Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, and Grand Tetons | 5 Day Road Trip

You’ve likely seen pictures all over Instagram of these insanely picturesque national parks. The pictures don’t lie. These are some of the most beautiful places in the United States, I’m convinced. The best part? They can easily be made into an epic road trip.

Overview of the Itinerary:

• Day 1: Fly in to Missoula, MT and drive to Polson for the night.
• Day 2: Drive to Glacier for the day and spend the night in Whitefish, MT.
• Day 3: Full-day hike in Glacier and drive to Bozeman, MT for the night.
• Day 4: Drive to Yellowstone for the day and stay the night in Jackson Hole, WY.
• Day 5: Spend the day in the Grand Tetons and drive back to Bozeman, MT for the night.
• Day 6: Drive back to Missoula and fly back home.

If you have read some of my other travel guides or itineraries, you know I like a packed itinerary. But, this isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s a lot of driving, hiking, and exploring. When you are strapped for time off, this makes for the perfect getaway to spend more time in nature and just break up the monotony of everyday life.

RightOnTrek

Note: this section contains affiliate links. This means that if you use any of the links below and make a purchase, I will make a small commission. This is at NO additional cost to you. I am only recommending these products because I have tried them, loved them, and I love the mission behind this company. To read more about RightOnTrek or make a purchase, click here: RightOnTrek.

RightOnTrek is a company based in Kalispell, Montana very close to Glacier National Park. If you’re heading to Glacier (or any park!) for any type of hiking, camping, or exploring – definitely consider using RightOnTrek. They have super delicious, easy-to-make meals for people of all experience levels. They were kind enough to send me a couple meals to try, and I loved them. I actually thought about just buying some for at home, because they are clean and quick meals – right up my alley.

You can purchase these meals both on their website or have them ready for pick up at their new Wilderness EDGE location near Glacier National Park. The EDGE makes visiting Glacier National Park easy. No matter your experience level, you can rent gear and purchase food here.

I am ALL about packing light, and I’m no professional backcountry hiker. This is the perfect solution, where I don’t have to worry about having all the right things or trying to transport it all. You just simply schedule your pickup and go on your way!

Meals:

I tried the Backcountry Chili and the Banana Bread Oatmeal, and wow. You can truly tell that these meals are DENSE. They are packed with nutrients and clean ingredients to keep you feeling full and energized throughout your trip. They generally take 10 minutes or less to make, and everything is provided to you in sustainable packaging. The meals are light yet keep you full. Cool, right?

They also have options for people of all dietary needs. This includes vegan, gluten-free, or no peanuts, for example. To browse the different meal options or to purchase a meal, click here: RightOnTrek Meals Store.

RightOnTrek is committed to helping people of all experience levels explore the outdoors. They have made it accessible while never sacrificing quality. If you are heading to Glacier National Park, be sure to check out their website to see about renting camping-friendly meals or all the gear you might need for your backpacking trip! If you are a first-time customer, get 25% off your order using code ‘Revolution25’, you can click here: 25% Off Your First Purchase.

Day 1: Missoula, MT and Polson, MT

We flew from Nashville to Seattle to Missoula on Alaska Airlines. I honestly didn’t think Alaska Airlines would be as great as it was! They have free in-flight WiFi for texting and they also offer movies you can stream on your phone or computer. It was a great flight!

When we got to Missoula, we picked up our rental car from Budget, and made our way to Polson. We booked a sort of “casino resort” right on Flathead Lake. It is called KwaTaqNuk Resort & Casino. I didn’t realize there were so many casinos in Montana! They aren’t like the large, fancy casinos or casino resorts in Vegas, but they make for an unexpected night activity to switch it up from the typical outdoor adventures.

Next, we went to eat on another spot on Flathead Lake. We ate at Fiesta En Jalisco, a sort of pricier Mexican restaurant but delicious nonetheless. After absolutely stuffing our faces with all of the queso and rice, we had to lay down at our hotel until we went back out for sunset over the lake.

The sunset was absolutely gorgeous, and by then, we were happy to have snack foods and drinks right at our hotel. We watched the sun set over the water, and then it was time to rest up for the next day!

Day 2: Glacier National Park and Whitefish, MT

We were absolutely stoked to finally be going to Glacier National Park after daydreaming about it the months before our trip. We wanted to get there early, before sunrise, to beat some of the crowds and also to watch sun rise up over the mountains. It did not disappoint. We arrived right as the sun was starting to come up.

Pro tip: make sure, if you don’t already have one, to buy an annual National Park Pass. They are $80, and for the most part, you can buy them at the entrance to any of the national parks. We were able to put 2 names on the card and it is good for an entire vehicle no matter how many people are in the car. This was much cheaper than paying to get in the park each day, and it was perfect for being able to go to 3 different national parks on our trip!

First, there are a lot of small one-off bathrooms sprinkled throughout the park. But, an easy and quick way to start your time there is to just go to the bathroom at the Apgar Visitor’s Center. Oh, and don’t forget to fill up your water bottle there too!

Going-to-the-Sun Road

Now, we had 2 days planned in Glacier National Park, but we left the second day sort of unplanned. This is because the whole first day we were going to see all of Going-to-the-Sun Road. We took the whole first day to see what we could and then decide what we wanted to see more of for the second day.

And, I think we would both recommend starting your tour of the park at the end of this famous road. Anyway, chances are you are definitely going to be using it to get to wherever you need to go. If you start at the end, you hit significantly less people because everyone else is starting from the front!

When we were there, the whole east side of the park was closed due to the pandemic and that side being on an Indian Reservation. So, the furthest point we could get to on Going-to-the-Sun Road was the Rising Sun Picnic Area. This was our first real stop and the best hidden gem. Seriously, there was nobody there.

*FYI: Check out my more detailed guide 10 Incredible Stops on Going-to-the-Sun Road in 1 Day for a more in-depth explanation and list of the best things to do on Going-to-the-Sun Road!

Overview of Stops to Make

After walking down to a secret part of the lake, right on the water, and taking a quick photoshoot, we headed back for our stops. We stopped at all of the stops along the lake, because it was truly beautiful – I liked it better than the classic Lake McDonald.

Then, we parked at the Saint Mary’s Fall Parking Lot to do the 2-mile hike to Saint Mary Falls. It was a short and easy hike to get us started, and we even saw a mama bear and her 3 cubs crossing a stream together!

We stopped at the Jackson Glacier Overlook (where we couldn’t really see much), Lunch Creek, and then again at Logan Pass. Now, Logan Pass has a lot of tourists there. It is the start of the Highline Trail, and it has a big visitors center and bathrooms! Definitely go to the bathroom here!

Then, we continued on our way and tried to stop at the Weeping Wall. Let’s just say it wasn’t crying very much that day. We drove and drove along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, just stopping at every nook and cranny. I don’t condone this, but there are clearly certain areas where you can stop safely. Just do it! There is no timeline. Just give yourself the freedom to get out and take pictures or take it all in whenever you want.

We drove around “The Loop,” and we made our way back down the mountains. As we were driving, we admired the views and made our way down past the numerous hiking trails that are close to Lake McDonald. We knew we wanted to do another shorter hike, so we went back to the Apgar Visitor’s Center for another bathroom break and watter bottle fill-up.

Avalanche Trail & Trail of the Cedars

Driving back past Lake McDonald, we went to the Avalanche Trail/Trail of the Cedars Trailhead. Boy, was it packed. We had to drive around a couple of times through all of the parking areas until eventually we found a spot. But then we were on our way! It may have only been a 2-mile hike, but it was fairly strenuous – most of the trail going uphill to Avalanche Lake.

The lake was bright blue and surrounded by the mountain tops. We took so many pictures, along with the other people who were also relaxing on the makeshift beach. We wanted to make it back before the sun went down, so we hiked back down the trail until we hit the Trail of the Cedars.

Trail of the Cedars is the perfect accessible trail. It takes you on a loop through the forest on a wheelchair or handicap accessible wooden boardwalk of sorts. But note, there is no handrail, so be careful with kids or if you need a little support! After this, we made it back to our car and headed out of the park as the sun was starting to go down. We tried to hit up the Apgar Visitor’s Center one last time, but just know it does close at a certain point! Instead, we went to a gift shop and got some cute souvenirs right in the cute village as you enter the park.

Whitefish, MT

We wanted to stay close by the park that night before day 2, so we stayed in Whitefish, MT. This is a pretty popular little city to stay in, because it’s only about a 40 minute drive or less to the park. In the winter, it’s a really cute ski town! We were starving at this point, because we had only bought a bunch of snacks for our days in the park. So, we wanted some really filling food.

We hit up The Great Northern Bar & Grill. It had all the pub food you could ever want, and it had a full bar as well. There was a covered patio outside, with tables and even some games. We wanted to spend more time in this little town. We could have spent an entire day wandering around the downtown area. All the buildings were rustic and matched the mountain town vibe. There were shops, restaurants, and local bars to explore.

We just ended up staying in the Hampton Inn, which was around a mile from the downtown area. It had a huge room, a cozy bed, and the perfect stop before our big hike the next day.

Day 3: Highline Trail in Glacier National Park

Because we had already seen almost all of the famous stops on the first day, we decided to really go for it and get out into the park. Perhaps the most famous of the bigger hikes is the Highline Trail. This trail is 14 miles and it is a through hike. However, when we were there, the shuttle wasn’t running. So, we had a decision to make: only hike a short amount of it and go back or just go for it and hit all the big stops.

This hike is basically on the side of a mountain the whole time. The path is extremely narrow – there are even hooks at the beginning that hold a hose that acts as a handrail for safety. And it is strenuous. There are ups and downs, but it sure felt like it was all ups.

Well, we ended up going all the way to Grinnell Glacier Overlook. It says it is about 7.6 miles to get there, but it maybe ended up being a little more. The whole trail is extremely beautiful. You go so far into the mountains that you can’t hear any cars, only nature. The views go from being in the middle of what feel like fairy forests to hiking over rocky terrain to being in a field.

The hike to Grinnell Glacier Overlook is strenuous. I can’t stress this enough. It is a 900ft incline in 0.6 miles. I’m pretty out of shape, so it took me literally 50 minutes to hike 0.6 miles, because I had to stop so many times. I had a hard time in the moment saying that it was worth it. But, after coming back and reflecting, I’m so happy I made it.

Is It Worth It?

It’s crazy to go from mountain views and forests to a glacier. This hike has everything. I highly highly recommend doing as much of it as you can. We ended up hiking 16 miles that day. It took the entire day, but it was worth it.

This hike has it all. It is an incredible and tiring day. You will push your body, but you will feel so accomplished after. The Highline Trail is something I definitely want to do again and would do again. But, I would make sure that the shuttle is running so I can do the whole thing through!

*Be on the lookout for a complete post detailing the stops on the Highline Trail and tips and tricks to be prepared!

After finishing the 16 miles it took for us to go to Grinnell Glacier Overlook and back, we were exhausted. But, it was time for us to move on from Glacier National Park. We maybe wouldn’t have planned to make a long drive after this hike.

We were set to go to Yellowstone National Park the next day. So, we made the about 5 hour drive to Bozeman, MT for the night. It was a long drive, but somehow we made it. We had to take our hiking boots off just to give our feet some breathing room after being on them the whole day. But, we stayed in a Quality Inn & Suites that night. It wasn’t the nicest hotel, but we were so tired it didn’t even matter.

Day 4: Yellowstone National Park & Jackson Hole, WY

The next day, we headed south to Yellowstone National Park for the day. And yes, our national park pass got us in here, too! It is about an hour and a half or an hour and forty-five minute drive from Bozeman, MT. Just make sure when you are putting in the directions you go to the northern entrance. If it’s open, stop at Boiling River Hot Springs. It’s a natural hot spring located right at the border of Montana and Wyoming. Since you would be going before spending the day at Yellowstone, it would probably help you avoid the crowds, too!

Yellowstone is essentially one the shape of an 8, with a road in the middle that can take you through the middle. It’s easy to create a fun road trip around the park where you can just stop at any spots you want to see. For the sake of time, since we only had one day, we opted to just do the bottom half of the park (or, the 8). Our final destination of the day was Jackson Hole, WY, so it made sense to go north to south.

Tips

Note: there are about 2-3 places to get gas within the park, but it is pretty expensive. When we entered the park, we just went ahead and filled up the gas tank. We made sure to go to the bathroom too! We noticed there are a lot of toilets throughout the park, but they are more likely to just be the toilets to a hole in the ground.

All of the stops at Yellowstone are fairly easy to make. I will say, however, when the park is crowded, the parking lots at each of the stops fill up fast. It was never a long wait, but Yellowstone was definitely the most crowded of any of the parks. Every stop was clearly marked and it was all very accessible. There were little boardwalks taking you between the mini geysers or the colored thermal pools.

We did all of our stops really quickly! Basically, we just drove to a stop, got out, walked around, took pictures, then repeat. I think other people are more interested in seeing every stop, but the thermal pools look very similar so we didn’t feel the need to go to all of them. This is why I think it is important to do your research beforehand here! You can sort of weed out the geysers or thermal pools that look the most interesting to you. Also, if you want to do any hikes, you could find out where they are so you are better prepared.

Top Stops in North/West Yellowstone

*Again, this is just an overview of the stops we made in Yellowstone. Be on the lookout for a detailed guide to Yellowstone coming soon!

Since we started at the north entrance, our first stop was the Mammoth Hot Springs area. After that, we drove down the left side of the park, stopping whenever we saw something we thought looked interesting. Then, we went ahead and drove through the road through the middle of the park to start.

We went to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. We saw so many cars parked at the beginning of the the parking lot area here. But, if you just keep driving down, you will get out of the crowds. We parked and hiked about a 2-mile hike to Artist Point. We saw maybe 5 other people total during this whole hike, and we found a beautiful lookout all to ourselves. After you do this, you can stop over at Canyon Village. There is a gas station, bathrooms, places to eat, and little shops!

Top Stops in South Yellowstone

Next, we drove back across the middle of the park and started our journey to all the thermal pools and other sights. We went to Gibbon Falls, the Fountain Paint Pots, Grand Prismatic Spring, and Old Faithful. In the same area as Old Faithful, that’s where you will find the big Visitor’s Center with gift shops, places to stay, and a massive boardwalk/walking trail filled with little geysers/thermal pools.

I know seeing Old Faithful erupt is such a bucket list moment, but it could take a long time between eruptions, so depending on your timing you might get to see it! Unfortunately, we didn’t get to, because we wanted to keep exploring. After walking around here for a little bit, we kept heading around the south end of the park.

Our last stop was the West Thumb area, right off of the unbelievably blue West Thumb Lake. This is another spot that has bathrooms, a gas station, etc. Head to the West Thumb Geyser Basin Trail, and it will take you around a short boardwalk filled with little geysers and thermal pools sitting on the shore of the lake. Some are even in the lake! This was a great, relaxing last stop, and then we were headed on our way.

Jackson Hole, WY

Jackson, WY or Jackson Hole is only about a 1 hour and 45 minute drive from that last stop in Yellowstone (West Thumb). And, the best part is that you get to drive through Grand Teton National Park for most of it. We even saw our first bison driving down! It was getting to be about sunset, and it was the perfect timing. We were able to get our first glimpse of those beautiful Teton mountains while driving to the cutest mountain town where we would be spending the night.

After checking into our little rustic cabin hotel facing a vast mountain range, we got ready to go eat dinner in downtown Jackson Hole. We stayed in the Flat Creek Inn, and it was perfect. It is only about a mile or 2 outside of downtown Jackson Hole, and it made for a cozy night’s sleep before our day in the Tetons. We knew we wanted bison burgers, so we headed to eat at Local Restaurant & Bar, a recommendation from a friend who has been here multiple times.

Oh man, it did not disappoint. We sat at the bar and ordered delicious local drinks and ate our bison burgers so fast. After we were so full and a little tipsy from the elevation, so we walked around and did a little souvenir shopping and admiring of the horn arch in the square. Then, it was time for bed and rest before getting up for sunrise!

Day 5: Grand Teton National Park

Yes, we woke up very, very early to drive into the park for sunset. If you do anything in this park, it’s watching the sun rise and slowly cover the Tetons in the most magical red and orange colors, especially while sitting in front of Jenny Lake. But, honestly find your sweet spot. We just happened to stop here, because we weren’t quite sure where to go. But there are so many open fields or parking areas to go to.

Our little spot at Jenny Lake only had maybe 5-10 other people there, so it was quiet and peaceful. It is called the Jenny Lake Overlook. We saw a ton of cars going to the Jenny Lake Visitor’s Center, but this spot had way less people. Seriously, we all mostly sat in silence and admired the tranquility of the lake and the changing colors of the mountains. Pictures really don’t do it justice.

Hiking in the Tetons

It all starts at Jenny Lake Visitor Center – yes there is a bathroom! There is a trail that circles all of Jenny Lake, but once you start getting up close and personal with the mountains, there is a canyon, Cascade Canyon that runs through the middle.

At the front, towards the lake, you will find Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. These are only about a 3-or-so-mile hike, but getting up to Inspiration Point is pretty much all uphill – just to warn you, but it is highly congested.

Once we got up to Inspiration Point, it was pretty much all flat and moderate hiking. We wanted to just get a look into Cascade Canyon, so we set off to do some of the Cascade Canyon Trail. Well, the further we went, the further we wanted to keep going. You just keep going further into the mountains, and further away from people, and you are surrounded by mountain peaks and hidden forests. After Inspiration Point, you will hardly see anybody else!

I would do this trail over and over, and I would go all the way to the other lakes and trails that seem almost hidden behind these mountains. In total, getting to the fork at the end of the Cascade Canyon Trail is 6.5 miles – and it is a moderate hike. Again, for more experienced hikers, there are so many more places you could keep hiking to, so do your research! We only had one day in the park, and it was already early afternoon, so we wanted to head back.

Lunch in Jackson Hole

Since we didn’t plan to hike over 13 miles, all we had between the two of us during the whole hike was one pack of crackers and one water bottle. So, once we finished the hike, we wanted a super filling meal. We looked into places in downtown Jackson Hole, but once we got there it was early afternoon and everything was super crowded. Finally, we found a brewery on the edge of town that did not have many people there. Plus, we got to sit on the patio out on the second floor!

We ordered beers, chicken, a burger, and fries between the two of us and just relaxed in the sun while planning what we wanted to do for the rest of the day. Sure, there were still a lot of spots we hadn’t seen, but we felt like doing that hike and driving the park at sunrise that morning and sunset the day before had given us a really beautiful picture of this park. We were already obsessed, so we knew trying to make a ton of stops wouldn’t be enough anyway.

So, we started driving and decided we just wanted to see the Chapel of the Transfiguration, take a picture with the sign at the entrance of the park, and head out. Even just the views while driving is worth it.

We apparently timed everything right though, because as we were leaving a layer of haze covered the mountains, and you could hardly see anything. We discovered there was some sort of fire in the area. Make sure when you are visiting to be aware of this, because it can be common in the drier months!

Driving Back to Bozeman

We were set to head back to the airport in Missoula the next day to fly home. We didn’t want to have a long drive the next morning, so we had booked a hotel in Bozeman again. This was a fairly long drive from the Tetons to Bozeman, but it went back through Yellowstone. Little did we know, it would be a very entertaining drive.

We happened to be driving through Yellowstone right as the sun was starting to set. Sunset/dusk is when all the animals come out to graze. We had seen our fair share of wildlife on this trip. But, everyone always says Yellowstone is where you will see the most animals, and we had seen none during our day there. Well, apparently, we just weren’t there at the right time.

Animal Sightings in Yellowstone

The one thing I kept saying throughout the road trip was that I wanted to be the first car that had to stop when a bison was crossing the road. Then, as we were driving past Old Faithful, it happened!! A bison starts walking out onto the road, and I got to stop as it slowly crossed in front of me and started eating the grass in the median. My friend came in clutch the entire road trip. She would stand in the open sun roof, be halfway out the windows getting those pictures while I was driving.

As we kept driving, we saw little foxes, a ton more bison that held up traffic, and all kinds of other animals grazing while the sun was setting in the park. It was great end to our time in the national parks. We drove the dark, deserted road back up to Bozeman, and checked into our hotel for the night.

We stayed at the Western Heritage Inn Travelodge and, strangely enough, got a massive room on a floor that was somehow between floors. It was really kind of funny, but it helped us have plenty of room to stuff our carry on bags back to how they were when the trip started.

Day 6: Driving to Missoula & Flying Home

The next morning, we took our time waking up and getting ready to drive back to Missoula. It is about an hour and a half from Bozeman, and our flight was in the afternoon. We got some quick McDonald’s on the way, filled up the rental car with gas, and dropped it off at the airport. The Missoula airport is tiny, so security and checking in goes so quick. We downloaded our Netflix shows for the flights, and then headed out to Seattle. After a quick layover, we were on our way back to Nashville.

We seriously loved our time in Montana and Wyoming, and we still talk about going back all the time. The mountains, the food, the peace, the exploring, the hiking – life just seems easier out there. We pushed our bodies to the limits, but we came back home refreshed and a little bit lighter than we left. Even though it happened during a pandemic, it felt safe, and we had worn our masks the whole time. It just felt good and right to get a change of scenery from the weight of change and loss and exhaustion.

We both highly, highly recommend going out here for as long as you can! We fit everything into 5 days, but you could easily make it last 2 weeks. There is so much to do and see. You can be active, you can just sightsee, or you can do a little of both. There really is something for everyone.

More Reading:

To read a more detailed guide about Going-to-the-Sun Road, check out 10 Incredible Stops on Going-to-the-Sun Road in 1 Day for a list version of my top 10 stops!

To read more about Pacific Northwest road trips, check out Adventurous Pacific Northwest Road Trip | Washington, Oregon, and Idaho in 7 Days

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To read more about amazing domestic road trips:

Check out Epic Arkansas Road Trip in 2 Days for more mountain adventures!

Check out Out West, USA: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas in 3 Days for more national park adventures!