Greater Yellowstone

Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks and their surroundings, with geysers, hot springs, bison and wolves, plus the jagged Teton peaks and the town of Jackson.

The Greater Yellowstone region is an ecosystem centered on Yellowstone National Park and spanning Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. It includes neighboring Grand Teton National Park to the south, the valley of Jackson Hole and the surrounding national forests, and is one of the most intact temperate ecosystems in the contiguous US. Yellowstone highlights: Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin, Grand Prismatic Spring (which you can look down on from the Fairy Falls trail), Mammoth Hot Springs, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone with its Upper and Lower Falls, Yellowstone Lake, and the bison, wolves and grizzly bears of Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley. Grand Teton offers the classic views of the Teton Range reflected in Jackson Lake and Jenny Lake, Schwabacher Landing and the Mormon Row barns. A typical visit takes 4–6 days: start from Jackson, or from Bozeman or Salt Lake City, spend 1–2 days in Grand Teton, then 3–4 days in Yellowstone on the figure-8 Grand Loop Road, covering the southern and northern loops. Lodging inside the park is extremely scarce and often must be booked a year ahead; you can also stay in the gateway towns of West Yellowstone, Gardiner and Cody. Stay on the trails in thermal areas and keep at least 23 m (25 yd) from bison and at least 91 m (100 yd) from bears. After the 2022 floods, some northeastern roads have been repaired; check NPS road conditions before you go.

Destinations

• Yellowstone National Park
• Grand Teton & Jackson Hole
• Cody
• Bozeman

Itineraries

• 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 Entranc…
• Grand Teton, Yellowstone & Glacier: 12-Day Three-Park Traverse – Fly into Jackson and out of Kalispell, linking three iconic national parks from south to north.
• 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.