Yellowstone, Grand Teton and the real Wild West towns

Route

Salt Lake City – Jackson Hole – Grand Teton National Park – Yellowstone – Bozeman.

Salt Lake City, the Mormon capital?

Funny and rather fascinating to have this city as a starting point. The city itself is not exactly beautiful or “hip”, but the impressive Temple Square with the Salt Lake Temple and the Conference Center was really worth it. Even if you are not religious, it is fascinating to pick up something of the history and culture of the Mormons. In the evening we headed to the lively Harvey Milk Area on lower Main Street, a neighbourhood with an artistic, hip vibe. The trattoria Matteo comes highly recommended. The ideal place to kick off the trip.

Next stop, Jackson Hole

Jackson Hole is one of those names you may have heard in a film or series. The town of Jackson itself is wonderfully atmospheric: wooden façades, saloons, art galleries and that pure “Wild West” feeling everywhere. In winter it is a well-known ski resort, in summer the base for Grand Teton. On the very first evening we dived straight in with a rodeo. After almost ten years of living in the US, this was my very first. And man, that was fun. I could not understand a word of the Wyoming English, but I felt like I was in an episode of the popular series Yellowstone.

On the way to Wilson – where we stayed in the countryside, far from the bustle of town – we picked up a can of bear spray at the local supermarket. How does it go again: better be prepared than sorry.

Next day, Grand Teton National Park

Less than an hour's drive from Jackson lies Grand Teton National Park. At first sight you might think: the American version of the Alps. But the scale, the vastness and the unspoilt nature are really beyond comparison. And yes... we had a bear encounter. A bear crossed our path. My heart and breath stopped for a moment, but the animal strolled very calmly across the trail about ten metres from us and disappeared into the bushes, completely uninterested in our presence. We got lucky, I guess.

We ended our two days in Jackson Hole with a beer at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, secretly hoping to bump into Kevin Costner 😊 What was I thinking? But he does sometimes perform there with his band Kevin Costner & Modern West.

Yellowstone: fire, sulphur and wildlife

After Grand Teton, Yellowstone National Park follows almost automatically. It is the oldest national park in the world and actually sits on top of an enormous volcanic caldera, full of geysers, hot springs and bubbling mud pots. The park is gigantic and sometimes feels a little otherworldly.

Because it lies fairly far north, the main roads are usually free of snow from late May. Smaller roads and mountain passes often only open in June, depending on how harsh the winter has been. No desire to head deep into the wilderness with bear spray and a backpack? No problem. Yellowstone is extremely well organised: at every major geyser, hot spring or highlight you will find large car parks and short boardwalks and trails with viewpoints. So you can see a great deal without being a hardcore hiker. We chose a mix of overnight stays:

• 2 nights inside the park
• 2 nights just outside the park

Hotels and lodges inside the park are considerably more expensive and book up fast, but the big advantage is that there is no queue at the entrance in the morning. We were there in early June and our waiting time was officially: zero minutes. In July and August that can be different. Outside the park you often stay a little cheaper and have more dining options, but you do lose some time driving in and out. We found the combination ideal.

Highlights in Yellowstone

There are really too many highlights to mention, but if I have to pick a few:

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

A spectacular canyon with yellow-orange rocks and powerful waterfalls. Viewpoints such as Artist Point are true “wow” moments. A beautiful trail runs along the gorge with several viewpoints.

Grand Prismatic Spring

That gigantic rainbow-coloured hot spring you see in so many photos. Even more beautiful in real life. Be sure to visit the higher viewpoint too, so you can see the complete circle of colours.

Wildlife with a private ranger

An absolute highlight: a day out with a private ranger to spot wildlife. And yes, we saw bear cubs (baby black bears), a wolf pack in the distance and bison literally grazing by the roadside. You feel a bit like an extra in a nature documentary. The whole week felt like a string of highlights. Every day that same feeling of “can this still be topped?” and then being amazed once again.

Bozeman: a surprisingly hip finale

Our road trip ended in Bozeman, in the state of Montana: fun, cute and hip. Small coffee bars, nice restaurants, great shopping with lovely things, a relaxed young vibe (and plenty of good country music). A really fun town and a perfect finale after all that nature and those national parks.

Nearby lies the Big Sky ski area, which is apparently magnificent for skiing and snowboarding in winter: wide slopes, lots of powder and hardly any lift queues. One more for my looooong list of “things to do”.

Fancy the real America too?

Would you also like to visit the real America, away from the overly touristy classics, and discover the stunning national parks from Arizona and Utah to Wyoming and Montana? You dream, I arrange (everything). Feel free to contact me and I will map out your ideal road trip, with the right season, routes, national parks, accommodation and tips.