From gushing Geysers to colorful Hot Springs, jagged mountain peaks to stunning alpine lakes, winding mountain passes to unspoiled glaciers, the Western United States offers some of the most dynamic natural landscapes in the world. A trip to the West is an experience of a lifetime. We recently spent two weeks on a trip to the West in Wyoming and Montana. In just two weeks, we managed to see some of the most beautiful natural scenery, learned about western history and culture, tasted savory food, and visited three of the most famous National Parks in the world.
We had been excited about this trip for years, so we spent a lot of time planning how to cover the best of the West in a two-week excursion. Our plan is a combination of site-seeing, trail hikes, wildlife spotting, and city exploration. The itinerary covers three national parks: Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier.
We experienced some of the most sublime natural scenery, hiked some epic trails, and spotted many wild animals that we had never seen before. We also spent a day visiting Cody, Wyoming, a city packed with rich western history and culture, and we loved everything about this city.
We want to share our experience and our itinerary with you. You can download it and use it directly or modify it to suit your own interests.
Our total travel time was 14 days, including two days flying between home and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Below is the itinerary for our trip. I have other articles with detailed itineraries for each park. If this is your first time visiting the Western United States, this article includes all the travel logistics to save you from the time-consuming process of planning a trip.
Our Two-Week Itinerary To The West
Day 1 Arrive at Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Jackson Hole is a lovely city located south of Grand Teton National Park. With only a 10-minute drive to the park entrance, Jackson Hole is a major area for accommodations while visiting Grand Teton.
If you arrive at Jackson Hole early, you can make a trip to the grocery store and load up on essentials such as water and snacks. Also buy a bottle of bear spray from a local outdoor gear store if you plan on hiking.
Day 2 Grand Teton National Park
| All Day | Drive the scenic 42-mile loop along Teton Park Road and US highway 26/89/191 |
Drive the 42-mile scenic drive along Teton Park Road and US Highway 26/89/191 to some of the best views of Teton mountains. Take a couple of detours off this loop to drive Jenny Lake Road and Signal Mountain Summit Road.
Another popular scenic drive is Moose-Wilson Road that is perfect for spotting wildlife. This road was closed when we were visiting Grand Teton National Park. But you can put it on your itinerary.
Day 3 Grand Teton National Park
| All Day | Hike to Surprise, Amphitheater and Delta Lakes |
It is an epic hike. Part of this hike is through an unofficial path, and I have an article about how to hike to Surprise, Amphitheater and Delta Lakes which includes more information you need to know and details about the trail.
Day 4 Grand Teton National Park
| All Day | Hike to Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point, and Cascade Canyon Trail |
Day 5 Yellowstone National Park
| Morning | Old Faithful, Observation Point, and Geyser Hill |
| Late Morning | Black Sand Basin |
| Afternoon | Biscuit Sand Basin and Mystic Falls |
| Late Afternoon | Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook and Midway Geyser Basin |
Day 6 Yellowstone National Park
| Morning | Norris Geyser Basin |
| Afternoon | Grand Canyon of The Yellowstone |
Day 7 Yellowstone National Park
| Morning | Fountain Paint Pot |
| Late Morning | West Thumb Geyser |
| Afternoon | Mud Volcano |
| Late Afternoon | Hayden Valley |
Day 8 Yellowstone National Park
| Early Morning | Artists’ Paintpots |
| Morning | Hike Mount Washburn |
| Afternoon | Mammoth Hot Spring |
Day 9 Cody, Wyoming
| Morning | Old Trail Town Museum |
| Mid Day | Buffalo Bill Center of the West |
| Late Afternoon | Red Canyon Wild Mustang Tour |
We spent a day exploring this classic Western City and learned the history and culture, from Native American civilization to Pioneers, Cowboys and Wildlife. It was more fun than we expected. It also gave our legs a break from hiking. If you don’t plan to tour a town, you can either spend one more day in Grand Teton to hike the Paintbrush Canyon Trail, or in Glacier National Park to hike the Iceberg Lake Trail.
Day 10 Drive to Montana
It is a 8 hour drive from Cody, Wyoming to East Glacier Park Village
Day 11 Glacier National Park
| All Day | Hike Grinnell Glacier Trail |
Day 12 Glacier National Park
| All Day | Drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road |
Day 13 Drive to Jackson Hole, Wyoming
It is a 8 hour drive from West Glacier to Jackson Hole
Day 14 Fly Back Home
Below is our itinerary in Word document format, you can download it and make changes as you want to. I will have more articles for each park with all the details included soon.
