Road trip guide
Yellowstone and Grand Teton itinerary
Yellowstone and Grand Teton share a boundary in northwest Wyoming, which makes them the classic two-park week. Geysers, canyons, and wildlife up north; jagged peaks and glacial lakes just to the south, linked by the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway.
Short answer
Fly into Jackson Hole for the closest access, or Bozeman or Salt Lake City for cheaper flights and a longer drive. Spend about 7 days: 4 to 5 in Yellowstone and 2 to 3 in Grand Teton, connected by the parkway between them. Late June through September is the reliable window, since high-country roads close in winter and into spring.
What makes the two-park week work
- The two parks share a border, so the parkway between them is a short connector, not a long transfer.
- Yellowstone is huge: its figure-eight Grand Loop alone is about 140 miles, so it needs more days than people expect.
- Grand Teton is compact and photogenic, a natural shorter second leg from a Jackson base.
- A summer-to-early-fall window, since Yellowstone's interior roads are closed to cars for much of the year.
The route, day by day
- Trip length
- About 7 days: 4 to 5 in Yellowstone, 2 to 3 in Grand Teton.
- Total driving
- Yellowstone's Grand Loop is about 140 miles on its own; budget plenty of in-park driving on top of the short parkway connector.
- 1
Grand Teton National Park
2 to 3 nightsJackson Hole airport to Grand Teton, under 30 minutes
Base in Jackson
- 2
Yellowstone, south and west
2 nightsGrand Teton to Old Faithful on the parkway, about 1.5 to 2 hours
Base in Old Faithful or West Yellowstone
- 3
Yellowstone, canyon and north
2 nightsOld Faithful to Canyon Village, about 1 hour across the Grand Loop
Base in Canyon Village or Gardiner
Recommended parks
Each pick links to the full park guide with season tables, logistics, packing, and route context.
Legs 1 and 4: the peaks bookendGrand Teton
- Best for
- First 2 to 3 days, Jenny Lake, Cascade Canyon, and wildlife on the valley floor
- Watch
- Summer lodging in and around Jackson is expensive and books out early. Wildlife jams can slow the park roads to a crawl.
Grand Teton is minutes from the Jackson Hole airport, so it is the natural place to start and, often, to finish. Two to three days covers Jenny Lake, the Cascade Canyon trail, Mormon Row at sunrise, and a scenic drive along the range.
Open the Grand Teton guide
Legs 2 and 3: the giantYellowstone
- Best for
- Days 3 to 7, Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and Lamar Valley wildlife
- Watch
- Distances inside the park are long and bison can stop traffic for an hour. Most interior roads are closed to regular vehicles from roughly November into spring.
Yellowstone is enormous and earns the bulk of the week. Split it into two bases so you are not driving the full Grand Loop daily: stay near Old Faithful for the geyser basins, then move to the Canyon area for the falls and the wildlife valleys to the north.
Open the Yellowstone guidePlanning notes
Fly into Jackson Hole, or trade a longer drive for cheaper flights
Jackson Hole (JAC) sits right at Grand Teton's doorstep. Bozeman (about 1.5 hours to Yellowstone's north) and Salt Lake City (about 5 hours to Jackson) usually have more and cheaper flights if you do not mind the drive.
Use two bases inside Yellowstone, not one
Yellowstone is too big to day-trip from a single hotel. Base near Old Faithful for the geyser basins, then shift to Canyon Village or Gardiner for the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the northern wildlife valleys.
Start Grand Teton, end Grand Teton
Because the airport is in Grand Teton, it is easy to do a short Teton leg on arrival, drive the parkway up into Yellowstone, then drop back south for a final morning at Jenny Lake before you fly out.
Plan for a summer or early-fall trip
Late June through September is the dependable window for full road and trail access. Book park lodging the day reservations open, since in-park rooms and campgrounds go fast.
Frequently asked questions
Can you visit Yellowstone and Grand Teton in one trip?
Yes, they share a border in northwest Wyoming and are connected by the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, which makes them the classic two-park week. Plan about 7 days, weighting most of them toward the much larger Yellowstone.
How many days do you need for Yellowstone and Grand Teton?
About a week works well: 4 to 5 days in Yellowstone and 2 to 3 in Grand Teton. Yellowstone is huge, with a 140-mile interior loop, so it needs more time than first-time visitors expect.
Where should you fly for a Yellowstone and Grand Teton trip?
Jackson Hole (JAC) is closest and sits inside Grand Teton. Bozeman, Montana, is convenient for Yellowstone's north entrance, and Salt Lake City offers cheaper flights with a roughly 5-hour drive to Jackson.
Pack and plan this trip
Gear keyed to what these parks are for, the tools to size your days and budget, and explainers worth a read before you go.
What to pack
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