North America- Super Road Trips in the Greater Yellowstone Region

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Super Road Trips in the Greater Yellowstone Region

Two Super Road Trips in the Greater Yellowstone Region

by Elin Hert

Elin knows what she’s talking about. She writes Las Almas Tour and Travel’s Journey Guidebooks.

The Greater Yellowstone region is a wonderfully dynamic destination for traveling, with Yellowstone National Park as its anchor. Winding ribbons of road connect small mountain towns, world-class national parks, trail-rich national forest land, wild rivers, and relics of western history. No matter where you land in the Greater Yellowstone, setting out in any direction from your base will afford plenty of opportunity for hiking, fishing, kayaking, rock climbing, soaking in hot springs, wildlife viewing, horseback riding, and – this is true – more.

The region encompasses parts of Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, with 3,438-square-mile Yellowstone National Park at its heart. Fun-to-visit towns include historic Cody at the eastern edge of Yellowstone, the mountain enclave of Red Lodge at the foot of the Beartooth Mountains, the bustling college town of Bozeman, and the famed destination playground, Jackson Hole. Less well-known, but gems in their own right are Ennis, Montana, launch pad for the blue ribbon Madison River, Livingston, Montana, a railroad and arts community, and tiny Victor and Driggs, Idaho, situated on the “other side” of the Tetons.

The 35-year-old non-profit organization Greater Yellowstone Coalition was one of the first to draw attention to the region as an interconnected ecosystem, with its raison d’etre being “ecosystem management.” The premise behind ecosystem management is that an ecosystem will remain healthy and wild only if it is kept whole. While much has happened within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem over the past 35 years, the ecosystem remains one of the largest nearly intact temperate ecosystems on Earth.

To get to know the Greater Yellowstone is to hop in the car, take in the pristine landscape, and immerse in its wild places.

Road Trips: Small Towns & National Parks

If you’re looking for ideas on fun, active road trips in the Rocky Mountain West, Habibi World Travel & Tour has designed countless Private Custom Journeys with the “road trip” theme, each one designed using the expertise of our Regional Experts and reflecting the interests of our clients.

There are limitless trip combinations, depending on how much time you have, how much driving you want to do, how active you’d like to be (think hiking, rafting, horseback riding) and where your interests lie. Here are two Greater Yellowstone road trips for you to contemplate!

Jackson Lake

Private Custom Journeys

Bozeman – Ennis – Yellowstone National Park – Grand Teton National Park – Jackson

Two World Class National Parks · Three Cool Towns Fly into Bozeman, pick up your rental car, spend a night or two at a downtown boutique hotel and get a feel for this friendly, smart, highly-caffeinated, energetic college town. Kick around Main Street, hike or bike on in-town and national forest trails, visit the highly touted Museum of the Rockies, roam the Montana State University campus, procure a picnic dinner for a Shakespeare in the Parks performance (mid-June and early-August), and visit Headwaters State Park where the Gallatin, Madison, and Jefferson Rivers come together to form the Missouri.

Drive along the Madison River to Ennis, a small western town where the Upper Madison meets the Lower Madison and the Madison Mountain Range rises from the valley floor. En route, soak at Norris Hot Springs or tube down a shallow six-mile stretch of the Madison River. Stay in a sparkling clean motel and marvel at the Madison Valley beauty from your porch. With a full day you could drive up the road to explore the historic gold mining town of Virginia City, head out on a quality horseback ride with a local wrangler, or hire a fishing guide to take you out for a day of float or walk-and-wade fly fishing.

In route to Yellowstone, stop at Quake Lake to learn the story of the devastating 1958 earthquake that dammed the Madison and formed the lake. Once in Yellowstone, drive around the Upper Loop past geothermal features, trailheads, and probably wildlife to your accommodations inside or at the edge of the park.

Lake McDonald

Valley with opportunities for wolves, coyotes, bears, bison, elk, otters, eagles, and more

Next day, get up early to watch wildlife in the renowned Lamar Valley with opportunities for wolves, coyotes, bears, bison, elk, otters, eagles, and more. After a picnic lunch, drive up and over Dunraven Pass toward the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River and Yellowstone Lake.

You’ll also want to drive around Yellowstone’s Lower Loop, with stops to see classic geothermal features like Old Faithful, Norris Geyser Basin, and Prismatic Spring. You could also paddle a kayak on Yellowstone Lake to West Thumb for a unique perspective on the bubbling, colorful pools and springs.

Blinding beauty awaits in Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Hole and you’ll want plenty of time to enjoy the array of outdoor opportunity in this inspiring valley. Hike up a Teton canyon to a high mountain lake or keep it lower in elevation by choosing a lake at the foot of the range. Raft the Snake River (whitewater or calm), ride a mountain bike through sagebrush flats or along a stretch of the 56-mile Jackson Hole Community Pathway, wander around the town of Jackson to browse western art and dine at any of the many restaurants, ride a chairlift up Snow King and hike down, or take a tram ride to the top of Rendezvous Peak at the legendary Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for extraordinary views.

Fly home from Jackson with a new mantra: Wow!

Lower Falls Yellowstone National Park

Cody – Red Lodge – Yellowstone National Park – Paradise Valley Old West · Mountain Passes · Sweeping Valleys
Fly into Billings and head for wildly western Cody, Wyoming! Cody is steeped in western history, between the world-class Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Buffalo Bill’s Irma Hotel, and the nearby Heart Mountain Interpretive Center. When the sun goes down, The Cody Nite Rodeo beckons – 101 years strong since 1919!

A short trip to the mountain town of Red Lodge leaves you with time to enjoy a half-day hike in the beautiful Beartooth Mountains or the sweet shops and cafés on Main Street. Spend the night downtown at a retro motel or boutique historic inn or a few miles up towards Beartooth Pass at a small resort. If it’s the right day of the week, take a scenic seven-mile drive to Bear Creek Saloon to watch the regionally-famous pig races. (If you’re imagining piglets with pinnies, you’ve got the picture!)

Yellowstone and Grand Teton

Huckleberry Lookout Trail
Glacier’s Hidden Gems
Glacier boasts some well-known bucket-list items, like the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road and Lake McDonald. But this park offers a whole lot more to the traveler who wants to stay off the beaten path.

In Glacier’s southeast corner, the Two Medicine region flies under the radar. Despite its underrated nature, Two Medicine is just as spectacular as other regions of the park and includes a campground, pristine lakes, boat cruises, and several stunning, quiet trails.

Bordering Glacier’s western edge, Flathead National Forest is a fantastic place to get off the beaten path without heading too far. With drama equal to that of Glacier, it’s a beautiful landscape of mountains, lakes, and wilderness. One thing it doesn’t have in common, however, is the crowds!

The northwest corner of Glacier National Park is a treat for the adventurous traveler. The North Fork is truly an off-the-beaten-path destination reached only by dirt roads. Park shuttles, big buses, and RVs can’t access the area, so you can expect some solitude if you make the journey. Aside from miles of quiet trails, visitors can enjoy the views of Kintla and Bowman Lakes and the mountains that surround them.

Setting off on a long or difficult trail is a great way to shake off the crowds in any National Park, and the Huckleberry Lookout Trail in Glacier is no exception. This hike will get you huffing and puffing and will require a big chunk of your day — but the big sky views at the top make it well worth the effort.

Huckleberry Lookout Trail

Only one thing stands between Red Lodge and Yellowstone, and that’s the All-American Beartooth Highway. This paved and roomy 50-mile-long road takes you up, up, up to the top of the Beartooth Plateau, where alpine wildflowers grow in colorful clumps, bighorn sheep cling to rocky cliffs, and high-elevation tarns dot the tundra, then down, down, down funneling you right into Yellowstone National Park. Delight in countless opportunities for hiking, picnics, photo opps, and the prettiest roadside lakes you ever did see. Make these 50 miles the better part of your day! Spend the night at the edge of Yellowstone at the bottom of the pass.

Rise and shine and wildlife! Begin the day at dawn with a drive through America’s Serengetti, the Lamar Valley known for its rich wildlife, which is often visible from the road. Bears, wolves, bison, coyotes, moose – it’s all fair game! Continue up and over Dunraven Pass to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Yellowstone Lake. Spend the night at a national park lodge or cabin in the heart of the park.

Geysers, mudpots, and bubbling springs top the list as you make your way through the park’s geothermally-rich Lower Loop, with stops to see classic geothermal features like Old Faithful, Norris Geyser Basin, and Prismatic Spring. You could also paddle a kayak on Yellowstone Lake to West Thumb for a unique perspective on the bubbling, colorful pools and springs.

Eventually, leave the park’s North Entrance and enter the Paradise Valley – which isn’t called Paradise for nothing! With the Yellowstone River and a mountain range on either side, spend a day or two hiking, rafting, fly fishing, or horseback riding. Stay at a hot springs resort and enjoy some of Montana’s best fine dining as night falls.

When you’re ready, leave the Paradise Valley for Bozeman, one hour away, to catch flights home. (Of course, you could surely enjoy some time in Bozeman too – read above for more on that!)

Ready to hit the road?
Choose your destination, then contact Las Almas and we’ll help you get there! Our travel experts will plan your Private Custom Journey with all the best accommodations, activities, and routes to discover the beauty and wildlife of this remarkable landscape with naturalist guides. Half the fun is getting there, right?

Posted on May 12, 2020 | Afoot, Sense of Place, Travel Notes