chocolate).

With a quarter-pound of peanut butter chocolate fudge, we headed for the Pass. By the time I realized I was driving a steep road around the rim of a yawning canyon, I was too stunned — by the soaring mountains and the sheer absurdity that I was the one at the wheel — to voice alarm. Though I dared not look into the abyss. Eyes on the road, I pushed up, past evergreens and a waterfall that skidded down a mountain like a vein. During seven miles of switchbacks, one of us would, on occasion, burst into the refrain from “This Land Is Your Land,” or some other song generally reserved for campfires. No car radio. No iPhone. An untested driver needs no distraction. As it is, when I adjust my window I have a tendency to drift into the next lane. There is no next lane on Beartooth Pass.

There is, however, the occasional turnout, including one overlooking glaciers and Custer National Forest. I parked on a stretch of dirt and followed Dan to the edge of a cliff.

“Listen,” he said.

From below came the sound of rushing water. We stood in silence. The sky had drained of color. There were no other cars, no other people, though there was evidence of the latter. On the mountainside by the road, in a dirty patch of snow, were block letters: ALEX WAS HERE. I stuck my finger into a slightly less filthy spot and drew our initials. No sooner were we back in the car than a rock the size of a basketball tumbled to where I’d been writing. Time to move on.

Beartooth Pass, part of Beartooth Highway, is, to borrow a phrase from the author Joseph Campbell, a “road of trials.” Along with stirring panoramas come signs warning of falling rocks, icy roads and hairpin turns to be taken at 20 miles an hour. At 9,190 feet, I pulled into Rock Creek Vista Point. “This is bear country!” said a sign in a restroom stall. “Be alert, make noise, carry bear spray and know how to use it.” Bear spray? I was still getting accustomed to carrying a car key.

It had begun raining as I zigzagged down the wet mountain byway toward the words “Open Range. Expect Cows on the Road.” Why hadn’t I done this sort of drive before? It was kind of thrilling.

“You may want to slow down, Mario Andretti,” said Dan.

At 8:31 p.m. the sign we had been waiting for materialized: “Welcome to Yellowstone.”

Nearly there!, I thought. The rain had moved out. The sky was purple, the clouds were pink, and on either side of us were big, woolly bison, as if we had driven into another time.

It wasn’t long, however, before everything was dark. The muscles in my upper back had begun to burn. Dan leaned out his window and asked some hikers how much farther to Yellowstone Lake. I heard the words “hour and a half.” I was a bit deflated but certainly not quitting this late in the game. Dan cautioned that in sports, it’s often in the last game of the day that someone gets hurt because they are tired and lose concentration. I promised we wouldn’t be those players. “Please,” I said, though it was unnecessary. He understood: “This is your marathon.”

I grinned. “Let’s drive!”

“O.K.,” he replied, glancing at the gearshift. “But how about not in reverse?”

The rain returned. So did the hairpin turns, leading us past a burned forest where trees looked like matchsticks. Whenever a car approached I switched off the brights, though in the process I would inadvertently switch on the turn signal. If I tried to shut it off, I ended up signaling in the other direction. Thus we drove through the woods, the Subaru blinking dumbly in the dark. I didn’t know that I cut it a little close on a couple of cliffs. It wasn’t until later that Dan debriefed me: “You only almost killed us once.”

We arrived at Yellowstone Lake close to midnight, too late for a victory dinner. The hotel restaurants were closed. So we ate peanut butter chocolate fudge. And moose pie. And SunChips from a vending machine. I peered out the window of the room into blackness. “We have a view of the parking lot,” I said, and drew the curtains.

When I parted them in the wee hours of the morning, the moon was still out. And there, beneath the windowsill, was Yellowstone Lake. In the night I had mistaken its placid surface for a parking lot. Transformation from lot to 20-mile-long lake is the sort of thing that happens only in dreams. Yet something even more magical happened overnight: I was looking forward to getting back behind the wheel.

That morning driving felt less like an ambition and more, dare I say, like pleasure. Rather than penetrate the crowds at Old Faithful, I drove us to West Thumb Geyser Basin, a caldera formed by a volcanic explosion 174,000 years ago, according to the $1 trail guide. A billboard warned visitors to stay on the boardwalk: “More than a dozen people have been scalded to death and hundreds badly burned and scarred.” There were hot springs, miniature mud volcanoes (mudpots), geysers and microbial mats whose pigmented bacteria set the earth aglow in spectacular colors: turquoise, green, orange. Tourists posed in front of Fishing Cone where, in the early 1900s, fishermen came to “hook and cook”: catch a trout from Yellowstone Lake, then cook it while still on the line by dangling it over the geyser.

Though it’s quieter than the scene at Old Faithful, West Thumb was still too busy for us. We returned to the road. It was a crisp morning. The windows were down and the seat heaters were up and, without any fanfare, Dan reached forward and switched on the radio. I had proven myself worthy of Kenny Rogers.

“The Gambler” took us toward Grand Teton National Park. I sang and Dan motioned for me to pull over every once in a while, like at Snake River Overlook on Route 191, where the photographer Ansel Adams used to capture the landscape. I was beginning to feel in control.

“Beautiful,” Dan said every now and then when I cut a smooth curve.

That night I had booked the cheapest room at the Four Seasons Resort and Residences in Jackson Hole, figuring we would be in need of a luxurious retreat to unwind after two days of high-altitude driving.

On the contrary, we were invigorated. And by the next morning the weather couldn’t have been better. We sat outside on the wood deck at Persephone Bakery in downtown Jackson nibbling croissants and scones made with currants and ginger, black pepper and Cheddar, watching people come and go around Jackson Town Square. The Square is the heart of a grid of quaint streets with boutiques selling whatever it is one might need on a deluxe Western holiday: Pendleton wool blankets, Swarovski crystal, cowboy hats. We were staying in Teton Village, but had it been open, we would have tried the new Hotel Jackson downtown, now up and running with 58 rooms, all of which have fireplaces.

I wanted to linger, but we were hours from Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, a more than 600-square-mile dormant lava field formed between 15,000 and 2,000 years ago.

To get there we crawled through proverbial one-horse towns like Tetonia, Idaho, population 269 according to the sign. Between them, we flew. By then I knew I was going to try to finish the road trip without ever taking the passenger seat.

U.S. Highway 20 West shoots straight through waves of green fields. Sightlines stretch to the horizon. There are Belted Galloway cattle, named for the thick white stripes across their middles; signs that say “Historical Site,” encouraging drivers to stop and check out a cave or a trail; and irrigation apparatus that Dan likened to giant mechanical centipedes.

The sky was storybook blue and I was going 70, my highest speed so far. Through the windows came the sound of the wind and the smell of cut grass, and sometimes of skunk. Dan called it ambience. I was pushing 75 when he began fiddling with my iPhone. The opening bars of The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” blasted through the speakers and out into the plains.

We seemed to be living the moment in Robert Penn Warren’s novel “All the King’s Men” when the narrator says: “I was headed out down a long bone-white road, straight as a string and smooth as glass and glittering and wavering in the heat and humming under the tires like a plucked nerve.”

What felt so good? The speed, the sun, the wind, the fantasy of never looking back? Perhaps it’s just freeing to sing along with Guns N’ Roses while tearing through eastern Idaho.

Outside Arco, which bills itself as the first city in the world to be lit by atomic power, a billboard says NUCLEAR REACTORS. This is the birthplace of the nuclear Navy, the Idaho National Laboratory, where since 1949 more nuclear reactors have been built than anywhere else. Beside the billboard are tidy bathrooms.

You’ll know you’re nearing Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve when you see the scorched earth. The black mounds are cinder cones, part of a 52-mile chain of fissures. Pull over just before the entrance to the preserve and in the height of wildflower season you’ll find big sagebrush and shocking pink monkey flower defiantly blooming up out of the black rock.

In the 1920s a geologist described this area as “the surface of the moon as seen through a telescope.” By the 1960s, NASA astronauts were studying volcanic geology here to prepare for moon missions. Given its charred landscape, the preserve can feel stark after a while, though climbing the Inferno Cone is a must for the panoramic views.

Before leaving we asked the women at the visitors’ center where to find the falls that give Idaho Falls its name. They laughed.

“There are none.”

About an hour and a half later I unlocked the door to a room at the Hilton Garden Inn Idaho Falls and there, off the balcony, were the falls. So they’re man-made. So what. They exist. They flow onto a dam on the Snake River.

That evening the sky burned neon pink over the Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Families of geese waddled around a five-mile greenbelt on the banks of the river shared with skateboarders, bicyclists and, ah, pedestrians. From the balcony we watched the day extinguish, the last families pushing their strollers toward home.

The next morning, it was our turn to go home. The odometer was just shy of 700 miles. I drove them all. Not for a second had I thought I could do it and, frankly, it would have been impossible without the right person riding shotgun. It was about 80 degrees when I parked the car at Idaho Falls Regional Airport.

Somewhere in the mountains on U.S. Route 212, my initials were melting. The grille of the once-gleaming Subaru was peppered with bug carcasses. I twirled the key ring around my forefinger, clicked the lock button one last time and walked toward the terminal, slightly wistful, my left arm sunburned from holding the wheel.

Billings Logan International Airport, 1901 Terminal Circle, Billings; flybillings.com .

The Burger Dive, 114 North 27th Street, Billings; 406-281-8291; theburgerdive.com . Price of a meal for two, about $30.

Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters, 123 North Broadway, Billings; 406-245-2248; loutaubert.com .

Montana Candy Emporium, 7 South Broadway Avenue, Red Lodge; 406-446-1119.

The Beartooth Highway (including Rock Creek Vista Point), Yellowstone National Park; wyomingtourism.org .

Yellowstone National Park, Northeast Entrance; 307-344-7381.

Lake Yellowstone Hotel & Cabins; GPS coordinates to Lake Yellowstone Hotel Check-In: N 44 33.005 W 110 24.084; reservations: 866-439-7375; yellowstonenationalparklodges.com . Summer nightly rates in the hotel (as opposed to the lodge or cabins) from $363.

West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park; nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/westthumbgrantvillage.htm .

Snake River Overlook, Highway 89.

Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole, 7680 Granite Loop Road, Teton Village; 307-732-5000; fourseasons.com/jacksonhole . Summer nightly rates from $379.

Persephone Bakery, 145 East Broadway, Jackson; 307-200-6708; persephonebakery.com . Price of breakfast for two, about $19.

Jackson Town Square, Jackson.

Hotel Jackson, 120 North Glenwood, Jackson; 307-733-2200; hoteljackson.com . Summer nightly rates from about $450.

Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve, 18 miles southwest of Arco, Idaho, on Highway 20/26/93; nps.gov/crmo/index.htm .

Hilton Garden Inn Idaho Falls, 700 Lindsay Boulevard, 208-522-9500; hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com. Summer nightly rates from $102.

Idaho Falls Greenbelt, idahofallsidaho.gov/city/city-departments/parks-recreation/parks-reservations/parks-main/greenbelt.html .

Stephanie Rosenbloom writes the Getaway column for the Travel section.

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How to do the great American road trip: Idaho and Utah

In this exclusive series, simon veness and susan veness share diaries of their travels by rv as they take on the ultimate us adventure. in part five, they venture southwest to explore the geological marvels of idaho and the off-the-charts staggering mountain vistas of utah, article bookmarked.

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N othing prepared us for the mountain vistas of Utah ; not Yellowstone, not Glacier National Park, nor any of the magnificent scenic areas we had visited on the first four months of our grand US RV tour.

Utah took the sum of all that we had witnessed on the initial 4,635 miles from Florida to America’s Great West and turned it into an elegant equation of ultimate grandeur, a mountainous melting pot for the ages.

Our usual WPMs (Wows per Minute) were replaced by OMGs as we encountered a spectacular mix of 12 national parks and monuments that simply demanded we recalibrate our vocabulary and turn it all the way up to 11.

• Read part one of Diaries from the Road here
• Read part two of Diaries from the Road here
• Read part three of Diaries from the Road here
• Read part four of Diaries from the Road here

We’d had a pretty good tune-up, mind you. After leaving the wilds of beautiful, immense Wyoming behind, we had reached southern Idaho – via motorways I-80 and I-84 – and two unique geological marvels that immediately set our pulses racing as they filled our windscreen, twin exemplars of what was to come.

City of Rocks National Reserve presented an outlandish terrain of granite monoliths several hundred feet high and spread across 22 square miles, a rocky labyrinth of bewildering proportions but ideal for rock climbers and hikers alike. For once, our luck with the weather went awry, though – a sudden, huge thunderstorm sent us scrambling for cover.

Happily, we discovered the pizza perfection of Rock City Mercantile in the adjacent town of Almo, and devoured a magnificent 12-inch pizza, washed down by two excellent craft ales from the local Highlander Beer brewery, as we sat in our car and let the lightning rage around us.

Read more on USA travel :

• How to do the great American road trip: Florida to Minnesota
• Nine best USA holidays for the ultimate American experiences
• USA travel guide: Everything you need to know before you go

The next day took us to another planet. Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve burst out of the ground like the lunar landscape that inspired its name. Here, amid 15,000-year-old cinder cones, lava tubes and volcanic discharge, we goggled at the dark, alien shapes that proliferated across the 53-mile Great Rift, a lurking subterranean fissure that remains dormant but not extinct.

The tumultuous Snake River, a historic waterway that has sliced a startling 80-mile canyon through the basaltic substrate, also cut right across our route. The city of Twin Falls, where Evel Knievel famously failed to leap its 1,600ft width in 1974, straddles the canyon at one point.

Here, amid 15,000-year-old cinder cones, lava tubes and volcanic discharge, we goggled at the dark, alien shapes that proliferated across the 53-mile Great Rift

Today, Twin Falls offers the massive Perrine Bridge , with its steel span 485ft above the river. It’s loved by base-jumpers as a place to test their parachuting mettle by attempting to hit a prepared target on the south bank rather than the oily green waters of the river itself. For several hours we watched, amazed, as jumpers leapt off a minuscule platform halfway across the bridge and pulled their ripcords just in time to land gracefully on terra firma. We were even more impressed that many then opted to mountaineer their way back up the canyon, with ’chutes carefully packed, ready for another jump.

From Idaho, we headed down I-15 to Utah. Knowing the state’s mountain profile, we were wary of journeying too far off the highway in our RV, Indefatigable (or Fati for short), with the Rockies forming a major challenge for heavyweight traffic down the spine of the state.

Instead, we identified three bases from which we could explore further in our car, Nippy . The first of these was Layton, just north of Salt Lake City. With access to the Great Salt Lake, the birding Mecca of Antelope Island State Park and great hiking into the Rockies, Valley View RV Resort provided the perfect launch point.

Here, we enjoyed pickleball, swimming in the resort pool, and dining from visiting food trucks, while also learning the bizarre history of Antelope Island, where prehistoric peoples first appeared 6,000 years ago before it became a Mormon ranch and then a bison-hunting preserve. The bison still roam, but the only hunting is done by photographers keen to snap the 250 species of bird that make their homes by the thousand, including ring-necked pheasants, burrowing owls, California quails and peregrine falcons.

A 19th-century counterpoint was provided by Golden Spike National Historic Park , an unexpected outdoor homage to the pivotal moment in US history when the country was united by the first transcontinental railroad in 1869. The story is beautifully presented and celebrated daily with a reconstruction of that momentous occasion, complete with reconditioned steam trains.

Thick ponderosa pine forest guarded the entrance, and then, Bam! Blockbuster view after blockbuster view filled our sights in a non-stop cavalcade of canyon-esque wonders

Our second stop along I-15 was a golf course, and an exceedingly smart one, too. With a section of redundant car park reconfigured with 37 RV sites, Gladstan Golf Course in Payson opened the way to Utah’s hinterland via US Highway 6, a key route through the Rockies.

We had long decided this was a mountain road too far for Fati , but we were confident in Nippy and set our sights on the desert town of Green River for a three-day stopover that would put us on the doorstep of four national and state parks.

The charming River Terrace Inn provided a boutique bolthole at the end of each day as we chalked up 739 miles of epic exploring, starting with the astounding Goblin Valley State Park – a kaleidoscopic collection of hoodoos, or eroded rock spires – and finishing with the magnificent Arches National Park , a stupendous realm of weather-sculpted sandstone that defied the imagination. It felt more like a landscape created by Gaudi, Da Vinci or Van Gogh rather than Mother Nature.

In between, we toured Canyonlands National Park, with its stunning plateau views that appeared to stretch to the horizon, and the more modest but still compelling Potash Road , rife with 1,000-year-old petroglyphs, prehistoric dinosaur tracks, and awesome windows into the seemingly endless canyons. For hiking, Little Wild Horse Canyon provided close-ups of the more human-scale slot-canyon formations.

Heading back to Payson along Highway 6 via Soldier Summit – the 7,493ft-high pass through the Rockies – the return journey seemed even more dramatic as the landscape transitioned from the stark high desert of the Colorado Plateau to the river canyon of Castle Gate, then the red sandstone cliffs of the towering Wasatch Mountains, complete with pine and cottonwood forests.

After reuniting with Fati we headed south to Cedar City, hoping for more national park splendour. We weren’t disappointed.

From Cedar City RV Resort , we were able to cruise along Highway 12, designated an All-American Road, which started with the impressive cliffs of the Red Canyon and blossomed into the steepling immensity of Bryce Canyon National Park , where every turn revealed a majestic new vista. Thick ponderosa pine forest guarded the entrance, and then, Bam! Blockbuster view after blockbuster view filled our sights in a non-stop cavalcade of canyon-esque wonders.

At the 9,115ft finale of Rainbow Point, we simply stood staring in awe at this multicoloured colossus, a panorama of staggering dimensions that tailed off into the far distance, testament to a “wind, water and time” scenario that defied any human scale.

Equally captivating was Cedar Breaks National Monument , which took us over 10,000ft and delivered its own symphony of weathered wonders, while Parowan Gap took the opposite tack and laced its river-hewn cliffs with mysterious petroglyphs, mute signs of the art and symbolism of the Fremont peoples, who date back almost 5,000 years.

Like Yellowstone and Wyoming, Utah captured our hearts in ways both expected and unforeseen – with inspiring scenery, pristine wilderness and age-old wildlife, but also with cute towns and a level of genuine friendliness that seemed to stem from its Mormon foundations.

There were also the freight trains. Very long freight trains. We measured one at more than a mile as it chugged stoically through the emptiness of the Great Basin, part of the high desert plain that shape-shifted in subtle ways as we headed south through a beguiling mix of quixotic terrains.

After the relaxed affability of Utah, we wondered how the gambling mindset of Sin City would compare...

Next stops: Nevada and Southern California ...

How to do it

• Learn the measurements of your RV by heart, especially the height and width, to avoid low bridges and narrow lanes. Our Winnebago Sightseer is 36ft long, 12.5ft high and 8.5ft wide.
• Use a specialist RV GPS for mapping journeys, not the one on your phone (which might direct you on a route unsuitable for long or high vehicles). We have the Garmin 890.

RV fact file

• El Monte RV Rentals has a rental base in Salt Lake City, Utah , which is ideal for touring this part of the world.
• When things go wrong, consult myrvresource.com .

Read more on the best USA hotel reviews

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Prepared By:

Tobey schmidt.

Adventurer & Photographer

Utah to Yellowstone & Grand Teton Itinerary

Start / End

Salt Lake City, Utah

States Covered

Total distance.

940 (1,500 KM)

Suggested Days

At least 8 – 14days

Suggested Seasons

Summer, Fall, Late Spring

#ThisIsMyRoute

The great thing about this national parks road trip is that it’s accessible and adjustable for all kinds of groups including first-timers to the US, families with children and grandparents, honeymooners, photographers, campers, van-lifers, and more. Our route has you flying in and out of Salt Lake International Airport. Rather than hitting the road right away, we recommend spending your first few days exploring Salt Lake City. Most people will be flying in from a lower elevation than SLC, and driving into Wyoming will take you even higher, so acclimating your body first will prevent sickness, which no one wants on road trips!

Preparation

This route is intended for a summer, fall or late spring season road trip. While most of the destinations on our itinerary are very popular winter ski destinations (Park City, Utah hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics), the roads between these places are not always open and can be dangerous with snow cover. It’d be best if you have about 10 to 12 days for this trip, but it can be done in eight days if you don’t mind driving a bit every day.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

Save the skiing for winter, but don’t miss   visiting Temple Square , whether you’re religious or not. It’s a 35-acre area in the heart of downtown with plenty of historical buildings, food, sights to see and activities. Right beside Temple Square, you can   visit City Creek Center , Salt Lake’s unique shopping center.

Best family activity:

Visit the natural history museum of utah, best place to take the kids:, ogden adventure park, must-do hike to see the wildflowers:, hike in albion basin, most popular mountain biking trail:, wasatch crest trail, cache valley, 1.25 hours – 81 miles/130 km.

About 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of SLC you’ll head into   Cache Valley , which is home to the metropolitan area of Logan, Utah.

We recommend spending a day and night here, as there’s a lot to   see and do .

Probably the most epically scenic drive is through   Logan Canyon —September and October are perfect months to see the fall leaves changing colors.

About an hour outside of Logan, and on your way, we recommend stopping to explore   Bear Lake —often called the “Caribbean of the Rockies” because of its turquoise water and sandy beaches.

Best activity at Bear Lake:

Jet skiing or water trampolines, best spot for history:,  american west heritage center, what to do in the evening:, go see a show, wind caves in logan canyon, star valley, 2.25 hours – 119 miles/191 km.

On your way up through Idaho and into Wyoming, you’ll be passing through some authentically western, undiscovered small towns that are all worthy of a visit. The first is Montepelier, Idaho, which is just 35 minutes from Bear Lake. For a classic American breakfast and your “cup of joe”, we suggest starting your driving day off at   Ranch Hand Trail Stop   in Montepelier. Biscuits and gravy for $3? Count me in. Next you’ll head into Wyoming and drive through Afton, Thayne and Alpine. We suggest spending a night in Alpine before heading into the busyness of Jackson and the national parks.

Best place to stay in Alpine, WY: 

Flying saddle resort, must-do hike in afton, wy: , intermittent spring, best place for sweets in afton, wy:, star valley chocolates, most western activity in thayne, wy:, visit & tour haderlie farms, grand teton national park, 1.75 hours – 84 miles/135 km.

We said this was a national parks road trip, right? Well, park #1: The famous, jagged mountain peaks of the Grand Tetons are one of the reasons the park attracts so many visitors, putting it on the list for the top ten most visited national parks. We recommend that you first do a  scenic drive  through the park to take in the views and get acquainted with the area. 

Fishing and hiking are among the best activities here. If you want something more casual, wildlife viewing is a good option as animals are ubiquitous in the park, such as black bears, bison, moose, elk and more—just do not approach them. Ever!

Most scenic drive:

Jenny lake scenic drive, best place to view wildlife:, most adventurous activity:, canoe to your campsite at leigh lake, best place to stay:, the cabins at togwotee mountain lodge, yellowstone national park, 2 hours – 73 miles/173 km.

Watching  Old Faithful Geyser erupt  in Yellowstone National Park? Time to check that one off your bucket list! Old Faithful erupts about 17 times a day and it’s one of six geysers that park rangers  currently predict , out of nearly 500 geysers in the park. You’ve come all this way, so stay a few days. 

Yellowstone covers a lot of acreage, so it’s best to  spend a night  or two in the park. Other than sight-seeing, we recommend going horseback riding—you are in cowboy country after all.

Out-of-the-ordinary activity:

Soak in natural hot springs, a must-do in cowboy country:, go horseback riding, activity for the whole family: , drive the grand loop, best fishing hole:, firehole river, pinedale, wyoming, 3.25 hours – 160 miles/257 km.

It’s time to head down to one of those small, undiscovered Wyoming’s towns we told you about. In Sublette County, bordered by three incredible mountain ranges, you’ll find the town of  Pinedale , which the locals call “the real Wyoming.” 

With a population of under 2,000 people it’ll be a nice change of pace from the traffic in the parks. Pinedale really does have it all: incredible mountain views from town, glacially-fed lakes, great fishing in the rivers, and an awesome brewery. What more do you need?

Best place to get a drink:

Wind river brewing company, best spot for photos:, photographer’s point, most popular destination:, cirque of the towers  (backpacking trip), casual activity in town:, disk golfing, flaming gorge, 2.5 hours – 163 miles/262 km.

You’ll be heading back toward the desert, but the trip is not over yet. On the border of Wyoming and Utah is  Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area , a 91-mile long reservoir with stunning desert-red cliffs towering above. 

Between boating and water sports, hiking, and rafting, Flaming Gorge Country is stacked with  fun things to do .

Best hike for the whole family:

Moonshine arch, most laid-back activity on the water:, boat camping on the reservoir, best place for photographs:,   goosenecks state park, well-known rafting outfitters:, oars rafting guides, best activity for all ages:, edge of the cedars state park, most classic spot to grab a bite to eat:, shake shack in monticello, 1.25 hours – 52 miles/84 km.

Not far from Flaming Gorge Country is Vernal, Utah, the gateway to Dinosaur National Monument. Vernal is known as one of the best places in America to see fossils, and you can’t leave the western US without looking at fossils and petroglyphs! 

There are tons of other  things to do in Vernal , in addition to visiting  Dinosaur National Monument .

Best family hike:

Desert voices trail, best spot to bike:, yampa bench road, for a day inside:, utah field house of natural history state park museum, best spot for a picnic:, steinaker state park, park city, utah, 3 hours – 161 miles/259 km.

Like we said, Park City held the 2002 Winter Olympics, so they’re kind of a big deal. To this day, the  Utah Olympic Park  is used as a training facility, and they allow visitors to  join the fun  as well. So, if you’ve never ridden a bobsled at 70mph (112kph) or been extreme tubing at speeds of 50mph (80kph) then Park City is the place for you! 

When it’s not snowing, Park City is a great place for mountain biking, ziplining, golfing, hot air ballooning, and more.

Must-do year-round activity:

Bobsled at utah olympic park, don’t want to miss:, flying ace all-stars freestyle show, most unique adventure: , hot air ballooning, activity everyone will enjoy:, food tours park city.

Salt Lake City is just a 45-minute drive from Park City. Take some time in SLC to unwind after a packed trip, or catch your flight home and start planning when you’ll return for your winter ski trip! Cheers!        

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Winter Road Trip Through the Western US

Last Updated on May 1, 2024 by Grant

When most people plan a winter road trip they head south. And for good reason… winter weather can stop a road trip anytime. If you’re prepared and ready for the unexpected, though, a winter road trip can be just as successful as a summer road trip.

Of all of our trips, this trip remains the most unique. While we were on a vacation and we were having a good time, this trip served a completely different purpose. In short, it was a test for us.

Over the years, we’ve talked about moving west a lot. There’s just something about the wide open spaces, lack of traffic and natural beauty that we are drawn to. After having a heart attack in the summer of 2015 , it was time to seriously consider a change. We figured that we should visit some western cities in the winter to see if we could really handle the weather.

We visited several small to medium-sized cities in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Colorado – some of our favorite states! Seriously, we’re ok with the biggest traffic jams being those caused by wildlife.

In addition to being a test to see just how well we handle the REALLY COLD temperatures, it was an opportunity to scope out a few cities. We returned to a few places we’d been before ( Cody, WY and Bozeman, MT) and checked out a lot of new places, too.

Check out our tips on Preparing for a Winter Road Trip .

(Disclaimer: When we link to places where you can buy our stuff or places we stayed, we are using special codes that earn us commissions on the sales at no additional cost to you. Please see our  Review Policy   for more information.)

Our Route West

When we head West, especially in the winter, we often travel across I-40 for much of the drive out then turn north. We do this for several reasons: 

• We prefer crossing the Mississippi River in Memphis , which is a great town in its own right, as opposed to St. Louis. The traffic getting across the river is much lighter and easier to deal with.
• We avoid the serious blowing snow and high winds of the Plains.
• There are two Hampton Inns along the way which charge very little in terms of Hilton Honors points, making them very cheap places to stop. We often stay in the Hampton Inns in Clarksville , AR and Dumas, TX , both of which are category 2 hotels and charge the point equivalent of $50 per night. (Dumas has since changed categories but nearby Pampa, TX remains a good stop.)

Book the Hotel | Read TripAdvisor Reviews

From the Texas Panhandle, we cut northwest across New Mexico to Interstate 25 for the drive north along the Front Range of Colorado. There’s plenty of cool stuff to see along this drive (like Capulin Volcano National Monument, Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site or Garden of the Gods ) but, this time, we kept trekking to make Cheyenne by nightfall.

One thing that is weird to deal with is how quickly the sun goes down in the winter further north. We aren’t used to it being dark by around 4:30 in the afternoon! 

The temps certainly dropped as we headed north and were well below freezing by the time we reached our hotel in southern Wyoming.

Winter Road Trip Itinerary

We spent a total of 15 nights on the road, traveling from Atlanta out to Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah and Colorado. Yes, we did a lot of driving! We also saw a lot of great cities, several national park sites and even got to visit family along the way. Thankfully, we only ran into a little winter weather.

Where we stayed on our winter road trip:

• Clarksville, AR
• Laramie, WY (2 nights)
• Cody, WY (2 nights)
• Bozeman, MT
• Missoula, MT
• Salt Lake City, UT
• Pagosa Springs CO (2 nights)
• Woodstock, GA

Cheyenne and Laramie

Our first true “destination” was Laramie, WY. We spent a night and a day exploring Cheyenne and Laramie, walking the town and looking at the neighborhoods.

Both towns were neat, but quite a bit smaller than what we are used to. We live in a small suburb of Atlanta of about 24,000 folks. While the town is great, the greater metro Atlanta population is more than 5 million and living in a large metro area definitely wears on us.

Cheyenne only has about 60,000 folks and Laramie is half that. Indeed, there are fewer folks living in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming combined than in the greater Atlanta area.

We really enjoyed both cities. Cheyenne certainly feels larger than Laramie and had a lot more in the way of stuff to do but Laramie is home to the University of Wyoming which brings a lot in the way of culture, etc. to the town. 

The nice thing about both towns is there were smaller, older homes that were affordable for folks like us and it is not that far a drive to Denver for the airport there. 

We did run into some snow on the drive back to our hotel in Laramie ( the Hilton Garden Inn ) so Bonnie got some experience driving in snow.

Cody and Powell

Driving across Wyoming in the winter was a lot of fun. The state takes on a completely different character in the snow. Even areas which aren’t all that scenic, like the Great Divide Basin, become pretty in the snow. 

We have been to Cody before and love the town. It is one of our favorite places out West. We are particular fans of the rodeo in the summer and it is located right outside Yellowstone National Park.

We got in early enough to spend some time walking around the streets of the town. Surprisingly, most of the bars and restaurants were open. Cody is a summer tourist town so we expected most everything to be closed for the season. 

We decided to stay in the historic Irma Hotel , which was originally built and owned by Buffalo Bill Cody, founder of the town. It was comfy but nothing to get excited about. 

Read TripAdvisor reviews and book the hotel.

We spent Christmas Eve day driving out to Powell (an even smaller town east of Cody) and exploring the neighborhoods of Cody. Both towns were homey and we could easily see living in either town. There is a small university in Powell and it’s about halfway between the Bighorn Range and Yellowstone National Park, so there would be a lot to do, outdoor recreation-wise.

We decided to spend the afternoon driving out to Wapiti and into the Shoshone National Forest, i.e. the road into Yellowstone NP. The entrance to the park is closed in the winter but the drive proved to be quite scenic with plenty of wildlife, including bighorn sheep!

After gassing up the truck and making sure we had something for breakfast for Christmas morning, we grabbed dinner, then headed back to the room to watch Love, Actually , my favorite Christmas movie. 

Pro tip: when traveling on Christmas Day in rural areas, finding open things for food and gas is sometimes difficult. Plan ahead.

While, yes, we miss seeing our family at Christmas, sometimes we want to do our own thing and, to us, this was a perfect way to spend the holiday. 

We woke up early on a Christmas morning and drove north into Montana. We got hit by a good amount of snow heading west on the interstate but we made it through just fine.

The snow continued throughout the morning as we drove through Bozeman. We spent the morning exploring the downtown and neighborhoods. We loved Bozeman. The town is gorgeous but we were limited by the snow and the fact that it was Christmas Day.

Were it any other day, the roads would have been more clear but because it was Christmas Day, the roads start to fill with snow. We headed to our hotel and relaxed for the rest of the day. We thought we might find a few restaurants or bars open for lunch but no such luck, so lunch was microwaved burritos and soup in the room. 

One of the reasons we like staying in Hilton Garden Inns on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is you can typically get dinner that night at the Garden Grill. So, we relaxed, worked out, enjoyed the hot tub and watched the snow fall until dinner.  

Overall, it was a great Christmas.

Missoula and Hamilton

The next morning we woke up to some beautiful, snowy views in Bozeman. We continued our trek west, driving to Missoula.

Along the way, we were rewarded with amazing scenery at almost every turn. We drove through and around several mountain ranges throughout the day and the snowy vistas just never got old.

We enjoyed driving through the city, checking out the various areas in town and really liked the vibe. Missoula was the home of Norman Maclean, one of my favorite authors, so I have always enjoyed spending time there.

We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn in town, which had a good redemption and great sunset views!

We decided to also check out the small town of Hamilton, which is just about 45 minutes south of Missoula. Its population is only about 3,000 but it was a nice town with a great park.

Hamilton is nestled in the midst of the Bitterroot and Sapphire mountain ranges and is gorgeous. We could seriously stand to live here, especially with easy access to Missoula to the north.  

Driving Through Idaho

Our drive into Idaho officially added another state and another time zone to our road trip resume. 

As we left Missoula, we drove west through the north/central part of Idaho through the Bitterroot, Clearwater and Nez Perce national forests. 

Lolo Pass in the winter was one of the prettiest places we have ever been. We crossed right at dawn and the light was amazing.

We drove through some fairly uninhabited area of northern Idaho and had long sections with little to no cell phone service. Still, it was rugged and gorgeous. It even got above freezing in a couple of spots but not for long. We have not been above freezing at this point since we passed through Denver.

But that quickly gave way to more National Forest and more beautiful scenery. We stumbled upon the resort town of McCall, ID, which receives the most snowfall of any city in Idaho. 

The amount of snow on the ground (and rooftops) was incredible; easily several feet of snow and they hadn’t even hit the snowiest month yet! It was a remote town with a lake for summer tourism and mountains and trails for winter tourism. And they have one of the best schools in the state! It may be a small town, pretty much in the middle of nowhere but the restaurants, shops and scenery were all top-notch.

Technically, we have driven through Idaho before, but only for about four minutes, so we don’t count it. Our destination of western Idaho was a little spontaneous, so we weren’t expecting the Pacific Time Zone. As we passed the sign, we both said “oh” in a little bit of surprise/confusion. It was only for a few hours though, so no “transitioning” needed.

We continued our drive to the greater Boise area. The suburb of Meridian was recently named the best place to live in the US. We spent the evening driving around Meridian and Boise. It is a very clean area, with some obvious zoning restrictions which keep everything looking very nice. 

For the biggest metropolitan area in the state, traffic was almost non-existent… a lot different than Atlanta!

Idaho is very remote. We definitely drove through LOTS of parts that have no residents at all, in fact, that was probably most of our day. We were amazed at the varying amounts of snowfall. Some places had several feet, while others had almost no snow at all. There were some patterns, but it was somewhat sporadic.

Visiting Idaho National Parks Sites

Today, we continued our quest to visit as many National Parks sites as possible. We got three more of them, bringing our total to 98 sites visited together (December 2015).

The day started with a surprise two-for-one. We headed to Hagerman Fossil Beds National Historic Site, about an hour and a half southeast of Boise. When we arrived at the visitor center, we found that it was also the visitor center for the Minidoka National Historic Site, a Japanese Internment Camp.

The fossil beds consisted mainly of Hagerman Horse fossils, one of the oldest horses which predate horses being brought by European explorers. Today, the site is really just a big open area. And this time of year, it was covered in snow.

We didn’t realize that Minidoka NHS was as close as it was (about a 30-45 minute drive). The visitor center had a basic display of the history of the internment camps and the life of those who were forced into them. The site itself had a guard tower (a replica, I’m sure), and the foundations of a couple of buildings right at the entrance. Again, snow-covered everything, so it was pretty much impossible to follow the trail, but it was still worth the trip.

There are two other NPS sites in southern Idaho: Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve and City of Rocks National Reserve. We didn’t have time this trip to do those sites justice, so we saved them for a later day.

The third stop for the day was the Golden Spike National Monument, just north of Salt Lake City. It was the site of the last spike that joined the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads, completing the transcontinental railroad. They had a replica of the Jupiter, a steam locomotive, that did a quick run up and down the local tracks, just for show. It was interesting to read about the work and everything involved in building the railroad.

We ended the day just south of Salt Lake City at the Hilton Garden Inn in Sandy , which was another good redemption.

Canyonlands National Park

This morning we woke up just south of Salt Lake City to about a half-inch of snow on the truck and still falling. Thankfully, it was light snow and didn’t last too long, so no major problems getting on the road.

We drove south through central Utah. We decided Utah definitely gets prettier and has better scenery the farther south you drive! Southern Utah is full of national parks and monuments, state parks and other protected sites. We wish we had more time here!

We spent most of the afternoon in Canyonlands National Park at Island in the Sky. The various canyons and other land formations are just amazing. Words can’t even describe it. We are so blessed to have the time and money to be able to experience the beauty that our country holds!

We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Moab , Utah for the night.

Arches National Park

We got up before dawn and toured Arches National Park (our 100th unit of the National Park Service!). We tried taking pictures of the sunrise but, sadly, the clouds didn’t cooperate.

On a personal note, I generally never have a problem with other photographers. Whoever gets there first has dibs and you don’t get into another person’s shot. In the morning, you don’t get loud.

This morning was just the opposite. Apparently, Arches was the destination of the large tour group we had seen the day before. The group was so very loud and so very…  Squirrel! Seriously, it was like being in a pack of ADD golden retrievers.

After it became apparent the sunrise shots were going to be a bust, we headed to Delicate Arch. We decided to take the trail, a 3-mile strenuous hike. It wasn’t bad until the trail took a 5-foot ledge with a 30-foot drop below. These kinds of heights really bother Bonnie, but the view at the end was worth it!

The sun finally came out and I got some great shots with my SLR. I took out my iPhone to grab a panorama… Dead. We have discovered our iPhone batteries do not like the cold. We each got one picture before the battery “died.”

The hike back… Well, it was bad. I slipped and landed on my back… Which still hurt a couple of days later, though thankfully no major bruises. The camera, not so lucky. I busted the preview screen and it does not appear to be autofocusing properly. Ultimately, it was better to just buy a new camera, so I upgraded to the Canon 7D Mark II .

We continued on to several other sites in the park, using our recharged iPhones to pick up the slack, camera-wise.

We are so glad to make time on this trip to see five NPS sites. I know a lot of folks think it is just about seeing pretty places, but it is so much more than that. 

In three days, we saw ancient fossil beds, an internment camp for the Japanese during WWII, the location where we joined transcontinental railroad together and two diverse desert canyon areas with amazing, unique landscapes.

After Arches, we drove to Pagosa Springs, CO, where we visited with Bonnie’s uncle Al, leading to a late night.

New Year’s in Pagosa Springs

The next day, New Year’s Eve, we toured Pagosa Springs, then rested and watched football in our room at the Econo Lodge . While it was comfortable, it was not up to the quality we are used to from Hilton properties. Still, there aren’t many inexpensive hotels in Pagosa Springs.

We’ve had a couple of long days recently and will have some relatively long and boring driving ahead of us, so having time to rest today was great. Watching college football made it even better if you ignore the fact that FSU lost.

We also took some time to drive around town. We have visited some lovely towns with great mountain scenery, but we really might have saved the best for last. 

The mountain views as you drive around town are just spectacular. We caught a glimpse of the sunset coloring on the mountains and it was amazing. 

The town is home to the largest/deepest hot spring in the world. There is a lot of tourism for the springs and also for the ski area just northeast of town. 

The Wolf Creek Ski Area gets the most snow of any city in Colorado. We didn’t get all the way out there, but we’ve certainly seen a decent amount of snow buildup in town, so it’s easy to believe. And both yesterday and today, we could see the clouds and likely snow on the mountains while it was relatively clear and sunny in town.

Pagosa Springs typically only gets around 30 inches of snow per year and around 300 days of sunshine, making it a great place to live in my book. 

New Year’s Morning was spent at Bonnie’s uncle’s place to get the full tour of his property. He has a large lot (30-40 acres) just west of Pagosa Springs. In addition to the house, there is a garage, a barn, a blacksmith shed and a shed for the fifth-wheel. The house looks out over a canyon with mountain views in the distance.

The property (and the entire subdivision) is absolutely beautiful. There are amazing mountain views around every corner. The lots are huge, and most houses are back off the road, so each house has its privacy.

Bonnie’s dad also owns a lot in the same subdivision. Right now it is blanketed in snow, so we weren’t able to really explore it much, but it is obvious that is just as amazing and would be a great place to build.

Driving Home on Our Winter Road Trip

After exploring and visiting, we grabbed some lunch and officially started the drive home. We decided to take the back roads through northern New Mexico. We drove through some very remote places today. Most were very scenic.

Our drive took us through Taos, NM, which did not really meet our expectations (not that we had much). The building code requires adobe buildings, which are interesting, but when everything looks exactly the same it gets old.

Since we got a late start, we ended up driving after dark. That part was the not-as-pretty part (northeastern NM and northwestern TX)… we’ve been through this part before, so we weren’t too upset to miss the “scenery.”

We did enjoy the Hampton Inn in Dumas, TX ; the last two nights in the Econo Lodge were a good reminder of why we like Hilton properties. The next day, we continued our drive east, crossing back along I-40 to the Hampton Inn in Clarksville and then home.

The one thing we had going for us was all the bowl games on the radio… SiriusXM makes road trips so much better.

Leaving Dumas, the temperatures finally topped above freezing. We were on the road for 16 days. On day three, the temps dropped below freezing and other than one brief peek above freezing in Idaho, stayed below freezing until day 15. 

Overall, we did well with the cold. There were quite a few places we would happily live. We found others we wouldn’t. Still, we loved the trip and spending time out West.

Ultimately, we decided to stay put in metro Atlanta. While we love the Western US, all of our immediate family is in Georgia and Florida. Additionally, Bonnie is only about 10 years from being able to retire if she continues teaching in Georgia. Being able to retire at 53 is not something to be overlooked. We’ll still continue traveling west often, I’m sure.

And, who knows, we may still end up moving one day.

Travel Resources

What do you use to find a flight.

We use Skyscanner to find deals on flights. Skyscanner has a great interface and compares tons of airlines for the best pricing and routing. That said, it does not always have every airline and some airlines will have better deals on their website. Still, Skyscanner is a great place to start. Click here to search for a flight.

What do you use to find a hotel?

We typically stay at Hilton properties , so we use the Hilton website . You can find good Hilton Honors discounts or AAA discounts for a hotel there. We make great use of our free night certificates from our Hilton Honors American Express. Click here to book a Hilton property.

If there are no Hilton properties available, we use TripAdvisor to read reviews and book the hotel. We find we can get the best price that way. Click here to search for a hotel.

We recently partnered with Stay22 to add interactive maps to each of our destination posts. This will allow you to see a plethora of hotels and vacation rentals all in one responsive map of the area.

What if I need more space than I can get at a hotel?

We use Vrbo for the times when we have rented a cabin for a weekend getaway, like this cabin in Townsend, TN , or needed to rent a house for a large family vacation. We had a great experience with them in terms of refunding deposits when COVID hit and will continue to use them. Click here to search for a vacation rental.

Who do you use for rental cars?

As a general rule, we book with Hertz for rental cars. We have had nothing but good experiences with them. Plus, we really like unlimited mileage and not worrying about crossing state lines. We have even rented from Hertz overseas in both Slovenia and Croatia . Click here to book a rental car.

How about booking a cruise?

We have found some amazing prices for booking a cruise through Cruise Direct . We have saved a lot of money on our cruises compared to what we found elsewhere, making a last-minute Bahamas cruise even cheaper. Click here to book a cruise.

What if I want to rent an RV?

We highly recommend Outdoorsy for RV rentals. We rented a camper van for a week to visit Rocky Mountain National Park for the elk rut and Custer State Park for the Buffalo Round-Up and had a blast. The program was easy to use and we really enjoyed the freedom of having a camper van for that trip. Click here to rent an RV.

What do you use for booking tours?

We don’t often book tours. Typically, we like to do stuff on our own. That said, there are some experiences you can’t have any other way. So, when we do want to book a tour, we always check Viator first. Click here to book a tour.

Do you use anything to get discounts on the road?

We make extensive use of both Good Sam and AAA on the road. Good Sam is normally regarded as a discount card for RVers at campgrounds and Camping World but anyone can use the 5 cents off a gallon at the pump at both Pilot and Flying J. Click here to get a Good Sam membership. We have had AAA as long as we have been married and it has more than paid for itself in discounts at hotels, aside from the peace of mind of having roadside assistance. Add in paper maps and the ability to get an international driver’s license and it is more than worth it for any traveler out there. Click here to get a AAA membership.

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Explore Southeastern Idaho: An Unforgettable Road Trip Itinerary

Table of contents, must-see destinations in southeastern idaho, continue your south eastern idaho road trip.

Are you craving a one-of-a-kind adventure? Look no further than a road trip through southeastern Idaho! This stunning region is a must-visit for anyone seeking a truly unforgettable road trip experience. From beautiful scenery to geothermal hot springs and unique attractions, southeastern Idaho has it all!

Here is a road trip itinerary that includes some of the area’s best attractions and experiences. Buckle up and get ready for an adventure you won’t forget!

Stop 1: Idaho Falls

Start your southeastern Idaho road trip in Idaho Falls, a charming little city in eastern Idaho. Idaho Falls is the 5th largest city in Idaho and has the perfect blend of natural beauty and urban amenities. It’s also a great place to start your road trip.

Walk or bike the Idaho Falls River Walk

One of Idaho Falls’s top attractions is the Idaho Falls River Walk, a scenic path that winds along the Snake River and offers stunning views of the Idaho Falls waterfall! You can stop at the Japanese Friendship Garden or stop at Snow Eagle Brewing near the walking path for a drink or lunch.

Visit the Museum of Idaho

History buffs will enjoy a visit to the Museum of Idaho , which showcases the area’s rich cultural heritage through interactive exhibits and artifacts. It offers an interesting glimpse into the past and a deeper understanding of Idaho and Idaho Falls’ history. Tickets are for sale at the front entrance.

Shop and dine in Historic Downtown Idaho Falls

Idaho Falls’ downtown area is full of charming shops, restaurants, and cafes. Try The Snake Bite for lunch, Krung Thep Thai Cuisine for a great Thai dinner, and be sure to visit The Celt for a live band! There’s also a new distillery in town! Check out Heads & Tails Distillery to try local liquors and cocktails on their rooftop.

Unique Place to Stay in Idaho Falls

The Idaho Falls Penthouse Airbnb is a great option if you’d like to stay in downtown Idaho Falls. Situated conveniently across the street from The Celt, this unique Airbnb was once an old brothel but has now undergone a transformation by its owner and Airbnb Superhost, Janet. The penthouse has modern amenities, a spacious kitchen, an inviting living room, and is centrally located.  It’s perfect for a weekend stay in Idaho Falls. Book your stay!

Stop 2: Blackfoot

Blackfoot is a small town located just 30 minutes from Idaho Falls. Known for its rich agricultural history and abundant potato farms, it is often called the “Potato Capital of the World”!

Visit the Idaho Potato Museum

The Idaho Potato Museum is Blackfoot, Idaho’s main attraction! It celebrates the potato’s role in the region’s economy and culture through interactive exhibits and educational displays.

If you’re hungry and interested in sampling some of the local potato cuisine, stop at the Potato Station Cafe , located within the museum. Here, you can try potato-based dishes such as potato soup, loaded baked potatoes, tater tots, and even potato cupcakes! It’s a unique experience that you won’t want to miss.

Walk around Blackfoot’s Historic Downtown

Take a stroll through Blackfoot’s quaint downtown area and admire the architecture and small-town ambiance. Pop into Teton House for lunch or dinner. If you’re a fan of antiquing, be sure to visit the Collecting Americana shop to explore a unique collection of American antiques.

Stop 3: Pocatello

Pocatello, also referred to by locals as “Poky,” is located only 30 minutes from Blackfoot, Idaho. It’s home to Idaho State University and offers a variety of cultural and recreational activities, including museums, hiking trails, and an up-and-coming downtown area with local shops, restaurants, and breweries.

Visit the Museum of Clean

The Museum of Clean is a unique and quirky museum that celebrates the art and science of cleaning! It features exhibits from antique cleaning tools and equipment to modern innovations and sustainable cleaning practices. Visitors can explore the history and culture of cleaning and participate in interactive exhibits, making it a fun and educational experience for the whole family!

Take a stroll through the historic Old Town Pocatello District

The Old Town Pocatello District is a charming area located in downtown Pocatello. It’s home to various local businesses, including boutiques, antique shops, galleries, restaurants, and more.

If you’re hungry, check out Thanks a Brunch food truck for delicious brunch, Glean Coffee Roasters for coffee, and The Yellowstone Restaurant for dinner! For people interested in antiquing, there are plenty of shops on Main Street.

Another great feature of downtown Pocatello is the array of iconic neon signs all over the area! Some signs have been gracing the area since the mid-20th century, adding a touch of nostalgia and character to the downtown.

Sample local craft beer at a Pocatello brewery

Pocatello’s craft beer scene has grown in recent years, and there are now several breweries in the area to choose from. A few popular stops are Portneuf Valley Brewing and Jim Dandy Brewing . Portneuf Valley Brewing is located in a historic building with a warm and inviting atmosphere and a large selection of craft beers on tap. Jim Dandy Brewery is a unique microbrewery that prides itself on being community-oriented.

A few others to try are: Off the Rails Brewing and Star Route Brewing .

Visit the Fort Hall Replica and Museum

The Fort Hall Replica and Museum in Pocatello is an exciting spot for history buffs and those interested in 19th-Century explorers, trappers, pioneers and Native American culture. The museum features exhibits and artifacts that showcase the history and legacy of the Shoshone-Bannock tribes, including traditional clothing, tools, and weapons. While here, visitors can explore the replica of the original Fort Hall, a fur-trading outpost that was an important meeting place for settlers and Native Americans.

Unique Place to Stay near Pocatello

The Harkness Hotel in McCammon is a beautifully restored 1906 historic building that was once a bank and has a gift shop in the old bank vault! It is listed on the National Historic Registry, and the architecture is unique for the area. While it is an old building, it has ten guest rooms with modern amenities. With its convenient location off I-15, The Harkness Hotel is an ideal destination for anyone wanting to stay near Pocatello, Idaho. Book your stay!

Stop 4: Lava Hot Springs

Lava Hot Springs is a small-town famous for its natural hot springs in the center of the town. This is a great spot to visit if you enjoy relaxing in hot springs and exploring the outdoors!

Soak in the Lava Hot Springs

If you’re a fan of hot springs, Lava Hot Springs is for you! This spring is located right on Main St. in Lava Hot Springs. The pools range from 102˚- 112˚ and have no sulfur odor. They also have an Olympic Pool 4 blocks away to enjoy. The cost to soak varies depending on the time and day of the week you visit, and you can get tickets at the front entrance. The cost for adults range from $8-$10, and children under five can soak for free.

Float the Portneuf River

If you’re visiting Lava Hot Springs in the summertime, save time to float the Portneuf River . Many local businesses offer inner tube rentals and a shuttle service to simplify your tubing experience. The river is fast and exciting, with small rapids throughout. It can be floated from June through mid-September.

Unique Place to Stay in Lava Hot Springs

The Bins at Lava Hot Springs are a unique and cozy accommodation option located in Lava Hot Springs. These rustic silos have been converted into modern, comfortable living spaces that provide a unique experience! Each silo has an excellent design and layout and has a kitchenette, nice bathrooms, and comfy beds! Book your stay .

Stop 5: Soda Springs

Just 20 minutes from Lava Hot Springs is Soda Springs! This quirky town is known for its natural carbonated water. It also has the only captive geyser in the world, the Soda Springs Geyser, that erupts every hour on the hour!

Watch the Soda Springs Geyser

The Soda Springs Geyser is near downtown Soda Springs and erupts every hour on the hour. It shoots water up to 100 feet in the air, and you can get close to watch it happen. Be sure to time it right on the hour; it will be the perfect place to bring the whole family!

Visit Hooper Springs Park

Hooper Springs is a more than 160 years old spring that was said to be a highlight for people traveling on the Oregon Trail. Hooper Springs Park has a covered spring house with free, clear sparkling soda water! This spring is only two miles north of the city center and a great place to fill your water bottle with sparkling water. The park also has a covered pavilion, picnic tables, a playground, and a basketball court.

Explore downtown Soda Springs

Downtown Soda Springs is quirky yet charming. Check out Enders on Main , a historical hotel and museum, to learn some Soda Springs history. Grab breakfast at Main Street Diner and walk over to Eastman Drug , the oldest drugstore in Idaho—complete with an old-school soda fountain!

Unique Place to Stay in Soda Springs

Enders on Main Hotel & Museum is a charming hotel in downtown Soda Springs. This historic building has been renovated to offer comfortable rooms with modern amenities. It has individually decorated suites with unique antique furniture, and on the second floor, you’ll find the museum with artifacts from Soda Springs’ past. Book your stay!

Stop 6: Maple Grove Hot Springs

Maple Grove Hot Springs is a secluded hot spring resort in south eastern Idaho! It’s nestled on 45 acres along the banks of the Bear River and Oneida Narrows Reservoir and has five soaking pools that range between 95 – 107 degrees. You can either come here for a day soak, you can stay the night in their yurts, or you can camp! This spot books in advance, so be sure to get your spot early. Book your stay!

If you’d like to continue on your south eastern Idaho Road Trip, here are some more stops you can make:

• Preston, Idaho – This small town is known for being the filming location of the classic movie “ Napoleon Dynamite .”
• Bear Lake –  Located on the Idaho-Utah border, Bear Lake is often called the “ Caribbean of the Rockies ” due to its stunning turquoise waters.
• Downata Hot Springs – Another natural hot spring that is located in Downey, Idaho and offering a variety of hot pools, water slides, and other fun water activities for visitors of all ages.

We hope our itinerary has inspired you to explore all the hidden gems this region offers. From soaking in natural hot springs to sipping local craft beer and indulging in delicious potato dishes, there’s something for everyone on this adventure.

So grab some friends, cue up the tunes, and hit the road for an unforgettable journey through south eastern Idaho!

Feature image credited to Katie Williams.

Katie Williams is a world traveler and blogger at  Traveling Spud . She documents her adventures around the globe and shenanigans in her home state of Idaho. Follow her on her blog  Traveling Spud  or her  Instagram.

Published on June 11, 2024

How to see Utah's "Mighty 5" national parks on an epic road trip

Jun 2, 2024 • 12 min read

Link up Utah's "Mighty 5" national parks with this epic driving route © Peter Unger / Getty Images

Utah might not have the most national parks of any state – that honor goes to California – but it certainly has the highest concentration.

All of Utah’s "Mighty 5"  are within easy driving distance of one another, meaning that the state is prime for an epic national parks road trip that you can even squeeze into a short amount of vacation time. With only a week to spare, it's possible to get to know the distinct personalities of each of the state's national parks.

Here's how to plan an unforgettable drive in Utah .

Where should you start a Utah national parks road trip?

You can tackle Utah’s national parks west to east or vice versa, depending on your starting destination. Going from west to east is generally the most popular option because Zion National Park is just a few hours from the international airport in Las Vegas . You could also start this road trip in Salt Lake City , heading for either Zion or Arches first.

Where should I rent a car for a Utah road trip?

If you’re flying in to visit Utah’s national parks, it’s easiest to rent a car at your arrival airport. After picking up the car, head to the grocery store to buy water, snacks and other supplies before you hit the road, especially if you’re looking for something specific. The gateway towns to Utah’s national parks are small, and their stores often don’t have as wide of a selection. 

When is the best time to drive between Utah's national parks?

Late spring and early fall are the best seasons for road tripping in Utah. Summer is a popular time, but that means more cars on the road and more hikers on the trails. Winter is great for solitude seekers, but make sure you have the know-how to drive on snowy roads and a backup plan in case of closures or worse. State highways in some areas might be shut down until May because of heavy snowfall, particularly in the high elevations around Brian Head, north of Zion National Park.

Stop 1: Zion National Park

The vibe: Awesome canyon and iconic hikes

What to do: Zion Canyon is one of the most intriguing natural wonders in the country, and it chalks up the visitor numbers to prove it. See what makes Zion so extraordinary by taking on the national park’s two iconic hikes: Angels Landing ( permit required ), a chain-assisted white-knuckle climb to a lofty narrow plateau, and the Narrows, where the trail is the Virgin River and you wade through the water as it churns through a towering slot canyon.

What to eat: In the heart of the canyon, the historic Zion Lodge has two places to eat: a small cafe and a full-fledged restaurant. The food isn’t particularly memorable, but the setting certainly is, and it’s the only place to eat inside the national park if you don’t bring your own supplies. Just outside Zion National Park’s south entrance, Zion Canyon Brew Pub was the first microbrewery in southern Utah and serves up pub grub that pairs perfectly with its beers. More restaurants, coffee shops and small grocery stores abound in Springdale, the gateway town hugging Zion’s south entrance.

Where to stay: Zion National Park has two in-park accommodation options: camping or Zion Lodge . You need to book months in advance to get a reservation for either. Springdale has lots of excellent places to stay. See if rooms are available at Under the Eaves Inn , Red Rock Inn or Desert Pearl Inn , or head a bit further from the canyon. In East Zion, Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort is ideal for families, with tons of activities for all ages. To the west, AutoCamp Zion offers a hip stay in Airstream trailers, and Under Canvas has set up gorgeous luxury glamping tents on Kolob Terrace Road.

The drive (75 miles, 1 hour and 25 minutes): Leave Zion National Park through the east entrance, driving through the tight-squeeze Zion–Mt Carmel Tunnel, which was the longest tunnel in the country when it opened in 1930. Continue on Hwy 9 to Mt Carmel Junction and then head north on Hwy 89. Turn east on Scenic Byway 12, nationally recognized as an "All-American Road" for its history and landscapes. You get a taste of what’s in store at the next national park as you drive through redrock arches and past intriguing rock formations shaped like Crayola crayons – and colored just as brightly.

Want to know more about Zion? Here's our guide

Stop 2: Bryce Canyon National Park

The vibe: Alien rock formations

What to do: Bryce Canyon hides its treasures from view when you first enter the park, but as soon as you reach the rim of the plateau, an army of rock spires called hoodoos stands at attention in the bowl of the natural amphitheater. The paved road through the national park is sprinkled with scenic overlooks where you can stop and gawp at these mesmerizing formations. Inspiration Point and Rainbow Point are wow-worthy pull-off points. But getting in among the hoodoos is a must. Hike the Navajo Loop from Sunset Point, book a horse ride on Peekaboo Loop or find a quieter collection of hoodoos on the Fairyland Loop.

What to eat: Bryce Canyon is Utah’s only other national park (besides Zion) that has a historic lodge inside the park, which has a restaurant (don’t miss the elk chili). There’s also a park general store that sells pizza, craft beer, ice cream and snacks. Bryce Canyon City is just outside the national park gates, but the restaurants in the small town of Tropic, a short drive to the southeast, are better. Try the pulled pork at IDK Barbecue or have a classy white-tablecloth dinner at Stone Hearth Grille .

Where to stay: Book far in advance to snag a place to sleep inside the park, either a campsite or a room at Bryce Canyon Lodge . Bryce Canyon City has several options near the park entrance, but it’s worth driving a little further to Bryce Glamp & Camp , a scenic, secluded spot where you can watch the night sky from your bed in a bubble dome.

The drive (125 miles, 2 hours and 40 minutes): Continue on Scenic Byway 12, which gets even more beautiful as you crest the rollercoaster hills and sail down the switchbacks. Much of the surrounding land is part of Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument , which covers nearly 2 million acres. Tempting trailheads beckon, particularly around the towns of Escalante and Boulder – pull over and hike if you have time. Scenic Byway 12 ends at Hwy 24 near Torrey, the gateway town to Capitol Reef National Park.

First time in Bryce Canyon? Here's what you need to know

Stop 3: Capitol Reef National Park

The vibe: Hikes through history

What to do: Capitol Reef wears its past on its sleeve, and when hiking in this national park, you’re following in the footsteps of many generations past, from the little-understood Native Fremont people to Mormon settlers. Don’t miss the petroglyphs east of the Capitol Reef Visitor Center (accessible via a boardwalk) and on the hike through Capitol Gorge, where ancient Native rock art is carved a short distance from the Pioneer Register, recording the names and dates of 19th-century settlers who passed through this slot canyon. In the center of the park, Fruita was a Mormon settlement established in 1879 and is well known for its orchards, which the National Park Service still maintains. Pick up one of the famous fruit pies from Gifford Homestead , where Fruita's last inhabitants lived.

What to eat: Torrey is a short drive from the entrance to Capitol Reef National Park, and for such a small town, it has some impressive food options. At Torrey Grill & BBQ , a Culinary Institute of America graduate makes magic with smoked meats, while adorable Wild Rabbit Cafe serves phenomenal all-day breakfasts and sandwiches. Hunt & Gather is a surprising spot for fine dining, showcasing lovingly plated dishes of local ingredients.

Where to stay: Capitol Reef has one developed campground , as well as free primitive sites in the backcountry ( free backpacking permit required ). If you’d rather stay within four walls, try Torrey Schoolhouse B&B , a 1914 schoolhouse brought back to life as an elegant bed and breakfast. One of the best places to stay in Torrey is Skyview , which has rooms with hot tubs that look out on the redrock scenery, geodesic domes with skylights over the bed for nighttime stargazing, and a rooftop terrace.

The drive (155 miles, 2 hours and 30 minutes): Head east on Hwy 24, called the Capitol Reef Scenic Byway, which turns north at Hanksville. If you have time, detour west of Hwy 24 to Goblin Valley State Park to wander among its bizarre rock formations. On the east side of Hwy 24, Horseshoe Canyon is part of Canyonlands National Park and has one of the most significant Native rock art sites in North America – it’s nicknamed the "Louvre of the Southwest." The road to Horseshoe Canyon is not paved, and a high-clearance 4WD vehicle is recommended. When Hwy 24 comes to an end near Green River, join Interstate 70 east and carry on until the Moab turnoff at Hwy 191. Turn west on Hwy 313 to reach another area of Canyonlands National Park.

Hanging around in Capitol Reef? Here's what to do there

Stop 4: Canyonlands National Park: Island in the Sky district

The vibe: Epic views

What to do: Canyonlands is Utah’s largest and least-visited national park. Few travelers venture to its most remote areas (and those who do require suitable vehicles and self-sufficiency), and Canyonlands’ quieter nature can be a welcome break from Utah’s busier parks. It is divided into four districts, the most accessible of which is Island in the Sky, near Moab . This area stretches out atop a majestic mesa thousands of feet above the Colorado and Green Rivers, the powerful forces that sculpted this land into sheer canyons and needle-like pinnacles. The scenic drive through the Island in the Sky district dawdles past a number of overlooks. Get a 360-degree bird’s-eye view of the landscape from the humbly named Grand View Point where the paved road ends.

What to eat: Moab’s main street is lined with great restaurants where you can fuel up for a day out, and the town is just a 40-minute drive from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center. In the northern part of Moab, Proper Brewing has an excellent beer garden where you can kick back and enjoy a burger and a Utah-made brew.

Where to stay: The Island in the Sky district has one campground . More campsites on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land are scattered along Hwy 313, the main road into the national park, as well as along Hwy 128 and the Colorado River south of Arches National Park. For hotel accommodations, stay in Moab for an easy journey. Field Station is one of our top picks for location, price and adventure-seeking atmosphere, housed in a well-renovated roadside motel.

The drive (29 miles, 40 minutes): Canyonlands and Arches are about as close as two national parks can be, and it’s just a 30-minute drive from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center to Arches Visitor Center. If you can’t get enough of the views, take a detour to Dead Horse Point State Park for even more memorable vistas. Take Hwy 313 to Hwy 191 and drive south for a few miles to the turnoff for Arches National Park.

Want to see even more of Canyonlands? Here's what you need to know

Stop 5: Arches National Park

The vibe: Arches galore

What to do: The main draw of Arches is right in its name, and nowhere on Earth has more of this type of rock formation than this national park. Delicate Arch is the most iconic, enshrined on Utah’s license plates, and many more can be seen along the park’s main paved road on short hikes and from easy-to-reach viewpoints. At the end of the road, the Devils Garden Trail packs several arches into an easy or adventurous hike, depending on how far you want to go, including 306ft Landscape Arch, one of the longest in the world.

What to eat: There’s nowhere to eat inside Arches National Park, so bring in supplies from Moab or fuel up in town before or after a day of arch admiring. Find a variety of crowd-pleasing, budget-friendly options at Moab Food Truck Park or reserve a table at Desert Bistro , one of the best restaurants in this part of the state, for game and seafood in an 1892 former dance hall.

Where to stay: Arches has one campground inside the park (book far in advance), and campers can also find lots of sites on BLM land just outside the park boundaries. Otherwise, Moab makes for an excellent base camp, with plenty of hotels along its main street and beyond. Secluded south of town, ULUM Moab offers luxury glamping tents with views of its very own arch.

The drive: Round off your Utah national parks road trip by heading back to Salt Lake City (235 miles from Moab) or Las Vegas (460 miles from Moab). The fastest but least interesting way to get to Las Vegas is to take the interstates (I-70 north of Moab and then I-15 south), but if you have time, take the long road south from Moab, stopping at the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park, checking out film-famous Monument Valley on Navajo land and testing your luck by trying to get a permit for the Wave – one of the most sought-after hikes in the Southwest – in Kanab.

Need more info about Arches? Here's our guide for first-time visitors

Tips for EV drivers

Despite how remote some parts of the state are, Utah is an excellent place for an EV road trip, especially to the national parks. Some campgrounds and many hotels, including Zion Lodge inside the national park, have EV chargers for guests. Tesla has several Superchargers across the state, particularly along I-15 and I-70, including in St George (about 45 miles from Zion National Park’s south entrance), Green River and Moab (close to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks) and Blanding (about 70 miles from Canyonlands’ Needles district). 

A tricky stretch for EV drivers is the journey between Capitol Reef National Park and Moab. The Capitol Reef gateway town of Torrey has chargers, as does Green River, but you might need to be careful about how many places you explore in between.

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How to Pull Off the Perfect Utah National Parks Road Trip

A s the morning’s first rays beam through windows encasing my comfy bed in an Adventure Wagon Sprinter 144 van, the feeling hits me again. Parked on the edge of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument —on a Utah national parks road trip—we've arrived in our personal oasis. The van’s cool air, a stark contrast to the bone dry heat already warming this rocky, desolate landscape in the heart of Southwest Utah, makes me want to hunker down in our little Sprinter sanctuary, but only for a few extra moments. Soon enough, we’re naturally drawn out into yet another spectacular scene during our week-long Utah national parks road trip. 

Related: These Lesser-Known Scenic Drives Roll You Way Beyond the Crowds

Sliding open the van’s door, I emerge into a massive amphitheater perched above sandstone cliffs dropping into a twisty brown river. Steaming French press coffee awaits on a sleek wooden Dometic table overlooking the desert vista. It’s a breakfast vista that conjures comparisons to Horseshoe Bend, which is not far from here, and even the Grand Canyon to a degree.

From Moab to Grand Staircase-Escalante, Bryce Canyon National Park , and Capitol Reef , here remains one of the more rugged and remote regions left in the old American Southwest. It’s reminiscent of classic road trip scenes described in Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitude and Kerouac’s On The Road , which described this part of the country as a “road to heaven.” Indeed, it’s a place where you can insert many a mile and acre between you and anywhere else. Southern Utah is still one of the best places on Earth to just disappear for awhile, in the best sense. Here’s how we pulled off a fantastic week-long Utah parks road trip from Denver to Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in the perfect vehicle with spectacular stops along the way. 

How to Choose the Right Vehicle for a Utah National Parks Road Trip

When it comes to a road trip in these parts, the vehicle is everything. It’s more than just your mode of conveyance. It’s where you spend much of your days, and it can make or break a trip accordingly. The mix of comfort and reliability all in one vehicle is key.

Thankfully, the days of the family Griswold station wagon are long gone. Today, when it comes to cross-country trips, the van life movement has revolutionized road travel. These large vans are outfitted with everything from plush beds to kitchen sinks, making your home for the night wherever you decide to park.

Related: Complete Guide to Zion National Park: Hikes, Hotels, and Tips

For our cross-country trip, we opted for an Adventure Wagon , made by a company which specializes in modular van setups to accommodate a variety of adventures and lifestyles. More than just a barebones “home on the road,” it’s an all-purpose home base for mobile adventures.

The modularity of the Adventure Wagon's system allows users to configure seating, sleeping, and storage based on their activity in a matter of minutes. Our van setup includes a bed, a pullout tray bike rack, and a galley with sink, stove, and fridge. Add plenty of ingeniously placed storage room for gear, bags, and a pile of firewood, and you’re fully equipped and prepared for wherever the road takes you.

Day 1: Denver to Rabbit Valley, CO

We hit the highway with the Utah/Colorado border in mind for our first stop. On a holiday weekend in late spring, the majority of campgrounds and dispersed camping between the Front Range and the Western Slope of Colorado are unsurprisingly packed. Rolling onwards under a crystal clear Milky Way lighting up the cool desert evening, we park the large yet maneuverable Sprinter in Mesa County’s Rabbit Valley region—swiftly shifting from driver’s seat to bed without leaving the vehicle.

As the name implies, Rabbit Valley is a valley located in northwestern Mesa County best known for its mountain biking and OHV trails. Located within McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, there are five established campgrounds available for camping with easy access to trails in the area. I rode my bike right out of camp hitting Trails 2 and 3, which provide stellar views of the surrounding region including the Colorado River and La Sal Mountains. 

Day 2: Moab, Monument Valley, and Goosenecks State Park

After some crisp morning mountain biking the next day we press on toward Utah, finding ourselves driving through Castle Valley and Moab. Other vanlifers wave as we pass. Officially in the club, we wind along the swollen chocolate milk-hued banks of the Colorado River, churning its way through the red rocks surrounding Moab. The town and area surrounding Moab is best known as a mountain biking mecca, featuring famed trails such as Slickrock and The Whole Enchilada. Located in eastern Utah, it also serves as the gateway to Arches National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park, and Canyonlands National Park. Each of these special places is worth its own trip, offering otherworldly desert vistas and landscapes.

Soon, we’re ensconced in iconic Monument Valley Navajo Park , forever immortalized in Forrest Gump and numerous old Westerns. This majestic landscape is on the Arizona and Utah border and is literally right out of a John Wayne classic ( The Searchers ). The red sand desert’s flat valley gives way to a geological masterpiece as sandstone buttes and towers reaching 1,000 feet jet out of the dirt. The drive through this landscape is about 17 miles and may take an hour with all the photo opportunities along the way. 

Pulling into Goosenecks State Park just before sunset, we enjoy a night in this convenient state park tucked away in Mexican Hat, UT, with desert scenery that foreshadows what’s to come. A campsite here will set you back just $10 and comes with a fire pit and solid park amenities. Some sites offer sun shades with relief from the harsh Utah rays, as there are no trees to be seen here. The main attraction at Goosenecks is the view. While there’s no access to the river below, you can take a great walk along the cliffside filled with panoramic views below and dark, starry-strewn skies above.

We park near a span of cliff overlooking the San Juan River as it snakes its way through the canyon. The massive vista reveals rock that has eroded for an estimated 300 million years, according to geologists. Every bit as magnificent as the canyon below are the countless constellations flickering above the chasm. We sit by the crackling fire sipping Smokewagon Small Batch Bourbon while watching rafters navigate the river by headlamps to their camp far below. 

Days 3 to 5: Entering and Exploring Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

By day three of the trip, we’ve reached our final destination. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is so massive that we’ll be driving around and through it for the next four days. Located in Southern Utah, Grand Staircase-Escalante is ideal for desert hiking, biking, canyoneering, off-roading, and camping.

Three distinct areas make up the monument: Escalante Canyons, Grand Staircase, and the 1,600-square-mile Kaiparowits Plateau situated between the two. In all, the region covers 1.7 million acres of slot canyons, arches, slick rock, hoodoos (eroded red and white columns of rock that branch into the sky), and even massive waterfalls. The otherworldly landscape spans sedimentary rock and fossil records covering 30 million years.

Traversing the area clockwise in the Adventure Wagon, we inch as close to the massive rock monoliths as the road will allow. The monument is so big we even dip into Arizona at one point, traveling through Page —home to Coyote Buttes and The Wave , Horseshoe Bend , and Antelope Canyon . Looping past the Pink Sand Dunes , we head north toward Bryce Canyon National Park , celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The remote area is home to the largest concentration of hoodoos on the planet, offering breathtaking views of the 8,000-foot Paunsagunt Plateau.

Related: Lesser-Known National Parks, Forests, and Wilderness Areas

Soon, we’ll be deep in these clefts, hiking through canyons filled with vivid red and yellow cactus flowers to Lower Calf Creek Falls . We’ll swim in the frigid cold water as a massive waterfall spills over the slick rock above us. A relatively easy six-mile, out-and-back hike will offer more spectacular views of surrounding canyons and jagged cliffs. We’ll also venture out to Zebra Slot Canyon , filled with water from recent spring rains. The unique cream-colored striations on the sandstone impart a zebra-like quality to the spectacular canyon, while the rocks reflect a stunning mirror image in the water.

After living out of a van for the better part of a week, we’re more than ready for a shower and a bigger bed. The nearby towns of Bryce, Escalante, and Boulder can accommodate travelers in the area. We opt for a unique desert retreat that just opened called Yonder Escalante , tucked within Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument on the grounds of an old drive-in movie theater.

Days 6 & 7: Discovering Yonder Escalante—a Slice of Modern Luxury in the Western Desert

A former RV campsite, Yonder Escalante launched three years ago with the spirit of the American road trip at its core as a stylish lodging and camp spot. Yonder offers food, drinks, bathhouses, pool, hot tub, laundry and is pet friendly. Visitors can relax by the fire with majestic views of Southern Utah in every direction.

Yonder Escalante can be uniquely summed up as an adventure campsite melded with a luxury hotel in one of the most dramatic outbacks of the American Southwest. The juxtaposition of luxury and wilderness is so seamlessly meshed together here, it appears like a mirage as we pull through the gates. Paying close attention to detail and intimate connection to nature, the property lets visitors choose between tent or van/RV campsites, custom-designed cabins, and newly-renovated vintage Airstreams.

We settle into a deluxe cabin furnished with an outdoor shower, soft bed, and about as much window as wood—making it feel like there’s nothing but air between us and the Utah desert. It’s the perfect base camp for exploring slot canyons and expansive vistas in Escalante—and also for some welcome respite after trekking and biking our way across a good chunk of Southern Utah.

An array of amenities at Yonder includes an inviting pool and hot tub, a general store stocked with meal kits and cocktail coolers, an open-air lounge with fire pits, luxury bathhouses, an onsite food truck, and a drive-in movie theater equipped with nine stationary restored classic cars.

After a soak in the hot tub, we dine that evening on tasty cheeseburgers and ice cream from the food truck. Then a beer or two by the fire before slipping into a vintage blue truck with some popcorn to enjoy tonight’s movie, Willy Wonka .

All too soon, it’s time to pile back into the Sprinter van and head home. Our journey east passes through Capitol Reef National Park, where massive rock formations inspire more marveling—and consensus that this stellar road trip will definitely be getting a sequel. 

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Large chunk of Wyoming’s Teton Pass road collapses; unclear how quickly it can be rebuilt

A portion of Teton Pass “catastrophically failed,” Wyoming authorities said Saturday, leaving a massive hole along a mountain pass that’s a critical link between small eastern Idaho towns and the tourist destination of Jackson, Wyoming.

This photo provided by Wyoming Highway Patrol shows a damaged section of Teton Pass near Jackson, Wyo., on Saturday, June 8, 2024, that officials said had “catastrophically failed.” (Wyoming Highway Patrol via AP)

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JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — A large chunk of a twisting mountain pass road collapsed in Wyoming, authorities said Saturday, leaving a gaping chasm in the highway and severing a well-traveled commuter link between small towns in eastern Idaho and the tourist destination of Jackson.

Aerial photos and drone video of the collapse show the Teton Pass road riven with deep cracks, and a big section of the pavement disappeared altogether. Part of the guardrail dangled into the void, and orange traffic drums marked off the danger area. The road was closed at the time of the collapse.

The section that failed first drew attention Thursday when a crack and drop in the road contributed to the crash of a motorcycle.

Geologists and engineers who were sent to the area that day noticed “that crack and that drop started to move a lot,” said Stephanie Harsha, a spokesperson for District 3 of the Wyoming Department of Transportation. A paving crew temporarily patched the road, and traffic began moving again that night.

AP AUDIO: Large chunk of Wyoming’s Teton Pass road collapses; unclear how quickly it can be rebuilt

Part of Wyoming Highway 22 has closed after what authorities call a catastrophic landslide. AP correspondent Jennifer King reports.

But that was short-lived as maintenance crews were sent to respond to a mudslide a couple of miles away in the pre-dawn hours of Friday, prompting the road to be closed once again.

Crews then noticed that the damage to the pavement had become more pronounced. Workers trying to figure out a detour around that section left for the night, “and by 5 a.m., this morning, WYDOT had discovered that the road had completely failed,” Harsha said Saturday.

“We were very, very lucky that no crews were harmed. No equipment was damaged,” she said. “So now, engineers and geologists are doing geological assessments on the pass. They’ve been looking at it all day.”

The transportation department said via social media that the road “catastrophically failed” at milepost 12.8.

It was not immediately clear how long it will take to reopen the road, a vital artery for people who live across the border in Idaho and work in pricey Jackson, which is also close to the popular Grand Teton National Park.

Harsha said an alternate route between Jackson and the area of Victor, Idaho, goes more than 60 miles (97 kilometers) out of the way and adds “quite a bit to any commute.”

Gov. Mark Gordon signed an executive order declaring an emergency, which his office said would help the state access additional resources from the Federal Highway Administration to begin repair work.

In a statement, the governor said the transportation department is working on “a long-term solution to rebuild this critical roadway.”

“I recognize the significant impacts this closure has to Teton County residents, regional commuters and the local economy,” Gordon said.

Stunning photos show 'catastrophic failure' of Wyoming's Teton Pass

By collin leonard, ksl.com | posted - june 8, 2024 at 1:16 p.m., a roadway along teton pass, just west of jackson, has disintegrated and washed down the mountain side saturday, after separate incidents closed the route twice over the last two days. (wyoming department of transportation).

Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes

JACKSON, Wyoming — A roadway along Teton Pass, just west of Jackson, has disintegrated and washed down the mountain side Saturday, after separate incidents closed the route twice over the last two days.

Wyoming Department of Transportation shared the section has "catastrophically failed, and a long-term closure is expected."

Officials say they were working to construct a detour around the damage, "but the landslide continued to move, taking out the whole road."

This is the same area where workers put a temporary patch on the road, after a large crack appeared across both lanes of travel, dropping 8 inches in some places, according to a press release. The geology department was said to be investigating the cause and monitoring the area, but that section of road was opened later Thursday.

On Friday, a mudslide closed the road, luckily halting all traffic across the compromised roadway just 3 miles away. Crews were working to clear the debris, a press release said, but mud and debris kept flowing into the road, "overwhelming the channeled drainage ditch and culvert."

The Department of Transportation said that no one was hurt in the most recent failure, and no equipment was damaged. The department is working on a long-term solution, but no specifics have yet been released.

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'Catastrophic' landslide closes critical mountain highway between Wyoming and Idaho

A landslide caused the roadway at Teton Pass in Wyoming to collapse and crumble, in what the state’s department of transportation described as a catastrophic failure Saturday.

A large crack had appeared across both lanes Thursday, the Wyoming Department of Transportation said at the time. The crack had dropped vertically roughly 8 inches in some places, causing unsafe driving conditions, the agency said. It was patched and traffic resumed but a mudslide a couples of miles away Friday morning prompted the road to be closed again.

Crews tried to construct a detour around the damage, the transportation department said, “but the landslide continued to move, taking out the whole road.”

No crews were harmed and no equipment was damaged, the transportation department said.

It’s unclear how long it will take to reopen the road. Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon said the transportation department is working on “a long-term solution to rebuild the roadway.”

“I am grateful for the efforts of WYDOT staff to protect public safety during this developing situation, and am thankful no one was injured during this incident,” Gordon said.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, “the Teton Pass Highway offers a critical connection for commuters and recreationists traveling from Victor, Idaho and Jackson, Wyoming,” which is also close to the Grand Teton National Park.

“I recognize the impacts this closure has to Teton County residents, regional commuters and the local economy,” Gordon said.

CORRECTION (June 9, 2024, 8:03 p.m. ET): Due to an editing error, a previous version of this article misstated the name of the transportation authority. It should be the Wyoming Department of Transportation, not the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Janelle Griffith is a national reporter for NBC News focusing on issues of race and policing.