Yellowstone and Grand Teton in 5 days: a one-way loop from Bozeman

This plan crosses both parks in one direction: fly into Bozeman, enter through Gardiner, loop through Yellowstone, and leave through Grand Teton to Jackson. It avoids doubling back, uses the one year-round road at the start and shows how the five entrances and the long drives between them shape the days. The Yellowstone and Grand Teton travel guide has the overview, and the wider USA travel guide shows how the region fits a western road trip. For beds, see where to stay near Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

Before you go, know what you pay and what you reserve. Both parks list $35 per private vehicle for 7 days, so the route costs two fees. Non-US residents 16 and over pay an extra $100 each at both parks unless they hold an annual or America the Beautiful pass. Neither park requires a vehicle reservation to enter. Grand Teton accepts no cash, so carry a card. Lodging fills first, so book it before the flights if your dates are flexible, and compare one-way car rental fees before you commit to a Bozeman to Jackson route.

The plan assumes late May to early October, when the roads are open. In 2026, the park projects most roads open between April 17 and May 8, with Dunraven Pass open May 22 to October 12, and the park cautions that dates depend on weather. Read the fees, roads and wildlife rules post before you finalize dates.

Land in Bozeman, pick up the car and drive south to Gardiner, the town at the North Entrance. The park lists Bozeman among the commercial airports serving Yellowstone and notes that train service is not available, so a car is the practical choice. Gardiner is the best first base because the road from the North Entrance to the Northeast Entrance is the only one generally open year-round, which keeps the first day flexible if the weather turns.

Use the afternoon to see Mammoth Hot Springs, a short drive from the gate, and to stock up on food, water and bear spray. The park lists a bear spray rental kiosk at Canyon Village from May 23 to October 10 for summer 2026, and carrying bear spray is part of the park's bear guidance. Keep the day light: it is a travel day, and the best wildlife hours come tomorrow.

Start at sunrise in the Lamar Valley, the park's northern wildlife corridor. Wildlife is most active at dawn and dusk, so an early start is worth more than any extra stop. Stay in the car for the closest views, and use binoculars or a spotting scope. The park requires at least 100 yards from bears, wolves and cougars, and at least 25 yards from other animals including bison and elk, and says it is illegal to willfully remain near or approach wildlife.

Return to Mammoth Hot Springs in the late morning for the terraces, then rest in the afternoon heat. If you want a second wildlife window, go back toward Lamar before dusk. The Mammoth to Norris road is among the routes the park projects open from April 17 to October 31, so you can continue toward the canyon the next day.

Drive from Mammoth to Canyon Village, using the Mammoth to Norris and Norris to Canyon roads, which the park projects open from April 17 to October 31 in 2026. Alternatively, cross Dunraven Pass if it is open, which the park projects from May 22 to October 12. Canyon is a good midpoint: the visitor education center is listed open from April 17 to October 31, and the lodging and food services have summer seasons that run into October.

Spend the morning at the canyon viewpoints and the afternoon in Hayden Valley, a broad river valley with another good chance of wildlife at dusk. The roads between Canyon and the lake, Canyon Village to Bridge Bay, are projected open from May 1 to October 31. Sleep inside the park if you can; Canyon lodging is listed open to October 24, and an in-park night saves a long drive in the dark.

Give the fourth day to the thermal basins on the west side. Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin are the anchor. The park says rangers predict Old Faithful and five other geysers, with predictions posted at the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center, at the lodges and in the NPS app, and that the interval between eruptions has ranged from 54 to 118 minutes. Arrive early, check the predicted times first and plan the rest of the basin around them.

Walk only on boardwalks and designated trails. The park warns that the ground around thermal features can be a thin crust over superheated water, that thermal runoff can be dangerously hot, and that it is illegal to swim or bathe in water that is entirely of thermal origin. Pets are not allowed in thermal areas or on boardwalks, even carried. Keep children close, and do not let them run on boardwalks.

If you started the day in Canyon, take Norris to Madison and Madison to Old Faithful, both listed open April 17 to October 31. Sleep near the geysers or in West Yellowstone, so the last day starts with a smaller gap to the South Entrance.

Leave Yellowstone through the South Entrance. The park lists the road from the South Entrance to West Thumb as open from May 8 to October 31 in 2026, and notes that traveling south through this entrance takes you through Grand Teton National Park, where a separate fee applies. Pay with a card at the Moose entrance station, since the park does not accept cash. Grand Teton is open 24 hours every day year-round, and its most popular months are May through September.

Spend the day on a lake shore, a short walk and a scenic drive, then finish in Jackson. The Grand Teton guide covers specific trails. Flights out of Jackson, one of the commercial airports the Yellowstone page lists, work for an evening departure; keep a spare night if you have a morning flight.

Weather changes fast in the mountains. In rain, shift outdoor viewpoints to the next dry window and use the visitor centers: Canyon's visitor education center is listed open April 17 to October 31, and Old Faithful's has its own season. Wildlife viewing is often good in drizzle, as long as you stay in the car. Smoke from regional fires can reduce views in late summer, so check air quality and the park's alerts each morning, and keep a spare half day in the schedule.

If a road closes, swap days rather than forcing a drive. A closed pass on day three can be replaced by the alternative route to Canyon, and a closed South Entrance road means exiting through the east or west and driving around, which adds hours. Check the park's road status page, call (307) 344-2117 for recorded information, or sign up for road alerts, as the park suggests.

Pack in layers, because mornings are cold even in July and afternoons can turn hot at the canyon. Carry water, snacks, a charged phone with offline maps, binoculars and bear spray for any trail walk. A hard-sided cooler helps on long gaps between food stops, and a full tank at each fuel station avoids stress, since the park lists fuel as available 24 hours a day at the Canyon, Fishing Bridge and Grant Village stations.

Book in this order: lodging for each night, the rental car, and then any guided activity such as a wildlife tour or a lake cruise. Park pages list boat and shuttle services with their own seasons, so confirm dates before you pay. If a day is missing a booking, the park's visitor centers make a useful fallback.

Skip this one-way loop if you have fewer than four days, if you dislike driving for hours, or if you are traveling in November to April, when most roads are closed to regular vehicles. With a short trip, choose one park and one base. Travelers with small children may prefer two bases instead of four, and visitors who want the geysers only can do days three and four from a single west-side base.

The most common error is underestimating drive time. The park says it takes several hours to drive between its entrances, and summer traffic and wildlife jams add more. A second mistake is approaching animals for photos, which is both illegal and dangerous; the park says bison have injured more people than any other animal. A third is forgetting that each park has its own fee, and that Grand Teton takes no cash. A fourth is assuming that services are available in shoulder months, when the park says facilities are limited from early November through late April.

Before a five-day park loop, download offline maps, buy an eSIM for the gateway towns, and compare travel insurance that covers remote areas. Entry rules are in the ESTA guide, and getting around the USA covers rental cars and rail.