Yellowstone Road Trip

Yellowstone National Park was a bucket list item for Steve. (I’d been there once and was keen to go back.) It’s a long drive out there so while we were in the neighborhood, so to speak, we thought we’d stop by Grand Teton, which neither of us had been to. The Badlands made a nice break on the way out, and we were able to get a taste of Rocky Mountain National Park on the way back. (On my first trip to Yellowstone we drove all the way to Seattle and back. I think this itinerary is a much better use of two weeks.)

  • 15 days
  • 2011 Fall

Food and Beverage

We didn't keep statistics on what we spent on food for this trip. We did take a cooler with us and generally ate breakfast in our room and packed a lunch. We ate dinners out.

Lodging

We didn't keep statistic on lodging. We would recommend staying in Yellowstone if you can afford it and find an opening. The wait to enter the park can be long and so are driving distances.

Transportation

We drove about 4,442 miles. We'd originally planned to haul our trailer but gas prices spiked so it was more economical to drive our car and stay in motels.

Entertainment

Our entertainment costs we limited to entry fees for the national parks.

Days 1-4: To Yellowstone

Planned Activities

  • Badlands National Park
  • Mount Rushmore

Actual Activities

  • Badlands National Park
  • Mount Rushmore

The Plan: We needed to break up the drive out to Yellowstone at some point and we decided the Badlands was a good place to do that.

The Reality: It was a nice break and the Badlands are a worthy place to stop for more than a night. We were able to fit brief hikes in the day we arrived and a longer one the day we left. We also spent a night in Rapid City and hit Mount Rushmore.

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Drive from home

To Albert Lea, MS ~ 612 miles
To Badlands National Park ~ 443 miles
To Rapid City, SD ~ 62 miles
To Yellowstone National Park ~ 492 miles

Stay at Cedar Pass Lodge

In Badlands National Park, and motels in Albert Lea and Rapid City

Get around by driving

Days 5-8: Yellowstone

Planned Activities

  • All the major scenic areas
  • Cascade Lake hike
  • Mt Washburn hike
  • Elephant Back Mountain hike

Actual Activities

  • All the major scenic areas
  • Cascade Lake hike
  • Mt Washburn hike
  • Elephant Back Mountain hike

The Plan: Yellowstone was the primary reason for the trip and we planned our four days here carefully.

The Reality: We saw everything we wanted to. Another day would have been nice so we wouldn’t have felt so rushed. 

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Drive from home

Stay at Canyon Lodge and Cabins

In Yellowstone National Park

Get around by driving

About 400 miles during our three full days in the park

Days 9-10: Grand Teton National Park

Planned Activities

  • Cascade Canyon hike
  • Hermitage Point hike
  • Teton Village
  • Jackson

Actual Activities

  • Cascade Canyon hike
  • Hermitage Point hike
  • Teton Village
  • Jackson

The Plan: It’s so close to Yellowstone and we had the time so why not stop here too?

The Reality: The Grand Tetons are just as beautiful in their own way as Yellowstone and definitely worth a visit. Once again we could have spent longer here but enjoyed the time we did have.

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Drive from Yellowstone

Stay at Togwotee Mountain Lodge

Get around by driving

Days 11-15: To Home

Planned Activities

  • Fossils at Dinosaur National Monument
  • Driving through Rocky Mountain National Park

Actual Activities

  • Fossils at Dinosaur National Monument
  • Driving through Rocky Mountain National Park
  • Hiking at both locations

The Plan: We came home by a different route specifically so we could touch on Rocky Mountain National Park. Dinosaur National Monument was conveniently located in between the two national parks.

The Reality: While we didn’t have nearly enough time to experience Rocky Mountain, we did see enough to know that we need to go back! 

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Drive from Grand Teton
National Park

By way of Dinosaur National Monument and Rocky Mountain National Park

Stay at

Sage Motel, Vernal, UT
Canyon Motel, Hot Sulphur Springs, CO
America's Best Value Inn, North Platte, NE

Get around by driving

About 2,156 miles home

Resources

For Yellowstone, in addition to the national park website, we used:

For Grand Teton National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, and Rocky Mountain National Park we used the Park Service website.