Yellowstone & Grand Teton: 7-Day Mountain West Road Trip
Two parks. One of the greatest wildlife corridors on earth.
Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, the Teton Range, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone in one week, Jackson to Bozeman.
“I’ve requested to book a Chain Lakes Loop guide on ExplorOFF, and it was the best idea ever! I highly recommend going with their guided option since you get a real human connection on the trail and don’t have to worry about a thing. Yulia was great to talk to!”
29 stops on a real mapEvery stop pinned in order→Yellowstone: every stop pinned in order.
Yellowstone & Grand Teton · Wyoming, Montana, Idaho
Every stop on this trip, in order, opens as one driving route in the Google Maps app. No copying addresses across one at a time.
In short: This 7-day plan covers day 1, Jackson Hole · Mormon Row & a Snake River Float; day 2, Jenny Lake & Cascade Canyon, on Your Own; day 3, Jackson → Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic & Norris → Gardiner; day 4, Lamar Valley at First Light, Then the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and 3 more days. Best season: Jun – Sep. Park entry: $35 ea. The full plan is free to follow on your own. Trail and road conditions checked October 24, 2026.
Yellowstone in photos: 5 of the stops.
Plan and book your 7 days in Yellowstone, one step at a time
- Most Yellowstone roads close to regular vehicles after October 31, 2026, including the South Entrance road and the Old Faithful, Norris and Mammoth roads days 3 to 6 use. Only the road from the North Entrance at Gardiner through the Lamar Valley to the Northeast Entrance stays open all winter. Source
- Dunraven Pass (Canyon Village to Tower Fall), the road day 4 uses to reach Canyon and day 6 uses for the Mount Washburn trailhead, was scheduled to close for the season on October 12. Reach Canyon by way of Norris while it is closed. Source
- In Grand Teton, the Teton Park Road to Jenny Lake and the Cascade Canyon trailhead closes to vehicles on October 31, 2026 and is scheduled to reopen May 1, 2027. Jenny Lake Boating ended its 2026 season on September 30, so day 2 adds about 4 miles around the lake on foot. Source
- Expect a single lane with up to 15-minute delays at the Gardner River High Bridge near Mammoth, around the clock, through late October 2026, and 20-minute delays on US 26/89/191 south of Moran Junction. Source
How 7 days in Yellowstone split up
Plan 7 days for Yellowstone. Total distance: ~710 mi. Difficulty: Easy – Mod. Park entry: $35 ea. Grand Teton and Yellowstone are joined by the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, and together they form the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the largest mostly-intact temperate ecosystem on the planet. Grizzly bears, wolves, bison, moose, elk, and pronghorn move freely between the two. The geology is just as wild: half the world's geysers, a 1,000-foot waterfall, a supervolcano caldera, and the most dramatic mountain front in the Rockies.
Day 1: Jackson Hole · Mormon Row & a Snake River Float
5 stops · Day one
Day 2: Jenny Lake & Cascade Canyon, on Your Own
3 stops · Day two
Day 3: Jackson → Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic & Norris → Gardiner
6 stops · Day three
Day 4: Lamar Valley at First Light, Then the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
4 stops · Day four
Day 5: Lamar Valley Again, Trout Lake & Mammoth Hot Springs
4 stops · Day five
Day 6: A Third Lamar Morning & Mount Washburn
4 stops · Day six
Day 7: Paradise Valley → Fly Home from Bozeman
3 stops · Day seven
Jackson Hole · Mormon Row & a Snake River Float
Fly into Jackson Hole, where the Tetons rise straight out of the sage flats as you land. Pick up the rental and head north into Grand Teton National Park. Start at Mormon Row, the homesteader barns on Antelope Flats with the range behind them.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
inkknife_2000 (7.5 mil / CC BY-SA 2.0Start inScenic landing · 12 mi to the park · DriveFly into Jackson Hole, where the Tetons rise straight out of the sage flats as you land. Pick up the rental and head north into Grand Teton National Park.
Mormon RowMoulton Barns · Cathedral Group behind · ViewpointStart at Mormon Row, the homesteader barns on Antelope Flats Road with the Teton Range behind them.
See the trail →
Snake River scenic floatFlat water · Pacific Creek to Moose · activitySpend the afternoon on a scenic float on the Snake River. It is flat water with no paddling. The guides row while you watch the banks for moose, eagles and beaver. The most scenic stretch puts in at Pacific Creek and takes out at Moose, so ask the outfitter which stretch they run. Book a week or more ahead in summer.
Schwabacher Landing0.3 mi RT · the range in a beaver pond · ViewpointOn the way back to Jackson, stop at Schwabacher Landing for the whole range reflected in the beaver ponds. It is a 0.3-mile accessible walk from the parking lot.
See the trail →
Tony Webster from Unit / CC BY-SA 2.0Stay in JacksonTwo nights · The Wort Hotel · The Cloudveil · lodgeBase in Jackson for the first two nights, with The Wort Hotel and The Cloudveil in town and condos in Teton Village as a quieter option. Jackson sells out for summer, so reserve early.
Jenny Lake & Cascade Canyon, on Your Own
Today is the big Teton hike. Take an early Jenny Lake shuttle boat across the lake, climb to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point, then keep going into Cascade Canyon. The trail follows a glacial valley with Mount Owen and the Grand Teton on either side. Most people turn back at the forks, 4.5 miles in. Push on toward Lake Solitude only if you have the legs and the daylight.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Jenny Lake · Hidden Falls + Inspiration Point
Shuttle boat · 2 mi RT from the dock · 500 ft gain · HikeTake an early Jenny Lake shuttle boat across the lake (it skips 2.4 miles of flat lakeshore each way), then climb to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. It is 2 miles round trip from the dock with 500 feet of gain.
See the trail → - Cascade Canyon Trail (self-guided)
9.1 mi RT to the forks · 1,100 ft gain · HikeKeep going past Inspiration Point into Cascade Canyon, a glacial valley with Mount Owen and the Grand Teton on either side. Most people turn back at the forks, 4.5 miles in. This hike is on your own. Grand Teton does not authorize commercial guided day hiking for adults, so no company can legally lead it. The trail is well marked and busy in summer. Grizzlies use the canyon, so carry bear spray.
See the trail → 
Leonard J. DeFrancisci / CC BY-SA 3.0Second night in JacksonPack the car for Yellowstone · lodgeA second night in the same room, so the early boat costs you nothing. Tomorrow you drive north into Yellowstone and on to Gardiner.
Jackson → Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic & Norris → Gardiner
Leave Jackson early and watch for wildlife as you drive north through Grand Teton. Stop at Oxbow Bend for Mount Moran reflected in the Snake River, then follow the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway into Yellowstone through the South Entrance.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
Oxbow BendMt. Moran reflection · roadside pullout · ViewpointLeave Jackson early and watch for wildlife as you drive north through Grand Teton. Stop at Oxbow Bend, a roadside pullout on the Snake River with Mount Moran reflected in the water, best early in the day.
See the trail →- John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway
Grand Teton to Yellowstone's South Entrance · DriveThe parkway joins the two parks. You enter Yellowstone at the South Entrance and climb onto the caldera on the way to Old Faithful.
- Old Faithful + Upper Geyser Basin
2-mile loop · check the prediction board · ViewpointTime Old Faithful from the prediction board at the visitor center, and walk the 2-mile Upper Geyser Basin loop past Castle, Beehive, Riverside and Morning Glory while you wait. Stay on the boardwalks. The ground is thin crust over boiling water.
See the trail → 
Fairy Falls Overlook (Grand Prismatic)1.5 mi RT · the view from above · HikeHike the Fairy Falls Overlook (1.5 mi RT), the only place you see Grand Prismatic's colors from above. For a close-up, the Midway Geyser Basin boardwalk puts you beside it.
See the trail →
Senapa / CC BY-SA 4.0Norris Geyser BasinPorcelain + Back Basin boardwalks · ViewpointNorris is on the way north, so walk it today. It is the hottest and most changeable geyser basin in the park, home to Steamboat Geyser, which erupts rarely and without warning. The Porcelain Basin and Back Basin boardwalks together run about 2.5 miles. Norris sometimes closes after thermal events.
See the trail →
Jrozwado / CC BY-SA 4.0Stay in Gardiner (4 nights)North Entrance · Mammoth Hotel inside the park · lodgeGardiner, at the North Entrance, is your base for the next four nights, about an hour from the Lamar Valley. The Mammoth Hotel, five miles inside the park, is the in-park option. One base means no packing and unpacking.
Lamar Valley at First Light, Then the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Wolf watching in the Lamar Valley starts just before dawn. First light is around 4:30 AM at the end of June and closer to 7 AM by mid-October, and the valley is about an hour from Gardiner, so leave an hour before that. Pack breakfast and coffee the night before so you are not hunting for food at 4 AM. Look for the spotting scopes at the pullouts. That is where the wolves are.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Lamar Valley wolf watch
Be there at first light · pack breakfast · ViewpointWolf watching starts just before dawn. First light is around 4:30 AM at the end of June and closer to 7 AM by mid-October, and the valley is about an hour from Gardiner, so leave an hour before that. Pack breakfast and coffee the night before. Look for the spotting scopes at the pullouts. That is where the wolves are.
See the trail → 
Artist Point + South Rim Trail2 mi RT · the Lower Falls view · ViewpointMid-morning, drive over Dunraven Pass to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. See the 308-foot Lower Falls from Artist Point, then walk the South Rim Trail for changing angles. When Dunraven Pass is closed (mid-October to late May), go by way of Norris.
See the trail →
Hayden ValleyBison, elk, sometimes grizzlies · ViewpointDrive south from Canyon into Hayden Valley for bison and elk along the Yellowstone River, and sometimes grizzlies at the edges. Pull fully off the road and stay 100 yards from bears. Back to Gardiner by way of Norris.
See the trail →- Gardiner, night 2 of 4
Same room · nothing to pack · lodgeBack to the same room in Gardiner. Pack tomorrow's breakfast before bed.
Lamar Valley Again, Trout Lake & Mammoth Hot Springs
Back to the Lamar at first light. When the valley goes quiet, drive a few miles up the Northeast Entrance Road to Trout Lake, a short, steep walk to a lake ringed by forest.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Lamar Valley, second morning
First light · pack breakfast · ViewpointBack to the Lamar at first light. Seeing a wolf comes down to time in the field, which is why this plan gives you three mornings here instead of one.
- Trout Lake
About 1.2 mi RT · short, steep climb · HikeWhen the valley goes quiet, drive a few miles up the Northeast Entrance Road to Trout Lake, a short, steep walk to a small lake ringed by forest.
- Mammoth Hot Springs terraces
Upper + lower terrace boardwalks · ViewpointSpend the afternoon at Mammoth Hot Springs. Walk the upper and lower terraces on the boardwalks and the old Fort Yellowstone buildings, where elk often graze the lawns. For a longer walk, the Beaver Ponds Loop leaves from Mammoth and runs about 5 miles.
See the trail → - Gardiner, night 3 of 4
Same room · lodgeAnother night in the same room in Gardiner, five miles from the terraces.
A Third Lamar Morning & Mount Washburn
One more dawn in the Lamar. On the way back west, stop at Tower Fall, a quick roadside overlook.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Lamar Valley, third morning
First light · pack breakfast · ViewpointOne more dawn in the Lamar Valley before the hike.
- Tower Fall overlook
Roadside overlook · 10-minute stop · ViewpointOn the way west, stop at the Tower Fall overlook, a short walk from the parking area.
See the trail → - Mount Washburn Trail
6.4 mi RT · 1,400 ft gain · fire lookout · HikeHike Mount Washburn from the Dunraven Pass trailhead, 6.4 miles round trip with 1,400 feet of climbing to a fire lookout and a view over the whole caldera. The summit is exposed, so start by late morning in summer and turn around if a storm builds. The Dunraven Pass road is closed from mid-October to late May.
See the trail → - Gardiner, last night
Pack for the drive to Bozeman · lodgeThe last night in Gardiner. Bozeman is under two hours north, so tomorrow morning is relaxed.
Paradise Valley → Fly Home from Bozeman
No backtracking. From Gardiner, drive north through Paradise Valley along the Yellowstone River to Bozeman, about 85 miles and under two hours. If your flight is late in the day, you have time for a last look at Mammoth or the terraces before you go.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Paradise Valley
US-89 along the Yellowstone River · ViewpointNo backtracking to Jackson. Drive north from Gardiner through Paradise Valley along the Yellowstone River, about 85 miles to Bozeman.
- Drive to Bozeman
Gardiner to Bozeman · under 2 hours · DriveParadise Valley meets I-90 at Livingston, and Bozeman is 25 minutes west. Drop the rental at the airport.
- Fly home from Bozeman (BZN)
One-way rental · Jackson in, Bozeman out · DriveFly home from Bozeman Yellowstone International. Flying into Jackson and out of Bozeman means a one-way rental, so check the drop fee when you book the car.
Book the 6 nights
Beds near the trailheads are the one thing on this trip that genuinely runs out. Everything else can be decided later.
Tell us your dates and we will do the checking. We find what is still open near each trailhead and email you this plan back with a booking link for each night. Nothing is charged and you decide at the end.
Request to bookWhat to pack for Yellowstone
Built from this route, not a generic list. Every line says why it is here.
On every day of this trip
On your feet
Because you are sleeping indoors
For the driving days
Specific to Yellowstone
What we actually learned on the road.
Carry bear spray. Always.
Yellowstone and Grand Teton are grizzly country. Rent (don't buy, TSA confiscates) from Yellowstone Forever stores at park gates. Keep it on a hip holster, not in your pack.
Book lodging early
Park lodges (Old Faithful Inn, the Mammoth Hotel, Jenny Lake Lodge) need a long lead time and are often full for summer. Gardiner and Jackson are the gateway towns this route uses.
Bison jams are unavoidable
Plan for at least one 60-minute delay per day. Bison have right-of-way and they know it. Turn the engine off, roll down the windows, take pictures. Never drive within 25 yards.
Dawn is everything
Wolves are most active at first light, around 4:30 AM at the end of June and 7 AM by mid-October. Be in the Lamar Valley by then with breakfast packed, then use the afternoon for everything else.
Hire a wildlife guide for one day
A half-day with a Lamar Valley wildlife guide (around $300 per group) is the single best ROI of the trip. They have scopes pre-trained on packs and know the day-by-day pattern of the wolves.
Stay on the boardwalks
The crust at Norris and the geyser basins is sometimes inches thick over boiling water. Tourists die here every few years. The boardwalks are not suggestions, they are life-or-death.
Do the geyser basins before 8:30 AM
Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin lots gridlock by midday once the tour buses roll in. Walk the big boardwalks like Grand Prismatic, Old Faithful, and Norris before 8:30 AM and you get open parking, cooler light, and steam still hanging over the springs. Save the crowded midday hours for a drive, a picnic, or a nap.
Yellowstone: questions before you go
Grand teton to Yellowstone: the questions people ask most.
The two parks are directly adjacent, connected by the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway, so there's no real gap between them. From Yellowstone's South Entrance it's roughly 10 miles and about 20 to 30 minutes to Grand Teton's entrance station. From the major Yellowstone hubs it's farther: Old Faithful to the Tetons is about 1.5 to 2 hours of driving, and West Yellowstone to Jackson runs roughly 125 miles and 3 to 4 hours with wildlife delays. This itinerary crosses between the parks on Day 3.
Seven days is the sweet spot for a first trip: 2 days in Grand Teton and 4 nights in Yellowstone, which is how this itinerary splits it, with the last morning spent driving to Bozeman. You can squeeze the highlights into 5 days if you move fast, but you'll spend most of it behind the windshield. With 10 days you can add extra Lamar Valley dawns, a backcountry hike, or a rest day, and 14 days opens up Cody and the Beartooth Highway.
It's the minimum to do them right, 2 days for Grand Teton and 4 nights in Yellowstone. Yellowstone is the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined; trying to "do" it in 3 days means seeing it through a windshield. 10 days is ideal; 14 if you want to add Cody or the Beartooth Highway.
Late June through mid-September. Roads are fully open, wildlife is everywhere, and weather is forgiving. May and October are quieter and great for wolves and bears (more active around denning), but snow can close upper-loop roads. Winter is magical but most of the park is closed to cars, snowcoach only.
Seeing a wolf comes down to time in the field, so this plan bases you in Gardiner and spends three mornings in the Lamar Valley at first light, when they are most active. Look for the spotting scopes at the pullouts. A wildlife guide with scopes improves your odds. Bears are often seen from a distance in Hayden Valley and around Dunraven Pass and Mount Washburn. Carry bear spray and stay 100 yards back.
If you can swing the price and reservations: yes. The hour you save commuting each morning is the difference between catching dawn wildlife and missing it. Old Faithful Inn, Canyon Lodge, and Lake Yellowstone are the prime picks. For this route, the Mammoth Hotel or Gardiner is the right base, because both are about an hour from the Lamar Valley at dawn.
Outstanding for kids 5+. The wildlife alone will hook them. Junior Ranger programs at every visitor center are genuinely well-built. Skip Cascade Canyon if you've got little ones, substitute the Jenny Lake shuttle + Hidden Falls. Pack layers; high-elevation mornings are cold even in July.
Jackson (JAC) is by far the more scenic landing and puts you 5 minutes from Grand Teton. Bozeman (BZN) is 90 minutes from the North Entrance and often cheaper. This itinerary flies into Jackson and out of Bozeman, so you never backtrack. That needs a one-way rental, so compare drop fees when you book the car.
It's an all-park drive, roughly 125 miles and 3 to 4 hours to Jackson depending on traffic and bison jams. You enter at Yellowstone's West Entrance, follow the Madison River, pass Old Faithful and West Thumb, exit the South Entrance, and roll down the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway into Grand Teton with Jackson Lake and the Teton Range filling the windshield. Leave early, budget extra time for wildlife on the road, and treat it as a sightseeing day rather than a transfer. Lewis Falls and the West Thumb Geyser Basin are easy stops en route.
Yes. Colter Bay Village sits on Jackson Lake at the north end of Grand Teton, roughly 30 minutes from Yellowstone's South Entrance, which makes it one of the best mid-trip bases for a 7-day itinerary covering both parks. It has cabins, a big campground, a marina, and a general store, and it books up months ahead for summer. A popular split: 2 nights in Jackson for the Teton days, then 2 to 3 nights at Colter Bay or inside Yellowstone for the park loop. The trade-off is that Colter Bay is well over an hour from Old Faithful and 2.5+ hours from Lamar Valley, so pair it with an in-park night if wolves at dawn are a priority.
Take Highway 89/191 north from Jackson past Moose (the turnoff for Jenny Lake and Cascade Canyon) to Moran Junction, then onto the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, which delivers you straight into Yellowstone's South Entrance. Jackson to Old Faithful is about 100 miles and 2.5 hours of driving. Allow 4+ hours with stops at Oxbow Bend, Jackson Lake, Lewis Falls and West Thumb.
Both, ideally. They're joined by the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway and built for a combined trip. If you must pick one: Yellowstone for geothermal wonders (Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic), wildlife on a vast scale (wolves, bison, bears), and sheer size. Grand Teton for jagged peaks, alpine lakes, and concentrated photogenic beauty in a much smaller park. Yellowstone takes 5+ days to do well; Grand Teton can be experienced in 2.
Absolutely, it's the whole reason this is the most popular national-parks pairing in America. They share an entrance, sit 7 miles apart, and offer completely different experiences. Most well-planned itineraries do 2 days in Grand Teton + 5 in Yellowstone (7 days minimum), or 3 + 5 + 1 transition (9 to 10 days). Don't try to do both in fewer than 7 days.
For 7 days: Day 1 fly into Jackson, see Mormon Row and float the Snake River, Day 2 hike Cascade Canyon on your own, Day 3 drive north past Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic and Norris to Gardiner, Days 4 to 6 watch for wolves in the Lamar Valley each morning and spend the afternoons at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Mammoth Hot Springs and Mount Washburn, Day 7 drive Paradise Valley and fly home from Bozeman. This page lays out the full day-by-day with stops, lodging and timing.
Cut a day from each park: 1 day in Grand Teton (Jenny Lake and Mormon Row, skip Cascade Canyon) and 3 nights in Gardiner, keeping two Lamar Valley mornings and dropping Mount Washburn. It works for a first visit, but expect longer driving days and less time at each stop than the 7-day version on this page.
Ten days lets you keep this full 7-day plan and add a rest day, a Teton backcountry hike, or a side trip to Cody and the Beartooth Highway. It also gives slack for weather and wildlife jams, which can each eat an hour of driving time in Yellowstone.
Yes. Tell us your dates and we check what is still open for the plan on this page, then send it back with a booking link for each night and the total. Nothing is charged and nothing is held, and you pay the normal rate.
Pick how you want to go.
Same 7-day route. Same 19 stops.
- 2 nights, a campsite near Jackson
- $118
- 4 nights, a campsite near Gardiner
- $100
- Snake River scenic float
- $230
- Rental car, 7 days
- $770
- Gas, about 594 miles
- $105
- Park entry, one car
- $35
- 2 nights, a room in Jackson
- from $1,040
- 4 nights, a room in Gardiner
- from $1,200
- Snake River scenic float
- $230
- Rental car, 7 days
- $770
- Gas, about 594 miles
- $105
- Park entry, one car
- $35
Written and walked by Yulia Vasilyeva · Co-founder · Lead planner and guide
Three years leading guided hikes in the Pacific Northwest, rated 5.0 by 20+ verified guests, and she builds every custom itinerary herself. Based in Seattle.
Last checked October 2026
The Snake River float, under the Tetons
Yellowstone is geysers and wildlife from a car. The Teton half of this trip earns a different pace, and the scenic float is the clearest version of it: flat water, no paddling, moose and eagles on the bank, and the range from below rather than beside.
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"Felt like going out with a really knowledgeable friend who just happens to know everything about the area. No awkward tour-guide energy, just a magnificent day."
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