Yellowstone!

Can you do Yellowstone in a weekend?

The author at Fairy Falls, Yellowstone

I recently ran across a question on social media about the best way to visit Yellowstone. This specific question was location based. Traveling from the Wasatch Front of Utah to Yellowstone. There are a couple of great routes to Yellowstone from the major metropolitan ares of northern Utah.

The Scenic Route:
The most beautiful route is to take I-15 north to Brigham City then north-east on Highway 89 through Logan, through Wyoming's Star Valley and up to Jackson, Wyoming. Jackson is located on the southern end of Grand Teton National Park, which is adjacent to Yellowstone.















If you are making Jackson your "Base Camp" then I'd recommend this route if you have more time to visit Yellowstone. I'd say at least 4 days. Once you reach Jackson, you still have to drive about 1:20 to get to Yellowstone Park then another 25 minutes to get to the lower loop. To get to the northern end of Yellowstone, you have a lot of drive time so you end up traveling the same roads to travel back and forth from Jackson to the park.

These times do not include all the stops for wildlife, features, hikes, shopping, eating or traffic!

The Quickest Route:
If you have a 3-Day weekend and want to stick with visiting just Yellowstone, you should opt for the Quick Route! You would travel I-15 from Utah up to Idaho Falls, Idaho then to West Yellowstone, Montana. With just a 4 hour drive you are at the west entrance to the park.

Set up your base camp at one of the lovely Camping or RV Parks or a hotel in town.


https://koa.com/campgrounds/yellowstone-park/
https://koa.com/campgrounds/mountainside/
https://www.buffalocrossingrvpark.com/
https://www.grizzlyrv.com/



My favorite place for breakfast!
http://www.runningbearph.com/

Upper Loop from West Yellowstone

From West Yellowstone, you can travel the upper loop in one entire day and hit most of the major attractions along the loop with an Ice Cream at Mammoth Hot Springs and a fantastic dinner at Canyon Village. The upper loop has a lot of the thermal features you want to see. The east side of this loop has the highest chance of seeing a Grizzly Bear!

Lower Loop from West Yellowstone

On your shorter day, you can hit the lower loop. Old Faithful is on the lower loop and you will spend considerable time there depending on the geyser eruption schedule. Old Faithful erupts approximately every 90 minutes. This is a great place for lunch and shopping during your wait. The rest of the loop is filled with mostly drive time and beautiful scenery. This allows time for the drive home if its your final day. Another option for the lower loop is to just visit Old Faithful and return back to West Yellowstone and back to Utah.

Have a great journey and be sure to tell us your thoughts and comments below!