Salt Lake City, Grand Teton and Yellowstone Loop
From Salt Lake City, drive through Grand Teton and across Yellowstone, then return via Craters of the Moon in Idaho.
The most popular route for Chinese-speaking self-drive travelers: enter from the south and exit from the north through Grand Teton and Yellowstone, staying inside and outside the parks to minimize backtracking. On the way back, instead of retracing your route, you pass through Idaho's lava fields. The pace is moderate, with most days under three hours of driving, and the first and last legs each about five hours. A good fit for first-time visitors, and for families and couples for whom Salt Lake City is the convenient flight gateway.
From November, most Yellowstone roads close to regular vehicles. Book in-park lodging months in advance.
Day by day
Day 1 · Arrive in Salt Lake City and Explore Downtown
Salt Lake City（Temple Square、Utah State Capitol）
Pick up a car at the airport, or take the light rail into the city (about 30 minutes). Downtown sights are within walking distance.
Stay: Downtown
Day 2 · North to the Cowboy Town of Jackson
Grand Teton & Jackson Hole（Jackson Hole、Million Dollar Cowboy Bar）
About 430 km and 5 hours by car. You can stop for lunch at Bear Lake or Star Valley, and arrive in Jackson in the afternoon.
Stay: Jackson Town
Day 3 · A Full Day Around Southern Grand Teton
Grand Teton & Jackson Hole（Mormon Row、Schwabacher Landing、Chapel of the Transfiguration & Menor's Ferry、Jenny Lake, Hidden Falls & Inspiration Point、Signal Mountain）
Enter the park from Jackson and head north on the main park road. About 100 km for the day, with frequent stops.
Mormon Row and Schwabacher Landing are best photographed at dawn. The Jenny Lake parking lot often fills up by morning.
Stay: Signal Mountain
Day 4 · South Entrance into Yellowstone to Old Faithful
Grand Teton & Jackson Hole（Oxbow Bend、Jackson Lake & Colter Bay） → Yellowstone National Park（West Thumb Geyser Basin、Old Faithful）
Head north along Jackson Lake, enter through the South Entrance, and continue via West Thumb to Old Faithful, about 2.5 hours.
Stay: Old Faithful Area
Day 5 · Geyser Basins to Canyon Village
Yellowstone National Park（Upper Geyser Basin & Morning Glory Pool、Grand Prismatic Spring、Fairy Falls Trail & Grand Prismatic Overlook、Fountain Paint Pot、Artists' Paintpots）
Head north along the Lower Loop via Madison and Norris to Canyon Village, about 2 hours in total.
Grand Prismatic Spring is steamy in the morning, and its colors are easier to see in the afternoon. Parking is tight, so be patient.
Stay: Canyon Village
Day 6 · Grand Canyon, Hayden Valley and Yellowstone Lake
Yellowstone National Park（Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone、Hayden Valley、Mud Volcano & Dragon's Mouth Spring、Yellowstone Lake）
Using Canyon Village as a base, head south to Yellowstone Lake and back, about 100 km for the day.
Returning in the evening through Hayden Valley is a good time to see bison and birds.
Stay: Canyon Village
Day 7 · Over the Pass to Lamar Valley for Wildlife
Yellowstone National Park（Tower Fall、Lamar Valley、Roosevelt Arch & Gardiner）
Cross Washburn Pass to Tower, head east into Lamar Valley, then turn back to Gardiner, about 3 hours of driving.
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 8 · Mammoth Hot Springs, Then South to West Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park（Mammoth Hot Springs、Norris Geyser Basin、Gibbon Falls、Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center）
From Gardiner, drive via Mammoth and Norris, then exit through the West Entrance to the town of West Yellowstone, about 2 hours.
Stay: West Yellowstone
Day 9 · West to the Idaho Lava Fields
Craters of the Moon（Inferno Cone、Spatter Cones & Big Craters、Indian Tunnel）
Take US-20 through Idaho Falls to Craters of the Moon, about 3.5 hours, and spend the night in Arco.
To enter the lava caves, get a free permit at the visitor center, and bring a flashlight and sturdy shoes.
Stay: Arco
Day 10 · Atomic Museum, Then Back to Salt Lake City
Craters of the Moon（Experimental Breeder Reactor I）
Pass the Atomic Museum, then take I-15 south, about 380 km and 4 hours to the airport.
The museum is open in summer, so check its opening hours first. A late flight home is recommended.