Beartooth Highway, Cody and Yellowstone Loop
From Bozeman, cross the Beartooth Highway to Cody, enter Yellowstone by the East Entrance, and exit by the West Entrance via Big Sky.
This puts Yellowstone into a bigger loop: first cross the high-mountain road to the Western town of Cody for its museums and rodeo, then enter the park by the East Entrance, see Lamar Valley on the northern route and the geysers on the western route, and finally return to Bozeman via Big Sky. Grand Teton is left out in exchange for Western culture and a stretch of high-altitude road, a good fit for repeat Yellowstone visitors or road-trip lovers.
The Beartooth Highway is open roughly from late May to mid-October. Snow is still possible in early June, so follow local road conditions.
Day by day
Day 1 · Arrive in Bozeman and See Dinosaur Fossils
Bozeman（Museum of the Rockies、Main Street Historic District）
The airport is about 20 minutes from downtown. In the afternoon, visit the museum and Main Street, with very short drives.
Stay: Downtown Bozeman
Day 2 · East to the Mountain Town of Red Lodge
Red Lodge
Head east on I-90, then south to Red Lodge, about 280 km and 3 hours.
Stay: Red Lodge
Day 3 · Over the Beartooth Highway to Cody
Yellowstone National Park（Beartooth Pass） → Cody（Dead Indian Pass Overlook、Downtown Cody & Sheridan Avenue）
Take the Beartooth Highway, then the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway to Cody, about 180 km. Allow 4 hours.
The pass is about 3,300 m high, and thunderstorms are likely in the afternoon. Large RVs should not take this road.
Stay: Downtown Cody
Day 4 · A Day of Western Culture in Cody
Cody（Buffalo Bill Center of the West、Old Trail Town、Buffalo Bill Dam、Cody Nite Rodeo）
Short drives within town, with most sights within 10 minutes of each other. Head to the rodeo arena in the evening.
The nightly rodeo is a summer event, roughly June to August. Check the schedule first.
Stay: Downtown Cody
Day 5 · East Entrance to Canyon Village
Cody（Wapiti Valley (Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway)、Pahaska Tepee） → Yellowstone National Park（Yellowstone Lake、Mud Volcano & Dragon's Mouth Spring、Hayden Valley）
Head west along the Wapiti Valley, cross Sylvan Pass into the park, and continue to Canyon Village, about 3 hours.
Stay: Canyon Village
Day 6 · Grand Canyon to Lamar Valley
Yellowstone National Park（Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone、Mount Washburn、Tower Fall、Lamar Valley）
After the canyon, cross Washburn Pass to Tower, head east into Lamar Valley, then return to Gardiner, about 3 hours.
A section of road near the Northeast Entrance has bridge construction that may cause delays of about 30 minutes. Check the latest road conditions.
Stay: Gardiner
Day 7 · Mammoth Hot Springs to Old Faithful
Yellowstone National Park（Mammoth Hot Springs、Norris Geyser Basin、Artists' Paintpots、Firehole Canyon Drive & Firehole Falls）
Head south along the west side of the Grand Loop via Norris to the Old Faithful area, about 2.5 hours.
Stay: Old Faithful Area
Day 8 · Geysers, Then Out the West Entrance to Big Sky
Yellowstone National Park（Old Faithful、Upper Geyser Basin & Morning Glory Pool、Grand Prismatic Spring、Fountain Paint Pot） → Bozeman（Big Sky Resort）
See the geysers in the morning, exit through the West Entrance, and head north on US-191 to Big Sky, about 2.5 hours.
Stay: Big Sky Mountain Village
Day 9 · Gallatin Canyon and Back to Bozeman
Bozeman（Ousel Falls、Gallatin Canyon）
Head north through Gallatin Canyon to Bozeman Airport, about 80 km and 1.5 hours.