Grand Tetons | Yellowstone | Glacier

This is the itinerary we used for a 10 day trip to National Parks in Wyoming and Montana. We were able to visit 3 National Parks on this trip. We visited these National Parks in this order: Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier. This was a one way trip starting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and ending in Spokane, Washington.

Our children were 10 & 12 when we did this trip. Their ages were great for this – there was a moderate amount of hiking in our itinerary which they were able to handle with ease. You could certainly bring younger kids on this trip, but may need to adjust some of the hikes & mileage that you plan to get in.

This itinerary was planned around our visit during the month of September. We loved going at this time of year because the crowds were lower than in peak summer months. The temperatures were moderate to chilly, but with the right clothes and gear we stayed very comfortable the whole time. Just a week or two after our trip, part of the area got heavy snow fall and was closed down so we were definitely on the tail end of the visitor season.

If you have less than 10 days, you could easily make this a week long trip by cutting out Glacier and just returning back to after your visit to Yellowstone. If you have the extra time, we would definitely recommend adding on the additional days to Glacier as it remains a family favorite National Park for it’s relaxing vibe and incredible scenery!

Happy hiking, friends!

General Trip Info

• Our travel dates: September 10-20
• Transportation: Flew into Jackson Hole (JAC) and out of Spokane (GEG). We got a rental car at Jackson Hole and returned it at Spokane.

Itinerary

Day One (Tuesday)

• We arrived late at Jackson Hole airport, around 10pm local time. We picked up our rental car at the airport.
• We drove to Grand Tetons where we stayed at Signal Mountain Lodge inside the park. The views from our lodge were beautiful and we often saw various wildlife right outside our cabin.

Day Two (Wednesday)

• The weather was pretty rainy this day so we decided to do some scenic drives.
• We first drove north to Oxford Bend seeing some wildlife along the way.
• Then we drove the loop to Jackson Hole, stopping at Mormon Row and Cunningham Cabin. We stopped at Dornan’s for lunch.
• We shopped and explored the town of Jackson Hole, including a coffee stop at Cowboy Coffee. While in town, we went by a grocery store to pick up snacks and groceries for our trip.
• We heard from other travelers about a good spot to see moose, so we drove back to Grand Tetons via Moose-Wilson road. Along the way, we saw black bear and a moose taking a dip in a pond.
• We stopped by the visitor center to get our passport books stamped and learn about the park.
• We had dinner at Trapper Grill inside the park by our lodge.

Day Three (Thursday)

• The weather had cleared so we had a full day of adventure!
• We hiked Jenny Lake.
  • We got to Jenny Lake about 8am to start our hike. We hiked the south part of the lake to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point and a little ways into Cascade Canyon and ate a lunch we packed there. We then rode the ferry back across the lake. We hiked 5 miles.
  • Important Note: at the time of our trip, cash was required to pay for the ferry ride back.
• In the afternoon, we went horseback riding.
  • We had made advanced reservations through Grand Teton to ride, but when we got there to check in they told us it was canceled due to muddy trail conditions. However, they were able to point us to another company whose trails were still open due their location being on higher ground.
  • Thankfully, we were able to snag last minute spots with Swift Creek Outfitters. We had to drive a little bit out of the park, but we had a great experience and would definitely recommend them for a horseback riding adventure!
• We had dinner at Trapper Grill again, and then afterwards drove to Signal Mountain Summit to watch the sunset.

Day Four (Friday)

• We checked out of our lodge around 9:00am to make our way to Yellowstone.
• Before hitting the road, we stopped at a cute little post office in Grand Tetons so our kids could send some postcards to family and friends.
• We stopped for pictures by the Yellowstone sign, and then arrived at the Old Faithful area about noon. We ate lunch there at the visitor center. After lunch, we made our way out to the viewing area around Old Faithful to watch the geyser go off. The viewing area can get a bit crowded with people lining up waiting to see. We explored the Old Faithful Inn while were here.
• We then drove clockwise around the Grand Loop and hiked Mystic Falls, which was about 2 miles out and back. It was a beautiful hike to a waterfall.
• We then continued to the Black Sand Basin and Grand Prismatic. Unfortunately, it was pretty foggy and hard to see the Grand Prismatic. There were several hats that had been blown into the thermal features, so be forewarned about wearing loose articles of clothing here.
• Note: there are two viewing areas for the Grand Prismatic – one that walks right around it, and then another one just a little ways up the road where you see a viewing area overlooking the top. If you can only do one, you’d probably want to do the viewing area that overlooks the top to really see all the colorful features.
• We continued our drive to the Canyon Lodge area and checked into our room at the Rhyolite Lodge.
• We picked this area to stay because it’s located somewhat centrally within Yellowstone and gave us a good home base to explore all of the different areas of the park. There are many types of lodges/cabins/hotels in this area. There is also a large cafeteria style restaurant, gift shops, and a visitor center here.
• We ate dinner at the lodge cafeteria this evening.

Day Five (Saturday)

• We left about 8:00am and drove about 30 minutes to Lamar Valley. We saw lots of bison and pronghorn, some of which were pretty close to the road.
• We then went to Tower Falls and walked to the overlook.
• We then continued to Mammoth, stopping to see the petrified tree along the way. We saw a black bear along the road on the way over.
• We got to Mammoth about noon and ate lunch at the grill. There were elk laying around in the city.
• The girls got their NP passport stamped at the visitor center. We then walked to the hot springs boardwalk and continued around that for about an hour.
• We then drove to Norris to see the geyser (note, our kids were pretty tired of walking by this point in the day).
• We then drove back to Canyon and ate dinner at the restaurant again.
• The lodge had a coin laundry, so we did laundry this evening.

Day Six (Sunday)

• My husband was up early this day, so he left about 6:30am and drove to Hayden Valley while everyone else got a little more rest. Bison caused traffic delays a couple of times along the drive.
• Everyone else got up about 8:00am and we drove to the South Rim Trail. Along the way, we saw some coyotes along the side of the road. We started the hike about 9:00am at Uncle Tom trailhead. We hiked about 4 miles total to Lily Pad Lake and then past Clear Lake and saw some mud volcanoes up close.
• Side Note: we definitely recommend some hikes in Yellowstone if you are able. Many of the features throughout the park are ones you just park right next to and get out of your car to look around. There are many tourists in these areas. Yes, the features are very cool and worth seeing. But, in our opinion, getting out on the trails with less crowds really gives you a chance to experience the whole essence of this beautiful place!
• We then drove to the Lake Region visitor center and ate a packed lunch overlooking Lake Yellowstone. The kids loved playing in the black sand on the beach here for a little while.
• While here, we listened to Park Ranger Tina tell us about her bear encounters at her 2:30pm presentation. Then we drove past the Lake Yellowstone hotel and stopped at the general store for some ice cream treats.
• We then drove back toward Canyon, stopping along the way at the Sulphur Cauldron, Mud Volcanoes, and North Rim overlooks. Be sure to see Dragon’s Mouth while you are at the Mud Volcanoes – it was one of our favorite features!
• Back at our lodge, we walked to Canyon Village for dinner again.

Day Seven (Monday)

• We packed up and stopped by the Canyon visitor center when it opened at 9:00am for another stamp in our passport book (each visitor center has their own). Then we left about 9:15am to drive to Glacier. 
• On the way out we stopped to see a male elk grazing near the west entrance. We drove through West Yellowstone and the headed up through Montana. 
• We ate lunch around 11:30am near Bozeman in Belgrade at a Wendy’s and picked up some groceries at Albertsons. We stopped at a visitor center in Butte to use the restroom. Then we filled up our gas in Greenough. 
• We ate dinner a little before 7:00pm just outside the park at Glacier Grill and Pizza. One of the highlights was their huckleberry BBQ sandwich with sweet potato fries. We definitely recommend eating here!
• We arrived in Glacier just before 8:00pm and checked in at the Village Inn in Apgar. We would 1000% recommend staying here in the park. The view was absolutely stunning and we wanted to stay there forever.
• It was a lot of hours driving, but it went by fast! Much of the drive was along scenic roads with 80 mph speed limits. Our kids appreciated having a day off without much walking or hiking to rest their legs, and they spent hours in the car working on their Junior Park ranger books (see my travel tips here!).

Day Eight (Tuesday)

• Around 9:00am, we headed out and went to the Apgar visitor center so the girls could stamp their passport books and pick up more Junior Ranger workbooks.
• Then, we drove 2 hours to St. Mary’s visitor center. We went via US-2 all the way to Browning (a Blackfeet Native American reservation) then up 464 and back down 89. We went this route because the rangers recommended it to avoid construction. 
• After stopping at the visitor center, we drove the 17 mile stretch on Going To The Sun Road to Logan Pass (unfortunately, beyond this was closed for paving work while we were there). It took about 30 minutes to get there. We stopped there at the visitor center. We had planned to do the 2.5 mile hike to Hidden Lake and eat a picnic lunch, but there was VERY dense fog with little visibility at the time. Instead, we ended up just eating lunch in the car in the parking lot. 
• We then drove back down to St. Mary’s, stopping at a few overlooks along the way down, including the Jackson Glacier overlook. We stopped at the visitor center to go to the bathroom and the girls got another Junior Ranger workbook that kept them busy most of the 2 hour ride home. 
• The drive and views along Going To The Sun Road are just amazing! We would have taken the road all the way back to our lodge, but it was unfortunately closed for several miles for construction so we weren’t able to drive the whole way through. If the road is open during your trip, we would definitely recommend driving the entire stretch of the road.
• The girls changed into their bathing suits when we got back to the lodge, and they walked in Lake McDonald for a while. The water was cold, but they did not care. They were more excited about how incredibly clear and beautiful it was. There was even a double rainbow over Lake McDonald!
• We went to some shops around our lodge and then ate at Eddies in the village (it was fine, but kind of pricey for what you got. Although there aren’t many other options nearby so you pay for the convenience.)

Day Nine (Wednesday)

• We left about 9:00am to drive the 16 mile stretch of Going To The Sun Road that was open to Avalanche Creek.
• We hiked the Lake of Cedars trail to Avalanche Lake. Don’t miss this hike – it was beautiful! I literally gasped out loud and got tears in my eyes when we got to the lake. It took us about 3 hours to hike the 5 mile trail. 
• We came back and went around West Glacier shops. The girls got sworn in as Junior Rangers at the visitor center. Around 5:30pm, we left for dinner at the Glacier Pizza and Grill again that we had eaten at on our first night. 

Day Ten (Thursday)

• We packed up and headed out about 10:00am on a rainy morning to head towards Spokane, WA. We stopped by the Apgar visitor center one last time on our way out.
• The 5 hour drive to Spokane was off and on rainy. We stopped at the Mountain Store restaurant in Plains, Idaho about noon for lunch. (Upon looking, it looks like this restaurant may no longer be open.)
• We drove through Coeur d’Alene to see the city then stopped at a rest area near the Washington border and also got gas. 
• We checked into Holiday Inn near the Spokane airport about 3:30pm Pacific Time. The girls were happy to watch TV for a little bit (the first time with a TV the entire trip!), and then we left about 5:00pm to go to the Satellite Diner and Lounge in downtown Spokane. After dinner we walked to the riverside park and walked around for a little while. It was a really cute city to explore!  
• We then went back to the hotel and went to the indoor pool and hot tub for a while before packing, showering, and going to bed.

Day Eleven (Friday)

• We got up at 5:30am and had breakfast in the hotel. Then we headed to the Spokane airport to return our rental car and catch our flight back home.

General Notes

• When we first arrived in Grand Teton, we were fortunate to run into some other travelers who were just ending their trip. They kindly gave us their unused bear spray that we carried that on all our hikes. You can not bring bear spray on airplanes and we had planned to buy it once we arrived. At the end of our trip, we also (thankfully) had not needed to use the bear spray and so we also passed it along to other travelers. We also wore bear bells on all of our backpacks throughout the trip.
• My husband and I already had hiking boots/shoes so we used those on this trip. Our girls wore tennis shoes for all of the hikes on this trip and that was totally fine. The hikes for this itinerary do not have particularly rocky or muddy terrain, and so tennis shoes were sufficient.
• We picked up groceries in Jackson Hole and then again during our drive between Yellowstone and Glacier so we could pack snacks and picnics for the trail. We had brought a soft sided cooler bag in our luggage that was easy to pack that we could use to keeping groceries during our trip. Pack or buy some ziplock bags to fill with ice for the cooler.
• It worked well for us to pack clothes for the first half of the trip, wash all of our laundry in Yellowstone, and then rewear everything for the second half of the trip.
• If you are planning to stay in the lodges inside the National Parks, I would plan to book rooms a year in advance. We would definitely recommend staying in the park lodges for this trip where possible, but there are other options for camping, RVs, or places outside of the parks as well.
• The total miles we drove for this trip was 1620.

Check out my favorite tips for visiting National Parks here!

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