Let’s start by saying that if you have the time and budget, plan for a week in the Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks area, then another week in Glacier National Park, plus a few days for travel in between. However, if, like most, you are trying to see some of America’s grandeur in an allotted amount of vacation time, you can still squeeze it in and see quite a bit. Here’s how to make the most out of a 7- to 10-day road trip to Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier national parks. This is rough outline that you can expand or change according to your time and interests.

Grand Teton National Park Highlights

Get your bearings at the Grand Teton Visitor Center at the South Entrance. The video gives a good overview of the park and whets your appetite for what is to come. Next, hike Death Canyon in the southeast corner of the park. In just over a mile, you’ll come to a beautiful overlook that looks down 700 feet to Phelps Lake. From here, you can drop down into Death Canyon.

The next day, get on an early-morning boat across Jenny Lake to the trailheads that await on the other side. Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point are the shortest and easiest. If you’d like to avoid the crowds, consider continuing past Inspiration Point to Lake Solitude. All told, it’s 14 miles roundtrip for this hike, with 2,400 feet in elevation gain. Keep an eye out for the moose that frequent this area.

Yellowstone National Park Highlights

Just like you did in Grand Teton, start your visit to Yellowstone National Park with a stop at the Grant Village Visitors Center. You’ll learn about the devastation the park has faced due to wildfires and its regrowth.

Work your way around the main loop road of Yellowstone, starting with Old Faithful. The geyser erupts about every 90 minutes – try to arrive about 15 minutes ahead of time to ensure a good viewing spot. Take time to explore the gorgeous and historic Old Faithful Inn. Once you’ve seen Old Faithful strut its stuff, continue on the boardwalk to explore the Upper Geyser Bain, home to the largest concentration of otherworldly hot pools in the world.

Drive 5 miles to the Midway Geyser Basin, home to the colorful, and enormous, Grand Prismatic Spring. There is s short hike along a boardwalk that takes you to the base of the spring, or you can park at the Fairy Falls parking lot and hike 1.2 miles roundtrip to the Grand Prismatic overlook.

During your second day at Yellowstone, head north toward Mammoth – stop at the Park Ranger Museum to learn about the history of the National Park Service. Stretch your legs a bit at the Norris Geyser Basin. Then … get ready for the incredible Mammoth Hot Springs, where the water you’ll see pouring out has been in the ground for more than 1,000 years.

Drive through the serene Lamar Valley near the Tower-Roosevelt area. Look for bison! This valley is home to the largest concentration of these massive mammals in Yellowstone. Continue driving through Yellowstone’s Canyon, witnessing the sheer power of the Yellowstone River as it crashes through the upper and lower falls.

Start the next day with a trip to Artist Point, a fantastic lookout over the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. From here, drive to Sulphur Canyon and Mud Volcano, finishing your day in Grand Village at the south end of Lake Yellowstone.

Glacier National Park Highlights

If you have time, stay in both areas of the park – Many Glacier and the area around Going-to-the-Sun Road. If you stay in Many Glacier first and end near West Glacier, you’ll be closer to the airports near Kalispell.

While you’re in Many Glacier, be sure to take the 2-mile hike to Apikuni Falls, a short drive from the Many Glacier Hotel. There are countless other hikes in this area of the park, the most popular of which are Grinnell Glacier and Iceberg Lake. Grinnell, in particular, has alpine scenery, waterfalls, lakes, wildflowers and more – look for moose, mountain goats, bighorn sheep and black bears.

Perhaps the highlight of your time in Glacier National Park, the Going-to-the-Sun Road experience is as epic as it’s touted to be. Get a very early start so that you can arrive at Logan Pass before 8 AM for a parking spot. Once at the pass, you have a few hikes to choose from. The 3-mile roundtrip Hidden Lake Overlook hike is a perennial favorite and will take about 90 minutes. For a heftier challenge – but one that offers stunning rewards – set out on the 11.6-mile point-to-point Highline Trail.

Moving on to West Glacier, be sure to take the Trail of the Cedars (along a boardwalk) and the more strenuous, 4.5-mile roundtrip Avalanche Lake trail (the second of which starts at the first). Later, hang out at Lake Macdonald, check out the lodge and swim or go canoeing or kayaking. And be sure to save room for huckleberry ice cream, a Montana specialty!

Extra Things to Do When Driving Between Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park

• Drive along the Beartooth Highway from Red Lodge to Cooke City
• Drive along Highway 83 from Seeley Lake to Swan Lake (and take time for a swim at the sweet state park beach there)
• Hike Beehive Basin in Big Sky
• Explore Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park
• Shop, hike, mountain bike and eat in Whitefish, Montana
• Check out Butte, Missoula and Bozeman, as time allows

Have Even More Time?
Consider going north, across the border, to Waterton Lakes National Park – it’s similar to Glacier, with its myriad hiking trails, lakes and jagged peaks, and offers a delightful, small-town, laid-back, alpine attitude. You can also add on Waterton Lakes as a day trip from Many Glacier if you can’t do an overnight.