My Solo Road Trip to Wyoming: Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks Itinerary
Photo by Peter Lobozzo
If you appreciate wide-open spaces and wildlife galore, Wyoming is the place for you. After a solo road trip through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, it’s now one of my favorite U.S. destinations. There’s a lot to see in this region so planning ahead is essential if you want to make the most of your trip, so today I’m sharing my itinerary and tips to inspire your adventure to the Equality State… yes, this is really Wyoming’s nickname!
Yellowstone National Park
One of the most visited national parks in the U.S., Yellowstone sits in the northwest corner of Wyoming bordering Montana and Idaho. When planning your time here, do not underestimate how enormous this park is. It can take well over an hour to drive from one site to the next, and that doesn’t include the bison traffic jams you’ll inevitably encounter. If you’re on the fence about how much time you need, err on the side of more.
My Itinerary and Choosing Where To Stay
When planning my itinerary, I knew I wanted to be in the park each evening for sunset photography and wildlife watching, but driving in the park after dark is really dangerous because you can’t see bison in the road. Google “driving at night in Yellowstone” - it’s terrifying. To avoid night driving, I decided to coordinate my lodging near the areas of the park I was visiting that day. I spent two nights in Gardiner, Montana for easy access to the north side of the park, and three nights in West Yellowstone, Montana for access to the west side of the park. You can also stay inside the park, but it’s significantly more expensive and I loved West Yellowstone for the dining, shopping and lodging options.
My Favorite Spots in Yellowstone
Lamar Valley: this is the spot for wildlife watching. Bison, wolves, coyotes, and more. Bring binoculars and a camp chair and hang out around sunrise or sunset. You’ll see lots of people pulled over doing the same thing - a lot of people make a day of it and even bring drink coolers.
Norris Geyser Basin: This is the hottest thermal region in the park and it has real-life “the floor is lava” vibes. Steam shoots out of the ground across the basin and a boardwalk leads you through all of it. I recommend going at sunrise to avoid crowds.
Mammoth Hot Springs: Another cool spot to see thermal activity. A staircase leads you up a cliff past geothermal terraces that were formed over thousands of years by calcium carbonate deposits. The place gets crowded so again, sunrise is best to avoid crowds.
Brink of the Lower Falls Trail at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone: If you’re up for a short - but steep - hike, this .6 mile trail takes you right to the top of the canyon waterfall and it’s spectacular.
Grand Prismatic Spring: You’ve probably seen aerial photos of this incredibly colorful spring. While the colors are harder to see from the ground, it is still beautiful and totally worth a visit.
West Thumb Geyser Basin: Perched on the side of Yellowstone Lake, the water here is SO blue and a boardwalk leads you along the water. The lake is beautiful and it’s a great place to stop for an hour if you’re in that region of the park.
You’ll notice Old Faithful isn’t on my list. To be honest, I found it underwhelming! It was by far the most crowded spot I went to and the barrier to view it is so far away that it didn’t feel as immersive as other things, like the Norris Geyser Basin.
Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park
Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park
Grand Teton National Park
Just south of Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park sees significantly fewer visitors than its northern neighbor. I assume it’s because there are fewer points of interest. Yellowstone has a lot of designated sites, like Old Faithful, where Grand Teton is just generally scenic. The Tetons at sunrise are one of the most beautiful sights you’ll ever see and wildlife is everywhere. The town of Jackson is SO cool and I already know I’ll be back - maybe for a winter getaway next time.
My Favorite Spots in Grand Teton
Moose-Wilson Road: Head here at sunrise or sunset and join the string of cars rolling through looking for wildlife. In just one pass I saw a moose, bear, deer and elk. It’s a blast!
Schwabacher Landing: This spot is well-known for sunrise photography. I dragged myself out of bed in the early morning hours to shoot a time-lapse and it was SO worth it. If you do the same, get there early to snag a good spot. There were probably 20 people spread out along the riverfront doing the same thing.
Mormon Row: A historic road lined with old homesteads with the Tetons as a backdrop. Another great photography spot!
Sunrise at Schwabacher Landing in Grand Teton National Park
When to Visit
Choosing a time to visit these parks can be tricky. Summer is crowded, but winter comes early and stays late. A lot of things start closing down soon after Labor Day including campgrounds and even restaurants in town. Once it snows, some park roads close too. With the higher elevation, snow can come as early as late September, but sometimes not until November. It’s different every year.
I went the first week of October and had blue skies and 70 degree highs. With the autumn colors, it was perfect. The day after I left, Jackson got snow.
To see more of my trip, check out my video below: