A 10 Day Colorado-Wyoming Road Trip Itinerary
On this trip our plan was to spend a little more time at each destination to take in some places that have A LOT to see and do! We also had a couple of longer drives on this one than we usually do on our trips, but it was well worth it! On this trip we were able to see some of the more iconic places in the country & create more lasting memories!
This itinerary includes all the best photography destinations, places for the best sunsets/sunrises, and the best way to map out your days to squeeze the most out of it you can. We’ll break down the price, trip times, & stays. We want you to have the opportunity to copy the trip we took, or create a variation of your own trip. Go out and explore!
You can check out our Vlogs for this trip here --> Jackson Hole & Yellowstone Vlogs
Itinerary at A Glance:
Day 1: Denver, CO > Jackson, WY
Day 2: Jackson, WY > Grand Teton National Park > Jackson, WY
Day 3: Jackson, WY > Teton Village Trail Rides > Jackson, WY > Grand Teton NP > Jackson, WY
Day 4: Jackson, WY > Grand Teton NP > Jackson, WY > Grand Teton NP > West Yellowstone, MT
Day 5: West Yellowstone, MT > Yellowstone National Park > West Yellowstone, MT
Day 6: West Yellowstone, MT > Yellowstone NP > West Yellowstone, MT
Day 7: West Yellowstone, MT > Yellowstone NP > West Yellowstone, MT
Day 8: West Yellowstone, MT > Yellowstone NP > West Yellowstone, MT
Day 9: West Yellowstone, MT > Jackson, WY > Steamboat Springs, CO
Day 10: Steamboat Springs, CO > Vail, CO > Boulder, CO
Day 11: Boulder, CO > Denver, CO
Cost Breakdown:
· Flight (for 2 roundtrip): $226/Total (Southwest ATL-DEN)
· Car (unlimited miles): $330/Total (Fox Rent A Car)
· Stays: $1,577.97/Total (10 nights)
o Jackson: $477.56 (3 nights)
o West Yellowstone: $828.20 (5 nights)
o Steamboat Springs: $149.45 (1 night)
o Boulder: $122.76 (1 night)
· Gas: $265.40/Total
· Food: $550.00/Total
· Excursions: $170/Total
o Teton Village Trail Rides: $130
o Strawberry Hot Springs: $40
This brings the Entire Trip Cost to $3,119.37.
Drive Breakdown:
Day 1
· Denver, CO > Jackson, WY
Total: 8hrs (517 miles)
Day 2
· Jackson, WY > Lupine Meadows Trailhead (Grand Teton NP)
35 mins (21.8 miles)
· Lupine Meadows Trailhead (Grand Teton NP) > Jackson, WY
35 mins (21.8 miles)
Total: 1hr 10mins (43.6 miles)
Day 3
· Jackson, WY > Teton Village Trail Rides
25 mins (12.7 miles)
· Teton Village Trail Rides > Jackson, WY
25 mins (12.7 miles)
· Jackson, WY > Mormon Row (Grand Teton NP)
30 mins (16.2 miles)
· Mormon Row (Grand Teton NP) > Jackson, WY
30 mins (16.2 miles)
Total: 1hr 50mins (57.8 miles)
Day 4
· Jackson, WY > Gros Ventre Rd (Grand Teton NP)
20 mins (12.4 miles)
· Gros Ventre Rd (Grand Teton NP) > Mormon Row (Grand Teton NP)
2 mins (1 mile)
· Mormon Row (Grand Teton NP) > Lupine Meadows (Grand Teton NP)
22 mins (10.7 miles)
· Lupine Meadows (Grand Teton NP) > Jenny Lake Rd (Grand Teton NP)
10 Mins (5 miles)
· Jenny Lake Rd (Grand Teton NP) > Jenny Lake Visitor Center (Grand Teton NP)
3 mins (1 mile)
· Jenny Lake Visitor Center (Grand Teton NP) > Million Dollar Cowboy Bar
35 Mins (20.5 miles)
· Million Dollar Cowboy Bar > Snake River Overlook (Grand Teton NP)
26 mins (20.7 miles)
· Snake River Overlook (Grand Teton NP) > West Yellowstone, MT
2hrs 30mins (106 miles)
Total: 4hrs 30mins (177.3 miles)
Day 5
· West Yellowstone, MT > Terrace Spring (Yellowstone NP)
24 mins (15 miles)
· Terrace Spring (Yellowstone NP) > Gibbon Falls (Yellowstone NP)
7 Mins (4.2 miles)
· Gibbon Falls (Yellowstone NP) > Virginia Cascades (Yellowstone NP)
20 mins (11.4 miles)
· Virginia Cascades (Yellowstone NP) > Canyon Village (Yellowstone NP)
20 mins (11.4 miles)
· Canyon Village (Yellowstone NP) > Artist Point (Yellowstone NP)
10 mins (4.2 miles)
· Artist Point (Yellowstone NP) > Hayden Valley (Yellowstone NP)
14 mins (7.1 miles)
· Hayden Valley (Yellowstone NP) > Forest Mudpot (Yellowstone NP)
4 mins (1.6 miles)
· Forest Mudpot (Yellowstone NP) > Mud Volcano/Dragons Mouth (Yellowstone NP)
2 mins (0.3 miles)
· Mud Volcano (Yellowstone NP) > Thumb Geyser (Yellowstone NP)
40 mins (26.6 miles)
· Thumb Geyser (Yellowstone NP) > West Yellowstone, MT
1hr 15mins (48.2 miles)
Total: 3hrs 36mins (130 miles)
Day 6
· West Yellowstone, MT > Mammoth Hot Springs (Yellowstone NP)
1hr 20mins (46.8 miles)
· Mammoth Hot Springs (Yellowstone NP) > Mammoth Terrace Grill (Yellowstone NP)
7 mins (2.1 miles)
· Mammoth Terrace Grill (Yellowstone NP) > Lamar Valley (Yellowstone NP)
55 mins (32.6 miles)
· Lamar Valley (Yellowstone NP) > West Yellowstone, MT
2hrs 20mins (81.2 miles)
Total: 4hrs 42mins (162.7 miles)
Day 7
· West Yellowstone, MT > Grand Prismatic Overlook (Yellowstone NP)
45 mins (24.8 miles)
· Grand Prismatic Overlook (Yellowstone NP) > Grand Prismatic Spring (Yellowstone NP)
2 mins (0.2 miles)
· Grand Prismatic Spring (Yellowstone NP) > Old Faithful (Yellowstone NP)
14 mins (7.2 miles)
· Old Faithful (Yellowstone NP) > Grand Prismatic Spring (Yellowstone NP)
14 mins (7.2 miles)
· Grand Prismatic Spring (Yellowstone NP) > West Yellowstone, MT
45 mins (24.8 miles)
Total: 2 hrs (64.2 miles)
Day 8
· West Yellowstone, MT > Norris Geyser Basin (Yellowstone NP)
45 mins (28.3 miles)
· Norris Geyser Basin (Yellowstone NP) > Canyon Village (Yellowstone NP)
22 mins (12.3 miles)
· Canyon Village (Yellowstone NP) > Hayden Valley (Yellowstone NP)
20 mins (8 miles)
· Hayden Valley (Yellowstone NP) > West Yellowstone, MT
1hr 10 mins (47.1 miles)
Total: 2 hrs 37 mins (88.5 miles)
Day 9
· West Yellowstone, MT > Schwabacher Landing (Grand Teton NP)
2hr 50 mins (111 miles)
· Schwabacher Landing (Grand Teton NP) > Steamboat Springs, CO
6hrs 30 mins (408 miles)
Total: 9hrs 20 mins (519 miles)
Day 10
· Steamboat Springs, CO > Vail, CO
1hrs 50mins (91.8 miles)
· Vail, CO > Broomfield, CO
1hrs 40 mins (105 miles)
· Broomfield, CO > Boulder, CO
16 mins (10.2 miles)
· Boulder, CO > Broomfield, CO
16 mins (10.2 miles)
Total: 4hrs 2 mins (217.2 miles)
Day 11
· Broomfield, CO > Boulder, CO
16 mins (10.2 miles)
· Boulder, CO > Denver, CO
45 mins (43.1 miles)
Total: 1hr 1mins (53.3 miles)
Trip Details:
Day 1: Denver, CO > Jackson, WY
We arrived at Denver International Airport around 10:25am* from Atlanta, GA and picked up our car. Unlike most of our trips, we would be spending a significant amount of time in the car on our first day driving up to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We chose to fly into Denver because flying into Denver saved us around $400-$500 because of the affordability of Southwest from Atlanta & their 4 FREE checked bags plus free carry-ons. We sacrificed convenience for saving money. We found that a car rental for unlimited miles is also about $125-$150 cheaper in Denver. So, pushing close to $650 in total savings. Once we got in our car we started the 8hrs+ trek to Jackson, Wyoming and our first stay.
Instagram Spots:
Wyoming State Sign
Stay Link: Jackson, WY - Snow King Resort
Other Sites You Could Map:
- Estes Park/Rocky Mtn NP (1hr 20 mins from Denver; 8hrs from Jackson, WY)
- Laramie, Wyoming (2hr 20 mins from Denver; 6hrs from Jackson, WY)
Day 2: Jackson, WY > Grand Teton National Park > Jackson, WY
We woke up early to head on a long hike in Grand Teton National Park. We first stopped in the Starbucks just a couple miles from our stay for some early coffee & breakfast. We then stopped in at Teton Backcountry Rentals right outside the park to rent 2 cans of bear spray. It is essential to have bear spray when hiking in the park, so we rented 2 ($8/can per day), watched a tutorial video how to use it and made the 35 mins drive into Grand Teton National Park to the Lupine Meadows Trailhead. We used the AllTrails App and it suggested taking the Lupine Meadows Trailhead towards Delta Lake, one of the most popular hikes in the park. Delta Lake is a 9 miles (roundtrip), 2,329 feet elevation gain, out and back hike to a teal blue lake surrounded by snow top mountains. The hike is one of the tougher hikes we’ve done. The last mile to Delta Lake is an unmaintained trail by the National Park and it can be intense. Climbing over fallen trees and up massive boulders. It is truly an adventure, but well worth it! Though it’s one of the tougher hikes we’ve done, we highly recommend giving it a shot! Once at the lake we had lunch, snapped some photos, and made our way down. In all it’s about a 4-5-hour hike. Once got back we got some dinner at our Hotel & crashed.
Instagram Spots:
Various Spots along the trail
Delta Lake
Lupine Meadows Bridge
Grand Teton NP Sign
Stay Link: Jackson, WY - Snow King Resort
Day 3: Jackson, WY > Teton Village Trail Rides > Jackson, WY > Grand Teton NP > Jackson, WY
We woke up early this day to head off on our horseback riding excursion along the Grand Teton National Park. We booked our trail ride with the Teton Village Trail Rides a couple of weeks before we arrived in Jackson to secure our spot. Teton Village Trail Rides is one of the most popular horseback riding excursions in the area, done by a few celebrities in the recent past. They have a 1 hour $45/person option & a 2 hour $65/person option. We did the 2-hour option because get it see more of the area, including the historic Snake River Ranch barn, crossing creeks in the meadow and climbing the Teton Mountain range. It was more for your money! The guides keep the groups small & fit you for the perfect horse for your size. We left out on our ride around 10am. We recommend wearing jeans, some boots, and a good fitting hat to protect you from the sun. If you want to take photos/video a GoPro is a great option to strap to your hand/head/chest. The ride was breathtaking! The old historic barn with the fall foliage was something like a screen saver. While on our ride through the meadow our group came up on a huge Bull Moose. We held back as the Moose made its way across the meadow to be safe. We later crossed a creek. All the horses walked through the creek. Megan’s horse jumped it! It’s easy to forget you’re riding living, breathing things with their own unique personalities, but you will learn quickly they are all so fun, beautiful, and quirky in their own way. It makes the ride different for each rider. After we finished the trail ride, we drove 20 minutes back into town for lunch at Hatch Taqueria for some margaritas and tacos! After lunch we explored downtown Jackson Hole for a bit before heading back to the room. We relaxed for a little while before ordering a pizza to go near our place and heading back into Grand Teton National Park to see the sunset at Mormon Row. Mormon Row is a great spot to see the sunrise or sunset. It can also be a great spot to see wildlife! We found a spot near the Pink House on Mormon Row, popped the hatch, sat on the tailgate and watched the sunset while eating our pizza. Highly recommend this! Get there early enough to get a good spot! It’s a photographer’s dream. After sunset we headed back to the room for the night.
Instagram Spots:
Teton Village Trail Rides
Jackson Hole Antler Arch
Mormon Row
Stay Link: Jackson, WY - Snow King Resort
Day 4: Jackson, WY > Grand Teton NP > Jackson, WY > Grand Teton NP > West Yellowstone, MT
Our last day in Jackson Hole was a day of exploration & seeing everything else we wanted to see. We woke up early, packed all of our things into the car & checked out of the Snow King Resort. We stopped in at Starbucks again for some coffee & breakfast and headed back into Grand Teton NP. Our first stop was Gros Ventre where we spotted a heard of pronghorns pretty close to the road, but supposedly this is a great spot to also see Moose, Elk, and Bison. We then drove back to Mormon Row to explore more of the historic structures and get some shots during the day with the Tetons in the background. We then drove to the Visitors Center to see what their gift shot had before heading back to the Lupine Meadows to get some shots of the beautiful fall foliage at Cottonwood Creek. We then drove up to Jenny Lake Overlook and Jenny Lake to see the beautiful views of most popular lake in Grand Teton NP. Once we finished up at Jenny Lake, we headed into town to get lunch. We had the perfect spot at the outside seating at Jackson Drug Original Soda Fountain with the sun peaking over the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. After lunch we explored more shops in Downtown Jackson Hole, got some shots around town, and finished up with at Moo’s Gourmet Ice Cream to get the world-famous Huckleberry Ice Cream. After dessert we drove back into the park to see the sunset at Snake River Overlook. Such a beautiful spot with the river winding below with the sun hiding behind the mountains. We then headed 2hrs 30 mins north through Yellowstone NP to our next stay in West Yellowstone, Montana at the Moose Creek Inn.
Instagram Spots:
Gros Ventre
Mormon Row
Lupine Meadows/Cottonwood Creek
Jenny Lake Overlook/Jenny Lake
Million Dollar Cowboy Bar
Moo’s Gourmet Ice Cream
Schwabacher Landing
Snake River Overlook
Stay Link: West Yellowstone - Moose Creek Inn
Other Activities:
- Kayak Jenny Lake
- Bike Ride through the park
- Fishing
Day 5: West Yellowstone, MT > Yellowstone National Park > West Yellowstone, MT
The 1st day in Yellowstone National Park we wanted to see as many “touristy” spots as we could. We mapped out the perfect loop to hit some iconic spots. We woke up early and took the 24-minute drive to Terrace Spring. It’s a short stop and we were back in the car to see Gibbon Falls. This is a must see stop. Such a beautiful location & a very short walk from the parking lot. We then headed further north on the Grand Loop Road and on to Norris Canyon Road to the Virginia Cascades. The Virginia Cascades isn’t a typical stop, but we do recommend. It is a more tranquil spot within the park along the Gibbon River. At the right time, you could see some Grizzlies along this route. After a quick stop along the river, we continued east to Canyon Village. We picked up a quick bite to eat then south on the Grand Loop Road to Artist Point. If you want to see a real-life screensaver this is it! The landscapes colors with the waterfall is breathtaking. It is also a short walk from the parking lot to the iconic spot. There are some other great viewpoints of the falls and Yellowstone River around this are that are great stops. We then continued south towards Hayden Valley. Hayden Valley is where we saw our first herd of Bison! The valley is so beautiful and a one of the best spots to see wildlife. A week before we arrived a Grizzly Bear tracked down a Bull Elk through the Yellowstone River in the valley! Once we did some wildlife viewing, we continued south to Mud Volcano. This place is so cool! One part looks like dragon is breathing in a cave with how the boiling water sounds in the spring. It’s called Dragon’s Mouth Spring. This trail is close to the parking lot, but if you take the whole look it is about a mile with some steps to climb. The sulphur has the worst smell, but kind of funny seeing people react to it. As we continued south on the Grand Loop Rd. we ran into herd of Elk and saw a beautiful Great Gray Owl sitting less than a foot from the road on the smallest tree. We stopped for some photos and drove along the Yellowstone Lake before stopping at West Thumb Geyser Basin. We ran into a lot of Elk, very close to the walk path that we had to navigate around. That is something that is critical at Yellowstone National Park. Be aware at all times. Grizzlies are dangerous, but Elk, Moose, & Bison are equally as dangerous. They can turn on you in an instance so keep your distance & be cautious! Once we finished up at West Thumb the sun was just setting, and we drove back to West Yellowstone for dinner at Beartooth Barbecue. The service was top notch & the food was even better! A perfect stop for dinner. Once we got back, we crashed from our long day
Instagram Spots:
Gibbon Falls
Virginia Cascades
Artist Point
Hayden Valley
Mud Volcano
Dragons Mouth Spring
Yellowstone Lake
West Thumb Geyser Basin
Stay Link: West Yellowstone - Moose Creek Inn
Day 6: West Yellowstone, MT > Yellowstone NP > West Yellowstone, MT
Our second day in Yellowstone we woke up early, got some breakfast at McDonald’s and headed into the park. This day we made many stops right as we entered. We were driving along the Madison River and saw a beautiful Bald Eagle sitting in the top of a tree. Our first time ever seeing one! We stopped and took tons of photos. As we drove along a little further, we were met with backed up traffic due to a massive herd of bison in the road! We stopped and got some incredible shots! We then got back on the Grand Loop Road and headed north towards Mammoth Hot Springs. As we are driving further north we had some snow flurries and painted entirely different picture of the park. The drive up to Mammoth Hot Springs is gorgeous with mountain views, valleys, rivers, and eventually boulders as you head towards the town! Mammoth Hot Springs looks like a different planet! You will miss the initial turnoff if you blink. It is on the left as you’re coming down the mountain, but as you’re driving through you would think you are on Mars. Each destination within the loop has parking and accessible walking paths. Once we finished up there, we headed into the town to get some lunch at the Mammoth Terrace Grill. The Grill has all you would need, and the town is like a dream. You can go to some little gift shops or explore the historic town that is filled with Elk that call it home. It is a must-see destination in the mountains of Yellowstone! Once we finished up lunch, we hopped on the Grand Loop Road heading east to NE Entrance Road and Lamar Valley. After getting on Entrance Rd we were stopped with a massive herd of Bison. They stopped the cars for almost 15mins and walked up within inches of our car. Lamar Valley is called America’s Serengeti for a reason. Bring your binoculars and super zoom camera lens because you could see some incredible sights here! As we entered the valley, we saw more bison & elk, but we were searching for two things Wolves & Bears. We didn’t see any bears but did see a pack of wolves eating a Bison they had taken down a day earlier. It truly was like being in a wildlife safari park! While at Lamar we enjoyed the sunset and made the 2-hour 20-minute trek back to West Yellowstone, MT.
Instagram Spots:
North Route to Mammoth
Mammoth Hot Springs
Fort Yellowstone
Lamar Valley
Roosevelt Arch
Stay Link: West Yellowstone - Moose Creek Inn
Other Destinations:
- Boiling River (Gardiner, MT)
- Gardiner, Montana
- Roosevelt Arch
Day 7: West Yellowstone, MT > Yellowstone NP > West Yellowstone, MT
This day we woke up a little later, got some breakfast and planned to see the two most iconic spots in Yellowstone National Park: Grand Prismatic Spring and Old Faithful. We set aside one day for these two spots to really take them in and enjoy all that they have to offer. We first started out on the Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail, a 1.2 mile there and back trail that allows you to view that most beautiful features of the Gran Prismatic Spring. It is a great and easy hike to the top and allows you to see the incredible colors that the boiling water & chemicals make of the grounds. It is worth it! Once done there we drove over to the Grand Prismatic Spring parking lot to walk over the Firehole River Bridge up along the Grand Prismatic Spring. This up-close experience is a little harder to see the color changes that were seen from the overlook, but we loved this experience just as much. You can see all the details up close and the steam the Spring creates is like your walking through a cloud. Once we finished up here, we drove over to Old Faithful to see the famous geyser erupt! The Geyser goes off every 1hr 15min – 1hr 30min. Ask a park worker to learn when the most relevant times are so you can get there int time to see the show! The parking lot is huge and accessible there and there are a ton of food and shopping options there. While there we attempted to tour the Old Faithful Inn, but it was shut down due to COVID, but highly recommend going there. It is a historic inn with some of the most unique architecture. Once we finished at Old Faithful, we drove back to Grand Prismatic to catch the sunset over the Spring. It was so beautiful, and we recommend this! The way the sun reflected off the Spring & mist was gorgeous! After this we drove back to West Yellowstone for some late-night dinner at the Wild West Pizzeria & Saloon. A great bar atmosphere with some great Pizza!
Instagram Spots:
Grand Prismatic Overlook
Grand Prismatic Spring
Firehole River Bridge
Old Faithful
Old Faithful Inn
Stay Link: West Yellowstone - Moose Creek Inn
Day 8: West Yellowstone, MT > Yellowstone NP > West Yellowstone, MT
Our last full day in Yellowstone we had originally intended on doing some fly fishing, ATV Riding, or horseback riding, but we learned that most of the activities in the park shutdown at the end of September (we were there the 1st week of October) and it was painfully windy and cold! This day we decided to get a proper breakfast at the family owned Old Towne Café. Such a cute little place with the friendliest staff. We did a little shopping around West Yellowstone, got a photo in front of the Montana state sign and headed back to explore the park for the last time. We were on the search for bears! We set off north on the Grand Loop Road to see Crackling Lake at the Norris Geyser Basin. A teal blue picturesque lake worth a stop! We then looped around to Canyon Village to pick up some dinner & do some animal watching at Hayden Valley. Though we only ended up seeing Elk and Bison, it is a beautiful place to park the car and nature watch. After the sunset we headed back to West Yellowstone.
Instagram Spots:
Montana State Sign
Yellowstone National Park Sign
Crackling Lake
Hayden Valley
Stay Link: West Yellowstone - Moose Creek Inn
Other Options:
Plan an excursion depending on the season:
- Fly Fishing
- ATV/Snowmobile
- Bike Riding