Grand Teton National Park
Glacier National Park
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National Parks 2-Week Road Trip ItineraryGrand Teton, Glacier, and Olympic are three of the most popular national parks in the United States. These parks are home to numerous glaciers, beautiful snow-capped mountains, untouched wilderness, and abundant wildlife. While you could easily spend weeks exploring each of these three parks, this road trip itinerary allows you to see the highlights in two weeks while minimizing costs. New adventures await - happy exploring!
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Day 1 - Travel Day
Fly into Salt Lake City, Utah, pick up a rental car at the airport, and drive to a nearby hotel
Fly into Salt Lake City, Utah, pick up a rental car at the airport, and drive to a nearby hotel
- Where to Stay:
- Tru by Hilton Salt Lake City Airport - Affordable, clean, and convenient option
Day 2 - Drive to Grand Teton
Drive 4 hours from Salt Lake City towards Grand Teton National Park
Drive 4 hours from Salt Lake City towards Grand Teton National Park
- Where to Stay:
- Fin and Feather Inn B&B (in Victor, ID nearby Grand Teton) - Very affordable and amazing breakfast included!
- What to Do:
- Stop by Antelope State Park on the way and check out the free-roaming buffalo
- Where to Eat:
- Breakfast: Lazy Day Café in Salt Lake City - Delicious lemon ricotta pancakes and eggs benedict
- Lunch/Dinner: AmeriAsia Bistro in Victor, ID - Very tasty and affordable Asian Fusion spot
Brunch at Lazy Day Cafe
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Antelope State Park
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Dinner at AmeriAsia Bistro
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Day 3 - Grand Teton
Visit Grand Teton National Park, do a short hike, and check out popular overlooks
Visit Grand Teton National Park, do a short hike, and check out popular overlooks
- What to Do:
- Hike Jenny Lake to hidden waterfall (you can also pay for the boat to take you across the lake to the waterfall)
- Check out popular overlooks, including: Mormon Row (iconic barn), Snake River Overlook (Ansel Adam’s famous photo), and Schwachaber Landing (along the river, bring bug spray)!
- Where to Eat:
- Gather in Jackson - The Elk Bolognese is fantastic - reservations are recommended!
Snake River Overlook
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Mormon Row
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Elk Bolognese at Gather
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Travel Tip: Purchase an "America the Beautiful Park" annual park pass which covers entrance fees to all national parks for $80. Current U.S. military members and their dependents, U.S. military veterans, and Gold Star family members can get this pass for free.
Day 4 - Grand Teton
Visit Grand Teton National Park and do a longer hike
Visit Grand Teton National Park and do a longer hike
- What to Do:
- Hike to Delta Lake - One of my top five all-time favorite hikes. Highly recommend using All-Trails to navigate to this beautiful turquoise blue lake. This is a difficult 7-mile hike roundtrip, but the views are worth it!
- What to Eat:
- Dinner: Everest MoMo Shack (Nepalese), Teton Tiger (Asian Fusion), or Gun & Barrel (bit touristy/serves game meat)
- Breakfast/Lunch: Picnic or Persephone Bakery (James Beard award nominated)
Delta Lake
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Scenic trail to Delta Lake
Travel Tip: Download the All Trails app before hiking to Delta Lake and take advantage of the free one-week pro subscription trial. This will allow you to navigate trails without cell service.
Day 5 - Grand Teton
Visit Grand Teton National Park for a more relaxing day
Visit Grand Teton National Park for a more relaxing day
- What to Do:
- Swim and picnic at String Lake - This is the best lake in Grand Teton for swimming in beautiful, clear water!
- Grab a drink at Million-Dollar Cowboy Bar - Iconic bar in Jackson with horse saddles as seats
- Where to Eat:
- Breakfast/Lunch: Picnic or Persephone Bakery - Both are great options for tasty picnic foods
String Lake
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Persephone Bakery
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Jackson Hole, WY
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Million Dollar Cowboy Bar
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Day 6 - Travel Day
Drive 7 hours to Whitefish, MT (nearby Glacier National Park)
Drive 7 hours to Whitefish, MT (nearby Glacier National Park)
- Where to Stay:
- Hampton Inn and Suites Whitefish - Very nice, clean, and more affordable option given that the area is expensive
Day 7 - Glacier National Park
Explore Glacier and hike the Trail of Cedars
Explore Glacier and hike the Trail of Cedars
- What to Do:
- Hike Trail of Cedars and Avalanche Trail - Moderate 5-mile hike roundtrip with views of Avalanche Lake at the top. The entire trail is very green and scenic!
- Where to Eat:
- Breakfast: Loula’s Café - Great breakfast spot - don't miss their famous huckleberry pie!
- Dinner: the Wich Haus - Affordable and amazing gourmet sandwich spot in Whitefish with very nice outdoor seating and good drink selection. For dessert, grab ice cream at Sweet Peaks!
Trail of Cedars
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Huckleberry Pie at Loula's Cafe
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Day 8 - Glacier National Park
Drive the "Going-to-the-Sun Road" from the West Entrance and hike Grinnell Glacier
Drive the "Going-to-the-Sun Road" from the West Entrance and hike Grinnell Glacier
- What to Do:
- Drive the “Going-to-the-Sun Road” from the West entrance towards Many Glacier Lodge, stopping along the way at different scenic overlooks.
- Hike Grinnell Glacier Trail - The most highly rated hike in Glacier. This is a moderate 5-mile hike that overlooks a turquoise blue lake. You can’t miss this hike if you visit Glacier NP! Bring bear spray – we saw several grizzly bears!
Grinnell Glacier
Travel Tip: The "Going-to-the-Sun" Road is only fully open from July to August and currently requires advance reservations due to COVID-19. There are very limited tickets sold each day through the online reservation system. If you can't get a ticket, you can still enter the park if you have a reservation for a boat ride, bus tour, or horseback ride. We purchased a $20 boat ride ticket to gain entry into the park since we couldn't get a standard ticket - it's a great workaround!
Day 9 - Glacier National Park
Explore Whitefish and a beautiful lake in Glacier National Park
Explore Whitefish and a beautiful lake in Glacier National Park
- What to Do:
- Visit Bowman Lake - This lake is surrounded by mountains and has many different colored rocks. It's a good spot for swimming, but there’s very limited parking so recommend getting there early.
- Explore the town of Whitefish - Tons of cute, boutique stores!
- Where to Eat:
- Dinner: Whitefish Handcraft Spirits - One of the best dinners of the entire trip. Great food and amazing cocktails made with products from their local distillery. Recommend the gin fizz passion fruit cocktail, Cesar brussels sprouts, fish tacos, and loaded fries – everything was delicious and featured local ingredients!
Bowman Lake
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West Entrance
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Day 10 - Coeur D'Alene, ID
Head towards Olympic National Park with a midpoint stop in Coeur D'Alene, ID
Head towards Olympic National Park with a midpoint stop in Coeur D'Alene, ID
- Where to Stay:
- La Quinta Inn and Suites in Coeur D’Alene - Affordable, clean, and comfortable option close to the downtown area
- What to Do:
- Explore the downtown area, go swimming at the town beach, rent jet skis, and try some cliff jumping!
- Where to Eat:
- Dinner: Beer Haus - Nice German spot with outdoor patio seating
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Beer Haus
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Day 11 - Coeur D'Alene & Seattle
Fly fishing excursion in Coeur D'Alene before driving 4-hours to Seattle
Fly fishing excursion in Coeur D'Alene before driving 4-hours to Seattle
- What to Do:
- Guided half-day fly fishing excursion with Orvis Northwest Outfitters - This private guided fishing experience on the Coeur D’Alene River is $350 for two people. This half-day tour leaves at 7AM and finishes by 12PM.
- Where to Stay:
- Mediterranean Inn in Seattle - Very affordable, clean, and great location. This hotel has one of the best rooftop skyline views of the city so bring up some wine and enjoy the sunset! There is also very secure private parking in their garage for $21/night. which is significantly cheaper than the average $50 valet parking in other nearby hotels.
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Day 12 - Olympic National Park
Drive from Seattle to Olympic National Park
Drive from Seattle to Olympic National Park
- Where to Stay:
- Hot Air Balloon Airbnb in Sequim, WA - Great private room Airbnb run by Captain Crystal, a local hot air balloon pilot!
- What to Do:
- Watch the sunset at Hurricane Ridge - One of the best hikes of the entire trip! This is a paved 2.5-mile trail with amazing 360-degree views of the mountain ridge, surrounding bay, Mt Rainier, and Canada.
- Where to Eat:
- Dinner: Spruce - Nice restaurant in Port Angeles, WA featuring local ingredients
Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park
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Day 13 - Olympic National Park
Visit the Ho Rain Forest in Olympic NP
Visit the Ho Rain Forest in Olympic NP
- What to Do:
- Hike the Hall of Mosses Trail in the Ho Rain Forest
- Drive around Forks and check out La Push Beach. If you’re a Twilight fan, this town is the setting for the book. The town visitor center provides maps featuring Twilight tour stops.
- Where to Eat:
- Lunch: Westend Tap Room Tip and Sip - Great lunch spot for paninis and drinks in Forks (Note: there are very limited good dining options in the area).
Setting for the movie Twilight
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Bella Swan's Truck
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Day 14 - Olympic National Park
Visit different waterfalls and lakes in Olympic
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Captain Crystal (our Airbnb host) let us pick cherries in her backyard!
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Day 15 - Travel Day
Drive 2 hours from Olympic National Park to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Drive 2 hours from Olympic National Park to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport