idaho wyoming road trip

Traveling From Idaho? This State Is The Best Road Trip Destination

Traveling from Idaho to Wyoming is worth the drive: here's what to see in WY and why.

• Wyoming offers charming small towns, wide-open natural spaces, and stunning national parks, making it an ideal destination for adventure and natural beauty.
• Fort Laramie, Elk Refuge, and Yellowstone National Park are must-see attractions in Wyoming, offering historical significance, wildlife viewing, and breathtaking landscapes.
• Casper, Sheridan, Jackson Hole, and Rock Springs are top towns to visit in Wyoming, each offering unique experiences, outdoor adventures, and a taste of cowboy culture.

Although there are plenty of amazing things to do in Idaho, those looking for a bit of fun, some stunning natural splendor, and towns that once straddled the great frontier and are representative of the country's "cowboy past" check out nearby Wyoming. This stunning state deserves its place as one of the most beautiful in the western part of the United States .

Thanks to its charming and friendly small towns with plenty of frontier history to explore, wide-open natural spaces, and some of the finest parts west of the Mississippi River. Why travel to Wyoming from Idaho? If visitors are looking for a fun trip that combines adventure, learning, and seeing some of the most outstanding natural features the continental United States has to offer, they should put Wyoming on the itinerary.

Take An Idaho To Wyoming Road Trip

What To See In Wyoming

Check out these top attractions that truly make Wyoming unique. Plus, all one needs to do is drive around to find other key attractions around every corner.

Fort Laramie

This former fur-trading post dates back to the early days of the 1830s, and is cemented in frontier lore thanks to its importance to people making their way down the Oregon and California trails. Fort Laramie has an excellent museum and is a great place to stop when one is in Laramie with the kids.

• Address: 965 Gray Rocks Rd, Fort Laramie, WY 82212
• Notable Fact: Fort Laramie's location on the North Platte and Laramie Rivers made it an extremely strategic site for the U.S. military.

National Elk Refuge is just about as close to the North Pole as one can get in the United States. A known sanctuary for thousands of elk, this spot is one of the loveliest tourist attractions in all of Wyoming, especially during the winter.

Visitors who want to give their families a real treat should consider bringing them up for a frosty sleigh ride and some incredible animal viewing.

• Address: 675 E Broadway Ave, Jackson, WY 83001
• Notable Fact: Brave the cold and see the elk; this spot is where the local elk stay during the winter months.

Stunning National Parks

The western part of the United States is known for its phenomenal natural beauty. Visitors should lace up their boots and check out one or more of these national parks. No matter where one roams in Wyoming, they are bound to find something awe-inspiring at these parks.

Plan to spend a few days exploring them, bring plenty of food and water, and make sure the cell phone is charged so nobody missed those epic snaps.

Yellowstone National Park

Designated as a national park in 1872, Yellowstone National Park is arguably the most well-known national park in the county. Prepare for a variety of impressive features, including hot springs, incredible hiking , and sprawling vistas. Visitors should aim to arrive at Yellowstone earlier during the day and bring plenty of water, especially during the summer months.

• Notable Fact: Yellowstone is the United States' first national park, opening in 1872
• Travel Tip: Bring plenty of water and snacks, because the park is huge

Related Link: 10 Of The Strangest Things Ever Found At Yellowstone National Park

Hot Springs State Park

Hot Springs State Park offers visitors the chance to relax and restore themselves in glorious warm waters that the Native Americans thought had healing properties. It's also great to relax in the warm, soothing waters after a long day out of hiking. This is definitely a must-visit spot in Wyoming.

• Notable Fact: Native Americans believed these waters were restorative
• Travel Tip: Stay hydrated while relaxing in the public bath; it's 104 degrees

Grand Teton National Park

Rivaling only Yellowstone in beauty and scope, Grand Teton National Park is one of the top reasons people find themselves in Wyoming. This stunning collection of mountains contains tons of hiking trails, beautiful rivers, and plenty of lookout spots where visitors can snag some great pictures .

• Notable Fact: There are over 60 mammal specials in the park
• Travel Tip: Stay for two or three days to really make the most of the park

Related Link: 10 Best Lodging Accommodations To Book In Grand Teton

Best Towns To Visit In Wyoming

These charming towns make Wyoming special and are great places for visitors to kick back and enjoy a relaxing few days on the frontier.

Solo travelers, people visiting the state with their families, and couples will all find some incredible opportunities to unwind in the foothills of Worming's wonderful mountains. Kick back, relax, and soak in the splendor.

Those who love fishing, hiking, and kayaking will want to put Casper on their list as soon as possible. Plus, visitors will find plenty of Oregon Trail history in and around Casper.

Top Attractions:

• Fort Casper Historic Site
• Tate Geological Museum
• National Historic Trails Interpretive Center

This lovely Wyoming town has the state's signature mountainous landscape, plus lush forests right around the city. Those looking for a taste of cowboy culture will definitely want to put this one on their bucket list.

Plus, travelers will find a friendly community, good local dining, and plenty of outdoor adventures right around the corner.

• Whitney Commons
• Bozeman Trail Gallery
• TrailEnd Museum

Jackson Hole

The ultimate in cowboy culture, Jackson Hole is an epic destination for hiking in the Grand Tetons, snowboarding during the winter, and enjoying every second in the Great Outdoors. Extreme sports enthusiasts will love this spot because of the sky-high peaks to climb, icy skiing runs, and rock climbing.

• Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
• Laurence S. Rockefeller Preserve
• Jackson Hole Rodeo

Rock Springs

Visitors looking for a chill small town to relax and home base while having some fun in the mountains should consider Rock Springs. This fun and funky place has the same rustic vibe travelers will get from other towns in Wyoming, but there are plenty of places to see art, tons of festivals, and lots of great culinary treats to try.

• Rock Springs Historical Museum
• White Mountain Petroglyphs

Related Link: America's Natural Beauty: 10 Natural Wonders Worth Seeing In The USA

For those wondering whether a road trip from Idaho to Wyoming is worth it, the answer is a resounding yes!

She Makes Her Own Adventure

Adventuring through small towns, good books and coffee shops

12 Days Road Trip through Idaho, Montana, the Dakotas, & Wyoming

Teddy and I took the road trip of a lifetime in the late summer of 2022. We headed to five states that were new for the two of us to visit together – Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wyoming. I’d been to each of these before, but some were brand new to Teddy. We wanted to see National Parks and Monuments, small towns, the open range and mountains, wildlife, and beautiful scenery of more rural parts of the United States. We accomplished all of that and so much more. This was also the trip where Teddy proposed and we were able to enjoy our new engagement in some of the most beautiful areas of the United States.

Below you’ll find suggestions on what to do each day if you plan to do some portion or all of this trip. I’ve linked both blog posts to a deeper dive into some of the areas as well as posts to business or location websites to help you in your research. Teddy and I don’t mind driving and being in the car for 3-6 hours a day to get places. We call these trips our “Scouting Trips” so that then we know where we’d like to go back to and where we’d don’t necessarily need to visit again. While some places like Glacier you may know ahead of time you’d like to visit for a few days, others like the Black Hills or the Bitterroot National Forest area you may not realize until you’re there. After each trip, he and I write down what we would like to revisit in the area and for how long and what we’re okay to not do again. We also include anything we missed or just didn’t have time for along the way. So by the end of each trip, we have a few additional trips planned in our minds for the future.

I’ve also included a map at the bottom of the post to show. you where exactly we went in each state. It doesn’t include every single stop but includes most of them. We drove about 3000 miles in 12 or so days which is about 250 miles a day or 4 hours of driving on average per day. If you’d like to travel slower than that, cut out some of the stops or add more days to your trip. We are fully aware that our travel style is not everyone’s travel style.

DAY 1 – Boise & Southern Idaho

• Fly into Boise. Depending what time your plane lands, grab lunch or coffee in town before beginning your exploration of southern Idaho .
• Visit Box Canyon. Go for a hike on the Box Canyon Springs Trail . We did part of this trail but the heat was quite awful the day we were there so we opted to just get a few looks over the trail, and not finish it completely.
• Drive 30 minutes east to Twin Falls. Check out the Perrine Bridge and see if you can spot any base jumpers. We saw so many the afternoon we were there.
• Walk under a waterfall at Perrine Coulee Falls . I’ve never been able to do that at a waterfall before, so this was a stop we both have as a highlight of our trip.
• Drive over to the 900 foot wide falls at Shoshone Falls. I do think it’s worth a look, but keep in mind it is man made because of the hydroelectric plan there. It’s not a fully “natural” waterfall.
• Head to South Market in town for dinner. It’s a food hall and you have an opportunity to try an array of food and ice cream!
• Stay overnight along I-84 (We stayed in Blackfoot)

DAY 2 – Tetons National Park

• Get up early the next morning and begin making your way to Wyoming. Try to get up early enough that you’re able to see sunrise in Teton National Park .
• Drive to Mormon Row and check out the various old barns along the dirt road.
• Check out the Snake River Overlook and Oxbow Bend
• Take the boat across Jenny Lake and then hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point
• Get lunch in Jackson Hole downtown where there are quite a few options or grab coffee at Cowboy Coffee Co. in town. Stretch your legs and walk into some of the shops.
• Head back into the park and go on the hikes from String Lake to Leigh Lake . This is one of the most peaceful ares that’s easy to get to in the park. (And a special place for us since Teddy proposed here)
• Find a spot for dinner in the park at one of the Restaurants or back in Jackson. We enjoyed the sunset view at the Mural Room in Jackson Lake Lodge as an engagement celebration dinner. We probably would have eaten somewhere a little lower key if it hadn’t been for us celebrating.
• Check into your lodging for the night within the park or in Jackson. We stayed in a small cabin at Colter Bay which was perfect for us.

DAY 3 – Tetons & Yellowstone National Parks

• Get up early and go to Schwabacher Landing for sunrise. It’s one of the most magical experiences in the park. Try to get there 30 minutes before sunrise.
• Head into Jackson for Breakfast. Bonus points if it happens to be their farmer’s market day like it was when we went.
• Head back into the park and hike one of the trails like Taggart Lake or Moose Ponds . We opted to hike the other direction at String Lake which we didn’t see the day prior and because we wanted to take some photos of where got engaged.
• Drive north into Yellowstone National Park . It’s a pretty drive but not a lot along the way until you get into the park.
• Take the left at the branch to drive into the West Thumb toward Old Faithful. Since we both saw Old Faithful before, we skipped it, but if it’s your first time, it’s worth a stop.
• Head to the parking lot for the Fairy Falls / Grand Prismatic Overlook trail. Depending on how much energy you have, at least hike to the Grand Prismatic Overlook . If you want, you can head a few miles further to Fairy Falls. Our intention was to go to both on our trip but we had a thunderstorm roll in when we were hiking so we headed back to the car after the Grand Prismatic.
• Drive to West Yellowstone for dinner. We loved our food at The Buffalo Bar and highly recommend the Bison Queso and the Huckleberry Margarita
• Drive toward the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone area and check out some of the scenic stops along the way. We were able to see a bear along our drive!
• Stay overnight inside the park. We picked Canyon Village since it was a good location for us.

DAY 4 – Yellowstone National Park, Cody, & The Big Horns

• Get up early and try to go see some wildlife. We went to the Hayden Valley to hopefully see some wolves. Unfortunately no wolves but quite a few bison.
• The next stop was Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. While I appreciate the waterfall, I thought the view looking the other way with the red rocks into the canyon was even more spectacular.
• We grabbed breakfast at one of the lodges before heading out of the park through the east entrance. Teddy and I have both been to Yellowstone on previous trips, so we intentionally planned our time here to be just one day, especially since some portions of the park were still closed after the flooding earlier in 2022.
• Drive to Cody and stop in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West . Teddy and I are not really museum people but we went to this one for a few hours and loved it. It is 5 museums in one so I checked out the Plains Indian Museum and Teddy visited the Cody Firearms and part of the Natural History museum. To see this whole museum would probably take days, so choose 1-2 areas you’d really like to see.
• Have lunch in Downtown Cody. We ate at the Proud Cut Saloon . We loved the decor and the food was our vibe. Walk around some of the shops in town before heading further toward Ten Sleep.
• If you’re hungry, grab a bite to eat in 10 Sleep before heading into Big Horn National Forest. There’s the Sleepy Coyote Cafe & Bar and 1 Cow.
• Go for a hike in the Bighorns. We loved the James T. Saban Lookout hike. It’s short but steep and had beautiful views. We were also the only ones there during our visit.
• Stay overnight in Buffalo.

DAY 5 – Devil’s Tower, Wind Cave National Park, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Memorial

• Drive to Devil’s Tower National Monument. Like most other days, this is a great one to get up early to not only beat the crowds, but to see Devil’s tower in a beautiful bluish purple light in the morning.
• Hike around the base of the Tower. You can choose either the Devil’s Tower Trail at 1.7 Miles or the Red Beds Trail at 2.8 miles. Or both! It’s really hard to describe our experience here but it felt a little magical, very peaceful, while also feeling like you were part of something bigger that happened there. Again, really hard to describe, but it was one of my favorite places on our entire trip and we were only there for about 2-3 hours.
• Head toward Rapid City, South Dakota.
• Take a cave tour through Wind Cave National Park . You’ll need tickets for this one since you can only do a guided tour, but worth it. It’s very different than other caves I’ve visited like Luray , Carlsbad , and Mammoth .
• Drive north after your tour into Custer State Park . On the way, check out the fire lookout hike to a firetower on Rankin Ridge .
• Drive the scenic Wildlife Loop in Custer. This one does cost an entrance fee, but is good for 7 days and you’ll use it the next day. Hopefully you will see bison, wild burros, and other unique animals along your drive!
• Drive into Custer for dinner. Go to The Begging Burro . Teddy loved his meal so much he wanted come back the next day. He got a Mezcal Steak and it was incredible.
• Watch the Light Show at Crazy Horse Memorial . While you wait for the show, visit the museum and learn about the individuals who lived in this area initially as well as the development and meaning of the Crazy Horse structure. This was another favorite stop.
• Pick a spot in the Black Hills to stay overnight. We opted to stead in Hill City because of it’s location to what we were doing in the area.

DAY 6 – Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Badlands National Park, Spearfish Canyon

• Walk the Presidential Trail at Mount Rushmore . Did you know the park opens at 5 AM? If you get there at first light, again no crowds, and yes beautiful light on the faces of the rock, but also you can see an incredible sunrise over the parking deck.
• Drive to Sylvan Lake . Again, another perk of this being first thing in the morning is that the sunlight on the rocks and lake is beautiful but also it is not packed full of people. This was another really special place to use on our trip. It was peaceful, surprising, and majestic. The 1 or so mile walk around the lake is worth the stop. If you want, check out the Sunday Gulch Trail that starts at the back of the lake for a more epic hike.
• Since it’s still early, drive the Needles Highway and go through the tunnels with again, pretty much nobody else on the road. If you have time, stop at the Cathedral Spires hike. We wished we would have done the hike as it looks incredible.
• Wall Drug & Badlands National Park is the next stop. It was about lunch when we got there, so we ate at the Badlands Saloon & Grill after checking out the famous Wall Drug. We also picked up coffee at Wall Stompin Grounds Coffee House before heading into the park.
• Drive the Scenic Road from west to east in the park. Stop at the various pulloffs and if you can, download the GyPSy guide to learn about the park while you’re driving.
• Hike the Windows, Doors, or Notch Trail (or all 3) and visit the Ben T. Reiffel Visitor Center and learn about the wild and mind blowing animals that used to live in this park millions of years ago.
• Drive back toward Rapid City and check out Spearfish Canyon – both the waterfalls and the wildlife. We did a short waterfall hike and on the way saw mountain goats along the stream.
• Stay overnight in the northern part of the Black Hills.

DAY 7 – Theodore Roosevelt National Park

• Stop at Blackbird Espresso for coffee and breakfast in Spearfish before your drive to Theodore Roosevelt National Park
• Make the 3 hour drive north to Theodore Roosevelt National Park . Grab a picnic lunch in Medora or sit down to eat prior to heading into the park as there aren’t options inside.
• Choose a few hikes in the park you’d like to do as you drive the scenic route. We opted for the Wind Canyon Trail which was short and ideal for a very hot day. We stopped at Buck Hill as well as the Coal Vein Trail area.
• Go to the Medora Musical. We didn’t get a chance to do this as we were tired and wanted to get more sleep rather than stay up for the musical.
• Overnight in Medora or Glendive

DAY 8 – Glacier National Park

• Pack your snacks and drinks and get ready for a long day of driving. Depending where you stay overnight, you will have about 8-9 hours of driving ahead of you to get to Glacier .
• We stopped at Milk River Mocha for coffee along the way, and then grabbed gas and snacks at a gas statoin, but other than that we just kept doing so we could get to Glacier by late afternoon.
• We stayed in Apgar Village because they had 2 nights of availability and it was within the park which meant we didn’t have to get passes for those days into the park.
• We relaxed at our cabin along the river before heading into Columbia Falls for dinner at Gunsight Saloon and to watch the Penn State Game.

DAY 9 – Glacier National Park

• Time to get up early again. To get a parking spot and beat the crowds, you will want to get to the trailhead for Avalanche Lake early. We got there before the sun even rose and were able to see that bluish purple light again on the mountains and lake. We even got to see a bear from a safe distance at the lake. This 6ish mile hike is a must do on the trip. The waterfalls in the background of the lake are beautiful as is the trail.
• Drive to Polebridge Mercantile for a Bearclaw. Be prepared as the roads to get there are more country stone/dirt roads than paved but it’s worth it. You can even grab lunch there too at the food truck or cafe.
• Relax by Lake MacDonald in the afternoon before getting dinner in Columbia Falls, Apgar, or somewhere else in the park. Then drive up to Logan Pass to watch the sunset.
• Then back down the Going to the Sun Road to your accommodations for the night.

DAY 10 – Glacier National Park

• Another early morning. Get up before sunrise so you can get to the trailhead for either the Highline Trail or Hidden Lakes Overlook Trail in the morning. They both depart from Logan Pass. While we wanted to do part of the Highline Trail, heights aren’t really our thing and neither are crowds, so we opted for the shorter and less crowded hike.
• We drove down the other side of the mountain with the attempt to go to Many Glacier. It was already full by the time we got there, but if you are able to get in, please go. So many people told us it was their favorite part of the park.
• Otherwise, grab lunch in St. Marys at the Snowgoose Grill & Gift Shop. We had a bison quesadilla which was divine.
• Go back into the park and hike the St. Mary’s, Virginia, and Baring Falls Hike. We only made it to Baring Falls because of where we parked and the heat, but would have loved to make it to all of them.
• We were tired, so we headed to our lodge in East Glacier for the night. We had intended to do another hike in the evening, but decided dinner and relaxing at the lodge sounded more appealing.

DAY 11 – Missoula & Hamilton

• Drive 3.5 toward Missoula stopping in Columbia Falls on the way for breakfast at coffee at Copper Mountain Coffee. Make a short stop at Great Gray Gifts along the drive.
• Grab lunch in downtown Missoula and walk around the city. We enjoyed our lunch at Tamarac Brewing Company and had hoped for ice cream at Sweet Peaks but it was closed the day we were there. We walked around town for a bit before heading just outside of town.
• Hike the “M” Trail. We didn’t get to as the smoke was coming in from the wild fires in the area but plan to next time we’re in the area.
• Drive to Hamilton and hike Blodgett Canyon . This was another we didn’t get to do because the smoke was awful further south and it was not a good idea to be outside for longer periods of time.
• Enjoy dinner downtown and check out some of the spots where scenes from Yellowstone were filmed.
• Stay overnight in Hamilton.

DAY 12 – Red Fish Lodge, Stanley, & Craters of the Moon National Monument

• Continue the drive south toward Red Fish Lodge in Stanley, Idaho.
• Hike the Fishhook Creek Trail. You’ll start off by taking a boat over to the trail. This is another one we didn’t get to do because of wildfire smoke. The road we planned to take to even get to this area had intermittent closures so we ended up detouring over to Craters of the Moon National Monument.
• Get your permit at the Visitor Center to go into a cave at Craters of the Moon or just enjoy a hike like the Devil’s Orchard Trail in the park. Check out the splatter cone and Inferno cone along the Scenic Loop.
• Head into Ketchum for dinner and walk around the cute shops.
• Stay overnight in the Ketchum and Sun Valley area.

DAY 13 – Homeward Bound

• Drive to Boise for your flight. If you’re from the east coast, stop at Dutch Bros. one last time before you leave. Don’t forget to dispose of your bear spray at a local recycling facility or check with your hotel if they take them.

Below is the map of about what we drove on our 3000 mile trip.

Happy travels!

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America's Most Scenic Road Trip

Tour seven National Parks, fourteen National Monuments and three Heritage Areas all on one road—US Route 89. From Canada to Mexico through Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah and Arizona you will behold the West’s most spectacular scenery. Named the #1 Drivers’ Drive in the World by National Geographic, you will also visit 150 towns, cities and reservations to learn about the history and culture of Native Americans, Spanish explorers, mountain men, Mormon pioneers, prospectors and cowboys. Recreational opportunities abound to suit every taste. Climb a mountain, raft a river or relax in a luxurious spa. Plan your next road trip here.

Your Guide to a Western United States Road Trip (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming & More!)

This summer, we took a 10-day road trip through the Western United States, hitting Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, and briefly passing through Utah and Nevada on the way back to San Francisco. This part of the country is famously beautiful, characterized by lush green alpine landscapes and snow-capped peaks, winding rivers, and countless small towns dripping with old western charm. We rode horses and ate beef, as one must, and went on some of the most scenic hikes anywhere.

Our itinerary included three out of the five most conservative states in America — Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho — and I now know what it feels like to experience culture shock in my own country. People live in isolated rural areas hours away from the nearest grocery store. Trump 2020 banners hang proudly in front of houses and wave in windy fields and farmland. At local businesses and restaurants, taxidermy animal mounts outnumber patrons. A waitress showed us a photo of herself at four months old next to a bear her father had just killed. Locals openly carry guns at family-friendly tourist destinations, and, I assume, elsewhere.

At a restaurant in small-town Idaho, we had a lengthy conversation with a man about his stockpile of 100 guns, the 300+ gophers he killed with his 5-year-old grandson on a recent hunt, and his belief that the standoff between liberals and conservatives will end in a bloody civil war. While his convictions differ significantly from mine (I’ve lived in liberal cities my entire life and have never handled a gun), it was eye-opening to hear an opposite perspective on familiar issues. It hits different when you are talking to a flesh-and-blood human rather than working yourself up over the contents of a Facebook comment.

We took our road trip at the height of summer, and I highly recommend anyone considering a visit to this region to travel during this time. In Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, sunsets are well after 9 pm each day. You’ll be able to do and see so much more compared to the rest of the year. In this guide, I divulge essential tips and tricks for a successful road trip, share a 10-day itinerary, and outline detailed guides to every destination we visited, including where to stay and places to eat. I hope you find it useful when planning your own road trip through the Western United States!

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Table of Contents

• Road Trip Tips & Tricks
• 10-Day Western US Road Trip Itinerary
• Destination Guide Stanley, Idaho Salmon, Idaho Missoula, Montana Big Sky, Montana Livingston, Montana Beartooth Highway Yellowstone National Park Grand Teton National Park Escalante, Utah Las Vegas, Nevada

Western United States Road Trip: Tips & Tricks

Consider your accommodation budget.

We mainly used Booking.com to book low-cost motels located on our route. However, because we road-tripped in the summer and stayed near well-known US national parks, these cost about $100 an average each night — not the cheapest option for accommodation. Alternatively, you can rent an RV or campervan and have your shelter conveniently on wheels. Outdoorsy has a diverse selection of road trip vehicles ranging from no-frills campervans to glamping-ready RVs that fit any budget. If we could redo our trip, I would have gone this route. If you are on a tighter budget, you can do a mix of motels and camping, or even camp the whole time. Find and book campsites wherever you are with ReserveAmerica or Campendium (roughly $30 a night) or use an app like Free Roam to locate Forest Service and BLM land where you can legally boondock.

Bring Snacks & Lots of Water!

We brought a cooler from home to use during our trip and bought groceries along the away. Doing this will spare you both money and time during long stretches of driving and help you eat a little healthier. For water, we purchased a few 1.5-liter bottles and refilled them at gas stations throughout our trip.

Aim for a Good Balance of Driving vs. Sightseeing

I’ve made the common road trip mistake of trying to pack too many stops into a short time period. This time around, we tried to keep driving at a minimum outside of a few necessary travel days. A good rule of thumb is to aim for under four hours of driving per day so you have time to enjoy your destination. It’s always better to see fewer destinations more completely than more destinations incompletely .

When planning your itinerary, keep in mind that the estimated driving time on Google Maps is often longer when you factor in bathroom and restaurant stops.

Get the AllTrails App

If you plan on hiking — a must on any Western US road trip — AllTrails is a great resource for locating the best trails in your area. The app provides route maps, difficulty levels, trail photos, user reviews, and more.

Buy a National Park Pass

If you plan to go to more than one national park, opt to buy an annual pass for $80 instead of individual day passes at $35 a pop. The pass also gets you free parking at all federal recreation areas.

Download Offline Maps & Media

The United States is an enormous country, and there are large swaths of sparsely populated land without cell service. Download offline maps on Google to ensure that you will never get lost and your favorite playlists and podcasts on Spotify to stay entertained.

Our 10-Day Western United States Road Trip Itinerary

Here is our exact day-to-day road trip itinerary from San Francisco:

Day 1: Drive from San Francisco to Stanley, Idaho (~12 hours) Day 2: Stanley, Idaho Day 3: Salmon, Idaho & Missoula, Montana Day 4: Drive from Missoula to Big Sky, Montana Day 5: Big Sky, Montana & Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming Day 6 : Livingston, Montana Day 7: Beartooth Highway and Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming Day 8: Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming Day 9: Escalante, Utah Day 10: Las Vegas, Nevada Day 11: Drive from Las Vegas to San Francisco (~8 hours)

We had a rough plan in place prior to our trip but gave ourselves the leeway to make unexpected stops the way — hence why we hit Yellowstone twice! In the next section, I’ll dive deeper into what we did in each destination.

Western United States Road Trip Destination Guide

Stanley, idaho.

Stanley, population ~60, is located in Central Idaho, about 130 miles from Boise. With rustic log cabins, winding rivers, and rolling green meadows — all framed by the snow-capped the Sawtooth mountains — the town looks straight out of a fairy tale. Minus the ostentatious Trump 2020 banners hanging on some of the houses, of course.

In all seriousness, I had no idea Idaho was this beautiful. The entire state is a paradise for anyone who loves hiking, swimming, or anything outdoorsy. Here’s what we did in Stanley:

• Hike! We did the Iron Creek trail to Alpine Lake , a moderate seven miles out-and-back. You can go further to Sawtooth Lake, which adds an additional three miles. The hike is lovely, with wildflowers and sweeping views of Sawtooth’s jagged peaks along the way. The AllTrails app can guide you to even more hiking options in the Stanley area.
• Swim, raft, SUP, boat, or fish. It seems like you are never far from a river, creek, or lake in Idaho. Stanley is located on the banks of the Salmon River, and Redfish Lake is right nearby in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. There are numerous shops that offer equipment rentals and guided rafting adventures in the area—just give it a quick Google search once you arrive.
• Horseback riding. Mystic Saddle Ranch offers trail ride in the Sawtooth mountains and near Redfish Lake.

Stay: The Sawtooth Hotel is a charming and relatively budget-friendly option.

Eat: Sawtooth Luce’s serves up cold local beer and a mean Idaho Kobe beef burger, and we had a delicious breakfast at Stanley Baking Company. The oatmeal pancake is a must-try!

Salmon, Idaho

Salmon, two hours north of Stanley, is another small Idaho town of 3000+ residents.

Our main activity was a visit to the Goldbug Hot Springs in the Salmon-Challis National Forest. The springs, located at the top of a mountain, are reachable via a relatively short but steep hike. Once you complete the hike, you are rewarded with six warm pools, a waterfall, and sweeping views of the scenery below.

Stay : Super 8 by Wyndham Salmon.

Eat: We ate at Last Chance Pizza & Pasta in town. The artichoke spinach dip and conversation with local patrons were to die for. Ponderosa Pies is a food truck in Salmon that I wish we tried (they were sold out when we went). Their pizza is cooked in a wood fire oven installed directly in the truck.

Missoula, Montana

After Salmon, we drove to Missoula, a funky college town of 75,000 that we loved.

We arrived in the evening, so we watched the sunset at Higgins Street Bridge, took a walk downtown, and had a few drinks at The Rhino Bar , a proper dive with yummy beers on tap (this part of the country has consistently incredible beer). Though Missoula is pretty small, the nightlife is young and lively and there were a lot of people out and about. We had many “hmmm….should we move here?” moments during our visit.

On Saturday morning, we checked out the city’s weekly farmers’ market , which we read is a must during any visit to Missoula. It was cute, and we picked up some locally grown cherries and bison pepperoni for the road.

Stay: Econo Lodge Eat : The Hob Nob on South Higgins Street has good coffee and very filling, all-American brunch fare — all at a very reasonable price.

Detour to Garnet Ghost Town On our way to Big Sky from Missoula, we stopped at Garnet Ghost Town, a former mining town active from the late 1800s to the end of World War I. The town was apparently poppin’ in its heyday and had no less than thirteen saloons. I guess when you live in the middle of nowhere you’ve got to entertain yourself somehow. Because of its recent history and remote destination in the mountains, the buildings are well-preserved and worth a quick stop if you have time.

Big Sky, Montana

Big Sky, like so much of Montana, is absolutely stunning, with wide-open skies, winding rivers, and purple-hued mountains in the distance. Here are the top things to do in the area:

• Horseback riding . We went horseback riding in Big Sky with Jake’s Horses . The horses are gentle and well-trained, and in an hour-long ride you’ll cross creeks and scale a hill for sweeping views of the valley below. At $50 per person, it is 100% worth it!
• Take in the scenery on Taylor Fork Road. Our horseback riding guide told us to visit Taylor Fork Road if we were interested in seeing bears, moose, and other wildlife. While we didn’t see any animals (much to Lenza’s dismay), the views and photography opportunities made the trip worth it. If you are looking for a free place to camp, there are many options, but be warned that Taylor Fork is a dirt road where an off-roading vehicle is ideal. Bear spray is also a must.
• Hike. Beehive Basin Trail No. 40 is a popular 7.1-mile hike with spectacular views, meadows, creeks, waterfalls, and wildflowers. Use the AllTrails app to find even more options in the area that fit your hiking level.
• Visit Yellowstone National Park. Big Sky is a scenic hour away from the West entrance of Yellowstone. We ended up driving through the park en route to Livingston and visited a few iconic attractions along the way.

Livingston, Montana

Livingston is a historical railroad and ranching town in Southwestern Montana, a short distance north from Yellowstone National Park. Downtown Livingston, pictured above, looks like an idyllic old western town, though vintage shops and cafes now line the street instead of saloons. Like everywhere we stopped in Montana, mountains frame the city in the distance.

The highlight of our Livingston visit was Pine Creek Lake , a 12-mile out-and-back trail to not one, not two, but three alpine lakes (AllTrails says this trail is nine miles, but don’t believe it). The scenery at Pine Creek Lake is stunning, but boy, do you have to work for it. The hike consists of six unforgiving miles straight uphill, covering 3653 feet of elevation.

I almost gave up and turned around halfway through but persisted with the encouragement of Lenza and a one-pound bag of Tillamook beef jerky. When we reached the first lake, I came close to tears because we had worked so hard for the beautiful views.

Be warned—this trail is not for the faint of heart, but you will be rewarded with some of the best views Montana has to offer. If you choose to take on the task, make sure to bring sunblock, plenty of water, and snacks to fuel you along the way.

Stay: Country Motor Inn is a budget motel in town. And it actually feels homey!

Eat: Tru North Cafe , owned by a recent Los Angeles transplant who came to Livingston on vacation and “accidentally bought a coffee shop,” serves a mindblowing Maple Mountain Cloud latte and blueberry jam breakfast sandwich. All around high-quality food in a rustic but modern wild west ambiance.

Detour to The Old Saloon in Emigrant, Montana 20 minutes away from Livingston is The Old Saloon , an old western restaurant and bar established in 1902. The menu is creative and modern, with local twists like elk meatballs and a bison burger. We really enjoyed our chicken fried steak and roasted pork tenderloin with rosemary and huckleberry demi-glace.

The venue is an experience in itself, with wild game taxidermy lining the walls, a sturdy wooden bar, and a vintage piano in the corner. There is a stage and ample seating outside where live shows are hosted in the summertime, and guests flock in from Bozeman, Livingston, and other nearby towns for the experience.

Beartooth Highway

From Livingston, we took a two-hour drive to Red Lodge to enter Yellowstone via the 68-mile Beartooth Highway. This excursion — essentially a big loop back to where we started — took almost the entire day, but I really wanted to see what is considered one of the most beautiful and treacherous roads in America.

If you choose to explore Beartooth, I would budget at least 3-5 hours so you can get out and explore. There are lots of unique views and hiking opportunities along the way.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

So much has been said about Yellowstone already, so I’ll just share a list of attractions we visited in the park:

• Mammoth Hot Springs
• Norris Geysers
• Grand Prismatic Springs
• Old Faithful
• Lamar Valley (to see all the bison!)

Detour to Ashton, Idaho It is impossible to find a campsite in Yellowstone in the summertime. Jackson, the closest town, is crowded and expensive. So, we made the hour and a half drive to Ashton for affordable lodging, which we found at the Eagle Peak Lodge . In the morning, we had a gluttonous, all-American breakfast at Trails Inn Restaurant in town, which was just amazing. I’d never seen so many taxidermy animals in one place, and near the counter, a sign read “gun safety rule #1: carry one.” Seriously, look at this place:

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

We walked 7.7 miles around Jenny Lake , one of the many hiking trails in Grand Teton. It was flat and easy, with gorgeous views of the lake and the Tetons. Still, I’m not sure I would choose this trail again as it was crowded and there is a large portion that runs alongside a road.

Again, a quick search on AllTrails will present you with a list of trails within the park that you can choose from based on scenery, difficulty level, and user reviews. If I return to Teton in the future, I would try the more difficult Delta Lake vis Amphitheater Lake Trail .

Escalante, Utah

After Teton, we embarked on the 8-hour drive towards Escalante, Utah, stopping at Salt Lake City to sleep overnight. In the morning, we arrived to these views:

Utah is home to Bryce Canyon, Zion, Arches, and other majestic but crowded national parks. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, on the other hand, is just as impressive and a true hidden gem.

Never heard of it? Me either. But fun fact: designated in 1996, Escalante was the last part of the continental U.S. to be mapped .

We spent our afternoon hiking to the Escalante Natural Bridge , which we had all to ourselves. It is an easy walk on soft sand with multiple river crossings. The trail is so gentle on the feet that we actually did it barefoot!

Eat: Circle D Eatery has yummy BBQ ribs and a buttered trout plate. Georgie’s Outdoor Mexican Cafe has a quesadilla bursting with melted cheese and generously portioned fish tacos.

Stay: We slept at our friend’s quaint and reasonably priced Airbnb, though there are also a few motel options in town.

Detour to Capitol Reef or Bryce Canyon National Park Capitol Reef National Park is an hour and a half north of Escalante, and Bryce Canyon is about an hour South.

Bryce Canyon is obviously more famous — we’ve all seen photos of the park’s breathtaking Sunrise Point — but Capitol Reef received raving reviews from our friends and is far less crowded.

Whichever you decide, they are both great stops for your Western United States road trip!

Las Vegas, Nevada

I would write about Las Vegas, but really, what hasn’t been said about it already? The strip is obnoxious and ostentatious, crowded with symbols of American capitalism, casinos, wedding chapels, and strip clubs. Visitors range from overweight midwestern American families on their annual vacation to scantily-clad young girls ready for a night at the Marquee. People have a lot to say about Vegas, but in my opinion, you just gotta enjoy it for what it is: a tacky fabulous adult Disneyland.

Eat: Vegas is a food destination that I hope to explore more in the future. We had all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ at Ginseng BBQ on the strip and authentic, mouthwatering Shanxi beef noodle soup at Shang Artisan Noodle. I had an “I love America” moment at Shang’s because only here will you see a Hispanic person hand-pulling noodles in the Northern Chinese tradition. So good! If you are a Chinese food enthusiast and find yourself in Vegas, I highly recommend this place.

Stay: We loved our stay at Luxor, the Egyptian-themed, pyramid-shaped casino hotel located right on the strip. Obviously, there are many other options at all price ranges.

Few things are more romanticized than an all-American road trip, and I’m happy to report that they do indeed live up to the hype.

If you have any questions about this Western United States road trip guide, leave a comment below. I am always happy to help!

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Dottie is a travel blogger and YouTuber, and one part of Dots on a Map. Check out her YouTube at www.youtube.com/dotsonamap, where she tells stories about travel, food, and local cultures around the world.

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A Rookie’s Road Trip Through Montana, Wyoming and Idaho

A car-averse traveler finds freedom in the driver’s seat, covering 700 miles and three states over three days.

Heading down U.S. Highway 20 West, from Idaho Falls to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Arco, Idaho. Credit... Janie Osborne for The New York Times

Supported by

By Stephanie Rosenbloom

• June 30, 2015

If you long to answer the call of the open road but lack experience behind the wheel, look no further than the rental lot at Billings Logan International Airport in Montana.

On this sleepy strip of pavement you can spend a leisurely half-hour trying to deactivate the electronic parking brake you unwittingly turned on; practice a few turns to help ensure you won’t deep-six anyone; and attempt to allay the rising trepidation of your fellow traveler. Then, perhaps you will do as I did: drive (the wrong way) into town for lunch at the Burger Dive, a 1950s-style diner with chrome-trim chairs, burgers with names like the “Outlaw” and tattooed employees who look as if they’d just stepped off the L train from Brooklyn.

Thus, with a side of onion rings, began my all-American road trip, the one most romantics take when they’re 22 and there’s “nowhere to go but everywhere” as Sal Paradise put it in Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road.”

I’ve had a driver’s license for years, but in New York City the miles I log are on foot. Besides, I had never understood people’s fascination with driving. A car, in my mind, was merely a means to move from here to there, a burden to its owner and the environment, and potentially a way to get hurt or do harm.

Yet the remote, roughhewn beauty of the West has beckoned since I was a teenager. Who can say why you finally decide to do a thing?

On a cool June morning, I slid into the driver’s seat. The plan was to travel from the peaks of the Beartooth Range in Montana, through Yellowstone in Wyoming, to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho, some 700 miles. In the rental lot I buckled myself into a white Subaru Legacy alongside my travel companion, Dan, an unflappable, natural teacher tasked with the job of keeping us alive. To that end, he would do most of the driving. I’d try my hand at it here and there, putting my cowboy boot to the pedal where the road was wide and empty, hoping to experience a flash of transcendence.

Heading for Yellowstone along Beartooth Pass, one of the trickiest, and most breathtaking, stretches of road in the country.

West Thumb Geyser Basin, a caldera formed by a volcanic explosion 174,000 years ago, is one of the many attractions at Yellowstone.

A rear-view mirror reflects the Teton Mountains in Jackson Hole, Wyo.

Bob Turnbull, at right, assists a customer at Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters in Billings, Mont.

The road out of Jackson Hole, Wyo.

The Best of the Bash hamburger at the Burger Dive, a ’50’s-style diner in Billings.

Farmland near Rexburg, Idaho.

At the Montana Candy Emporium in Red Lodge, Mont., the walls are covered with many things, including vintage advertising signs for beer and Pepsi-Cola.

In Jackson Hole, Wyo., outdoor seating at Persephone Bakery.

Heading down U.S. Highway 20 West, from Idaho Falls to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Arco, Idaho.

My first drive of the trip, into downtown Billings, lasted seven minutes — nine if you count my initially going in the opposite direction. I moved gingerly, never feeling entirely in control, though we skated past a sheriff’s car and arrived at the Dive unscathed. After lunch we considered touring the turn-of-the-century Moss Mansion, perhaps refining our aim at Three Sights Indoor Shooting Range. But at Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters — where cowboy boots come studded and stitched, made of reptile skins and ostrich leather — a salesman in a cowboy hat said, on hearing of our destination along Yellowstone Lake: “Some people take three days to get where you’re going.”

We planned to do it in an afternoon, driving about 200 miles from Billings through Beartooth Pass to Yellowstone, where we would spend the night at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Cabins, which has been around in one form or another since 1891. Cresting at nearly 11,000 feet amid the Beartooth Mountains, Beartooth Pass is among the most breathtaking and perilous stretches of road in the country. It can be shut down even in summer because of ice, falling rocks, mudslides, fires and avalanches. At the airport Hertz counter a woman had said that if we made it, we should get out of the car and write our names in snow on a mountainside, “because that’s what everybody does.”

Everybody willing to drive Beartooth Pass, that is. I was not. But I’d try and get us to a nearby town where Dan could take over.

“It’s a great time of day to go,” said the salesman at Lou Taubert as we set off. “Game come out in the evening.”

Driving west from Billings, a gray road rises like the hump of a whale and you momentarily can’t see where it leads. As I approached, I thought about an old nightmare I used to have. I’d be in the back seat of a car and the highway would morph into an unfinished roller coaster track and the car would begin to fall. “Just look at the truck in front of you,” Dan said. “Focus on the truck.” I looked hard at the taillights and white-knuckled it toward nothingness. As the rest of the road came into view, the dread burned off like the morning fog.

Billings was disappearing, its Ferris wheel shrinking in the rearview mirror. The Tractor & Equipment Company and the Walmart Supercenter off U.S. Route 212 gave way to grassy fields, muted in the afternoon light like a 19th-century Albert Bierstadt painting. A billboard asked: “Where are you going? Heaven or hell?” Dan talked of curves in the road, how to glide in slow, then accelerate inside the pocket.

Mile by mile, town by town, I eased my death-grip on the wheel. I felt the road unrolling beneath me, and something else, too — a flutter of exuberance, like the scene in “Peter Pan” when the Darling children are learning to fly, though in my musical I was singing, “I’m driving!”

Around 3:15 we pulled into Red Lodge: former coal boomtown, site of a bank robbery by the Sundance Kid, rest stop for Calamity Jane, and the last stretch of civilization before Beartooth Pass. “Hemingway drank here once,” said a blackboard on the sidewalk outside a bar, “at least we thought he did.”

Inside the nearby Montana Candy Emporium, the walls were covered with vintage advertising signs for beer and Pepsi-Cola, which the young man at the register said the owner has been collecting for 40 years — apparently along with a stuffed ostrich and a bison head. Below are baskets and trays of sweets befitting Willy Wonka’s factory: chicken and waffle taffy, huckleberry (a favorite local ingredient) jelly fruit slices, and moose pies (potato chips, toffee and milk chocolate).

With a quarter-pound of peanut butter chocolate fudge, we headed for the Pass. By the time I realized I was driving a steep road around the rim of a yawning canyon, I was too stunned — by the soaring mountains and the sheer absurdity that I was the one at the wheel — to voice alarm. Though I dared not look into the abyss. Eyes on the road, I pushed up, past evergreens and a waterfall that skidded down a mountain like a vein. During seven miles of switchbacks, one of us would, on occasion, burst into the refrain from “This Land Is Your Land,” or some other song generally reserved for campfires. No car radio. No iPhone. An untested driver needs no distraction. As it is, when I adjust my window I have a tendency to drift into the next lane. There is no next lane on Beartooth Pass.

There is, however, the occasional turnout, including one overlooking glaciers and Custer National Forest. I parked on a stretch of dirt and followed Dan to the edge of a cliff.

“Listen,” he said.

From below came the sound of rushing water. We stood in silence. The sky had drained of color. There were no other cars, no other people, though there was evidence of the latter. On the mountainside by the road, in a dirty patch of snow, were block letters: ALEX WAS HERE. I stuck my finger into a slightly less filthy spot and drew our initials. No sooner were we back in the car than a rock the size of a basketball tumbled to where I’d been writing. Time to move on.

Beartooth Pass, part of Beartooth Highway, is, to borrow a phrase from the author Joseph Campbell, a “road of trials.” Along with stirring panoramas come signs warning of falling rocks, icy roads and hairpin turns to be taken at 20 miles an hour. At 9,190 feet, I pulled into Rock Creek Vista Point. “This is bear country!” said a sign in a restroom stall. “Be alert, make noise, carry bear spray and know how to use it.” Bear spray? I was still getting accustomed to carrying a car key.

It had begun raining as I zigzagged down the wet mountain byway toward the words “Open Range. Expect Cows on the Road.” Why hadn’t I done this sort of drive before? It was kind of thrilling.

“You may want to slow down, Mario Andretti,” said Dan.

At 8:31 p.m. the sign we had been waiting for materialized: “Welcome to Yellowstone.”

Nearly there!, I thought. The rain had moved out. The sky was purple, the clouds were pink, and on either side of us were big, woolly bison, as if we had driven into another time.

It wasn’t long, however, before everything was dark. The muscles in my upper back had begun to burn. Dan leaned out his window and asked some hikers how much farther to Yellowstone Lake. I heard the words “hour and a half.” I was a bit deflated but certainly not quitting this late in the game. Dan cautioned that in sports, it’s often in the last game of the day that someone gets hurt because they are tired and lose concentration. I promised we wouldn’t be those players. “Please,” I said, though it was unnecessary. He understood: “This is your marathon.”

I grinned. “Let’s drive!”

“O.K.,” he replied, glancing at the gearshift. “But how about not in reverse?”

The rain returned. So did the hairpin turns, leading us past a burned forest where trees looked like matchsticks. Whenever a car approached I switched off the brights, though in the process I would inadvertently switch on the turn signal. If I tried to shut it off, I ended up signaling in the other direction. Thus we drove through the woods, the Subaru blinking dumbly in the dark. I didn’t know that I cut it a little close on a couple of cliffs. It wasn’t until later that Dan debriefed me: “You only almost killed us once.”

We arrived at Yellowstone Lake close to midnight, too late for a victory dinner. The hotel restaurants were closed. So we ate peanut butter chocolate fudge. And moose pie. And SunChips from a vending machine. I peered out the window of the room into blackness. “We have a view of the parking lot,” I said, and drew the curtains.

When I parted them in the wee hours of the morning, the moon was still out. And there, beneath the windowsill, was Yellowstone Lake. In the night I had mistaken its placid surface for a parking lot. Transformation from lot to 20-mile-long lake is the sort of thing that happens only in dreams. Yet something even more magical happened overnight: I was looking forward to getting back behind the wheel.

That morning driving felt less like an ambition and more, dare I say, like pleasure. Rather than penetrate the crowds at Old Faithful, I drove us to West Thumb Geyser Basin, a caldera formed by a volcanic explosion 174,000 years ago, according to the $1 trail guide. A billboard warned visitors to stay on the boardwalk: “More than a dozen people have been scalded to death and hundreds badly burned and scarred.” There were hot springs, miniature mud volcanoes (mudpots), geysers and microbial mats whose pigmented bacteria set the earth aglow in spectacular colors: turquoise, green, orange. Tourists posed in front of Fishing Cone where, in the early 1900s, fishermen came to “hook and cook”: catch a trout from Yellowstone Lake, then cook it while still on the line by dangling it over the geyser.

Though it’s quieter than the scene at Old Faithful, West Thumb was still too busy for us. We returned to the road. It was a crisp morning. The windows were down and the seat heaters were up and, without any fanfare, Dan reached forward and switched on the radio. I had proven myself worthy of Kenny Rogers.

“The Gambler” took us toward Grand Teton National Park. I sang and Dan motioned for me to pull over every once in a while, like at Snake River Overlook on Route 191, where the photographer Ansel Adams used to capture the landscape. I was beginning to feel in control.

“Beautiful,” Dan said every now and then when I cut a smooth curve.

That night I had booked the cheapest room at the Four Seasons Resort and Residences in Jackson Hole, figuring we would be in need of a luxurious retreat to unwind after two days of high-altitude driving.

On the contrary, we were invigorated. And by the next morning the weather couldn’t have been better. We sat outside on the wood deck at Persephone Bakery in downtown Jackson nibbling croissants and scones made with currants and ginger, black pepper and Cheddar, watching people come and go around Jackson Town Square. The Square is the heart of a grid of quaint streets with boutiques selling whatever it is one might need on a deluxe Western holiday: Pendleton wool blankets, Swarovski crystal, cowboy hats. We were staying in Teton Village, but had it been open, we would have tried the new Hotel Jackson downtown, now up and running with 58 rooms, all of which have fireplaces.

I wanted to linger, but we were hours from Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, a more than 600-square-mile dormant lava field formed between 15,000 and 2,000 years ago.

To get there we crawled through proverbial one-horse towns like Tetonia, Idaho, population 269 according to the sign. Between them, we flew. By then I knew I was going to try to finish the road trip without ever taking the passenger seat.

U.S. Highway 20 West shoots straight through waves of green fields. Sightlines stretch to the horizon. There are Belted Galloway cattle, named for the thick white stripes across their middles; signs that say “Historical Site,” encouraging drivers to stop and check out a cave or a trail; and irrigation apparatus that Dan likened to giant mechanical centipedes.

The sky was storybook blue and I was going 70, my highest speed so far. Through the windows came the sound of the wind and the smell of cut grass, and sometimes of skunk. Dan called it ambience. I was pushing 75 when he began fiddling with my iPhone. The opening bars of The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” blasted through the speakers and out into the plains.

We seemed to be living the moment in Robert Penn Warren’s novel “All the King’s Men” when the narrator says: “I was headed out down a long bone-white road, straight as a string and smooth as glass and glittering and wavering in the heat and humming under the tires like a plucked nerve.”

What felt so good? The speed, the sun, the wind, the fantasy of never looking back? Perhaps it’s just freeing to sing along with Guns N’ Roses while tearing through eastern Idaho.

Outside Arco, which bills itself as the first city in the world to be lit by atomic power, a billboard says NUCLEAR REACTORS. This is the birthplace of the nuclear Navy, the Idaho National Laboratory, where since 1949 more nuclear reactors have been built than anywhere else. Beside the billboard are tidy bathrooms.

You’ll know you’re nearing Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve when you see the scorched earth. The black mounds are cinder cones, part of a 52-mile chain of fissures. Pull over just before the entrance to the preserve and in the height of wildflower season you’ll find big sagebrush and shocking pink monkey flower defiantly blooming up out of the black rock.

In the 1920s a geologist described this area as “the surface of the moon as seen through a telescope.” By the 1960s, NASA astronauts were studying volcanic geology here to prepare for moon missions. Given its charred landscape, the preserve can feel stark after a while, though climbing the Inferno Cone is a must for the panoramic views.

Before leaving we asked the women at the visitors’ center where to find the falls that give Idaho Falls its name. They laughed.

“There are none.”

About an hour and a half later I unlocked the door to a room at the Hilton Garden Inn Idaho Falls and there, off the balcony, were the falls. So they’re man-made. So what. They exist. They flow onto a dam on the Snake River.

That evening the sky burned neon pink over the Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Families of geese waddled around a five-mile greenbelt on the banks of the river shared with skateboarders, bicyclists and, ah, pedestrians. From the balcony we watched the day extinguish, the last families pushing their strollers toward home.

The next morning, it was our turn to go home. The odometer was just shy of 700 miles. I drove them all. Not for a second had I thought I could do it and, frankly, it would have been impossible without the right person riding shotgun. It was about 80 degrees when I parked the car at Idaho Falls Regional Airport.

Somewhere in the mountains on U.S. Route 212, my initials were melting. The grille of the once-gleaming Subaru was peppered with bug carcasses. I twirled the key ring around my forefinger, clicked the lock button one last time and walked toward the terminal, slightly wistful, my left arm sunburned from holding the wheel.

Billings Logan International Airport, 1901 Terminal Circle, Billings; flybillings.com .

The Burger Dive, 114 North 27th Street, Billings; 406-281-8291; theburgerdive.com . Price of a meal for two, about $30.

Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters, 123 North Broadway, Billings; 406-245-2248; loutaubert.com .

Montana Candy Emporium, 7 South Broadway Avenue, Red Lodge; 406-446-1119.

The Beartooth Highway (including Rock Creek Vista Point), Yellowstone National Park; wyomingtourism.org .

Yellowstone National Park, Northeast Entrance; 307-344-7381.

Lake Yellowstone Hotel & Cabins; GPS coordinates to Lake Yellowstone Hotel Check-In: N 44 33.005 W 110 24.084; reservations: 866-439-7375; yellowstonenationalparklodges.com . Summer nightly rates in the hotel (as opposed to the lodge or cabins) from $363.

West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park; nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/westthumbgrantvillage.htm .

Snake River Overlook, Highway 89.

Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole, 7680 Granite Loop Road, Teton Village; 307-732-5000; fourseasons.com/jacksonhole . Summer nightly rates from $379.

Persephone Bakery, 145 East Broadway, Jackson; 307-200-6708; persephonebakery.com . Price of breakfast for two, about $19.

Jackson Town Square, Jackson.

Hotel Jackson, 120 North Glenwood, Jackson; 307-733-2200; hoteljackson.com . Summer nightly rates from about $450.

Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve, 18 miles southwest of Arco, Idaho, on Highway 20/26/93; nps.gov/crmo/index.htm .

Hilton Garden Inn Idaho Falls, 700 Lindsay Boulevard, 208-522-9500; hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com. Summer nightly rates from $102.

Idaho Falls Greenbelt, idahofallsidaho.gov/city/city-departments/parks-recreation/parks-reservations/parks-main/greenbelt.html .

Stephanie Rosenbloom writes the Getaway column for the Travel section.

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Best Road Trips in the Northern Rockies: Montana, Wyoming and Idaho

Updated : April 19, 2023

AAA Travel Editor, Katie Broome

Bkamprath/iStockphoto.com

Best Montana Road Trips

The scenery in Montana is as impressive as it is varied. Thick forests, towering mountains, deep valleys and pristine lakes characterize the western part of the state, which includes the northern Rocky Mountains and the Continental Divide. It’s the topography of Montana’s west that inspired the name montaña, the Spanish word for “mountain” or “mountainous region.” Of all Montana road trips, this one is perhaps the most popular (and is sometimes referred to as Glacier National Park’s “Road to the Sun”). The 50-mile route cuts across Glacier National Park at an elevation of 6,646 feet and is open seasonally, so you’ll want to plan accordingly. To include the road as part of a longer trip, consider AAA’s , a 374-mile journey that starts in Kalispell, Montana, and ends in the capital city of Helena. (AAA members can take advantage of exclusive member benefits with car rentals from Hertz .)

A drive through the eastern portion of Montana will have you wondering, “Why is the sky so big in Montana?” It’s the prairie grasslands and wide-open vistas of the east that gave Montana the nickname “Big Sky Country.” To see these expansive, impossibly blue skies, consider the following road trips:

• Big Sky Country Road Trip : A scenic 425-mile journey that starts and ends in Billings, Montana, looping through southern Montana and a small section of northern Wyoming. You’ll see the cowboy town of Cody, snow-capped mountains and hairpin turns along Beartooth Scenic Highway , and important sites in Native American history like Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.

• Big Sky Back Country Scenic Byway : Farther east in Montana’s Great Plains region, this 111-mile journey takes you through badlands, buttes and rolling prairies.

For Montana drives under one hour, consider these additional trips:

• Flathead Lake West Shore Scenic Highway : Follows the shore of glacially formed Flathead Lake, said to be the largest natural body of freshwater west of the Mississippi River

• Bitterroot Valley Scenic Highway : Begins in rustic Darby, a filming location for the TV series “Yellowstone”

Road Trips Around Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Established in 1872, was the first national park in the U.S. and continues to be one of its most-visited, with approximately 4 million visitors each year. If you want to be among those visitors and experience one of the best places for road trips in the U.S., here are a few things to know about Yellowstone:

• The park is big — very big. Based on total land area, Yellowstone is larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined.

• The vast majority of Yellowstone’s 3,472 square miles lie in northwestern Wyoming, but its boundaries also extend into Idaho and Montana. (Three of the five park entrances are in Montana.)

• Wildlife sightings are common from park roadways, so drive with caution; you may see grizzlies, black bears, elk, bighorn sheep, moose and bison.

• Most park roads are open May through October (weather permitting), but check the Yellowstone road status website for the most current information.

To see Yellowstone’s dramatic river canyons, geysers, geothermal pools and waterfalls in all their glory, take the road trip, a 400-mile journey from Bozeman, Montana, to Jackson, Wyoming, with plenty of national park stops along the way. You’ll enter through the park’s west entrance (in West Yellowstone, Montana) before making a scenic loop that includes the popular Yellowstone Grand Loop in the heart of the park. This Yellowstone drive includes a trip through Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, with magnificent views of Jenny Lake, the Teton Range and the valley of Jackson Hole.

What Else to See on a Wyoming Road Trip (Besides Yellowstone)

Once you’ve done the scenic drives around Yellowstone National Park, what else should you see in Wyoming?Just outside Yellowstone’s northeast entrance is , a two-lane road that’s been called one of the most scenic American road trips. It rises to an elevation of almost 11,000 feet, with plenty of overlooks where you can stop for a photo. (If you’re starting from Cody, Wyoming, take the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway to reach Beartooth Scenic Highway; it offers more views of snow-capped mountains and deep canyons.)South of Yellowstone, you can explore the ski resorts and mountains around Jackson Hole and Star Valley. The Star Valley to Yellowstone Scenic Highway will take you from Yellowstone’s south entrance into Grand Teton National Park and then through Jackson Hole and a handful of small towns near the Idaho border. This trip is a good jumping off point for visiting Snow King Mountain and the National Elk Refuge in Jackson, Wyoming.North-central Wyoming near the Montana border offers many scenic drives and small towns worth exploring. From I-90 just south of the Montana–Wyoming border, you’ll have your pick of two scenic drives that start on US 14: the is a roughly 200-mile route across the Bighorn and Shoshone national forests on the way to Cody, while the Medicine Wheel Passage Scenic Highway heads toward Bighorn Lake on US 14A.The follows SR 120 past the vast prairies of Bighorn Basin to Thermopolis, Wyoming, a town known for its hot springs. Continue south on the Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway to Shoshoni for more views of canyons, rock formations and the Bighorn River.

Best Idaho Road Trips

Breathtaking mountain scenery, diverse wildlife, raging river rapids and a ski town that rivals Aspen — it’s easy to see why the state of Idaho makes a great road trip destination.The west region of Idaho boasts the , a 90-minute drive that snakes along the Payette River, with frequent pull-offs to admire the view.Scenic drives in Idaho’s central region will acquaint you with the state’s remote wilderness and craggy granite peaks. The follows SR 75 through Sawtooth National Recreation Area, passing the popular resort towns of Hailey, Ketchum and Sun Valley along the way. You may see wildlife like pronghorn antelope, deer, elk and wolves in this area.Another must-do road trip in the central region of Idaho is the , which follows the Salmon River (also known as the River of No Return, due to its strong current) past waterfalls and spectacular areas for whitewater rafting. As you near the Montana border, you can put yourself in the shoes of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who traveled through these mountain passes in 1805 on their journey west.In northern Idaho’s panhandle is a portion of the only International Scenic Byway in North America: . This 88-mile section of the Selkirk Loop offers great river scenery and wildlife watching opportunities around the Selkirk Mountains. (Make the full international loop — bring your passport! — by adding on Washington’s International Selkirk Scenic Loop to the west and British Columbia’s International Scenic Loop to the north.)Nearby is the Pend Oreille Scenic Byway , a two-lane road that follows the Clark Fork of the Columbia River from the Idaho–Montana border to Lake Pend Oreille (pronounced pond-ah-RAY), one of the largest freshwater lakes in the Pacific Northwest.

Best Time of Year for a Northern Rockies Road Trip

June to September is the best time of year for a Northern Rockies road trip, with the best chances of sunny skies and mild temperatures occurring in summer. July is the hottest month on average in these states.

Given the ideal driving conditions in June, July and August, expect plenty of crowds when road-tripping through tourist-heavy areas like Yellowstone, Glacier and Grand Teton national parks in summer months.

If you plan to visit Yellowstone National Park in the fall or spring, keep in mind that roads may close for winter conditions as early as October and remain closed until mid-April. In Glacier National Park, roads at higher elevations (such as the alpine portion of Going-to-the-Sun Road) can close in October and remain closed until late June or early July.

Some roads in Grand Teton National Park may close from November through April or mid-May for winter recreational use.

Winters are particularly harsh in the Northern Rockies, and driving in winter months can be dangerous due to slush, frost, snow, ice and white-out conditions.

No matter the season, always be prepared for dramatic temperature changes and unpredictable weather in the Northern Rockies, especially at higher elevations.

Start Your Next Road Trip with AAA

AAA Travel provides peace of mind for travelers — from the first mile of the journey to the last. Get inspiration for your next road trip and locate AAA Diamond designated hotels and restaurants with AAA’s TripTik Travel Planner , or browse pre-planned itineraries on AAA.com/RoadTrips . Estimating fuel costs for your trip is easy with the AAA Gas Cost Calculator , and if your car needs a quick tune-up before the trip, find a AAA Approved auto repair facility near you at AAA.com/AutoRepair . For printed maps, AAA TourBook guides and trip planning advice, contact your local AAA office .

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National Parks, Hot Springs, and the Great American Frontier: The Ultimate Wyoming Road Trip

A journey through this vast wilderness offers iconic parks, ancient forests, wildlife, and a history tour of the wild west. one of the best ways to visit wyoming is to hit the open road..

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There is so much beauty and adventure packed into the the least populous state in the contiguous U.S.

Photo by Shutterstock

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the first national park in the United States and one of the most famous in the National Park System— Yellowstone . The nearly 3,500-square-mile wilderness is situated mostly in Wyoming with parts of the park extending into Montana and Idaho. It is known for its mountains, meadows, and forest landscapes, its otherworldly natural hot springs, geysers, and lava formations, and its wildlife. But this year has also been a very challenging one for Yellowstone, which earlier this summer had its roads washed out due to the worst flooding to ever hit the national park .

As the park works to rebuild and as experts try to make sense of the long-term environmental and geological impact of the massive June rainfall, there is still much to celebrate both in Yellowstone and beyond. The park has since reopened and is welcoming visitors back to most areas (with the exception of the north and northeast entrances, as well as some sections of roads in those areas).

Beyond Yellowstone, the state offers an endless natural playground for paddling, fishing, hiking, spotting wild mustangs, studying ancient fossils, and soaking in hot springs. The best way to see and do it all—including many of Wyoming’s lesser-known treasures—is to road-trip across the state. From the railroad capital of Cheyenne to Shoshone National Forest, over to rock climbers’ paradise Vedauwoo, and on toward the Tetons , consider this adventure-packed route through the least populous state in the contiguous United States.

Stock up on rodeo-worthy gear at the historic Wrangler in Cheyenne.

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Day 1: Ropes and railroads in Cheyenne

After touching down at the Cheyenne Regional Airport, head to the Wrangler and pony up for some authentic cowboy boots, a Stetson hat, belt buckle, spurs, chaps—whatever suits you. Now that you’re rodeo ready, if you plan to be in town during the month of July, swing on over to Cheyenne Frontier Days to watch bareback, bull riding, and saddle bronco events in the world’s largest outdoor rodeo and western tournament. The nearby Laramie County Fair is fun in August, with animal shows, a demolition derby, and a kids rodeo. Visitors can also check out semipro kite fliers and BYOK (kite) at the End of the Trail Kite Festival in late September or hop a trolley on the Street Railway Ghost Tours in October. During the summer months, there is also a free concert series downtown. This is also a good opportunity to visit the Cheyenne Depot Museum , housed in the original Union Pacific Depot built in 1886 and now restored as a National Historic Landmark. Indulge in hand-crafted beverages at the dog-friendly beer garden Blue Raven Brewery , situated inside a historic home. Fill up on a hand-cut steak from a family run kitchen since 1942 at nearby Albany Restaurant , or opt for contemporary casual at the Metropolitan Downtown , with innovative twists on classics and creative cocktails.

In the evening, check into the Historic Plains Hotel , built in 1911 in the heart of Cheyenne. This landmark property, once frequented by cattle barons and movie stars, will take you back to the western frontier with its cowhide and antler decor accented by original artwork by Wyomingites.

Take in the views during a scenic hike along the Snowy Range Mountains.

Day 2: Medicine Bow National Forest

Cheyenne is the gateway to the 2.9 million–acre Medicine Bow National Forest , so rise and shine and double knot your hiking boots. Start off with breakfast at local favorite Luxury Diner , which operated as a trolley car on the streets of Cheyenne until 1912. Then, head west toward Medicine Bow’s Snowy Range (a collection of 140 mountains within the national forest) for rock climbing or a light hike among the 70 million–year-old igneous rock formations of Vedauwoo . For lunch, you can fuel up in nearby Laramie—try an artichoke burger at the vegetarian Sweet Melissa Café or a beef burger along with wings or nachos at Born in a Barn before continuing onto alpine lakes for fishing, paddleboarding, or kayaking. Additional hiking options include a moderate three-mile (two-hour) trek along the Medicine Bow Peak Trail and, for a challenge, tack on the Lakes Trail Loop. Afterwards, visit the 4,700-acre family owned Deerwood Ranch Wild Horse EcoSanctuary , the country’s first private land parcel for wild mustang horses that happens to be free to the public. Finish the day an hour away at the luxurious dude ranch Brush Creek Ranch .

Day 3: Hot springs in Saratoga

If you’re ready to relax a little, you’ll find plenty of wellness offerings at Brush Creek, or you can head into the picturesque resort town of Saratoga, home to some of Wyoming’s famed mineral hot springs. Native Americans consider these waters that flow over magma and hot rock to be sacred and to have medicinal healing powers. Just 20 minutes from Bush Creek Ranch is Hobo Hot Springs , where the Lobster Pot and Hobo Pool stay at a balmy 120 degrees from the heat deep from within the Earth’s crust. They’re free, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and are near more natural hot pools that line the banks of the North Platte River. For dinner, consider an opulent meal at the Brush Creek Trailhead Lodge or a more casual creek-side spread outdoors, which is offered by the ranch. Then end the night at the property’s boisterous saloon. Alternatively, you can also head into Saratoga for a homey Italian meal at Bella’s Bistro .

With its soaring peaks, Grand Teton National Park is a highlight of any Wyoming itinerary.

Photo by Toan Chu/Unsplash

Days 4–5: Jackson and Grand Teton National Park

Now it’s time to head north to “the Mountains of the Imagination”— Grand Teton National Park, nicknamed for its wild and rugged landscapes that look like artwork . If you’re an experienced backpacker with the right gear—don’t forget your bear spray—head deep into the park’s 200 miles of trails (check out showstopper views at Cascade Canyon Trail), or opt for an easy 1.8-mile hike on Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point Trail, with a big view of a thundering cascade and, of course, lakes and mountains. If you make Jackson your base for exploring the Tetons, you’ll have no shortage of appealing accommodation options, including the Cloudveil, Autograph Collection , a sleek new property with thoughtful design features that opened in 2021, as well as two motor lodges turned hip hotels— Anvil Hotel and Mountain Modern Motel . Or splurge for a scenic and restorative stay at nearby Caldera House in Teton Village.

Yellowstone’s colorful Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the nation.

Photo by Denys Nevozhai/Unsplush

Days 6–8: Yellowstone National Park

Just 25 minutes north of Grand Teton National Park is the original U.S. national park—Yellowstone, a park that speaks in gurgles of geysers, hot springs, and mud pots. It also protects the world’s largest public herd of bison, sacred to the 27 tribes who have inhabited this land since the 1400s. This is one of the last and largest nearly intact natural ecosystems on the planet with the most active geothermal features anywhere, including half of the world’s active geysers. Check out the Yellowstone Guide for an online guided tour.

Visitors should take the park’s southern loop if they want to pay homage to Old Faithful , the most famous of the 500 geysers in Yellowstone—it shoots sizzling hot water up to 180 feet nearly 20 times each day. Next, get lost in the brilliant blue, green, and orange tendrils of the steamy Grand Prismatic Hot Spring . Yellowstone’s most photographed thermal feature is actually a supervolcano and the third largest hot spring in the world. Check in at the classic and popular Old Faithful Inn , complete with lodgepole pine and stone fireplaces. Built in 1903, it’s one of the country’s few remaining log hotels, an architectural marvel that influenced national park architecture we see throughout the country today.

While visiting the park, make sure to stop by the new Yellowstone Tribal Heritage Center , which celebrates the region’s tribal communities. When Yellowstone was first established, tribal communities were initially pushed out by the government and are now being embraced. The center is near Old Faithful and hosts daily tribal presentations; it is a fine place to learn about the culture and heritage of the tribal nations.

Bull elk in Yellowstone National Park

Photo by Harrison Hargrave/Unsplash

Day 9: Yellowstone wildlife

While the north loop got the worst of the flooding, and some roads are still closed along with the north and northwest gates, park officials announced after a surge of funding the reopening of most of the park in early July. Check road closure updates , and if you’re in the clear, from the Old Faithful Inn drive 50 minutes to Yellowstone’s hottest and oldest thermal feature, Norris Geyser Basin , then hit up the remains of a 600,000-year-old volcanic explosion, Mammoth Hot Springs . Next, head east and be on the lookout for bison. In the park, you’re likely to stumble on these agile and burly beasts in the Tower-Roosevelt area (home to a 132-foot waterfall gushing down eroded volcanic rock), with expansive views of Mount Washburn, a petrified tree entombed in mud and rock, and other geologic formations that helped shape the area .

Visit the Lamar Valley to spot elk, moose, grizzly bears, badgers, bald eagles, pronghorn, osprey, deer, coyotes, wolves—and yes, thousands of bison. It was here and in the high plateaus above that the dwindling buffalo population recovered in the 20th century, when park managers purchased 21 bison and raised them here. (A second herd lives in the Hayden Valley .) Conservationists are still working this year to repopulate Yellowstone bison by moving some to 18 tribal communities across the country. Finish the day exploring the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, Canyon Village , and your choice of Artist Paint Pots (thermal features including hot pools, mud pots, and small geysers), the Mud Volcano (remains of a mud deposit after a late-1800s thermal explosion), or waterfalls (yes, right in Canyon Village). Eat and crash in the sprawling, modern, and ecofriendly Canyon Lodge and Cabins .

Summer view of Shoshone National Forest in the Brooks Falls area near Dubois

Day 10: Shoshone National Forest

If you exit Yellowstone at the East Entrance, you’ll stumble right into the country’s first national forest, which borders Yellowstone along the Wyoming–Montana border. The plains of Shoshone National Forest offer sagebrush, glaciers, and pristine lakes and rivers. Three craggy snowcapped mountain ranges create up to nearly 2.5 million acres for hiking . Here, you can also explore a mining ghost town called Kirwin , visited by gold prospectors Ernest Hemmingway and Amelia Earhart. Make the most of your final supper in Wyoming in nearby Cody with live music and slow-cooked meat at the Cody Cattle Company , finishing off the trip the way you came in—like a cowboy—in the Irma Hotel , built by Buffalo Bill (yes, Cody was named after him too). Now that your epic Wyoming road trip is over, tip your hat to this incredible state at the Yellowstone Regional Airport .

Idaho road trip - The ultimate travel itinerary

Idaho may not be an obvious place for a road trip, but with its wild rivers, dramatic mountains, scenic byways and expansive national parks, there truly is no better place to get away from at all.

This epic Idaho road trip itinerary starts in Boise and dips briefly into Oregon, taking in all the most amazing sights in south-central Idaho - from the stunning Sawtooth National Forest and otherworldly Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve to the iconic Hells Canyon Scenic Byway, and numerous spectacular waterfalls along the way.

While this itinerary goes at a pretty quick pace, you can always opt to spend more or less time in each destination, extending the trip from 9 days to 12 or even to 2 weeks.

Here's how to make the most out of a road trip in Idaho.

Day 1: Start in Boise, then drive to Twin Falls

Welcome to the Gem State!

Arrive in Boise and see the city

You'll start your Idaho road trip in capital city Boise, which has an international airport with arrivals from many different airlines all over the world.

If you're not local, pick up your rental car at the airport ( Budget , Enterprise and Avis all have offices in the area). There will be plenty of time to explore Boise on days 8 and 9, so for now set your sights on stop number 1: the majestic Bruneau Sand Dunes, an hour south of the airport.

Go sand-boarding Bruneau Sand Dunes

The first destination on your driving itinerary does not feel like typical Idaho; in fact, you'd be forgiven for thinking you're in Dubai or Africa when you arrive at Bruneau Dunes State Park.

This 4,800-acre geologic preservation area features an array of massive sand dunes sitting next to small lakes, making for quite the dramatic sight.

It's believed that the dunes were formed about 15,000 years ago during the last Ice Age, when the Bonneville Flood inundated parts of southern Idaho and eastern Washington.

Today, it's a popular attraction for Boise residents and visitors alike, who come to fly kites, do some stargazing, fish in the lakes or surf down the dunes.

Entry to the park costs $5.

Plan to arrive at Bruneau by around 10am so you can take full advantage of the park and still have plenty of time to travel to your next road trip destination.

Set your Sat Nav for the Bruneau Sand Dunes visitor center, where you can park your car and head inside to rent a sandboard for $15 a day. Then make your way to the top of the dunes and surf your way down!

For more information about getting to Bruneau Sand Dunes and what to do once you're there, head to the NPS website .

Drive to Twin Falls

After you've mastered sandboarding, dust off the sand, hop back in your car and drive towards Twin Falls. It's about 1.5 hours away, so you should arrive by lunch time.

The stunning city of Twin Falls is known as the gateway to Snake River Canyon, one of the most scenic parts of the state.

It's also a hotbed for water activities and adventure sports; to see what we mean, just head to Perrine Bridge and watch the base jumpers leap off the edge!

Have lunch at Idaho Joes

Seeing as you've had a big day already (and it's far from over!) you deserve a big, hearty, super American lunch.

For that, make your way to Idaho Joes, a casual local haunt that specializes in all things fried and delicious.

If you happen to be visiting at the weekend, the buffet breakfast is seriously popular. And be sure to save some room for pie!

See Shoshone Falls - the 'Niagara of the West'

Once you're suitably stuffed, pile back into the car and drive to Shoshone Falls. Don't worry, it's just 15 minutes away.

This awe-inspiring waterfall is known as 'The Niagara of the West,' and it's easy to see why. In fact, it's actually a whole 42ft taller than Niagara, spewing out water at an incredible 3,600 cubic feet per second.

It's especially amazing to look at after rainfall, when the falls are at their most impressive.

There's plenty of parking at Shoshone Falls, and it's an easy walk to the viewpoints.

Head onwards to the city of Blackfoot

After about 45 minutes or so of admiring the falls, it's time to continue on with your Idaho trip.

Your final stop of the day is Blackfoot, a small city with a big claim to fame: 'the Potato Capital of the World.'

You'll get your fair share of spuds tomorrow, but for now you should find your hotel, check in, drop your bags and head into town for dinner.

There are a couple of food options in town, depending on what you're in the mood for. You'll soon notice that 'light bites' are not really a concept in Idaho, so be prepared for some more hefty portions and lashings of fried food!

Day 2: Blackfoot to Swan Valley

Rise and shine! It's time to explore more of this wild and wacky state, starting with perhaps one of the wackiest Idaho tourist attractions you'll see on this road trip: the Idaho Potato Museum.

Visit the Idaho Potato Museum (because obviously)

Yes, it is as corny as it sounds, but the Idaho Potato Museum is also surprisingly interesting, offering a wealth of historical and cultural information about the humble spud.

Plus, museum visitors get a free box of tater tots when they leave - how could you turn that down!

Entry to the museum costs $4 for adults and $2 for children aged 5 to 12. Kids aged 4 and under go for free.

Note that the museum opens at 9:30am and is closed on Sundays.

Drive Blackfoot to Swan Valley

Around 10:30am or so, jump into the car once more to drive to your next Idaho road trip destination: Swan Valley, which is an hour northeast of Blackfoot.

The lovely Swan Valley is famously the location of the South Fork of the Snake River, the best wild trout fly-fishing river in the country.

This waterway boasts an incredible 4,000 fish per mile, making it one of the most productive rivers in the country.

Seeing as fishing is king here, it's only right for you to spend the rest of the day out on the river, seeing what you can catch.

Hire a guide and do some fishing on Snake River

If you're new to fly-fishing, there are several guide companies in the area that will provide equipment and show you the way.

The Lodge at Palisades Creek is a highly rated tour agency, offering half-day guided fishing excursions for $450 for 1 to 4 people (including water and tackle, plus lunch for an additional $20).

The trip lasts four hours, so plan to arrive by around noon or 1pm so you can be out on the water all afternoon.

Alternative: Dip into Wyoming and explore Grand Teton National Park

If fishing's not your thing, you can opt out of Swan Valley and instead drive a bit further east to the mind-blowingly beautiful Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone's less crowded neighbor.

You could easily spend several days wandering around this wild expanse, but it's also completely doable to squeeze a lot into one day.

Your Grand Tetons itinerary should definitely include taking the ferry across Jenny Lake to Hidden Falls, hiking around Cascade Canyon, and seeing how close you can get to the summit at Inspiration Point. The views from there are absolutely breathtaking.

Tonight, you can either stay in luxury in a cabin at the Lodge or head to one of the other, less expensive, accommodation options in the area.

There are also plenty of campgrounds and RV parks if you've brought a tent or a campervan.

Day 3: Drive from Swan Valley to Sun Valley via Craters of the Moon

On day 3, before continuing on with your Idaho road trip, treat yourself to a big breakfast at Angus Restaurant.

The menu at this friendly and rustic truckstop-style eatery consists of breakfast classics like delicious omelets, sizzling bacon, biscuits and gravy, and free coffee refills.

Throw in a milkshake if you're feeling crazy!

Drive to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve

Breakfast devoured, it's time to move on to your next stop: the mystically named Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve.

It's a 2.5-hour drive from Swan Valley, so stop halfway in Idaho Falls to buy some food and water for a picnic lunch later. Gandolfo's New York Deli on S Woodruff Avenue has a great selection of sandwiches and salads. And if you've got a sweet tooth, pick up one of their mousse cakes as well - you won't regret it!

You should plan to arrive at the Craters by around 1pm.

Explore Craters of the Moon

Begin your visit to this jaw-dropping place at the Craters of the Moon visitor center (or the Robert Limbert Visitor Center, as it's called on Google Maps), where they'll give you trail suggestions and information about the park.

You can also watch a short film there that provides more background on the natural history context.

Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve consists of 1,600 square km of blackened lava flows, cinder cones, volcanic fissures and lava caves.

It was formed during eight major volcanic eruptive periods between 15,000 and 2,00 years ago.

You'll definitely want to bring your camera (and a torch!) to capture these amazing natural features and venture into the caves, which date back thousands of years.

To get the most out of your visit, embark on the 7-mile loop, which includes access to hiking trails that take you up close to the incredible volcanic features.

(You can find a Craters of the Moon map and details of the Loop Road on the National Park Service website .)

The seven-mile loop takes about 30 minutes to drive, but you should allow about 3 hours for stops, hikes, and lunch.

Note that there's a $10 entrance fee per vehicle.

Drive on to Ketchum/ Sun Valley

Once you've completed the loop, it's time to drive on to the next stop on your Idaho road trip: the beautiful Sun Valley.

Not only is Sun Valley incredibly scenic, but it's also historically important. It was one of the original stops on the Union Pacific Railroad (founded in 1862), and it's the final resting place of author Ernest Hemingway, who wrote his most popular novel, For Whom The Bell Tolls , right here in Sun Valley Lodge.

You can head to the Visit Sun Valley website for more info about Hemingway's Sun Valley legacy.

To get to the Sun Valley-Ketchum area from the Craters, follow Highway 20 West for about an hour before hanging a right onto Gannett Road. From there, get on State Highway 75 North, which will take you into the city of Ketchum.

It's a 2-hour drive from Craters of the Moon, so you should arrive around 6pm.

Check into your Ketchum hotel and go out for dinner

Ketchum is the gateway to Sun Valley, the country's first ski resort and one of its most popular, so as you can imagine it's an outdoor lover's dream!

We'll explore the ins and outs tomorrow, but for now it's time to get some dinner.

There are lots of places to grab a bite in the center of Ketchum, from Mexican eateries to casual burger joints to romantic family-run Italian restaurants.

Make your way to the corner of North Main Street and Sun Valley Road to browse your options.

Day 4: Sun Valley - Skiing / fishing / hiking in the great outdoors

Good morning Idaho road trippers!

Today you get to immerse yourself in the great outdoors. What you get up to completely depends on the time of year you've decided to go on your Idaho road trip.

Lucky for you, Sun Valley is fantastic no matter the season, so here's how to make the most of your day:

Sun Valley in winter: Spend the day skiing or snowboarding

With two gorgeous mountains (Dollar Mountain and Bald Mountain) and more than 2,000 acres of snowy terrain, Sun Valley is the ultimate skiing paradise.

Chair lifts start running at 9am, so roll out of bed, layer up, and make your way to Door 2 Door Ski and Snowboard Rental Delivery on 9th Street East, which opens at 8am every day, to pick up all the equipment you need.

From there, it's a 5-minute drive to the Roundhouse Express gondola, which takes you to the base of Bald Mountain.

Spend the day shredding and skiing to your heart's desire, pausing for a warming lunch at Seattle Ridge Day Lodge at the top of the Seattle Ridge chairlift.

Sun Valley in spring/summer: Go mountain biking in Silver Creek

When the ice thaws and the sun comes out, Sun Valley becomes a veritable haven for cyclists.

Whether you like to ride on hardcore, rugged terrain or prefer cruising along gentle trails, there are literally hundreds of miles of mountain biking tracks to choose from.

In the morning, head to Sturtevants of Sun Valley on Ketchum's Main Street, where you can rent a mountain bike starting from $40 for a half-day. (Don't forget a helmet!)

Then pick up some snacks and embark on your mountain biking adventure.

For more ideas on where to go, head to the official Sun Valley tourism website , which has a detailed list of the best trails for every ability.

Sun Valley in Autumn: Go on a hike to see the fall foliage

There's nothing more magical than fall in Sun Valley, when the trees take on lemon yellow and golden hues, turning the landscape into an autumnal dreamland.

Not only is this one of the most beautiful times to visit Sun Valley, but it has the added benefit of being less crowded than in winter or summer, which means you'll have no trouble finding a peaceful hiking trail.

Plus, hotel and restaurant rates tend to drop outside of tourist season, so you'll get more bang for your buck!

The best way to see the beautiful autumnal foliage is by going on a nice long hike.

For a moderate five-mile hike, head to the scenic Proctor Mountain loop, which offers lovely views of Ketchum below.

If you want more of a challenge, try taking on Pioneer Cabin loop, an 8.7-mile trail with steep inclines and rugged terrain.

For driving directions, mapped routes and lots more information about the best hikes in Sun Valley and Ketchum, head to the Hiking Project website .

Go stargazing and spot the Milky Way

After you've warmed up at your hotel, had a hot shower, and eaten some dinner, it's time to do some stargazing.

Sun Valley and Ketchum are part of the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve - the only such reserve in the whole country, and one of just 12 in the entire world.

What that means is that, thanks to clear skies and efforts to limit light pollution, the stars here are unusually brilliant, illuminating up the night sky - and there's a good chance you'll be able to see the Milky Way as well.

Unbelievably, a 2016 survey found that 80% of Americans can't view the Milky Way anymore from where they live, so this is an opportunity you won't want to miss.

Day 5: Drive Ketchum to McCall via Sawtooth National Forest

On day 5 of your Idaho road trip, it's time to experience one of America's famous scenic byways - the first of two on this trip.

What is a scenic byway, you ask?

In short, it's a road recognised by the U.S. Department of Transportation as being outstanding for having one or more of these 'intrinsic qualities': cultural, archaeological, historic, recreational, natural, and scenic.

Drive along Sawtooth Scenic Byway

Sawtooth Scenic Byway, which runs through the wild Sawtooth National Recreation Area, starts about an hour northwest of Ketchum by car.

Once you've checked out of your hotel, make your way north along Highway 75 to the town of Stanley.

On your way along the scenic route you'll pass by the panoramic Galena Summit overlook, the glittering Alturas and Redfish Lakes, and the dramatic Sawtooth Mountains

The drive from Ketchum to Stanley takes just over an hour, but allow three so you have time to get out at all the amazing stops along the way.

Have lunch in Stanley, Idaho

Sitting at the base of the Sawtooth Mountains, Stanley is a tiny hamlet (population below 100) and one the last vestiges of the old Idaho frontier.

If you want to extend your Idaho road trip, Stanley is a great place to use as a base for exploring the surrounding area, where you'll find horseback riding opportunities, hiking, and therapeutic hot springs (we highly recommend Goldbug Hot Springs in particular, which is just under 2 hours northeast of Stanley).

Once you reach Stanley, make your way to the super popular Papa Brunee's on Ace of Diamonds Boulevard for lunch.

This laidback eatery specializes in all things pizza, with tonnes of flavors and toppings to choose from.

They also serve up some seriously delicious calzones in unique flavors like the 'Buffalo hot wing' and the 'Stanley Cheesesteak' (made with garlic sauce, sirloin steak, and vegetables).

Grab an ice cream to go at Stanley Scoops next door, then get back in your vehicle and set your Sat Nav for McCall, which is about 3 hours away.

Drive from Stanley to McCall

If all goes to plan, you should arrive in McCall by around 5pm, with plenty of time to do some exploring after you've checked into your hotel and freshened up for the evening.

This lively mountain town sitting on the south shore of Payette Lake is known as the gateway to Ponderosa State Park, yet another one of Idaho's spectacular natural areas.

With golf courses, hiking trails, and lots of opportunities for water sports on the lake, McCall is a popular summer vacation spot for Idahoans and day/weekend trip destination from Boise.

And in the wintertime, the town buzzes with skiers and snowboarders who use McCall as a base as they venture to the surrounding mountains.

Have a walk around town and admire the views of the lake before treating yourself to a hearty dinner.

If you need some food inspiration, My Father's Place has the best burgers around, and Pueblo Lindo is famous for its authentic fajitas and tacos.

Day 6: Spend the day at Ponderosa State Park

After waking up to a croissant breakfast sandwich and lavender latte at Fogglifter Cafe, pick up some picnic food for later at Albertsons grocery store.

Then put on your comfy walking shoes and hiking gear and head to Ponderosa State Park, which covers the majority of a 1,000-acre peninsula jutting into the lake.

With peaceful beaches, a huge network of hiking trails and wildlife galore, it's easy to while away the day exploring this beautiful park.

We do recommend hiking to Osprey Point via the Ridge Line trail to breathe in the fresh air and admire the fantastic views from the overlook.

It's the perfect place to spread a picnic blanket and sit down for some well-deserved lunch.

If you're visiting Idaho in the wintertime, take to the hills in the park for some cross country skiing or snowshoeing.

Stay the night in McCall

In the evening you have the choice of either staying in a hotel back in town, or pitching a tent on a campground in the park itself.

You can also stay in one of the deluxe cabins or yurts near the shores of the lake.

Day 7: Hells Canyon Scenic Byway road trip

To wrap up your epic Idaho road trip, we're taking you to the incredible Hells Canyon Scenic Byway, which is just under 3 hours away.

Plan to leave McCall by 9am so you can make it to Hells Canyon before lunchtime.

The Hells Canyon Scenic Byway is a 218-mile-long road in west Idaho and eastern Oregon featuring lush valleys, colorful fields of wildflowers, rugged basalt cliffs and the snow-capped Wallowa Mountains.

Getting to the route can be somewhat confusing for first-timers, as it's not clearly marked on Google Maps.

The road technically starts in Baker City, Oregon, looping northeast through Richland and Halfway to the Hells Canyon dam, then veering west through Joseph and Enterprise before finishing in La Grande.

Coming from McCall, you'll probably want to hop on the route from Oxbow and follow the loop anti-clockwise.

You can download a PDF map of the region on the official Hells Canyon Byway website .

If you were to do it all in one go, the drive would take 6 hours, but we recommend allowing a day and a half to fully enjoy the route.

Some Hells Canyon highlights:

Snake River - You're already familiar with Snake River thanks to your fishing trip on day 2, but in this part of Idaho it's even more spectacular. Watch as the water tumbles through Hells Canyon, North America's deepest canyon.

Hells Canyon Dam - Generally considered one of the best parts of this mini road trip, this colossal concrete dam is built on the Snake River, marking the border between Idaho and Oregon. From here, the views of the canyon are truly spectacular.

Hells Canyon Overlook - With easy parking and lovely picnic areas (plus a bathroom), this is the perfect place to get out, stretch your legs and admire the views. From here, you can see McGraw Creek and look over the canyon at the Seven Devil Mountains.

Wallowa Lake - This deep blue ribbon lake is sometimes referred to as 'The Crown Jewel' or 'The Sapphire in a Sea of Astounding Landscapes'. The surrounding Wallowa Lake State Park is home to lots of activities for the whole family including fishing, horseback riding, mini golf and go-karting.

Stay in Joseph for a night

However you decide to spend your Hells Canyon time, aim to get to Joseph (a town just north of Wallowa Lake) by nightfall so you can check into one of the charming inns and B&Bs there for the night.

The Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast is handily situated in the center of town and has some elegant guest rooms that are perfect for cozying up after a long day.

Before you nod off, walk north along Main Street to Embers Brewhouse, where you can round out the night with a local beer (or two).

Then stumble back to the B&B and roll into bed.

Day 8: See the rest of Hells Canyon Scenic Byway & return to Boise

Breathe in that fresh mountain air and get ready to hit the road; today is the final driving day of your Idaho road trip!

But don't fret - there's plenty more to do before we send you off home again.

After you've packed up your things and left your hotel room, grab a cup of coffee and a bagel at Old Town Cafe for breakfast.

Go for a stroll in Joseph, which is characterized by an eclectic mix of old-school cowboy charm and modern art.

Now's also a good time to fill up your tank before continuing on with the driving itinerary.

Once you and your vehicle are fuelled up, drive north on Highway 82 to complete your Hells Canyon route.

Drive through Enterprise, Wallowa, Elgin and La Grande

On your way to La Grande at the end of the scenic byway, you'll drive through a number of lovely towns and villages, passing by gorgeous ranches, farmlands, forests, and the ever-present Wallowa River.

Stop at any viewpoints and rest stops that catch your eye, then follow Highway 82 all the way to La Grande, where you can get out for some lunch.

Stop for lunch in La Grande

Thanks to the presence of Eastern Oregon University, La Grande is a bit more vibrant and bustling than the cities you've visited so far on this Idaho road trip.

It was also one of the stops on the Oregon Trail, and you can even see remnants of the historic path traveled by pioneers in La Grande's Oregon Trail Interpretive Park.

Spend an hour so browsing through the city's quaint antiques shops, small museums and independent art galleries before settling in somewhere for lunch.

For an all-American treat, nab a table at Side A Brewing, housed in an old fire station on Washington Ave, which serves up delicious meals made with locally sourced ingredients.

Stars of the menu include the Ahi tuna sandwich and the peanut butter bacon burger (trust us!) and we highly recommend getting a helping of Dirty Fries to share.

Last leg of your Idaho road trip: Drive back to Boise

After lunch, it's time to come full circle by driving back down to Boise, where this road trip began. The journey from La Grande to Boise should take you about 3 hours.

You can return your rental car as you won't need to drive from now on; the next day and a half will be spent getting to know Idaho's underrated capital city.

Drop off your vehicle at the airport and then hail a taxi to downtown Boise. It's an easy 10-minute journey to the city center.

Have dinner at every Boise local's favorite restaurant

Once you've found your accommodation for the night and dropped your stuff there, take a walk or a taxi to the corner of North 8th street and West Idaho Street and nab a table for dinner at Fork.

Ask any local where to have dinner in Boise, and chances are they'll recommend this atmospheric gem, which is housed in an elegant old bank building.

Some of the most mouth-watering menu items are the asparagus fries, the glazed Brussels sprouts and the Cubano pulled pork sandwich. Yum!

On your way back to your hotel, take a five-minute walking detour just around the corner to see the famous Idaho State Capital Building all lit up at night.

Day 9: Boise - Make the most of your last day in Idaho

It's the last day of your Idaho itinerary, and there are lots of activities to squeeze in!

Boise truly is an under-the-radar gem of a travel destination, with a lively downtown area that's a joy to explore. Some even say it's the new Portland ... we'll let you judge for yourself!

Grab a coffee at Big City Coffee & Cafe

The delightfully kitschy Big City Coffee & Cafe always attracts morning crowds - and for good reason. They serve up some of the best breakfast offerings in the city, from homemade biscuits and gravy to Belgian waffles and toasted bagels.

Plus, for every can of coffee they sell, the cafe donates $1 to breast cancer detection services. Time to stock up on those Idaho souvenirs!

Get your culture fix at BAM

Once you're suitably caffeinated, walk southeast about 20 minutes from the cafe until you reach the entrance to Julia Davis Park, the location of your next stop: the Boise Art Museum (BAM).

This small but charming art deco-style museum has a wonderful array of fascinating exhibitions centered around contemporary realism, ceramics and fine art, as well as a hands-on activity area for children. There's also a cool sculpture garden out back.

Entry costs $6 for adults and $3 for children between first and 12th grade.

Take a taxi to the Old Idaho Penitentiary

From BAM, hail a taxi or get an Uber to the Old Idaho State Penitentiary, which is about 10 minutes away.

First opened in 1872, this former jail once housed some of the West's most notorious criminals, including a prominent member of Butch Cassidy's gang.

It stopped functioning as a prison in 1973, and these days, you can walk amongst the grounds, gallows and prison cells, imagining what life was like for the inmates way back when.

This may sound like a spooky tourist attraction (and it certainly is), but it's also a fascinating insight into America's penal system over the last century.

The Old Idaho Penitentiary is open 7 days a week from 12pm to 5pm.

Admission costs $6 for adults and $3 for children between the ages of 6 and 12.

Walk along the Greenbelt back to the city center

After you're finished exploring the jailhouse, make your way to the river and walk west along the Greenbelt, a pleasantly serene 30-mile-long pathway that connects many of Boise's best parks and sights.

Visitors and locals alike agree that the Greenbelt is a big part of what makes Boise so special, offering an unusual opportunity to immerse yourself in nature right in the middle of the city. There's a reason Boise is known as 'The City of Trees'!

After about 40 minutes you'll reach Julia Davis Park again, and from there it's a 20 minute walk to your next stop: the Basque Block.

Have lunch on the Basque Block

Bet you didn't know that Boise has one of the biggest Basque populations in the world!

This unique cultural heritage is celebrated and painstakingly preserved on Basque Block, an area of downtown Boise that's home to a historic Basque museum, a cultural center, and a handful of restaurants and bars serving up traditional Basque cuisine.

For lunch, take your pick from the eateries in the area (the Basque Market and Bar Gernika are local favorites). On Saturdays, Bar Gernika serves up a ridiculously popular beef tongue sandwich... get there early to get your order in before they run out!

Go on a brewery crawl

Now that you've lined your stomach with all the Basque food you can eat, it's time for a drink.

The perfect way to round off your trip to Idaho is with a tour of all the best breweries in Boise, many of which are concentrated around the downtown area.

Start with a stroll along Freak Alley, where you'll see an outdoor art gallery of brightly colored graffiti and wall murals adorning the buildings, highlighting the urban, edgy side of Boise.

From there, you're within easy walking distance of many of the city's best breweries including Boise Brewing, White Dog Brewing Co. and the Woodland Empire Brewery.

When the hunger pangs set in again, make your way to one of the many cheap eats options in the city. If you like Mexican food, you can't go wrong at the no-frills Tin Roof Tacos, where tacos cost less than $3 each.

Then roll back to your hotel and get some well-deserved rest before setting off for home tomorrow morning.

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‘We had bears in the campground today,’ the check-in guy at Yellowstone’s Bridge Bay Campground breezily announces, pushing a wad of ‘Bear Aware’ pamphlets towards me. ‘So, if you go to the toilet at night, take bear spray.’ If the prospect of trying to pepper-spray a grizzly wasn’t enough to keep me locked inside our rented motorhome, the sight that greeted us at our camping pitch was. There, etched into the tree we’d parked against, were claw marks so deep sap flowed out of them in thick, honey-like clumps.

I believe the term is: gulp.

Credit: Ferrantraite / Getty Images

This was all my fault. I’d invited my parents on a 3,000-kilometre road trip through some of North America’s biggest scenery, then insisted we eschew motels for an eight-metre-long, three-bed, 255-horsepower Ford V8 RV. Why book a room on the edge of wildness when you can stay in the middle of it? I’d picked Idaho, Wyoming and Montana for their legendary, empty vastness: together, they offer more than 44,000 square kilometres of designated wilderness. I’d also wondered about the human stories hiding in the furrows of these barren landscapes. Now I had a taste of living further down the food chain – and found myself ungenerously relieved we were surrounded by people in tents (they’d make far easier prey).

A week earlier, mum, dad and I touched down in Boise, Idaho’s state capital. Until recently, Idaho had just one, unglamorous claim to fame: potato farming. The slogan on car number plates even reads ‘Famous Potatoes’. But, today, the nation’s best-kept secret is getting out. Idaho was the fastest-growing US state by population last year, according to the Census Bureau, as word spreads about its great outdoors (13 national forests, 18 ski resorts, 26 state parks and over 30 scenic highways) and bargain prices.

Credit: Robby Milo

Boise is also one of the last places on Earth you’d expect to find a slice of San Sebastián, Spain’s famously foodie, Basque resort city. Yet amid the high-rises of a uniform-looking North American downtown, we find the ‘Basque Block’, where sun-dappled patios are peppered with diners clinking glasses of txakoli (Basque sparkling wine) and nibbling on pintxos (Basque tapas).

Turns out that in the late 19th century, throngs of Basque shepherds sought their fortunes in rural Idaho. Harsh winters were spent with fellow Basques in Boise boarding houses, and the strong community they built stuck. Which explains spots like Bar Gernika, its half-timbered interiors imitating historic Basque farmhouses, serving traditional kalimotxo – a rather studenty-sounding combo of Coca-Cola and red wine. It’s served over ice, with a slice of lemon, and is surprisingly good.

‘What’s happening in Hawaii – that’ll be us someday.’ Ranger Ron Silberstein delivers his doomsday pronouncement with ho-hum matter-of-factness. The news footage out of Hawaii lately has been all blazing-orange lava and black smoke. Around 280 kilometres east of Boise, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve shows what happens when volcanoes really get to erupting. It represents the aftermath of a lava flood of Biblical proportions that scientists reckon dates back only 2,000 years.

Credit: James Neeley

The Devil’s Orchard is our favourite spot: an eerie ‘garden’ sprung from dead ground. Lumber pines afflicted with ‘witches’ broom’, their branches distorted into tangles by a parasitic plant, stick up between charred fragments of lava, the scene fairytale-spooky; like the rest of the park, it’s oddly picturesque, and all borne from the violence right beneath our feet.

That violence is laid disconcertingly bare when we cross into Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park. There’s a gentle beauty about the pine forests and placid lakes here that lends even greater power to the stuff we really came to see – geysers belching boiling water; evil-looking, bubbling mud pots; and, everywhere, steam escaping the Earth’s angry crust.

We make a beeline for Old Faithful, which periodically blasts a geyser of water as high as 55 metres. It’s more affable than expected: less fierce burst than fountainy whoosh. The star attraction is Grand Prismatic Spring, the park’s largest thermal pool – and its most colourful, thanks to microorganisms called thermophiles, bacteria that love blistering-hot conditions no other lifeform can survive. Driving towards the basin where the spring sits, we spot luminous orange, blue and yellow steam. Thanks to Instagram, the spring has lately gone from sideshow to major draw, but retains its modestly sized car park, so expect a crush.

Credit: Rob Kroenert

Our last night in Yellowstone is the night the bears are lurking. Despite my dad making out like I’m a wuss, I notice he doesn’t leave the motorhome either.

The drives between stops offer their own memorable moments – like a menacingly muscular bison sauntering past our bonnet. But nothing is wilder than Smith Mansion. Propped on an isolated hill above the scenic North Fork Highway, en route to the cowboy town of Cody, this five-storey, mutated cabin looks like something out of a particularly twisted Grimm fairytale. Only Sunny Larsen knows the real story – her dad, whom she calls ‘a modern-day mountain man’, built it, adding floor after floor, with no blueprint, for 22 years. Construction stopped only when he died after accidentally falling from an upper balcony. Sunny now gives tours, determined to ‘protect, preserve and share’ this eccentric chapter of Wyoming’s story.

Approaching the front door, I spot the carcass of a recently mauled mule deer. ‘We have a grizzly problem,’ Sunny nods. ‘They eat fermented apples they find on the ground around here and it gets them drunk.’ Not keen on becoming a sozzled bear’s end-of-binge kebab, I follow Sunny into the house, where she shows me her dad’s interior creations: wooden hammock-style beds, wind chimes made from old railroad ties, logs-turned-dining-table-and-chairs. Her memories of growing up here range from the sublime to the ridiculous – a racoon once moved in and would help itself to dinner on the stove, replacing the saucepan lid afterwards – and we end the tour gazing out from one of the uppermost, open-sided platforms, ranches and snow-speckled mountains spread as far as the eye can make out.

Credit: John Burcham

Things get even more surreal in Montana. This is the famed Big Sky Country, at once the nation’s fourth-largest and third least-densely populated state. But just outside the one-road town of Fishtail, we find Tippet Rise, a 40-square-kilometre art centre in the middle of this glorious nowhere, with strange sculptures scattered across epic, empty ranchlands. Here, an old schoolhouse strangled by mysterious tangles of willow reed; there, two enormous boulders – each weighing the same as a baby blue whale – leaned together as if dropped from the sky. Philanthropists Peter and Cathy Halstead long imagined this trippy art park, then magicked it into reality, aided by a troupe of ambitious artists and their own cavernous pockets. Wonderful as the sight is, even better is the price point – US$10 (HK$78) for a sculpture tour, and the same again for the classical music concerts they hold around the artworks through summer.

If Tippet Rise is among the state’s better achievements, our next stop represents one of US history’s most infamous follies.

The Battle of Little Bighorn is generally regarded as the moment a decorated Civil War hero, General George Armstrong Custer, paid the price for his own hubris, when – vastly outnumbered – he was killed by tribal warriors he’d attempted to expel from contested land. But our visit exposes more layers of the story, a tragedy for everyone, leading to the surrender of the last Native Americans resisting the US Army, and ending their way of life on Montana’s plains. Alongside white marble headstones commemorating where US soldiers fell, red granite markers honour the Cheyenne and Lakota fighters who died defending their traditions. And though there are excellent hourly ‘battle talks’ by fabulously dramatic rangers, the graves scattered across these now peaceful plains tell their own story.

Wasteful as it was, I understand why people might spar over all this; what Buffalo Bill called ‘the free life of the plains’. After living just two weeks in this landscape – albeit with doors that lock and a microwave – you feel that bit more like an animal, returned to your natural habitat, both afraid and entranced.   

The writer rented a motorhome with Cruise America ( cruiseamerica.com ). For more on visiting Idaho, Wyoming and Montana, see visitidaho.org ; travelwyoming.com ; and visitmt.com

THE PERFECT 5-DAY IDAHO ROAD-TRIP ITINERARY

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Are you looking for an off-the-beaten-path road-trip? This 5-day Idaho itinerary will help you make the most of your time in this beautiful American state.

This trip starts in Boise, Idaho’s capital, and finishes in Coeur D’Alene.

Although you can visit Idaho any time of the year, the best time to do this trip, in my opinion, is in the Spring or Summer, because some of the roads we took are not open during winter, as it can snow a lot during the wintertime.

Now, without further due, let’s dive into the Idaho itinerary!

What To Do In Boise

Boise state – albertsons stadium.

Have you ever seen a football stadium with blue turf? Boise State, home of the Broncos, is the only football stadium in the United States with blue turf, and it is amazing.

According to their website, in 2011 they obtained a federal trademark registration for “the color blue as applied to artificial turf”.

If you want to see the blue turf, the best way is to visit The Allen Noble Hall of Fame , in the Southwest corner of Albertsons Stadium, which is open Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, it is closed on weekends, holidays, and special events.

Freak Alley Gallery

Freak Alley Gallery is an open-air display of art and murals in the façade of buildings and houses in downtown Boise. It has been there since 2002 and is definitely a great place to go.

No tickets are needed since you can just walk right by the streets and see the beautiful murals displayed.

Where To Stay In Boise

I spent my first and only night in Boise next to the airport because we arrived late at night.

If there is no need to be close to the airport, it is better to stay Downtown so that you can walk to the main attractions.

Where To Eat In Boise

Although I only had half a day in Boise, I wanted to make sure I had the best possible breakfast. After doing a lot of research, I found the most unique spot: Bacon!

Bacon  is heaven for bacon-lovers like me. Since I went super early, they were not serving drinks yet, but I would totally have ordered their famous Bacon Bloody Mary, made with bacon salt, bacon syrup, and a strip of fresh bacon.

On the menu, you can also find five kinds of Bacon, at $2 per strip. My two favorites were Maple Rosemary Bacon and Candied Bacon. I also had coffee and an egg biscuit.

I had some other restaurants on my list that were highly recommended, so if you have the opportunity check out Certified Kitchen and Bakery , Goody’s Soda Fountain for ice-creams, and Juniper .

Morning Activity: Crater of the Moon

Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve is 170 miles from Boise, through US-20 E.

We left early in the morning because our goal was to enjoy Craters of the Moon and then drive another 126 miles to Stanley, passing through Sun Valley.

Craters of the Moon is one of “North America’s most unique and scenic volcanic landscapes”.

The volcanic area is dormant, but not extinct, which means that the volcanoes are in deep sleep. According to the FAQ on the website , “geologists believe that the area will become active within the next 1,000 years”.

There is a $20 fee per vehicle. What I learned there is that if you plan to visit more National Parks you can buy The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series for annual passes options.

If you are on a budget, there are also free entrance days to the National Parks.

What To See In Craters of the Moon

Once you have paid the entry fee, you have access to a seven-mile loop road, which includes access to most of the trails. If any parts of the road are closed for any reason, the information is updated online .

Seven miles driving doesn’t seem a lot, but you will most definitely want to stop in the trails, so plan to spend at least two hours in the area. There are also five caves, but check beforehand if they are open.

Here are our favorite stops in Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve:

• Inferno Cone: It was my favorite stop. You climb a few meters up to be completely mesmerized by stunning views.
• Spatter Cone: There are a couple of hikes starting at this stop. I took stunning pictures there.
• Tree Mold Trail: Probably the most unique area – the lava from the volcanoes preserved some trees so when you look at it (photo below) all you see are trees underneath rock-solid lava. Pretty unique!

Lunch in Sun Valley

From Craters of the Moon, we drove 66 miles to Sun Valley for a lunch stop at the famous Sun Valley Lodge , “America’s First Destination Ski Resort”, which first opened in 1936! As a hotelier, I was dying to visit this resort – it was definitely on my list of unique hotels to visit.

There is plenty of parking available and a few restaurant options. We had a late lunch and a beer at the Village Station Restaurant , which opens at 3 pm.

I also got great recommendations from friends who visit the area frequently, here are some of their favorite spots: Dinner at The Pioneer Saloon (very well-known!), cocktails in Duchin Lounge , candy at Chocolate Foundry, early dinner or drinks at The Roundhouse – with great views!

Unfortunately, I didn’t have much time in Sun Valley, but if you have an extra day I would recommend spending one night there (in the resort itself) or in Ketchum, the town nearby.

We arrived in Stanley at around 5:30 pm and we went straight to our hotel. On our agenda, for that night, we only had one plan: eat a good meal!

Although Stanley is super small, we were happy to find two very good restaurants (one for dinner, and one for breakfast/lunch).

We were surprised to hear that very few people actually live there – in the winter the highway that takes you from Sun Valley to Stanley usually closes, due to heavy snow, so it is very hard to reach the little town.

That is why their high-season is during the summer!

What To Do In Stanley

Sawtooth national forest.

Stanley is the gateway to Sawtooth National Forest , where you will find many different hikes, from beginner to advanced-level hikers. It was really hard to pick one – I have read multiple blogs and reviews.

We ended up deciding on “Goat Lake Hike”, which I will talk more about under “Day Three”.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you have the resources you need, including maps, GPS, cell phone, tools, etc. Not all hikes are easy, and you should pick one that you feel most comfortable with.

Another thing to take into consideration is time – if you have only one morning to do a hike, which was my case, you need to find a hike that takes between 3 and 5 hours, for example.

If I was planning my trip again, I would probably have stayed two nights in Stanley, so that I could enjoy more outdoor activities.

Boat Box Hot Springs

Idaho has so many hot springs – by doing a quick google search I found many beautiful ones! Boat Box was definitely the most unique and hard to find!

You have to take 75 North from Stanley, drive past Lower Stanley and continue for another 3-3.5 miles. Keep an eye on your right, where the river flows.

You can see the famous “hot tub” from the road but you need to pay a lot of attention otherwise you will drive by it! Boat Box will be by a spot where you can park 1-2 cars on the side road.

Thankfully, there was just one family there, so we didn’t have to wait much to enjoy Boat Box.

What did you think about it? Isn’t it super cool?

When you go to Instagram and search for #boatboxhotsprings there are so many amazing photos!

Where To Stay In Stanley

When deciding where to stay, I was in between two places: Mountain Village Resort, because they have their own hot springs, and Stanley High Country Inn , which is owned by the famous Redfish Lake Lodge.

We ended up choosing Stanley High Country Inn due to the great reviews. What I enjoyed about Mountain Village Resort, though, was the restaurant, which I will talk about next.

If you don’t necessarily want to stay in Stanley, check Redfish Lake Lodge – it is a bit pricier but definitely a very unique hotel. I could not find any rooms; they were fully booked!

Where To Eat In Stanley

Mountain village resort.

When we arrived, we were ready for dinner!

Mountain Village Resort has a great restaurant & saloon (menu here) – I would recommend having dinner there because we truly enjoyed our barbeque ribs made by their chef, who is from Memphis (a true barbeque connoisseur!).

After enjoying dinner you can walk next door to their bar/Saloon, where they have karaoke on some nights.

Stanley Baking Co & Café

The next morning we needed a good breakfast to get ready for our hike to Goat Lake.

Our hotel recommended that we walked to Stanley Baking Co & Café , which was just a couple of meters away.

I wasn’t expecting a big menu, so I was surprised to see how many amazing pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and granola bars they had, and all homemade!

I enjoyed it so much that after our hike we went back there for lunch, and I had their “bear bowl”, with quinoa, vegetables, and eggs.

Morning Activity: Goat Lake Hike

Sawtooth National Forest has incredible hikes, suitable for beginner or advanced hikers.

Since I had approximately six hours to enjoy the area, before heading to Salmon, my boyfriend and I decided to hike to Goat Lake.

The hike is approximately 8.4 miles and it is very difficult, in my opinion – I found it to be super steep!

The landscape is beautiful – in July we could still see mountain peaks covered in snow.

Unfortunately, I was not able to reach the lake – the last 0.4 miles are basically rock climbing and I did not feel prepared to hike it. Maybe next time!

Here are a few recommendations in case you decide to hike to the top:

• We went too early and did not see anyone on our way there – so a few times we wondered if we were “lost”. I wish I had other people around when we reached the rock-climbing part.
• There are not a lot of signs and the internet doesn’t work so make sure you print maps or take print screens with your phone.
• Read a lot before going, especially articles/blog posts from people who reached the lake.

On my way back, I spoke to a few people going towards the lake and some mentioned they had tried hiking it before and could not do it either – so I didn’t feel so bad!

I think we should all listen to our bodies and understand when to stop hiking if we need to. Maybe next time I will manage to see the beautiful alpine lake.

After my fail attempt to hike Goat Lake, we hit the road again towards Salmon.

I did not stay in Salmon per se, we decided to spend the night 22 miles south of Salmon, in a very unique Airbnb !

What To Do In Salmon

My main reason to visit Salmon was to hike the Goldbug Hot Springs trail .

Since it was an activity, I did on the morning of day four, I will talk more about it in the next section.

We arrived at the Airbnb around 5 pm, so we decided to have dinner and rest so that we could enjoy the next morning.

Where To Stay In Salmon

The gypsy wagon, airbnb.

The Gypsy Wagon was the perfect spot to spend one night, because it was only 2.1 miles away from Goldbug Hot Springs, and had incredible reviews online .

The owners – Airbnb Superhosts Pat and Lorett – have been renting the three beautifully designed wagons for approximately two years now.

The wagons are located on the same property where the hosts live – so I felt pretty safe because I could reach out to them in case, I needed anything.

All the three wagons are pretty similar, and include a one queen size bed, small bathroom with toilet and shower with hot water, very good wi-fi (perfect if you want to spend some days working from there – “work from home”!), air-conditioning and heating, equipped kitchenette, free parking, and free breakfast!

The hosts were welcoming and made us feel at home. I would definitely stay there again!

Where To Eat In Salmon

Twin peaks guest ranch.

Currently only open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, Twin Peaks Guest Ranch Restaurant is in a pristine location, with beautiful mountain views.

It was also recommended by our Airbnb hosts, but when we arrived there we realized the restaurant was closed!

We were still able to take some pictures and enjoy the atmosphere – they actually have cabins you can rent , and I could see myself staying there if I am ever back in Salmon!

Dusty Mule Bar & Grill, in Elk Bend

This family-friendly restaurant is only 5 minutes away from the Gypsy Wagon , and it was recommended by our Airbnb hosts, who mentioned that they had incredible burgers!

I had the Albino Mule Burger, with 1/3 pound of local USDA Certified ground beef, swiss cheese, and grilled onions and mushrooms. I enjoy finding local gems, such as this restaurant.

Morning Activity: Goldbug Hot Springs

If you are a hot-spring aficionado like me, Goldbug Hot Springs is a must-go in Idaho!

My advice is to go there early in the morning – considering you are doing it in the summer months.

Since it is a two-mile in, two-mile out hike, ideally you would want to start hiking around 7:30 or 8 AM, to avoid running into a lot of people in the pools.

The hike is pretty straightforward: the first 0.4 kilometers of the hike (0.25 mile) are on private property, and then you start walking through a well-marked path towards the pools.

The hike is steep, so be ready to sweat! It will be so worth it: the jaw-dropping views and the pools are one of a kind!

We spent approximately two hours there and I would recommend that you don’t go in a rush, since you might want to just relax and appreciate the views!

Missoula, Montana

On day four we did not sleep in Idaho – we made a quick detour to Missoula, in Montana, to avoid driving a lot.

Also, by doing some research, I saw how many cool restaurants, coffee shops, and breweries Missoula had, so it seemed like the perfect stop for one night.

For more information, you can read my one-day Missoula itinerary on my blog Hospitality Vitae

Morning Activity: Route Of The Hiawatha Bike Trail

Whenever I am planning a trip, I always look at things to do in between cities I am driving from/to.

So, since I was driving 165 miles from Missoula, in Montana, to Coeur D’Alene, in Idaho, I searched for “best things to do” between these cities, and I came across this hidden gem (it truly is!) – the Route of Hiawatha Bike Trail – right in the Montana-Idaho border!

The Route of the Hiawatha was recognized as “one of the most scenic stretches of railroad in the country”, one of 15 other trails in the United States to be recognized as such. Pretty amazing!

Although it is not a railroad anymore (the last train traveled through the tracks back in 1980!) we are fortunate enough it was converted into a bike/hike trail.

If you enjoy biking for fun or if you are a pro, this trail won’t disappoint!

You will be able to enjoy 15 miles mostly downhill, in which you will pass through 10 train tunnels and seven trestles.

If you are planning to add this remarkable attraction to your road-trip, you can buy tickets and rent bikes online at the Route of Hiawatha Website .

Unfortunately, the trail is only open during a certain time in the year, so make sure to check if it is open before you go!

Coeur D’Alene

Coeur D’Alene (also known as “CDA”) was the perfect place to end our Idaho road-trip. The city is approximately two hours from the Route of Hiawatha.

If you are planning to fly home after CDA, Spokane International Airport would be your best choice, only 45 minutes away.

What To Do In Coeur D’Alene

Coeur d’Alene is a paradise for golf players because it is home to the only floating green in the world, located at the Coeur D’Alene Resort & Spa golf course.

If you are thinking about scheduling a tee time, I would recommend checking the resort’s “Stay and Play” packages, which include one night of accommodation and 18-holes of award-winning golf.

Tee times may be booked up to 90 days in advance if you are not planning to stay in the resort, and tee time prices vary depending on day and time of the day.

Lake Cruises

Although I have not done a lake cruise, I would imagine it is a wonderful experience.

Lake Coeur D’Alene Cruises offers a 90-minute scenic cruise of the lake’s northern bays for $27.25 per adult and $19.25 per child plus taxes/fees or sunset dinner cruises for $57.50 per adult plus taxes/fees.

Where To Stay In Coeur D’Alene

Depending on your preference (lake views versus no lake views) and budget, there are a few options:

Springhill Suites by Marriott

This hotel is perfect if you are on a budget and if you are looking for a great place to sleep and recharge, with free breakfast. The hotel is not lakefront, but it is only 5-10 minutes away.

We drove to downtown Coeur D’Alene a couple of times and we didn’t have trouble parking the car – there is a large public parking area by the Coeur D’Alene Resort and Spa, which is paid, but very convenient. You can leave your car there for a few hours and go for a walk or a swim!

Couer D’Alene Resort & Spa

The resort is perfect if you are looking for rooms with lake views and want to be in a great location, right in Downtown Coeur D’Alene. You really won’t need your car to do anything, since most restaurants are within walking distance.

Since I experienced the Spa, I had the opportunity of visiting the hotel public areas, including the indoor pool and gym. They were all well-appointed and very clean, and I saw many families enjoying their time.

I felt that the resort is a great place to bring kids because there are indoor and outdoor pools, a lake, a couple of restaurants and bars, and a small shopping area. If you are traveling solo, or with friends, you can still enjoy all of these perks.

As mentioned above, make sure you check the overnight packages that include golf, spa, or both!

Where To Eat In Coeur D’Alene

The wellness bar.

Since I had been on the road for a couple of days, I wanted to have a healthy breakfast.

I am a big fan of smoothies and Acai Bowls, so I decided to try The Wellness Bar – I was surprised to see it had a line out of the door, and for me, it usually means that the place is good!

I ended up having an Acai Bowl topped with granola to go, and I sat at one of their outdoor tables.

Hudson’s Hamburgers

For lunch, we had a not-so-healthy but totally worth it hamburger, which was one of the best hamburgers I have ever had!

The famous spot is called Hudson’s Hamburgers – and it has been there since 1907! The menu is very simple: Hamburger, Cheeseburger, Ham, and/or Egg Sandwich and Pies.

When you first sit down, in one of the few counter seats, they explain to you the menu and emphasize “No fries!”.

I first asked for one, but ended up having two cheeseburgers! Hudson’s is a must go!

Daft Badger Brewing and Crafted Tap House + Kitchen

Dinner time called for beers and bar food! We have been to many breweries, as you probably noticed, that it wouldn’t be different in Coeur D’Alene.

We went to Daft Badger for beers before dinner, and the menu looked amazing, but we didn’t eat anything there. They have plenty of outdoor seating, which is a must during the pandemic!

For dinner, we headed to Crafted Tap House + Kitchen, which had many good reviews online. I opted for a big pretzel with cheese sauce and for tuna nachos.

CDA has many restaurants, so I wish I could have had more time to experience more!

To wrap up, here is a quick overview of the itinerary, with a map to help you plan your road-trip:

My suggestion is that you fly to Boise, then start a “counterclockwise” drive, stopping at Craters of The Moon National Park, Sun Valley, Stanley, Salmon, Missoula (MT), Route of Hiawatha, and Coeur D’Alene.

You could also do the opposite, and fly to Spokane, in Washington, and start the trip in Coeur D’Alene instead.

We hope that this article has helped inspire you to take an Idaho road trip. If you have any questions about the destination or have your own travel tips to share please leave these in the comments below.

Want to share your own travel tips by guest writing for We Are Travel Girls? Go to our Contribute page for guidelines and to submit your article.

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Read More About Road Trips

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We Are Travel Girls Contributor Leticia Tavares is a hotelier, Harvard MBA alumnae, and content creator at her travel and hospitality Blog and Instagram, Hospitality Vitae.

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MAUREEN says

January 20, 2021 at 8:02 am

I spent this past summer in Coeur d’Alene and was happy to see you chose The Daft Badger as your brewery of choice. Out of all of the breweries I went to in North Idaho, it was the clear winner in terms of beer, food and awesome patio. It’s really too bad you didn’t have the food there. Crafted is also very good, but I think I prefer Daft Badger’s food, to be honest.

Leticia says

January 20, 2021 at 9:48 am

Hello Maureen, this is Leticia, from Hospitality Vitae. I appreciate your comment and I appreciate you reading the article. I loved The Daft Badger too. I wish I had eaten there! Great to hear the food is good too!

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Ultimate Itinerary: The Great Pacific Northwest Road Trip

Posted by Arthur McMahon August 31, 2020 Updated September 01, 2023

The Great Pacific Northwest Road Trip is an epic journey that showcases the PNW’s most iconic scenery as well as a number of hidden gems.

This trip has it all. Get ready to embark on a grand tour of the region encompassing all that makes the Pacific Northwest a special place beloved by adventurous people. The coast, the Cascades, the desert, the rainforest, and every town along the way all add to the magic of the PNW. It’s time to see it all for yourself.

Related Read: The 10 Best Scenic Drives in Oregon

The Great Pacific Northwest Road Trip

Traversing the most epic territories within Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, this road trip leaves plenty of room for customization. This is an excellent route broken down into several sections. For each section, you’ll find highlights, interesting side trips, places to stay, plus some place where you can save some time if you’re on a tight schedule.

This epic PNW road trip includes:

• 54 Hours of driving
• 14 National Forests
• 4 National Monuments
• 4 National Parks

The journey as we put it together starts and ends in Seattle, but the road also passes through other urban areas including Portland, Boise, Bend, and Spokane. You can start this loop from wherever you’d like.

Take a look at the complete route on Google Maps  to follow along as you read the guide below. At a comfortable pace, the entire journey will take about two weeks. Make it your own, though, and enjoy the ride.

Related Read: The Ultimate Portland to Seattle Road Trip Itinerary

PNW Road Trip Section by Section

Seattle to Spokane

This first stretch of the Great Pacific Northwest Road Trip starts off in the skyscraper canyons of downtown Seattle. Our chosen route travels northward along the eastern edge of the Puget Sound and then turns east as it winds through the magnificent Northern Cascades.

Once you’re done exploring the evergreen mountains, you’ll drop down to the Columbia Plateau and cross over an early stage of the grand Columbia River at Chief Joseph Dam before arriving at The Lilac City of Spokane.

Related Read: 14 Vanlife Hacks: How to Make Van Living Easier

North Cascade National Park

The rugged mountain landscape and heavy snowfalls of North Cascades National Park severely limit winter exploration of the area, but the roadside views are spectacular throughout the year. The entire park is mostly protected as wilderness. There are wondrous hikes and backpacking trails aplenty for the most intrepid of explorers.

Ross Lake National Recreation Area

Ross Lake is a popular recreation destination in the Northern Cascades. It’s a 23-mile long reservoir that extends beyond the national border into Canada. There are camping and hiking opportunities galore, and the lake is renowned for its stellar fishing. You can also opt to spend some time at the unforgettable floating Ross Lake Resort.

Lake Chelan

Certainly worthy of its own mention, Lake Chelan is the largest lake in the state of Washington and is the 26th deepest lake in the world with a maximum depth of 1486 feet. Visitors can stay at the remote tourist town of Stehekin which can only be accessed by long-distance hikers, such as those that arrive via the Pacific Crest Trail or by boat. The Lady of the Lake passenger ferry is a relaxing and romantic trip that carries travelers across the lake.

Where to Stay

• 6 Romantic Seattle Houseboat Vacation Rentals
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Spokane to Boise

Incredibly scenic and remote, this section of the Great Pacific Northwest Road Trip starts with a short drive to the beautiful lakeside town of Couer d’Alene. Leaving the city behind, the road turns south and hugs the Salmon River as it threads its way between three different national forests.

Our route loops out to eastern Idaho to include the Sawtooth Mountains and the Craters of the Moon National Monument . Though these are stupendous places worthy of a visit, this part can be easily cut out to save a full day or more of driving by rerouting directly to Boise.

Related Read:   10 Scenic Drives in Washington State That’ll Blow Your Mind

Coeur d’Alene

The waterfront district of Coeur d’Alene is a delightful place to grab a meal or stay the night. The marina, golf course, restaurants, and parks allow for hours or even days of entertainment. Tubbs Hill is a fantastic urban hiking area along the waterfront with easy trails and excellent views of both downtown and the lake.

Take a Hike: Guide to the Best Hikes Near Spokane

Craters of the Moon National Monument

Craters of the Moon is an awe-inspiring destination. It is literally a vast ocean of lava rock. Here you can explore 410,000 acres of basalt floodplain filled with lava caves, gigantic cinder crags, and, of course, plenty of extraordinary volcanic craters.

Wallowa Whitman National Forest

Full of hiking and backpacking trails, the Wallowa Whitman National Forest stands out because of its sky-high granite peaks and the lush diversity of its flora and fauna. It’s an expansive forest that includes the Eagle Cap Wilderness within its borders, a hidden gem of the Pacific Northwest reminiscent of California’s Sierra Nevada.

Wallowa Lake

Taking a detour a Lewiston, Idaho will lead you toward Joseph, Oregon and Wallowa Lake, as well as the primary entrance into the grand Eagle Cap Wilderness. The town of Joseph is named after Chief Joseph, of the Nez Perce Tribe . The area is rich in indigenous history. The lake is gorgeous, and there is a spectacular tramway that can take you straight to the mountain tops.

Save Time: Stay the course due south on Highway 55 and head straight to Boise.

Boise to Bend

This is an arid trek through Eastern Oregon with many geological oddities to see and plenty of pioneering history to explore. The route we chose travels north to Baker City and cuts through John Day. The southern Highway 20 is a quicker route, but the northern passage is much more interesting.

You’re on the historic Oregon Trail now, and there are plenty of points of interest in the early stages of this section for history buffs to discover. Most of the towns on this road have the look and feel of the Old West, and that’s because some of these places haven’t changed much in the last 100 years.

Baker Historic District

Located smack dab in the middle of downtown Baker City, this district is rife with artifacts and properties that date back to the 1800s. The Baker Heritage Museum is a treasure trove of interesting stories to absorb, and the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center lies just 5 miles down the road.

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is actually divided into three sections, two of which are on this route. The Sheep Rock Unit features a mesmerizing canyon drive and an awesome fossil museum filled with animals that no longer exist which were discovered in the nearby John Day Fossil Beds. The Painted Hills Unit is another spectacle deserving of a pit stop.

Lake Owyhee State Park

If you’re interested in a remote, lightly-visited state park to spend some time exploring, Lake Owyhee is a gorgeous place to stay. It’s a long lake that fills a deep canyon, the walls of which are vibrant with colorful volcanic rock. Bighorn sheep frequent the area, and there are several varieties of fish to catch in the reservoir.

Smith Rock State Park

Smith Rock is known as the birthplace of rock climbing, but you don’t have to scale the cliff faces here to enjoy their beauty. This is a relatively small park with a 4-mile loop trail that covers most of what there is to see, but it is absolutely stunning. There are often dozens of climbers at a go which can be just as interesting to observe as the lovely scenery.

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Bend to Crescent City

Outdoor lovers could easily spend a week or more in Bend without running out of fun things to do and places to explore. From backpacking around the Three Sisters to skiing to slopes of Mount Bachelor and kayaking the white water of the Deschutes River, the recreation opportunities are truly endless.

Yet there is so much else out there between Bend and the coast that you’ll have to whittle down your options to make the most of your time. Your mind will be blown the first time you see Crater Lake in person, Cave Junction has awesome spelunking tours, and a walk through the Northern California redwood forests can be a life-changing experience.

Crater Lake National Park

Oregon’s crown jewel, Crater Lake ‘s sapphire waters are breathtaking to behold. This is the only national park in all of Oregon. It is a natural wonder that one could see from every possible angle without growing tired of its presence. There are trails and roads all the way around its rim to explore.

Take a Hike:  Guide to the Best Hikes in Crater Lake National Park

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

For as much time as you spend looking down at Crater Lake, you’ll be spending an equal amount of time looking up at the mighty redwoods at Jedediah Smith . These behemoths are a world apart from any other type of tree on this road trip, and they are a marvel that can only be truly experienced in person with your own eyes. This park contains 70% of all the old-growth redwood trees remaining in the entire world.

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

If you chose to skip over Craters of the Moon, you still have miles upon miles of lava to explore just outside of Bend. This monument features the Newberry Caldera, a large walk-thru lava cave, two lakes, the Deschutes River, and many hiking trails. Here you’ll also find the High Desert Museum which succinctly encapsulates the area’s geological and biological diversity.

Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve

Near the Oregon town of Cave Junction lies the Marble Halls of Oregon. There is a massive marble cave to check out, parts of which are family-friendly, ADA-accessible, well lit, and offer interpretive signage. Cave tours are given by rangers. Within the cave lies the River Styx, the only designated subterranean Wild and Scenic River, which was named after the underground river from Greek mythology.

Save Time: Head northwest from Crater Lake toward Eugene and cut over to the coast at Florence, or head straight up to Portland.

Take a Hike:  Guide to the Best Hikes Near Eugene, Oregon

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Crescent City to Portland

The Oregon Coast is special not only for its pacific beauty, but also because all 362-miles of coastline are designated as public land. From the sea up to the existing line of vegetation, all ocean beaches in Oregon are open to the public. This scenic coastal drive is made all the better by the fact that you can pull over at any of the countless waysides to dip your toes in the sand and surf.

And each town along the coast offers its own unique experience to travelers. Coastal towns are welcoming to tourists because tourism is a large part of the coastal economy. There are dunes for off-roading all up and down the coast, lighthouses and state parks aplenty to visit, and numerous charming seaside shops and restaurants to try with excellent seafood fare and cute beach town gifts.

At a glance, most people who see Astoria on a map would assume it’s just another coastal town, but it’s not actually on the pacific coastline. Astoria is a historic port town set on the southern bank of the Columbia River Delta. Nearby Fort Stevens State Park is a popular beachside park and campground, and the Lewis and Clark National Historic Park is another historic park worth a visit.

The big city has its appeal too, and it’s a nice change of pace after a long trip up the laid back coast. Portland has its own vibe, and it’s generally a pretty friendly city to explore on foot. If you’ve still got the itch to get outside and hike, though, you’ll want to take a look at our article on the best hikes in and around Portland .

The Beach, Everywhere

No two stretches of beach are the same in Oregon. Some are riddled with dazzling agates to collect, others are home to mini-ecosystems like tidepools and sea caves, while others are loaded with piles of driftwood, broken apart by freshwater streams, or adjacent to lively boardwalks. You’re sure to find something special about each beach you visit along this route.

Shore Acres State Park

Once a lavish estate of a wealthy timber baron, Shore Acres State Park is a beautiful combination of both natural and human-made wonders. Much of the park rests atop tall sandstone cliffs above the raging ocean where waves crash against upturned strata. A large, manicured botanical garden is maintained on the property, and there are multiple magical beach coves to discover.

Take a Mailboat up the Rogue River

This is less of a side trip and more of a thing to do, but you can turn this into an overnight or multi-day excursion. The Wild and Scenic Rogue River is mostly accessible only to hikers, rafters, and these mailboats. You can take a ride over 100 miles long and stay at a remote lodge far upriver from civilization and deep within the Wild Rogue Wilderness.

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Portland to Seattle

It’s all about those snow-capped Cascade peaks, baby! This final stretch of the Great Pacific Northwest Road Trip winds through the region’s tallest mountains. Starting with a scenic drive up the Columbia River Gorge, the road skirts past awe-inspiring Mount Hood and then crosses the river to weave between Washington’s regal giants.

Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Rainier are the climax of this grand tour. But the final leg of the journey sweeps back over to the coast for one last glimpse of the Pacific Ocean and a tranquil ride through the temperate rainforests of Olympic National Park before arriving back at the Seattle Metropolitan Area.

Columbia River Gorge

A scenic drive unlike any other, the Historic Columbia River Highway follows the gorge upriver as the scenery transitions from temperate rainforest to arid grassland. Attractions along this road include dozens of plummeting waterfalls , volcanic geological oddities, and the ever-present looming peaks of Mount Hood and Mount Adams.

Mount Adams and Goat Rocks Wilderness

Driving by Mount Adams, you may not be able to help yourself from finding a trail to hike. There are several popular paths up to sky-high trails on Mount Adams and within the neighboring Goat Rocks Wilderness . Here, on a clear day, you’ll find alpine lakes, wildflowers, goats, marmots, and epic views of the surrounding mountains.

Olympic National Park

Return once again to the coastal beauty and dark rainforests of the Pacific Northwest’s coastline, but crank all of it up to 11 here at the national park. Olympic National Park is a verdant wonderland set just outside of Seattle. It’s wet, wild, and everything is covered in green. Moss and lichen abound, as do the terrific ocean views.

Take a Hike:  Guide to the Best Easy Hikes at Olympic National Park

Mount Hood and the Timberline Lodge

You’ll miss much of the majesty of Mount Hood by bypassing it along the Columbia River Gorge. If you have a spare day, we suggest heading up to the mountain from the town of Hood River. The lodge is quite an interesting place, and it provides access to year-round ski slopes as well as the Timberline Trail which circumnavigates Mount Hood.

Take a Hike: Guide to Best Hikes at Mount Hood

Mount Rainier National Park

The pinnacle of the Pacific Northwest’s Cascade Range, Mount Rainier reigns above the region and can be seen from all across Washington and Oregon on a clear day. The national park provides a closer view of this iconic monolith. The mountain is what you make of it. There are miles of trails, suburban tourist attractions, scenic gondola rides, and so much more to discover on this mountain’s slopes.

Take a Hike: Guide to the Best Hikes at Mount Rainier

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

Known for its destructive eruption from a few decades past, Mount St. Helens offers a unique experience for adventurous folks who seek to climb or hike around the active volcano. You can experience first hand the remnants of the recent lava flow, the newly formed glacier, and numerous lava caves.

Save Time: Cut out either the mountains or the coast, or both, by heading up I-5 directly to Seattle.

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Seen in: Idaho , Oregon , Road Trips , Washington , West

Posted by Arthur McMahon

Arthur loves to walk. It’s as simple as that. Whether it be in the mountains, on the beach, or along the city streets — he believes walking is the best way to experience the world. Thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail was his first backpacking foray, and he hasn’t stopped crushing miles since. Arthur and his wife now regularly travel into the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest seeking new trails to hike.

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The Best Wyoming Road Trip : An 8-day Itinerary

• Post last modified: December 18, 2022
• Post category: Itineraries / North America / One Week Trips / Wyoming

Wyoming is filled with wide open spaces, towering mountain ranges, beautiful lakes, and wonderful wildlife. This state is a beautiful place to explore nature and connect with the land. The beautiful scenery combined with the wide open spaces make this state a perfect place for a road trip. This 8-day Wyoming road trip winds it’s way through the northwestern corner of the state and explores the best things to do in the state .

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When to take a wyoming road trip.

The weather is Wyoming is best between June and September. During these months the weather is warm-ish and, most importantly, the roads are open. Fall and spring are nice too but can be much cooler. Winter is not a good time to take a Wyoming road trip as the heavy snowfalls can make roads impassable.  

Getting There and Around

The only way to explore Wyoming is by car. This is because attractions are so spread out, public transportation is pretty much non-existent and airports are limited. That’s why we recommend a Wyoming road trip to anyone looking to explore the state.  

To follow this Wyoming road trip itinerary, it is easiest to fly into Jackson and rent a car at the airport. Then drive the route and end in Bozeman, Montana. Flying out of Bozeman is cheaper than many small airports in the area.

What to Budget for Your Wyoming Road Trip

We spent $1700 on our one week Wyoming road trip, not including transportation to and from Wyoming. We definitely would consider this a budget trip as we camped a lot and packed a sack lunch almost every day.

Accommodations

Accommodations in these areas range from luxury to budget and the price range spans accordingly.

Hotels in Wyoming will average around $120/night. However, keep in mind that hotels within national parks tend to be very expensive. Jackson Hole is also a very expensive place to stay. Hotels in these areas are rarely found for under $250/night.

Vacation rentals like AirBnB in Wyoming average around $150/night. These can provide a less expensive option for travelers but they are limited so booking early is a must.

The most economical way to travel in Wyoming is camping. Campsites are plentiful and average around $30/night.

If you aren’t into camping for 8 days but still want to save some money, we’d recommend camping in areas where hotels are limited and therefore more expensive. We camped when we staying in the Tetons and south Yellowstone. The rest of the time we stayed in budget hotels that were all under $100/night.

Plan to spend around $20/person for each meal. Meals in Grand Teton and Jackson are a bit more pricy averaging above $50/person.

We love the idea of stopping a grocery stores and packing sack lunches for this trip. As Wyoming is such a spread out state, you never know where you’ll be able to find a restaurant. Packing a sack lunch allows you to have fun during the day without having to follow a strict itinerary to get you to a town for lunch.

We recommend purchasing an America the Beautiful parks pass which will get you and anyone in your car into any National Park for a year. This $80 pass will also get you entrance into Yellowstone and Grand Teton. This is $10 more than purchasing each individual park pass and will give you more flexibility for future travel plans.  If you choose to purchase individual parks passes, those will cost $70.

You’ll also want to budget out any activities you plan on doing in Cody or Jackson. Prices for recommended activities in those towns are included in the itinerary.

What to Pack

You’ll definitely want to remember to grab a paper map of Wyoming for your travels. Cell service in the state is spotty, especially in the remote areas. A paper map will help you to avoid getting lost.  

If you’re going to be doing hiking in Yellowstone or Teton, you’ll want to pack bear spray or other bear repellent . Additionally, make sure to pack sturdy walking shoes as there is plenty of walking involved in this Wyoming road trip.

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Wyoming Road Trip Itinerary  

Day 1 – jackson hole.

Arrive in Jackson Hole and explore the town. You’ll likely arrive mid-day if you’re flying into Jackson. Spend the rest of your day exploring downtown Jackson and consider visiting the National Museum of Wildlife Art ($15/person).

To fill up your day in Jackson, check out our list of top things to do in Jackson here.

Stay overnight in Jackson.

Day 2 & 3 – Grand Teton National Park

Next, spend your time exploring Grand Teton National Park . We’d recommend spending your first day exploring the Jenny Lake area of the park and filling your second day with hiking and an exploration of the northern portion of the park.

For more information on how to spend your time in Grand Teton National Park, check out our two-day detailed Grand Teton itinerary here.

Stay overnight on day 2 and 3 in the park. There are lots of camping sites available as well as options to stay at some of the exclusive Grand Teton lodges. For recommendations on places to stay check out our Grand Teton vacation guide here .

Day 4 – Yellowstone Geysers

Next, spend day 4 of your Wyoming road trip exploring the most popular section of Yellowstone National park – the geysers. To get there, head north out of Grand Teton National park along highway 191.  

First, stop at the West Thumb Geyser Basin and then continue north. The road from West Thumb to Madison Junction is filled with stops that will allow you to explore the geysers that Yellowstone is famous for. Make sure to check the eruption times so you can time your trip just right in order to see as many geysers as possible, including the famous Old Faithful.  

For more information on visiting Yellowstone National Park, check out our list of things to do in the park here.

This part of the park is the busiest part of this Wyoming road trip, so prepare yourself to move at a slow pace and make plenty of stops.

Stay in the south section of the park for the evening.

Day 5 – West Yellowstone

Visit the western portion of Yellowstone on day 5. This will include views of Yellowstone Lake, visits to mud geysers and hikes around Yellowstone Canyon.  

Then, leave the park in the afternoon and make your way along Buffalo Bill scenic byway to Cody, Wyoming. Stay in Cody for the evening.

Day 6 – Cody

Spend day 6 of your Wyoming road trip exploring Cody. Cody is an amazing town that celebrates the history of the wild west. There are several museums that make up the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and visiting them all will take up your morning and possibly your afternoon. I would swear we spent a full day in the Firearms museum alone. Cost for admission is $19.75/person.

However, if the museum doesn’t take all day, consider visiting Old Trail town ($10/person) in the afternoon for a visit to a real old west town. Or consider getting outside and visiting Buffalo Bill Dam and State Park ($7/vehicle).

The town offers nightly rodeos in the summer months that are a highlight of a visit to Cody. The season does end mid-September so if you’d like to visit this iconic show, plan accordingly.

Stay for the evening in Cody.

Day 7 – Beartooth pass

In the morning, leave Cody via Chief Joseph Scenic Highway. Then head into Montana via Beartooth pass. This is constantly rated one of the most scenic drives in the world. This winding road will take you to Red Lodge Montana. Stop here for lunch.

In the afternoon, take Beartooth pass back into Yellowstone National Park. You’ll go through north Yellowstone in the afternoon/early evening. This just so happens to be the best time and place to view wildlife in the park. If you’re lucky you’ll even see some wolves out hunting.  

Stay the evening in North Yellowstone.

Alternatively, if driving Beartooth pass twice isn’t your idea of fun, consider rerouting through Montana on your way from Red Lodge to Yellowstone. You can loop a bit north and find yourself in Gardiner by the evening which will also put you in a good spot to start Day 8 of your Wyoming road trip.

Day 8 – North Yellowstone

Spend your last morning exploring the north loop of Yellowstone National Park. This will be where you spot a majority of those amazing Yellowstone creatures you’ve been on the lookout for. Also make sure to stop at Mammoth Hot Springs on your way out of the park.  

In the afternoon head north out of Yellowstone and you’ll find yourself in Montana. It is here that your epic 8-day Wyoming road trip comes to an end.

Want to Adjust This Wyoming Road Trip?  

If you have just a few days, consider just focusing on Yellowstone or Grand Teton. We like Yellowstone better so check out our 3-day Yellowstone itinerary here .

If you have 5 days, you can still visit Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Check out the full 5-day road trip here that eliminates visiting Cody and driving Beartooth Pass.

If you have more time, we’d recommend staying an extra day or two in Yellowstone. Can you tell we love Yellowstone? There is so much to see and do and 5 days in Yellowstone would be time well spent. With more time, you can also see other things in Wyoming but remember that Wyoming is incredibly spread out. For example, we love Devils Tower National Monument but that would be a 6 hour drive to get to.  

Wyoming is such an amazing natural resource. We know that this Wyoming road trip will allow you to explore some of most beautiful scenery in the country. Traveling in Wyoming is such a treasure, we know you will remember it for years to come.  

We hope this Wyoming road trip itinerary has helped you to plan your upcoming Wyoming vacation. We know that Yellowstone and Grand Teton will be the highlights of your trip but make sure to explore the other amazing things that the state has to offer. If you have any questions or comments, make sure to leave them in the comments section below and we’ll be happy to help.

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A Travel Guide to the Ultimate Idaho Road Trip

Table of contents, 1. bruneau dunes state park.

• 2.  Balanced Rock
• 3.  Shoshone Falls

4. Museum of Idaho

5. mesa falls, 6. craters of the moon national monument and preserve, 7. sawtooth national recreation area, 8. hells canyon national recreation area.

• 9. Lake Coeur d’Alene

10. Route of the Hiawatha

Where to rest on your idaho road trip, stay busy while on the road with idaho bingo.

Are you feeling envious of all the amazing road trips your friends seem to be posting about online lately? These days, you can’t go online without being bombarded by pictures of everyone else’s latest escapades to jaw-dropping destinations. 

Maybe you are ready to witness some mind-blowing scenery in person rather than through the experiences of others. Since a camera cannot capture the smell of fresh pine trees or the feeling of a cool stream rushing over your feet, it’s time to unplug and create lasting memories. Get out there to see, hear, smell and feel it for yourself. To get started, we mapped out a road trip in Idaho for you with more adventure than most cross-country trips can offer.

Bruneau Dunes State Park is up first on this list of Idaho road-trip destinations and is an ideal place to begin your adventure. More than 12,000 years ago, the Bonneville flood waters receded here, and a large amount of sand was left behind. The wind transported the sand to Idaho’s Bruneau Basin, creating the present-day state park, Bruneau Dunes. This park is home to the highest single-structured sand dune in North America at 470 feet high. In addition to these sandy drifts, Bruneau is home to Idaho’s largest public telescope and two public observatories. Gaze at the stars, climb the staggering dunes or rent a sandboard and surf the family-friendly sands. Enjoy a scenic stop along the Snake River or visit Three Island Crossing State Park in Glenns Ferry on your way to another of Idaho’s geological wonders, Balanced Rock. 

Travel Time to Next Destination

Bruneau Dunes State Park to Balanced Rock: 1 hour, 25 minutes (77.4 miles)

Getting to Balanced Rock

From Bruneau Dunes State Park, take State Highway 78 east to Interstate 84 in Hammett. Follow I-84 to Thousand Springs Scenic Byway (U.S. Route 30) and drive south toward Buhl. Follow signage south to Balanced Rock, taking Castleford Glenns Ferry Road to Balanced Rock Road. 

2.   Balanced Rock

Balanced Rock is a peculiar natural wonder. This famous rock weighs more than 40 tons, is 48 feet tall and stands on a base only three feet wide. Over time, the wind has slowly etched every crevice of this boulder to form one of nature’s most curious balancing acts. Park for a picnic and snap some pictures to add to your impressive and expanding Idaho trip photo album. For more fun, take a quick detour to hike around in one of the six units of Thousand Springs State Park —or discover more good times with a visit to the incredible Hagerman Fossil Beds —before setting back out on the Thousand Springs Scenic Byway toward Shoshone Falls. 

Balanced Rock to Shoshone Falls: 50 minutes (33.5 miles)

Getting to Shoshone Falls

Starting from Balanced Rock, follow signs northeast toward Buhl. Then, drive the Thousand Springs Scenic Byway (U.S.-30) southeast to Twin Falls. Follow area signage north to reach Shoshone Falls.

3.   Shoshone Falls

Did you know that Idaho has a waterfall taller than Niagara Falls? Shoshone Falls is a jaw-dropping 212 feet tall and is at its best during the spring and early summer when the water flow is high. The Shoshone Falls and Dierkes Lake Complex is operated by the city of Twin Falls and has playgrounds, groomed picnic areas, hiking trails and a spot for swimming. Plan to visit the scenic overlook for an unforgettable family photo from your road trip in Idaho while at Shoshone Falls. On the way to your next stop, experience other rocky (and historic) wonders at two destinations you may need to see to believe: nearby City of Rocks National Reserve and Castle Rocks State Park on the City of Rocks Backcountry Byway .  

Shoshone Falls to the Museum of Idaho: 2 hours, 25 minutes (159 miles)

Getting to the Museum of Idaho

Travel on I-84 east to Interstate 86, and then continue on Interstate 15 North northeast to Idaho Falls. 

The Museum of Idaho is devoted to bringing first-rate exhibits to the Gem State. The museum preserves cultural and natural history by showcasing a variety of rotating exhibits and always-open options like Way Out West and the Marie Putnam Discovery Room for children. Journey into charming Idaho Falls, walk along the Snake River Greenbelt and seek out other community points of interest such as the nearby Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park or the Idaho Potato Museum , located about 30 minutes away in Blackfoot.

Museum of Idaho to Mesa Falls Visitor Center: 1 hours, 11 minutes (69.2 miles)

Getting to Mesa Falls

Take U.S. Route 20 northeast to Ashton. From there, drive the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway (State Highway 47 North) to Upper Mesa Falls Road, and follow signage to the falls.

Found within the expansive Caribou–Targhee National Forest, Mesa Falls offers a remarkable experience for visitors of all ages. Take a leisurely stroll along the boardwalk to view Upper Mesa Falls, then stroll the Mesa Falls Nature Trail and take a moderate hike down to Lower Mesa Falls. Don’t forget to stop by the visitors center, where you can learn about the geological history of the area and gain insights into local flora and fauna. Keep your camera handy, as photo opportunities abound around every turn. A short drive from Mesa Falls, visit Yellowstone Bear World and Harriman State Park to extend your time on this fantastic eastern stop to your road trip in Idaho.

Mesa Falls Visitor Center to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve: 2 hours, 31 minutes (147 miles)

Getting to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve

Drive the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway to U.S.-20, then head southeast on U.S.-20 and U.S. Route 26 toward Arco. Continue on U.S.-26 west past Arco to access the national monument and preserve. Please note some navigation devices may incorrectly direct visitors to dirt roads. If using navigation apps or devices, navigate to the Robert Limbert Visitor Center at 1266 Craters Loop Road, Arco, ID 83213. The visitor center and loop road are not accessible via any unpaved roads. 

Craters of the Moon spans 750,000 acres—roughly the same size as the state of Rhode Island. This vast landscape of otherworldly terrain includes lava tubes, cinder cones, fissures and plenty to do. Venture out for a 15-minute walk to the top of Inferno Cone for a view of the fascinating lava formations, or get a free permit from the visitors center and traverse the cave system formed through bygone volcanic activity underground at Indian Tunnel. Visit the nearby town of Arco to grab a bite to eat and check out a submarine in the desert on your Idaho road trip.

Craters of the Moon to Sawtooth National Recreation Area: 1 hour, 26 minutes (72.3 miles)

Getting to Sawtooth National Recreation Area

Take U.S.-26 southwest to Carey, then turn onto U.S.-20 West. Drive to State Highway 75 and continue north past Sun Valley to the recreation area. 

The Sawtooth National Recreation Area is the epitome of Idaho exploration. In fact, this stunning location could be a vacation in and of itself. The area has 300 high-mountain lakes and 700 miles of trails to explore. You may struggle to choose just one day’s worth of activities, so stick around and scout out more if you have the time. Redfish Lake holds rich recreational opportunities complete with boating, fishing and hiking trails for beginners and more experienced outdoor recreationalists. Enjoy a different perspective of this area on a full- or half-day horseback ride with an outfitter like Redfish Corrals.  

 Travel Time to Next Destination

Sawtooth National Recreation Area to Hells Canyon National Recreation Area: 7 hours, 10 minutes (339.7 miles)

Getting to Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

Leaving the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, travel the Sawtooth Scenic Byway northwest to State Highway 21 near Stanley, then turn north on State Highway 55 and continue until you reach New Meadows. From New Meadows, take U.S. Route 95 to State Highway 71, and journey on to Hells Canyon Road. Follow marked recreation area access signage. 

At its highest point, America’s deepest river gorge dives a staggering 7,993 feet to the valley floor below. Hells Canyon carves its way along the Idaho–Oregon border next to the Seven Devils Mountain Range . While you are visiting this popular Idaho trip destination, be sure to take a guided raft excursion or jet boat tour between the giant slabs of green and black basalt walls of this mammoth canyon. Cambridge is the last stop for fuel, snacks and bathrooms before entering Hells Canyon. The town of Riggins offers food, groceries and limited lodging, as well as outdoor recreation and access to numerous outfitters and guides. Soak up the sun and scenery before setting off on your journey to Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area to Lake Coeur d’Alene: 7 hours, 35 minutes (375 miles)

Getting to Lake Coeur d’Alene

From Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, drive State Highway 71 south to Cambridge, and then take U.S.-95 north. Hop on the White Pine and Lake Coeur d’Alene scenic byways to reach your next destination.

9. Lake Coeur d’Alene

Lake Coeur d’Alene spans 26 miles and boasts more than 135 miles of shoreline. This international resort destination is home to the nearby Coeur d’Alene Resort , Silverwood Theme Park (the Northwest’s largest theme park) and a never-ending list of outdoor ventures. The city of Coeur d’Alene provides a peaceful place to stop with dining, shopping and a range of activities to explore and enjoy. Take a breather here and gear up for your last Idaho road-trip stop—the Route of the Hiawatha.

Lake Coeur d’Alene to Lookout Pass: 1 hour, 22 minutes (73.9 miles)

Getting to the Route of the Hiawatha

Take Interstate 90 and head east to Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area to pick up trail passes for the Route of the Hiawatha.

Make sure you keep your camera handy for this final portion of your epic Idaho road trip. The Route of the Hiawatha is a converted railroad line that winds for 15 miles along the Bitterroot Mountains. Ride your bike over seven towering trestle bridges and cruise through 10 tunnels. The trail is all downhill ( a good time for the whole family ) with shuttle buses to transport you back to the top. Visit Lookout Pass and appreciate the panoramic vistas offering views of the surrounding mountains and lush forests, or check out historic Wallace’s museums, tours and restaurants. When you are ready to wrap up your journey, turn south toward Boise to finish out your epic Idaho drive. 

Travel Time to Final Destination

Route of the Hiawatha to Boise: 8 hours, 30 minutes (430 miles)

Getting to Boise

Leaving the trail, take I-90 west to State Highway 3 South. Continue south to U.S.-95, and then follow SH-55 farther south to Boise. 

Search for places to stay along your ultimate road trip in Idaho! Browse a range of lodging options on Visit Idaho’s website —from cozy cabins up in the mountains to charming bed and breakfasts found in historic towns—and select lodging that suits your style. 

Turn up the fun on your Idaho road trip with a game of bingo! Search to find all the pictured items on each card and be the first to get bingo! Some of the items will require you to leave the car, giving you a convenient excuse to get out and stretch your legs. This game is great for keeping kids happy and parents sane.

Set out on the road and make memories on a trip of your own in Idaho!

Looking for more riveting Idaho trip routes? Explore the state’s 31 scenic byways.

Tyler Schnur

Updated on August 11, 2023 Published on October 28, 2015

Always Up For An Adventure

Travel & Adventure Blog

Pacific Northwest Road Trip in 10 Days

Last summer, we spent 10 days seeing the Pacific Northwest on a road trip. I was able to visit Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and a little bit of California in 10 days! The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful area that you MUST visit! If you are short on time, I’ve detailed my trip so you can get ideas on what is possible. My philosophy for travel is fit in as much as I can, because I never know if I’ll get back to the area. I can always sleep when I get home, lol.  I know that doesn’t work for most, but my husband tolerates me.

Day 1: Montana

I flew to Spokane solo, rented a car and then headed towards Whitefish, Montana. One of my good friends moved there a year ago and this was my first opportunity to come visit. Technically Montana is not part of the pacific northwest, but I couldn’t be this close and not visit her!

I stopped for a quick breakfast at Frank’s Diner in Spokane, super cute! It’s in a train car!

I took the scenic route by accident, but it was gorgeous! Of course, I’m from Dallas, so any kind of elevation makes me happy.

Stopped in Libby at Kootenai Falls and Swinging bridge.  Very easy to get to, right off the highway. Short walk to a beautiful waterfall in one direction and a swinging bridge in the other. It was perfect. Just what I needed after being in a car and plane for hours.

Finally made it to my friend’s house. So jealous of her, she wakes up to mountains every day now!

Day 2: Montana

First full day of fun! We explored the cute downtown area of Whitefish in the morning.

For the afternoon, we went to Glacier National Park. We rented a small boat and went out on Lake McDonald. Gorgeous!! Unfortunately, it down poured after that, so we headed back to her house.

We had Kobe Steak & Sushi for dinner, Hibachi style, very good!

Sweet Peaks ice cream for dessert. Huckleberry ice cream was hands down the best!!!

Day 3: Montana

My last day in the area, and it happened to be the first day the Going to the Sun road opened in Glacier National Park!!! I had been watching that website daily for the past couple weeks hoping the road would open.  It was so awesome, it has its own post .

After the park, I packed up the car and started back towards Spokane.

I stopped at Lake Coeur d’ Alene in Idaho to view the scenery and get out of the car.

Quick note, we decided on a Pacific Northwest road trip so we could visit my son who was playing for a drum corp in the Seattle area. He called while I was in route to Spokane and told me he had a few free hours the next morning to hang out. My plan was NOT to drive all night to be in La Conner, Washington the next morning, so I don’t recommend it!

The original plan included hanging out by Lake Coeur d’Alene longer. If the timing was right I would have loved to kayak around this beautiful lake. Dinner at Capone’s Pub, because I try and hit all the Triple D places I can while I travel (Diners, Drive Ins and Dives). Relaxing in a hotel in Spokane, getting up early and seeing a bit of this city and then driving towards La Conner going through the North Cascades National Park via the east entrance.

A few things to note about Montana:

*Try huckleberry everything!!! I had pie, ice cream and huckleberry lemonade! Seriously, you can’t go wrong!

*Cell reception sucks!!! Have a map, know where you’re going.

*Slow down and look for wildlife. On my way to Spokane, I saw a bear running in a field!! So cool!!

Day 4: Washington

I stopped at Snoqualmie Falls as soon as the sun was coming up….it was an ungodly hour. I don’t even remember the time. Unfortunately, it was very foggy, so I could not see the waterfall at all. I heard it, but the clouds would not lift. It’s supposed to be beautiful, maybe next time.

I arrived in La Conner with some time to kill, so I drove around the area. It’s super cute!! And very small! Nothing was open, because it was still freaking early, so I just headed to wait in the parking lot for my son to come out. I may or may not have fallen asleep….

Anyways, my son had a few free hours and we were going to make the most of it. We drove to Deception Pass and hiked down to the coast. Beautiful area!!! It was still kinda foggy, but it made for some cool pictures with the bridge.

North Cascades National Park was my main goal today after I dropped him back off.  It was AMAZING!! Enough to have its own post as well. This is a must do on a Pacific Northwest road trip!

As if the day couldn’t be longer, my hubby had a late flight coming to meet me. So, I drove to Seattle around midnight to pick him up and then drove back to the La Conner area. Needless to say, when my head hit that pillow, I was out!!

Day 5: Washington

Started the day early with breakfast at Frank’s Place on Whidbey Island. Good food and a patriotic theme, you could tell he was a veteran.

Watched Austin play for a bit before heading to the Anacortes ferry.

Took the ferry to Friday Harbor, very cool experience! I’ve been on a ferry before, but not with this kind of scenery. It took about an hour to get there. FYI, very cold and windy! Bring a warm jacket.

We met up with some friends and they took us on a tour of San Juan Island . Post is here . This is another must do in the Pacific Northwest!

Day 6: Washington

Left San Juan island and stopped at a roadside stand that sold huckleberry ice cream! YUM!

Mount Rainier was our top destination today.

After a few hours, we finally spotted the mountain. GORGEOUS!!! I think I stopped at almost every turnoff and took a million photos.

We went to the Paradise visitor center to get my passport stamped and a better look up the mountain. Hiking a couple easy trails was on our agenda, but Patrick’s ankle was hurting so we weren’t able. I’m honestly not sure we would have had the time anyways. It took a lot longer to get there and around the mountain than I thought. This is definitely a day trip in and of itself if you plan on doing any hiking. Mount Rainier must be added to every Pacific Northwest road trip itinerary!

We tried to make it to Mount St. Helens before the sunset, but we were about 30 minutes to late ☹ Not gonna lie, I was disappointed. I also knew that it would have been a miracle to fit everything in as well, so I got over it quickly. One more reason to go back to the area. We did see it from a distance and that was pretty cool.

Portland was our next stop. Powell’s Books and VooDoo Donuts were the must dos here. Powell’s claims to be the largest independent bookstore in America. It was HUGE! I love bookstores, so I just had to check it out and of course buy a couple books!

VOODOO Doughnuts had the weird theme going on. Definitely fit the whole Portland vibe! The donuts we got were huge and delish! I will be back. FYI, cash only!

We drove for a couple more hours to get a head start on our destination for tomorrow.

Day 7: Oregon & California

Crater Lake National Park!!!

I feel like I’ve said this all week, but this place was GORGEOUS!!! It had the bluest water I’ve ever seen. It took about an hour to drive around the lake. We learned so much about volcanos at the visitor center. This volcano explosion was like a 100x bigger than Mount St. Helens! Crazy!!

Apparently, you can drink the water out of this lake, because the lake is enclosed. The water is all from rain and snowmelt. This is also the deepest lake in America. Another must do that should be on every Pacific Northwest road trip!

When we were done, we made our way towards Cali! We stopped for lunch at the cutest quirkiest place in Shady Grove called Mac’s Diner. It’s in an older home by a river.

Redwood National Park was up next! I’ve wanted to come here forever!!! There’s a ton of different Redwood areas and we only saw a little bit, but it was INCREDIBLE!!! We did a couple small hikes, because how could we NOT!!

We headed back towards Oregon and tried to watch the sunset from the coast. Our pizza ended up taking to long and we missed it.

Day 8: Oregon

Most of the day was spent on the Oregon Coast . Click here for all the details. The Oregon coast is beautiful! I could have spent many more days here. It is a must do for every Pacific Northwest road trip!

In the evening we finally made it to Washington. Stopped at the Quinault Rain Forest for a quick hike.

We made our way to Ruby Beach for the sunset. Again the weather was not cooperating and it was very cloudy. However, the area was still beautiful. It was a small hike down to the beach and I was worried we’d be tripping over everything after it got dark, but we were fine. There was a good amount of light to see going back and we stayed down there at least 30 minutes after the sunset.

Day 9: Washington

Forks Washington- Home of the Twilight series! Yes, I was a Twilight fan and you can click here for more details on Forks.

Olympic National Park is huge! There are many different areas of the park with a lot of diversity. I only hit a tiny portion, but I plan on coming back to see the rest. This park should be on your Pacific Northwest road trip agenda!

I got up early to take a hike solo in Hoh Rain Forest. The hubby’s ankle was still bothering him. This place was amazing!

We drove through Olympic National park towards Port Angeles. There was a beautiful lake.

We were going to try and drive to the Hurricane Ridge visitor center, but it was raining, and we didn’t have much time. Port Angeles was such a cute town! I wanted to eat at Bella Italia, but they were only open for dinner and we decided to rush through everything to try and see Austin this evening.

Purple Haze was a must do! Even though I already went to a lavender farm on San Juan Island, I had to see another one!

This one was bigger and sold white chocolate lavender ice cream! Ugh, yes, please! It was good, not as good as the huckleberry but still good. I spent way too much money in that lavender gift shop.

Made it to Port Townsend for the ferry. We walked around town until the ferry was ready to leave.

The rest of the day was spent watching Austin and then driving to our hotel in downtown Seattle.

Day 10: Seattle

Seattle Day! A must see city in Pacific Northwest!

First stop, Biscuit Bi$%#! for breakfast. Yummy! I got there 15 minutes before it opened for the day. By the time it did open, the line was already 20 people long!

Hopped on the monorail and headed to the Seattle Center. Seriously people, Seattle has a monorail! I almost said the Disney phrase when I got on “ Please stand clear of the doors…” Finally got to see the iconic Space Needle. It was under construction, so people recommended not going until it was complete. Plus, it was of course, cloudy.

Chihuly Garden and Glass has been on my bucket list for a while, so I was thrilled to finally be here. Crazy beautiful and amazing. I probably stayed here less than an hour.

Next stop, Museum of Pop Culture . I stayed a little over an hour here, but I did rush to meet back up with Patrick. Favorite exhibits: Marvel, Nirvana and the Fantasy area. You can read more about it here .

Pike Place is overwhelmingly amazing!!! So much to see and eat! And it’s super crowded!! We ended up staying here a couple hours longer than planned since it was cold and rainy.

The rest of the day was spent looking for a Walmart or Target. I bought way too many souvenirs, so we had to buy another suitcase to get everything back home….whoops.

Looking back over the whole trip, it was a LOT of driving! Like between 40-50 hours…the Pacific Northwest is huge! But I’m so glad I got to see all that I did!  Obviously, this itinerary isn’t for everyone, but hopefully it’ll help some who are on a time budget or some who have a couple weeks and can spend their time enjoying the different areas. The Pacific Northwest is such a beautiful area with so much to do! There’s something for everyone!

Bonus that I got some girl time and hubby time. We haven’t had a vacay with out kids in over 10 years, so this was much needed!

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The Perfect Idaho Road Trip Itinerary You Should Steal

September 17, 2020 //  by  Follow Me Away //   2 Comments

An Idaho road trip is perfect for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in nature. This northwestern state has plenty of nature getaways that can act as a fun family vacation or a romantic couples’ retreat. Use our Idaho itinerary to jump start some ideas for your road trip!

Idaho is known for its diverse landscape and this road trip will lead you to many beautiful sights! Rivers, lakes, mountains, and more await you on this very nature-focused adventure. Don’t forget to pack some hiking boots!

Idaho is beautiful and fun no matter the season and can definitely be enjoyed year-round. In the spring, flowers are abundant and the melting snow creates amazing waterfalls. Summer will give you the perfect weather for your time at the lakes. In the fall, the red and orange trees alone are worth the journey. Wintertime gives you the chance to try out some exciting winter sports.

Once you have your itinerary planned, download some road trip apps and pack your bags . Then, it’s time to get your unforgettable Idaho road trip started!

Save money on your trip to Idaho! Get a  FREE $55 Airbnb coupon  by using  our code  when you book! 

Start Your Idaho Road Trip by Flying into Boise

If you are flying into Idaho, you will want to choose Boise, the state’s capital, as your destination city. This is the only big city you will be seeing on your vacation, and it is the best place to start your Idaho road trip. If, instead of flying, you are driving into Idaho, feel free to start your itinerary at whichever stop is closest to your home.

Getting Around Idaho

Of course, you will need to rent a car if you are flying to Idaho. It is easy to book a car in advance and pick it up at one of the car rental places at the airport. Make sure you do some research to find the best price as well as the best vehicle for your needs.

Stop 1: Boise

Along with being Idaho’s capital, Boise is also the state’s largest city. As a modern metropolitan area, there are plenty of things to do that will keep tourists busy and happy. You should plan on staying here at least two to three days in order to take it all in.

Boise is very much a city that takes advantage of the beautiful nature that surrounds and weaves through it. There are parks to explore, many of which are found along the banks of the Boise River. You will not have to go far to find a good hiking or biking trail.

If you want to spend some time in the city, make sure you check out the cute downtown, where you will find an array of options for eating and shopping. There is also a ton of street art throughout the city to discover.

Things to Do

Find Animals at the Aquarium of Boise or Zoo Boise

If there are any animal lovers in your travel group, then Boise has a few attractions for you. First, check out the 10,000 square foot Aquarium of Boise, where you can discover many hands-on animal exhibits. Then, head over to Zoo Boise to find a ton of cool animals and interactive exhibits. There is also a pretty butterfly area.

Immerse Yourself in Culture at the Boise Art Museum

The Boise Art Museum houses rooms and rooms of modern art as well as an education center, rotating exhibits, and a sculpture garden. This museum opened in 1937 and has been drawing art lovers ever since. Come here to soak in some art!

Shop at the Capital City Public Market

The expansive Capital City Public Market has been happening since the ’90s and is the perfect place to pick up some ingredients for a meal cooked at your Airbnb or to get a snack. There are over 150 vendors as well as live music to enjoy as you shop. The Market is open in the summer on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

If you are traveling in winter, you might want to check out the Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Center. Here, you can hit the slopes and have a thrilling time on the downhill slopes or cross country skiing trails. Whether you are a beginner or expert, these slopes are full of fun!

Where to Stay

Boise has plenty of modern places to stay.

Affordable: Hyde Park King Studio Suite . Check Rates: Airbnb

Mid-Range: 26th Street Studio – West Downtown Boise . Check Rates: Airbnb

Luxury: HGTV’s Boise Boys Firehouse . Check Rates: Airbnb

Stop 2: Bruneau Dunes State Park

From Boise, drive for about an hour down Highway 84 until you get to Bruneau Dunes State Park. The sand dunes here are an example of Idaho’s natural diversity, and you will feel as if you have been transported to a desert as you hike along the dunes’ winding ridges.

Interestingly, this state park is home to the largest free-standing sand dune in the country. At about 470 feet, the peak of this landscape will offer amazing views for anyone daring enough to hike to the top. Hiking in sand is different than dirt, so be prepared for a bit of a harder trek.

Bruneau Dunes State Park is more than incredible scenes and hiking, though. If you want to add some exhilaration to your Idaho road trip, why not try sand sledding? This is the perfect activity for families with younger kids.

When night falls, be sure to check out the Bruneau Dunes Observatory for a chance to peek at the stars through a telescope. The observatory is open April through October on Fridays and Saturdays only.

You can camp at the park or stay in a nearby town.

Affordable: Thunder Bird Motel . Check Rates: Booking.com

Luxury: Hampton Inn & Suites . Check Rates: Booking.com

Stop 3: Shoshone Falls Park

From Bruneau Dunes State Park, keep south on Highway 84 for another hour and a half until you reach Shoshone Falls Park on the Snake River. This waterfall is referred to as the “Niagara of the West”, and it is in fact taller than the famous Niagara Falls at 212-feet. It is not nearly as wide though!

The best time to see Shoshone Falls is during the spring when the winter snow runoff heightens the flow. In summer, some water is diverted for irrigation so there is a little less. But the falls are still amazing to see at any time! There are a few different viewpoints where you can watch the tumbling water, so make sure to check out each.

The park here is one of the best places to visit in Idaho for families. Along with the falls, you will find areas perfect for a picnic lunch and fun playgrounds for kids to burn off some energy.

Check out Dierkes Lake Park next door to cool off in the water or maybe go hiking. If you are up for a longer hike, the 7.6-mile Canyon Rim Trail takes you along the scenic Snake River Canyon. As a bonus, the path is paved and well maintained!

Book a place in Twin Falls.

Affordable: Gorgeous 2 Bed/2Bath Home with Garage . Check Rates: Airbnb

Mid-Range: Cozy Brick Cottage . Check Rates: Airbnb

Mid-Range: Twin Falls Top Town House . Check Rates: Airbnb

Stop 4: Craters of the Moon National Monument

In just under two hours from Shoshone Falls Park, you will find yourself in another unique landscape. Craters of the Moon National Monument is so named because of the rugged, barren land leftover from ancient lava flows. It is a desolate place perfect for the setting of an apocalyptic movie–or a stop on your Idaho road trip! When you post some snaps on Instagram, people are bound to ask where on earth you are!

The park is about the size of the state of Rhode Island so there is plenty to explore, including cool rock formations, cinder cones, fissures, and lava tubes. Nature enthusiasts might want to seek out the occasional plant life, which is specially adapted to this area.

Drive the Scenic Loop

The quickest and easiest way to see the Craters of the Moon is by driving the 7-mile scenic loop road. This will take you through the park at a leisurely, air-conditioned pace. When you come to a site you want to see better, you can pull over and explore.

Discover Lava Tubes

One of the main things to do at Craters of the Moon National Monument is exploring lava caves. The otherworldly caves provide a once in a lifetime experience. Make sure to plan your trip later than mid-May to assure the snow blocking the caves has melted. There are five caves to choose from, each with a different level of difficulty. Head underground to walk where lava once flowed!

Hike Amazing Trails

There are also a few hiking trails here with such cool scenes they can’t be passed up. Like the cave trails, they vary in difficulty and length. The shortest trail is under half a mile while the longest is eight miles. Whichever trail you choose, make sure to stay on the designated path to avoid harming the fragile lava formations.

There are some campsites along the edge of the park or you can stay in an Airbnb nearby.

Affordable: Long Horse Ranch Cabin . Check Rates: Airbnb

Mid-Range: River Street Roost . Check Rates: Airbnb

Stop 5: Mesa Falls

The next stop on your Idaho road trip is two and a half hours away at Mesa Falls, near the border with Wyoming. In fact, Mesa Falls is so close to Yellowstone National Park that you could easily make a day trip there if you have the time. And you should make time for it! Yellowstone is one of the most popular U.S. travel destinations for a reason! But, it is not in Idaho, so we are glossing over it for now.

Mesa Falls is located in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and is made up of an upper and lower falls. Surrounded by trees and a beautiful river canyon, this waterfall is worth a visit. Many photo opportunities await you!

Start off at the Mesa Falls Visitor Center, which is found in a historic 1915 inn and features natural and cultural exhibits. Around the corner from the building is a boardwalk and stairway, which will lead you to views of the gorgeous Upper Mesa Falls. If you are lucky, you may see a rainbow stretching across the canyon on sunny mornings.

Then, set out on the mile-long Mesa Falls Nature Trail, which ends with an overlook of the Lower Mesa Falls. Though not as big as its brother, this waterfall is still incredible.

There is camping available in the park or you can stay in one of the small towns in the area.

Mid-Range: Osprey Landing . Check Rates: Airbnb

Mid-Range: Beautiful Home Near Yellowstone . Check Rates: Airbnb

Luxury: Targhee Ski Resort . Check Rates: Airbnb

Stop 6: Sawtooth National Forest

A four and a half-hour drive through the mountains will bring you to Sawtooth National Forest. This one of the major tourist destinations in Idaho, and it will quickly become clear why. This forest is over two million acres and there is so much to do and see, you may want to stay for at least two to three days.

Relax at Redfish Lake

Redfish Lake is the largest lake in the area and is worth a visit if you want to swim, kayak, or just chill and work on your tan. Check out the sandy Orval Hansen Point Beach to find picture perfect boat docks that will make a great place to pose for an Instagram shot.

Go Horseback Riding

There are a few places within the Sawtooth National Forest where you can book a trail ride. Is there a better way to experience nature than from the back of a horse? This is the perfect activity for families with kids, and it is sure to create lasting memories.

Soak in a Hot Spring

You will find Sunbeam Hot Springs right off Highway 75 so you will not have far to walk before you can settle into the relaxing water. This natural thermal hot spring is part of the Salmon River and is surrounded by evergreen trees. The spring is open year-round with water at about 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

Hit the Slopes

If you are doing your Idaho road trip in the winter, then you have to plan for some skiing or snowboarding while in the mountains. There are a few ski resorts to chose from, so you will not have to look far. It might be cold, by the adrenaline will warm you up!

There are a ton a beautiful campsites in the Sawtooth National Forest. If you don’t want to rough it, there are some Airbnbs nearby.

Affordable: Modern Elkhorn Studio in the Heart of Sun Valley . Check Rates: Airbnb

Mid-Range: Downtown Ketchum Condo . Check Rates: Airbnb

Luxury: Creekfront Luxury . Check Rates: Airbnb

Stop 7: Payette National Forest

You will come to another beautiful national forest after a two and a half-hour drive north. Payette National Forest is also over 2 million acres and features a variety of ecology and landscapes. From grasslands to canyons to mountains, this area has it all!

If you are looking for a place to become one with nature on your road trip of Idaho, look no farther! This national forest allows you to hike scenic trails, fish in pure rivers, and swim in natural, mountain lakes. The forest turns fiery in fall but is still gorgeous year-round.

Hike to Goose Creek Falls

The hike to Goose Creek Falls is about three miles in and out, but the change in elevation makes the climb a bit harder than the short distance would suggest. The hike is worth it for the sight of the calming waterfall nestled among the trees.

Discover Hells Canyon

Hells Canyon was formed by the Snake River and is found on the border between Idaho and Oregon. This gorge is the deepest of its kind in North America and is 100% worth a visit! There are plenty of hiking opportunities here. Or take a boat tour of the river!

Book Here: Hells Canyon: Yellow Boat Adventure

Take a Dip in the Burgdorf Hot Springs

The Burgdorf Hot Springs are open to the public all year and are found at a rustic resort in the small town of Burgdorf. The water is an average of 113 degrees Fahrenheit, so you are guaranteed to enjoy some relaxing, muscle-melting water.

Camp in the forest or stay in the city of McCall.

Affordable: Studio Retreat . Check Rates: Airbnb

Mid-Range: Lovely Cabin w/Fireplace . Check Rates: Airbnb

Luxury: Large, Modern, Luxurious Cabin . Check Rates: Airbnb

Stop 8: Coeur d’Alene

A five-hour drive from Payette National Forest will land you at Coeur d’Alene, the last stop on your Idaho itinerary and one of the most popular vacation spots in the state. Here you will find Lake Coeur d’Alene, a pretty, bright blue lake which boasts 135 miles of shoreline. At almost 50 square miles, the lake provides a place to water ski, sail, or stand-up paddleboard.

While the lake is the main draw, this small town has plenty of other activities to enjoy! Plan on spending a couple days here exploring and unwinding from your trip before you head home.

Enjoy a Beach Day

Claim a little piece of the beach for yourself and your family for the perfect beach day. You could easily spend hours just relaxing at the beach. Take a dip in the water or lay out a towel for sunbathing. When you get hungry, check out the boardwalk or bring a picnic to enjoy.

Bring the Kids to McEuen Park

If you are traveling with kids, you must go to McEuen Park. This is a great park with a large playground and splash pad that will entertain kids for hours. There is also an off-leash dog park here if you have a four-legged travel buddy.

Go Shopping Downtown

Coeur d’Alene has a cute downtown shopping district perfect for walking around and taking in the charm of the city. Head to Sherman Avenue to find a variety of unique shops and eateries. Maybe pick up a souvenir to remember ou Idaho road trip.

Take a Boat Tour

There are a bunch of cruise companies at Lake Coeur d’Alene to chose from with a variety of cruise types and lengths. This is a relaxing and hassle free way to see the area. If you want to enjoy a meal at the same time, look into booking a brunch or dinner cruise.

Get Your Heart Pumping by Parasailing

If you have had enough relaxation, it is time to try parasailing over Lake Coeur d’Alene. This is a surefire way to get your heart pumping with excitement! With views from 600-feet up, this is an experience you will not soon forget!

Coeur d’Alene has a ton of cute and modern accommodations.

Affordable: Downtown Studio . Check Rates: Airbnb

Mid-Range: The Fairway Loft . Check Rates: Airbnb

Luxury: Designer Bungalow . Check Rates: Airbnb

End Your Idaho Road Trip by Flying out of Spokane, Washington

When it is time for your Idaho road trip to come to a close, you will have to return your rental car and fly home. From Coeur d’Alene drive over the state border to Spokane, Washington. It is only about a forty-minute drive to Spokane International Airport so it is a convenient way to end your Idaho trip.

If Idaho wasn’t on your travel bucket list before, it should be now! Idaho is basically just miles upon miles of beautiful, natural landscapes begging for a road trip. From expansive mountain ranges to gushing waterfalls to otherworldly lava craters, Idaho has it all and will not disappoint!

It is time to hit the road!

Reader Interactions

May 15, 2022 at 10:13 am

Hi, Wonderful itinerary! Could you give the route in a map form? What roads are traveled between Mesa Falls and Sawtooth Nat’l Forest? When I enter these destinations it has me backtracking on Rte. 20 to 26 etc. past Craters of the Moon area. Please advise because there seems to be some backtracking in the trip which is fine if that’s the best way to see this beautiful state. Karen

May 30, 2022 at 3:48 pm

Hello! yes! There is some backtracking 🙁 I am sorry!! But you can always modify it to suit your needs whatever works best for you! Thanks!

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Western US Road Trip: A California to Montana Itinerary

Are you planning a Western US road trip? We did a 20+ days epic California to Montana road trip with our kids and I’m sharing with you our exact itinerary.

This road trip will bring you through Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Utah, with a quick stop through Nevada and Arizona. It will show you the marvelous landscapes of Western USA: Red rocks, natural hot springs, waterfalls, volcanos, waterfalls, and wildlife.

In this article, I’m giving you our day-by-day detailed California to Montana road trip itinerary to help you plan your trip. It’s filled with fun stops along the way.

Disclaimer: Just a heads up, this free article contains affiliate links . If you purchase after clicking one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost . Also, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Your support helps me continue to provide helpful and free content for you .

Overview map of Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana road trip

You’ll see that our route wasn’t optimal for this road trip. There are a few reasons for that, but mostly because:

• We had some commitments first in Idaho, so we had to start in Idaho . We then drove down to Utah and back up.
• We wanted to be flexible for this trip. We didn’t book campgrounds or hotels in advance , but that meant we had to change plans a few times.
• We had to be in Alberta, Canada, on a specific date, so we sadly had to skip some places and rush through some. This road trip could easily be done twice/triple the time.

If you’re planning this Western USA road trip from California to Montana, I recommend starting in Utah, then Idaho, Wyoming, and finishing in Montana .

💡 INSIDER TIPS to make the most of your Western US road trip 🚗 If you’re renting a car or campervan , most car and RV companies charge a one-way fee if the drop-off location differs from the pick-up location. Keep that in mind when planning your trip . 📱 Download a few apps to help you plan your road trip! The  GoWhee app  is perfect for finding fun, kid-friendly activities along the way.  AllTrails  is our app for looking at trail reports and seeing if the trail is kid-friendly. Harvest Hosts for lodging. Also, don’t forget to download GuideAlong  audio tours to learn about the areas you’re road-tripping to while driving.

Detailed Itinerary for a Western US Road Trip from California to Montana

Day 1: sacramento to winnemucca sand dunes:.

🚗 The drive from Sacramento to Winnemucca is 285 miles (459 km).

We left Sacramento in the afternoon and slowly went to Winnemucca Sand Dunes following I-80. We stopped in Lovelock for the boys to play in the playground.

🏨 Sleep at: Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Winnemucca

👉 If it’s your first time in California, I recommend stopping in Lake Tahoe . It’s a beautiful lake and a great way to cool off on a warm summer day. You may also want to stop in Reno, NV. There is also the Lovelock Cave in Lovelock , which is worth a stop. They were sadly closed when we arrived. Also, for a California west coast road trip itinerary, check this 10-day itinerary along the Pacific Coast Highway .

Day 2: Winnemucca to Givens Hot Springs

🚗 The drive from Winnemucca to Givens Hot Springs is 219 miles (352 km)

We started our day at the Winnemucca Sand Dunes . This is the largest dune field in Nevada. The dunes do not reach more than 100 feet but span almost 40 miles. The kids had so much fun.

👉 On the way to Givens Hot Springs, you might want to stop at the Pillars of Rome . They are imposing formations of fossil-bearing clay that look like Roman ruins. The 100-foot-high rock formations measure about five miles long and two miles wide.

When we arrived at Givens Hot Springs , we relaxed at the campground. The kids played in the playground and swam in the hot springs.

📝 Note that the “hot springs” is an indoor pool heated by natural hot springs. It was great for the kids, but nothing special if you are not sleeping at the campground.

🏨 Sleep at Givens Hot Springs Campground

Day 3: Givens Hot Springs to Boise

From Givens Hot Springs, we were only an hour away from downtown Boise. In Boise, we started the day at Esther Simplot Park .

We walked around the park, did some paddleboarding on the lake, and the kids played in the playground. Then, we walked downtown, stopped at THE STIL for ice cream , and played at JUMP .

🏨 Sleep at KOA Meridian Campground

Day 4: Boise to Three Island Crossing State Park

🚗 The drive from Boise to Three Island Crossing State Park is 73 miles (117 km).

We started the morning at the Old Idaho Penitentiary . Plan at least 2 hours to visit. Then, we did the short Old Oregon Trail hike before going to Three Island Crossing State Park . It’s only about an hour from Boise.

There is a local winery, the Y Knot Winery , a few minutes before the state park. We stopped by, visited the winery, and grabbed a bottle of wine.

At the Three Island Crossing State Park is the Oregon Trail Interpretive Site to learn more about the Oregon Trail and the emigrants who traveled that trail.

We spent the end of the day enjoying the beautiful campground and park.

🏨 Stay at Three Island Crossing State Park Campground

Day 5: Three Island Crossing State Park to Twin Falls

🚗 The drive from Three Island Crossing State Park to Twin Falls is 60 miles (97 km)

On our way to Twin Falls , we stopped at the Malad Gorge Unit of the Thousand Springs State Park . There is a nice short trail to do, the Devil’s Washbowl Overlook.

We then stopped at Shoshone Falls Park to admire the falls. There is a nice park with picnic tables.

After the falls, we went to Dierkes Lake, where the kids played in the playground. There is also. A lovely small beach and swim area

🏨 Stay at TownePlace Suites Twin Falls

👉🏻 Read our list of 9 Waterfalls You Don’t Want to Miss when visiting Twin Falls, Idaho!

Day 6: Twin Falls

We started the day visiting downtown Twin Falls (and a good breakfast at Twin Beans). We then made our way to Centennial Waterfront . We stopped at Perrine Coulee Falls on the way down.

At Centennial Waterfront , we inflated the paddleboard and spent a few hours on the Snake River . We ended our day at First Federal Playground . Check out this detailed article for more information on things to do in Twin Falls .

👉 AWOL Adventure Sports is a great place to rent paddleboards and/or kayaks. In the summer, they have a booth at Centennial Park where we can rent paddleboards and kayaks directly. Otherwise, they have an office downtown in Twin Falls.

Day 7: Twin Falls to Buhl/ Hagerman

We started the morning at the Banbury Hot Springs . It’s a pool-style hot spring facility, but it was so much for the boys.

👉 Miracle Hot Springs is also a pool-style hot spring and close by. If time allows, you may want to add this to your list if you’d like while in the area.

Then, we visited the three units of the Thousand Springs State Park: Box Canyon, Niagara/Crystal Springs, and Ritter Island . They are all unique and beautiful. Worth exploring. We even paddled a little around Ritter Island (but be careful; the water current is strong).

We ended the day relaxing at the beautiful Billingsley Creek Lodge.

🏨 Stay at   Billingsley Creek Lodge

Day 8: Hagerman/Shoshone to Twin Falls

Today was all about volcanos and lava tube caves. We started our day at Idaho’s Mammoth Cave , where we walked in the lava cave. It’s a quarter-mile in and a quarter-mile out. The temperature in the cave is 41 degrees all year round.

Then, we drove to Shoshone Ice Cave . Sadly, we didn’t get to visit the ice cave due to an unexpected cave closure. But the owner told the time to talk to us and gave the boys each a gem kit so they could try gem panning. It ended up being a lot of fun.

We then slowly drove back near Twin Falls for our last night there.

🏨 Stay at KOA Twin Falls/Jerome Campground

Day 9: Twin Falls to Lava Hot Spring 

The drive from Twin Falls to Lava Hot Spring is 149 miles (240 km).

👉 We drove from Twin Falls to Lava Hot Spring without really stopping, but Lake Walcott State Park and Rupert would be two good stops.

In Lava Hot Springs, we spent a few hours soaking in the five different hot spring pools and then walked in the garden.

We ended our day with a wagon tour on the bison farm, where we were staying overnight with Harvest Hosts .

🏨 Sleep at : Diamond P Grassroots Bison (with Harvest Hosts membership )

Day 10: Lava Hot Springs to Salt Lake City

🚗 The drive from the bison farm to Salt Lake City is 144 miles (232 km).

Today, we are changing states as we head south from Southern Idaho to Utah. We made a quick stop at Crystal Hot Spring and arrived early in Salt Lake City.

👉 If time allows, you may want to do a detour to Antelope Island State Park to see the bison’s herd.

We first visited the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City and walked around Memory Grove Park . We then headed to downtown Salt Lake City and spent a few hours at the Clark Planetarium. The boys loved it.

We ended the day with an evening stroll at the City Creek Center . They have nice water fountains and outdoor stores and restaurants.

🏨 Stay at: Salt Lake Plaza Hotel

Day 11: Salt Lake City

We first drove to the Great Salt Lake State Park for our full day in Salt Lake City. It’s a short 25-minute drive outside the city. We spent a few hours there, having a picnic lunch. Note that there is a minimal parking fee.

We had much fun playing in the water and on the beach. The boys went on a brine shrimp hunt. They could easily have spent the entire day.

Back downtown, we did a guided tour of Temple Square to learn about the Mormons.

Day 12: Salt Lake City to Torrey

🚗 The drive from Salt Lake City to Torrey is 213 miles (343 km)

On our way to Torrey, we stopped at Hidden Falls , a super quick 0.3-mile (0-5 km) out-and-back hike just outside Salt Lake City.

When we arrived in Torrey, we headed straight to Capitol Reef National Park , where we did the following:

• A quick stop at the visitor center to grab the Ranger Program booklets
• Drive a section of the Capitol Reef Scenic Drive, a sixteen-mile round-trip stunning drive
• Hike the Sulphur Creek Waterfall Trail (1.8-mile round trip easy hike with a natural swimming pool hole

🏨 Stay at :  Wonderland RV Park Campground

👉 If you have extra time and energy, you may want to hike the Hickman Bridge Trail (a 1.8-mile round trip hike in full sun) and do some fruit picking in Frutas. Also, make sure to download the self-guided tour of Capitol Reef National Park offered by GuideAlong .

Day 13: Torrey to Bryce Canyon National Park

The drive from Torrey to Bryce Canyon National Park is 116 miles (287 km) and is STUNNING. We drove on the scenic Byway-12. There are so many things to see that we had to choose from. We ended up stopping at the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Calf Creek Recreation Area .

For a detailed Utah National Park road trip itinerary, check this 10-day itinerary through Utah’s Mighty 5.

We made many stops and took most of the day to drive the 116 miles between Torrey and Bryce Canyon.

Arriving near Bryce Canyon, we stopped at Mossy Cave, a 0.8-mile out-and-back trail leading to a waterfall, where we cooled off. We ended the day at Bryce Canyon City, a small town where we stayed overnight.

🏨 Stay at : Bryce View Lodge

👉 Make sure to download the self-guided tour of Bryce & Zion National Parks offered by GuideAlong .

Day 14: Bryce Canyon National Park

We woke up early and headed to the main section of Bryce Canyon National Park . We took the park shuttle from Bryce Canyon City to the furthest stop: Bryce Point .

We then returned to the visitor center, stopping at Inspiration Point, Sunset Point, Bryce Lodge, and Sunrise Point . Each stop offered breathtaking viewpoints and nice little hikes.

Day 15: Bryce Canyon National Park to Page

The drive from Bryce Canyon NP to Page is 151 miles (243 km)

A few minutes outside Bryce Canyon City, we stopped at Red Canyon and took pictures of the beautiful arch. We then did a playground stop in Kanab before arriving at our campground at Lake Powell in Glen Canyon National Recreational Area .

We spent the rest of the day in the water of Lake Powell, swimming, playing, and paddleboarding.

The lake was super low, so access to water was hard. We ended up neat at the marina boat launch. There is a small beach.

🏨 Stay at :   Page Lake Powell Campground

Day 16: Page (Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend)

We first drove into town from Lake Powell, stopping for a quick view of the Glen Canyon Dam. Then, we drove to Antelope Canyon X for our hiking tour in the Slot Canyon. It was amazing, and not crowded at all (I highly recommend it as an alternative to busy Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon) .

After the slot canyon, we went to Horseshoe Bend, where we had lunch and walked to the viewpoint, a short 0.75-mile walk (a really hot and sunny walk…bring LOTS of water).

We ended the day back at the marina beach to enjoy the water and cool off.

🏨 Stay at : Page Lake Powell Campground

Day 17: Page to Zion National Park

🚗 The drive from Page to Zion National Park is 104 miles (167 km)

From Page, we stopped at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes for a few hours. We played in the sand but didn’t do the sandboarding.

👉 If you have extra time, you may want to stop at Moqui Cave and /or at Best Friend Animal Sanctuary . Make sure to download the self-guided tour of Bryce & Zion National Parks offered by GuideAlong .

We then slowly crossed Zion National Park , admiring the view (it was raining a lot, so we sadly didn’t stop much). Arriving in Springdale, we enjoyed the campground facilities for the rest of the day once the rain stopped.

🏨 Stay at : Zion Canyon Campground

Day 18: Zion National Park

From our campground, we had to walk almost to the park entrance since all shuttles were full when they passed our stop. We then took the park shuttle to the Temple of Sinawava stop, where we walked the Riverside trail .

After, we hopped back on the shuttle to The Grotto stop, where we had a picnic and walked on the trail to Zion Lodge. The boys played in the grass area while enjoying an ice cream cone. We ended the day on the Lower Emerald Pool trail , a 1.4-mile out-and-back.

👉🏻 Looking for a family-friendly place to stay at Zion National Park? Add this item to your list!

Day 19: Zion National Park to Park City

🚗 The drive from Zion National Park to Park City is 310 miles (499 km).

I think this is one of the longest driving days we did on the trip. But we stopped for a long and amazing time at Meadows Hot Springs , where we got to soak in 3 different natural hot spring pools. It was perfect and gave us the energy to drive the second half of the day.

When we arrived in Park City, we enjoyed the pool and hot tub at the hotel and got some delicious oven-baked pizza from the hotel restaurant.

🏨 Stay at :  Park City Peaks Hotel

Day 20: Park City to Bear Lake

🚗 The drive from Park City to Bear Lake is 119 miles (192 km)

We spent the morning walking around Park City and exploring this Olympic town before traveling from Utah to Idaho

But we did one last stop in Utah before Idaho at Rendez-Vous Beach around Bear Lake . Bear Lake is a lake at the border of Utah and Idaho, often called “The Caribbean of the Rockies.” We spent the rest of the day at the beach.

🏨 Stay at : Rendez Vous Beach – Bear Lake State Park

Day 21: Bear Lake to West Yellowstone

The drive from Bear Lake to West Yellowstone is 281 miles (452 km)

On that day, we drove from Utah to Idaho, then from Idaho to Montana.

We first stopped in Soda Spring , where we saw the Soda Spring captive geyser erupt. We also tasted some naturally carbonated water at the Soda Springs Historic Site .

Then, we drove a little more to Idaho Falls , where we walked in the Idaho Falls River Park and admired the falls.

We arrived late afternoon in West Yellowstone and enjoyed our campground.

🏨 Stay at : Yellowstone Park / West Gate KOA Holiday

👉🏻 If you’re looking for the best Things to do in Idaho with kids? Add this item to your list!

Day 22: West Yellowstone to Jackson Hole

🚗 The drive from West Yellowstone to Jackson Hole is 130 miles (209 km)

Today, we are exploring a section of Yellowstone National Park one of the best National Parks in the U.S . To help you plan your trip to Yellowstone, read this article , where you’ll find lots of tips.

• Fountain Paint Pot
• Grand Prismatic Spring
• Old Faithful 
• and a few other lookouts

We then stopped at Oxbow Bend for an outdoor dinner. We stayed there for a few hours to enjoy the sunset before heading to Jackson Hole , where you spent the night.

👉 Make sure to download the self-guided tour of Grand Teton National Parks offered by Gypsy Guide .

🏨 Stay at: The Hostel at Teton Village

Day 23: Jackson Hole / Grand Teton National Park

We drove across Grand Teton National Park . We did the loop in the clockwise direction. It was a recommendation from the visitor center. We have a better view of the Teton mountain range in that direction.

• Mormon Row Historic District (the famous barn)
• Cunningham Cabin trail
• Jackson Lake Dam

Day 24: Jackson Hole / Grand Teton National Park to Gardiner

🚗 The drive from Jackson Hole to Gardiner is 150 miles (241 km).

We woke up early to enjoy our second day in Yellowstone National Park. We did:

• Yellowstone Lake
• Fort Yellowstone
• Hayden Valley 
• Grand Canyon Of The Yellowstone
• Mammoth Hot Springs

We were really fortunate to have seen many bison (one of them crossing the river). Also, we went to Yellowstone National Park during elk rutting season, so we had quite a few at Mammoth Hot Springs.

We ended the evening at our campground.

🏨 Stay at Yellowstone RV Park in Gardiner

👉 Make sure to download the self-guided tour of Yellowstone National Parks offered by GuideAlong.

👉 Then, if you still have some time, you could continue this road trip to Montana up to Glacier National Park .

👉🏻  For families planning to camp in or around the park, make sure to  download some camping apps  such as  The Dyrt  to find all the camping options around.

How Far is Montana from California

If you’re planning a road trip to Montana from California, the total driving distance between California and Montana is 20 hours and 50 minutes (1,306 miles) to make the journey. Starting in California, you’ll drive north through Nevada and Idaho before reaching Montana.

Once you arrive in Montana, explore Montana’s incredible natural resources, forests, lakes, mountains, and more!

F.A.Q.S: Caliornia to Montana Road Trip

How far is utah from montana.

The total distance from Utah to Montana is 651 miles , and the fastest way to travel to reach Montana is by car , which would take about 10 hours and 32 minutes if you drive non-stop.

Time difference between California and Montana?

The time difference between California and Montana is 2 hours . California is two hours behind Montana.

How long is the drive from California to Montana?

The California to Montana road trip time is approximately 20 hours and 50 minutes .

Final Thoughts: Western US Road Trip Through Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Utah

We had an amazing 25-day road trip from California to Montana. This road trip was way too quick, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.

We saw so many amazing landscapes, from red rock formations to geysers and natural hot springs. We saw so many wild animals. Each state of the western United States is unique and worth exploring.

We did a lot in only 25 days because we couldn’t decide where to cut 😉

I hope this itinerary will help you plan a memorable Western US Road Trip through Wyoming , Montana, Idaho, and Utah.

Related Articles

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like to read the following articles:

• Canada & USA Road Trips for Families: Our Best Itineraries
• 21 of the Best National Parks for Kids ? (USA Edition)
• 10 Day California Road Trip with Kids: San Diego to San Francisco

Emilie is the founder of Love Life Abroad. She helps moms plan epic road trips and outdoor adventures with their families. Because who said adventuring had to stop once we have kids? She’s based in the Canadian Rockies and shares her love for the region as well as other unique places in Canada & USA. She works with tourism boards and outdoor brands to inspire families to experience new unique destinations and outdoor activities.