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Advice wanted about a Montana/Wyoming/Idaho trip
Posted on 10/26/26 at 10:27 am
Posted on 10/26/26 at 10:27 am
Next year probably in August my wife and I want to do our 10 year anniversary in Montana area and are targeting about a week. Since we know we won't ever get to that part of the country again we wanted to also hit Idaho and Wyoming just to check those states off our list. I know this timeline sounds a little tight and obviously we don't' want to just be in the car all day everyday without getting to soak it all in. I figure with all the experience on this board I could get some great advice. I asked AI for a bit of help on a timeline and it originally gave me a jam packed schedule where we'd basically be in the car every day and a different hotel every night. I altered the input a bit to be slower paced with more downtime and it gave me the following:
-Day 1: Fly into Bozeman. Scenic drive through Paradise Valley and stay in Gardiner, MT.
-Day 2: Yellowstone NP. Lamar valley, mammoth hot springs.
-Day 3: More time in Yellowstone area, grand tetons, travel down to Jackson, WY
-Day 4: Chill day. Stay in Jackson, walk the square, maybe a spa, just hang out.
-Day 5: Leave Jackson adn go west over Teton pass into ID. Make a stop in Driggs or Victor to walk around and sight see. Continue into Bozeman
-Day 6: Another chill day with minimal driving. Explore downtown Bozeman.
-Day 7: Morning hangout before flying home
This is all very generic based on not a lot of input so will certainly be changed a hundred which ways. It's important to note (and yes I fully understand it may sound crazy considering the locale) that we don't really care about hiking or fishing, despite this part of the country being known especially for it. I also hope that opens our our time/interary a good bit. We love the scenic view, being in the fresh open country, mountains, etc. but we have no interest in a 10 mile morning sunset hike or hitting a stream to fly fish. My wife is big on typically womanly stuff like shopping, little town centers, main streets, etc. I like the national parks it listed and would definitely like to visit them but I'm unsure if we want to spend a full entire day in any of them. We are open to "hiking" some basic trails through pretty terrain but nothing like what you might consider a HIKE hike. We'd also be perfectly happy milling around a local small town with no real plans.
This is very much a rough draft starting point. What are some pointers you veterans would suggest?
-Day 1: Fly into Bozeman. Scenic drive through Paradise Valley and stay in Gardiner, MT.
-Day 2: Yellowstone NP. Lamar valley, mammoth hot springs.
-Day 3: More time in Yellowstone area, grand tetons, travel down to Jackson, WY
-Day 4: Chill day. Stay in Jackson, walk the square, maybe a spa, just hang out.
-Day 5: Leave Jackson adn go west over Teton pass into ID. Make a stop in Driggs or Victor to walk around and sight see. Continue into Bozeman
-Day 6: Another chill day with minimal driving. Explore downtown Bozeman.
-Day 7: Morning hangout before flying home
This is all very generic based on not a lot of input so will certainly be changed a hundred which ways. It's important to note (and yes I fully understand it may sound crazy considering the locale) that we don't really care about hiking or fishing, despite this part of the country being known especially for it. I also hope that opens our our time/interary a good bit. We love the scenic view, being in the fresh open country, mountains, etc. but we have no interest in a 10 mile morning sunset hike or hitting a stream to fly fish. My wife is big on typically womanly stuff like shopping, little town centers, main streets, etc. I like the national parks it listed and would definitely like to visit them but I'm unsure if we want to spend a full entire day in any of them. We are open to "hiking" some basic trails through pretty terrain but nothing like what you might consider a HIKE hike. We'd also be perfectly happy milling around a local small town with no real plans.
This is very much a rough draft starting point. What are some pointers you veterans would suggest?
Posted on 10/26/26 at 11:30 am to WG_Dawg
quote:
Advice wanted about a Montana/Wyoming/Idaho trip
Don't try to pet or take selfies with the Bison!
Posted on 10/26/26 at 11:52 am to WG_Dawg
My daughter lives in Victor Idaho and I love visiting and I was there this past August and into September. The weather was great. If you want to go on some good hiking trails, there are a couple that I really like in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. But don’t ask me the name of them. I let my daughter and son-in-law take the lead and pick which ones we’re going to go on.
Posted on 10/26/26 at 12:17 pm to WG_Dawg
quote:
Since we know we won't ever get to that part of the country again we wanted to also hit Idaho and Wyoming just to check those states off our list
It’s Cheyenne, not Christ Church baw. You can always take a couple hour flight back
Posted on 10/26/26 at 12:31 pm to WG_Dawg
With one week, don't try to overextend yourself. Us folks from the Southeast don't appreciate just how far apart things are out there...
Honestly, you could make a nice anniversary week just staying in Bozeman, but since you want to see as much as possible, here's what I'd suggest.
Fly into Bozeman and stay there for 2 or 3 days. If you want to get some nature in, there are some "basic" hikes in/near town like the M Trail or Peet's Hill. Hyalite Canyon is a little father, but also scenic with easy hikes.
From there, drive south to Yellowstone NP. Make this your "Yellowstone Day." You could either take Highway 191 through the Gallatin Valley to the west entrance or Highway 89 to the north entrance. Either way, leave very early that morning...like 5:00am and get to the park as early as possible. Hit the highlights...Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Springs, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. If you take Highway 89, you could hit Mammoth Hot Springs as well.
Once you've seen the sights, head south out of Yellowstone via 191 through Grand Tetons NP toward Jackson. Depending on the time, you'll probably be ready to call it a day. Get to Jackson and kick for a day or two.
Take one day to do Grand Tetons NP. There are some basic hikes you can do. I recommend taking the Jenny Lake Trail (or you can take the ferry, depending on how much you want to hike).
After that, you have a decision to make. You can either backtrack to Bozeman and try to hit some more Yellowstone sights you didn't have time to see the first time. Or you could head west. Driggs is decent, but probably won't keep you occupied for long. If you have the energy and time, you could head to Boise by way of Craters of the Moon National Monument.
Boise is a pretty neat town and a good option to fly out of.
ETA: as dumb as this sounds, I've never flown in/out of Jackson so my brain didn't even register it as an option.
You could just stay in Jackson the remainder of the week and fly home from there.
Or you could fly into Jackson and do the itinerary in reverse. No need to backtrack. But I'd definitely recommend spending at least 3 days in Bozeman. Real nice town. Plenty to see/do. Weather will be fantastic.
Honestly, you could make a nice anniversary week just staying in Bozeman, but since you want to see as much as possible, here's what I'd suggest.
Fly into Bozeman and stay there for 2 or 3 days. If you want to get some nature in, there are some "basic" hikes in/near town like the M Trail or Peet's Hill. Hyalite Canyon is a little father, but also scenic with easy hikes.
From there, drive south to Yellowstone NP. Make this your "Yellowstone Day." You could either take Highway 191 through the Gallatin Valley to the west entrance or Highway 89 to the north entrance. Either way, leave very early that morning...like 5:00am and get to the park as early as possible. Hit the highlights...Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Springs, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. If you take Highway 89, you could hit Mammoth Hot Springs as well.
Once you've seen the sights, head south out of Yellowstone via 191 through Grand Tetons NP toward Jackson. Depending on the time, you'll probably be ready to call it a day. Get to Jackson and kick for a day or two.
Take one day to do Grand Tetons NP. There are some basic hikes you can do. I recommend taking the Jenny Lake Trail (or you can take the ferry, depending on how much you want to hike).
After that, you have a decision to make. You can either backtrack to Bozeman and try to hit some more Yellowstone sights you didn't have time to see the first time. Or you could head west. Driggs is decent, but probably won't keep you occupied for long. If you have the energy and time, you could head to Boise by way of Craters of the Moon National Monument.
Boise is a pretty neat town and a good option to fly out of.
ETA: as dumb as this sounds, I've never flown in/out of Jackson so my brain didn't even register it as an option.
You could just stay in Jackson the remainder of the week and fly home from there. Or you could fly into Jackson and do the itinerary in reverse. No need to backtrack. But I'd definitely recommend spending at least 3 days in Bozeman. Real nice town. Plenty to see/do. Weather will be fantastic.
This post was edited on 10/26/26 at 2:03 pm
Posted on 10/26/26 at 1:11 pm to UGATiger26
I agree with UGA. I would pair down the trip. Definitely would do at least a full day in Grand Teton. Take the boat across Jenny Lake and Hike Inspiration Point. The Lamar Valley is cool, but once you've seen a bison you have seen them all.
Posted on 10/26/26 at 1:31 pm to craazyjose
a 3rd vote to pair it down. a week isn't much time in that part of the country, so much to see and do.
Posted on 10/26/26 at 1:56 pm to WG_Dawg
turn day 3 into 2 days. You don't need to sight see in Driggs and victor for a full day. they are small towns without a whole lot going on unless you are wanting to go flyfishing (use worldcast anglers if so). and the sights are primarily just the back side of the tetons, which are awesome, but similar to the front side.
Maybe stop in Big sky instead of bozeman at the end?
Maybe stop in Big sky instead of bozeman at the end?
Posted on 10/26/26 at 5:05 pm to WG_Dawg
I would drop the Idaho portion and just do the Yellowstone and Tetons part.
Flying into Bozeman and heading to Gardiner via Paradise Valley is perfect. If possible, look for an AirBnB along the Yellowstone River - the views are amazing. From Gardiner, can easily hit Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Falls, and Lamar Valley if start early. I think the drive through the Lamar Valley to Cooke City is fantastic, and a part of the park many people miss. If have a little extra time, drive past Cooke City up onto the Beartooth Highway/Beartooth Pass toward Red Lodge. This is one of the most amazing drives in the lower 48. There is a great lunch/dinner spot in Cooke City called Beartooth Cafe that is worth a stop, then back to Gardiner for the night. If run out of things to do from Gardiner (doubt you will), Chico Hot Springs is not far away and the hot springs are great. Tip - the popular spots in Yellowstone (Old Faithful, Grand Canyon) are least crowded first thing in the morning - try to hit those earlier if possible before the big tour buses show up later.
Next day, travel through the park toward South Entrance/Jackson Hole. You can hit Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and of course Old Faithful. On your way out of the park, can stop at the famous Lake Hotel on Yellowstone Lake. Travel on to Jackson for the night.
Spend 2-3 days in Tetons if possible. Take the ferry across Jenny Lake and hike up the short trail to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point for great views. If in decent shape, continue up the trail a couple more miles into Cascade Canyon for stunning scenery. Drive the Moose-Wilson Road just outside of Jackson for great wildlife spotting - moose and bears frequent this area. Spend some time hitting the shops and restaurants in Jackson. The Rodeo is a great time at night. Of course, if you're into rafting or fishing, there are numerous tour groups out of Jackson that can do this.
Fly home from Jackson.
Flying into Bozeman and heading to Gardiner via Paradise Valley is perfect. If possible, look for an AirBnB along the Yellowstone River - the views are amazing. From Gardiner, can easily hit Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Falls, and Lamar Valley if start early. I think the drive through the Lamar Valley to Cooke City is fantastic, and a part of the park many people miss. If have a little extra time, drive past Cooke City up onto the Beartooth Highway/Beartooth Pass toward Red Lodge. This is one of the most amazing drives in the lower 48. There is a great lunch/dinner spot in Cooke City called Beartooth Cafe that is worth a stop, then back to Gardiner for the night. If run out of things to do from Gardiner (doubt you will), Chico Hot Springs is not far away and the hot springs are great. Tip - the popular spots in Yellowstone (Old Faithful, Grand Canyon) are least crowded first thing in the morning - try to hit those earlier if possible before the big tour buses show up later.
Next day, travel through the park toward South Entrance/Jackson Hole. You can hit Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and of course Old Faithful. On your way out of the park, can stop at the famous Lake Hotel on Yellowstone Lake. Travel on to Jackson for the night.
Spend 2-3 days in Tetons if possible. Take the ferry across Jenny Lake and hike up the short trail to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point for great views. If in decent shape, continue up the trail a couple more miles into Cascade Canyon for stunning scenery. Drive the Moose-Wilson Road just outside of Jackson for great wildlife spotting - moose and bears frequent this area. Spend some time hitting the shops and restaurants in Jackson. The Rodeo is a great time at night. Of course, if you're into rafting or fishing, there are numerous tour groups out of Jackson that can do this.
Fly home from Jackson.
Posted on 10/26/26 at 5:30 pm to WG_Dawg
agree with all the others there’s nothing on the Idaho side of the Tetons worth a special trip for in the summer. Skip it
Besides the best spot in Idaho is Stanley and you’ll want to make a dedicated trip for that area
Besides the best spot in Idaho is Stanley and you’ll want to make a dedicated trip for that area
Posted on 10/27/26 at 7:11 am to WG_Dawg
As someone who has visited YNP a number of times, i might suggest, almost, that u bypass it if you're going in August. Scenery from the car is mostly bland and in August the traffic and people will be nuts. That said, if u want to take 30 min to see Yellowstone Falls and Old Faithful (maybe 90 min), be my guest. There are so many amazing things (geothermal features, etc) to see with a short hike but in August u will battle for a parking spot and traffic jams to see Bison and maybe a bear or elk and this will frustrate u if u are on a short schedule.
This from someone who spent a half day in Venice and maybe 30 min in the Louvre because my son wanted to see The Thinker and Mona Lisa.
Edit: the falls in Idaho Falls are worth a stop if you're near
This from someone who spent a half day in Venice and maybe 30 min in the Louvre because my son wanted to see The Thinker and Mona Lisa.
Edit: the falls in Idaho Falls are worth a stop if you're near
This post was edited on 10/27/26 at 7:13 am
Posted on 10/27/26 at 7:57 am to gungho
thanks so much everyone, all this is super helpful for someone with zero knowledge. We will definitley be tweaking that starting itinerary. A couple other questions
-gungho you mentioned in YNP just staying in the car, what is the reason for that? You menitond being super croweded; at that time will it just not be easy to park and walk with all the other people around?
-what's the weather like in August at that part of the coutnry? I asssume warm but will it still get real cold at night?
-I know some have said to skip idaho entirely, btu we would really like to do that since we'll be RIGHT there and will almost surely never visit idaho again jsut for the fun of it. If we're in Jackson already it looks like Victor/Chapin/Driggs are right over the border and we'd be perfectly content just popping over there for an hour to mill around and maybe grab a bite then head on back. Of those 3 towns which is best to kill a little time?
-All of hte planning so far has bene under the assumption we'd fly into bozeman, is that an easy airport? Or are there any others in the same general area that'd be better?
-gungho you mentioned in YNP just staying in the car, what is the reason for that? You menitond being super croweded; at that time will it just not be easy to park and walk with all the other people around?
-what's the weather like in August at that part of the coutnry? I asssume warm but will it still get real cold at night?
-I know some have said to skip idaho entirely, btu we would really like to do that since we'll be RIGHT there and will almost surely never visit idaho again jsut for the fun of it. If we're in Jackson already it looks like Victor/Chapin/Driggs are right over the border and we'd be perfectly content just popping over there for an hour to mill around and maybe grab a bite then head on back. Of those 3 towns which is best to kill a little time?
-All of hte planning so far has bene under the assumption we'd fly into bozeman, is that an easy airport? Or are there any others in the same general area that'd be better?
Posted on 10/27/26 at 8:18 am to WG_Dawg
If it were me, I'd rent a cabin around Cameron or Hegben Lake as a base. The Grizzly Bar has great food--get a reservation. The Happy Hour bar at Hegben lake is a must visit old school road house type bar. There is a wall of titties you should check out.
You can go in and out of the park as you wish but lots to see and do outside of the park around there: Earthquake Lake, Cliff Lake, Big Sky, etc. Tons of county roads you can drive and get away from people.
Weather should be cool at night and tolerable during the day. It gets warm but not humid.
Ennis is a small town with a few shops but food is kinda meh.
Airports: Bozeman is easy as can be. Big Sky also has an airport. Not much else in the area.
You can drive to Jackson and do all of that but it's 4 hours between W Yellowstone and Jackson with the traffic and crowds.
You can go in and out of the park as you wish but lots to see and do outside of the park around there: Earthquake Lake, Cliff Lake, Big Sky, etc. Tons of county roads you can drive and get away from people.
Weather should be cool at night and tolerable during the day. It gets warm but not humid.
Ennis is a small town with a few shops but food is kinda meh.
Airports: Bozeman is easy as can be. Big Sky also has an airport. Not much else in the area.
You can drive to Jackson and do all of that but it's 4 hours between W Yellowstone and Jackson with the traffic and crowds.
Posted on 10/27/26 at 8:40 am to Motorboat
quote:
rent a cabin around Cameron or Hegben Lake as a ba
ooh this looks nice!
Posted on 10/27/26 at 8:50 am to WG_Dawg
quote:
-gungho you mentioned in YNP just staying in the car, what is the reason for that? You menitond being super croweded; at that time will it just not be easy to park and walk with all the other people around?
People have mixed opinions on Yellowstone. There are some cool sights and geothermal features which most would recommend seeing.
The downside is that the park experience can be a crapshoot, especially in busy summer season. One bison crossing the road can turn into an hour-long traffic jam. And the parking lots at the more popular sights quickly turn into chaotic free-for-alls.
If you absolutely love hiking and the great outdoors, Yellowstone can be a much different experience. But if you're just going to check Old Faithful off your bucket list, then don't worry about investing too much time and effort there. You'll probably be better off devoting that time and energy into other activities. There is plenty of good hiking and other beautiful scenery in that part of the country.
quote:
-what's the weather like in August at that part of the coutnry? I asssume warm but will it still get real cold at night?
I just spent this past August in Bozeman. Weather was fantastic. A little cool in the mornings, but it quickly warms up. Highs in the low 80s if I recall. But the lack of humidity makes a huge difference! It felt glorious.
quote:
-I know some have said to skip idaho entirely, btu we would really like to do that since we'll be RIGHT there and will almost surely never visit idaho again jsut for the fun of it. If we're in Jackson already it looks like Victor/Chapin/Driggs are right over the border and we'd be perfectly content just popping over there for an hour to mill around and maybe grab a bite then head on back. Of those 3 towns which is best to kill a little time?
If you're that committed to stepping foot in Idaho, I'd recommend popping over to Driggs one morning while you're in Jackson. Maybe have lunch there. Trust us...you're not missing much. Nice view of the Tetons, but nothing you wouldn't see otherwise.
The only other option I could recommend is going "all-in" on Idaho and driving all the way to Boise which is a much more interesting place to visit and you can hit Craters of the Moon on the way there.
Idaho is a beautiful state, but it's hard to combine with a visit to Bozeman/Jackson/Yellowstone/Grand Tetons unless you've got plenty of time to work with.
quote:
All of hte planning so far has bene under the assumption we'd fly into bozeman, is that an easy airport? Or are there any others in the same general area that'd be better?
I've only flown in/out of Boise and Bozeman. Both were fine. At that time of year, Bozeman's airport will be busy and you'll probably be waiting in line for a rental car (which you'll need).
Posted on 10/27/26 at 8:53 am to UGATiger26
quote:
UGATiger26
tell me more about the Jenny Lake /ferry situation. That seems to be something that will be a must-do but woudl like more details
Posted on 10/27/26 at 8:54 am to UGATiger26
quote:
If you absolutely love hiking and the great outdoors, Yellowstone can be a much different experience. But if you're just going to check Old Faithful off your bucket list, then don't worry about investing too much time and effort there. You'll probably be better off devoting that time and energy into other activities.
ok perfect, great to know!
quote:
If you're that committed to stepping foot in Idaho, I'd recommend popping over to Driggs one morning while you're in Jackson. Maybe have lunch there
good deal thanks. I think that will truly be a "let's go there for a minute to say we did then go back" kinda thing.
Posted on 10/27/26 at 8:59 am to WG_Dawg
quote:
tell me more about the Jenny Lake /ferry situation. That seems to be something that will be a must-do but woudl like more details
Beautiful glacial lake in Grand Tetons which serves as a launching point for many of the park's more popular hikes. Depending on how far you want to hike, you can hike to Hidden Falls or Inspiration Point. From your OP, it doesn't sound like you'd want to go farther than that, but you can. A few years back, my wife and I hiked to Lake Solitude which is a 16-mile in-and-out. Probably one of my all-time favorite hikes.
Again, depending on how far you want to hike, you can either hike around Jenny Lake to the sights I listed above, or you can take the ferry (which costs money). It's a pretty boat ride, but only like 10 minutes long. And it's very popular. So if you want to take the ferry to give yourself a shorter hike to Hidden Falls/Inspiration Point, I'd recommend getting there early and trying to get on the first ferry of the day.
FWIW, I think Grand Tetons NP is more beautiful than Yellowstone.
Posted on 10/27/26 at 9:10 am to WG_Dawg
quote:
rent a cabin around Cameron or Hegben Lake as a ba
ooh this looks nice!
It's a good suggestion, but this is where taste and preferences come into play.
If you're looking for more of a swanky vacation with good shopping, fine dining options, etc. you are going to be much better off staying in Bozeman and Jackson.
If you're looking for true solitude and natural serenity for you and your wife to enjoy each other's company, then renting a place near Cameron or around Hegben could be a good idea. Just know that you will be a pretty fair drive from anything cosmopolitan. West Yellowstone is the closest town, and it's definitely geared toward the tourist crowds.
Posted on 10/27/26 at 9:14 am to UGATiger26
quote:
It's a good suggestion, but this is where taste and preferences come into play.
If you're looking for more of a swanky vacation with good shopping, fine dining options, etc. you are going to be much better off staying in Bozeman and Jackson.
If you're looking for true solitude and natural serenity for you and your wife to enjoy each other's company, then renting a place near Cameron or around Hegben could be a good idea. Just know that you will be a pretty fair drive from anything cosmopolitan.
ah ok, still learning. The couple pictures I looked at quickly of hegben lake looked amazing but based on the above yeah I think we'd probably rather stay somewehre with more stuff going on.
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