Salt Lake City Circular 2 – A beautiful route for nature lovers that features spectacular, diverse, scenery in one of wildest regions of Northwestern USA. This route combines the glacial peaks of the Glacier National Park, in addition to the one and only Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, in addition to National Monuments and State Parks in Montana and Idaho.
Day 1 – Land in Salt Lake City and spend a few hours in the city
Lodging location: Salt Lake City
(if you land early you may start driving north on this day, lodging on the way, for example here)
Day 2 – Drive to Grand Teton National Park and enjoy the afternoon in the southern part of the park, 5 hours drive
Lodging location: Jackson
Day 3 – Visit Grand Teton National Park and around noon start driving north through Grand Teton, towards Yellowstone National Park, after entering the park visit the West Thumb Geyser Basin (on the shores of Lake Yellowstone), 3 hours drive
Lodging location: West Yellowstone
Day 4 – Visit the Midway and Upper Geyser Basin, 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: West Yellowstone
Day 5 – Visit the Lower Geyser Basin and afterwards dive to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and enjoy this canyon’s wonderful waterfalls and views, 1 hour drive
(in the afternoon – if you have time, add a drive back and forth in the Hayden Valley where wildlife is abundant)
Lodging location: Canyon (or Lake Yellowstone)
Day 6 – Drive to the Lamar Valley and tour the valley, in the afternoon drive to Mammoth Hot Springs and tour the springs, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Gardiner
Day 7 – In the morning bath in the Boiling River and then drive north towards Glacier National Park, 6 hours drive
Lodging location: Saint Mary (or the eastern part of Glacier National Park)
Day 8 – Drive west on the scenic Going to the Sun Road (that crosses the park) and go on hikes along the way, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Apgar or West Glacier
Day 9 – Travel in the western part Glacier National Park and drive to Missoula, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: Missoula
Day 10 – Drive south to Idaho, to the small town of Stanley and visit Redfish Lake, 5 hours drive
Lodging location: Stanley
Day 11 – Drive south in the scenic Sawtooth Mountains and enjoy the vistas along the way, in the afternoon visit Craters of the Moon National Monument, 4.5 hour drive
Lodging location: Twin Falls
Day 12 – Visit Shoshone Falls (in Twin Falls) and drive back to Salt Lake City, 3 hour drive
Lodging location: Salt Lake City
Day 13 – Fly home
– In order to fill this route with content – see our Northwest USA destinations page, where you can find articles that include suggestions what to do in various locations along this route.
