In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
A week in the wildest high country of the Rocky Mountains: bison in front of the bonnet, steaming ground by your pitch and a rodeo to finish.
The spirit of the route
The Teton Range rises 2,000 metres straight out of the sagebrush flats with no foothills; in the morning the peaks are mirrored in the Snake River while moose stand in the mist. Further north a different world begins: the ground steams, bubbles and hisses, turquoise springs fade into orange bacterial mats, and roughly every 90 minutes Old Faithful shoots into the sky. Traffic jams here are caused not by roadworks but by bison herds ambling across the road. In the Lamar Valley early risers sit by the roadside with spotting scopes, looking for wolves. In the evening the air smells of pine resin and sulphur, and it gets bitterly cold, even in July. Finally you head down the Chief Joseph Highway to Cody, where the rodeo season and the Wild West are waiting.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Jackson to Grand Teton National Park (approx. 70 km)
- The drive
- North on US-26/89/191 across the sagebrush flats of Jackson Hole, then along the Teton Park Road at the foot of the mountains. Flat and easy to drive, with plenty of pull-outs; 1.5 hours at the wheel, but a full day's programme.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Mormon Row with the T. A. Moulton Barn in front of the Tetons, best in the morning light.
- Schwabacher Landing: beaver ponds reflecting the Teton Range.
- Jenny Lake, with a boat shuttle to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Gros Ventre Campground (NPS) by the river under cottonwoods, often with moose, and some sites with electricity. Full hookups at Colter Bay RV Park on Jackson Lake; Signal Mountain Campground right on the lake with views of Mount Moran.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Shadow Mountain Road in the Bridger-Teton National Forest on the eastern edge of the park, with a direct view of the Tetons: designated dispersed sites with a reduced stay limit, a steep track and difficult for large motorhomes. Alternative: Curtis Canyon Road east of Jackson.
- Insider tip for campers
- Signal Mountain Summit Road is closed to trailers and large motorhomes. Buy or rent bear spray in Jackson – you can't take it on a plane. From here on: food, cool box and cookware belong inside the vehicle; never leave them outside.
2Stage 2: Grand Teton to West Yellowstone (approx. 160 km)
- The drive
- Along the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway to Yellowstone's South Entrance, past the Lewis River Canyon and over the Continental Divide to West Thumb on Yellowstone Lake, then on to Old Faithful; finally along the Firehole River through the geyser basins to West Yellowstone. With stops, a long day.
- Highlights & must-sees
- West Thumb Geyser Basin: hot springs right on the shore of Yellowstone Lake.
- Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin (eruption times at the visitor centre and in the NPS app).
- Grand Prismatic Spring – from the loop walk in the Midway Geyser Basin or, better, from the overlook on the Fairy Falls Trail.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Madison Campground in the park, where the Firehole and Gibbon rivers meet, with bison and elk in the meadow next door; no hookups. Just before West Yellowstone: Baker’s Hole Campground (Forest Service), open only to hard-sided vehicles because of grizzlies.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Custer Gallatin National Forest around Hebgen Lake there is dispersed camping along forest roads – the food storage order for grizzly country applies everywhere.
- Insider tip for campers
- The car parks at Grand Prismatic and Fairy Falls are small and full from about 9 am: set off early or go after 5 pm. In West Yellowstone you can fill up more cheaply than in the park and stock up on supplies. In 2026 there are roadworks with delays, including at the Firehole River Bridge near Old Faithful and at the Bridge Bay Bridge – current information at nps.gov/yell.
3Stage 3: West Yellowstone to Canyon Village (approx. 100 km)
- The drive
- Via Madison and Norris to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, with a detour into the Hayden Valley. Winding park road, 45 mph limit; wildlife jams are normal.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Norris Geyser Basin with Steamboat Geyser, the tallest active geyser in the world (erupts very irregularly).
- Artist Point and Lookout Point above the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the Lower Falls.
- Hayden Valley: bison herds, elk and, with luck, grizzlies – mornings and evenings.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Canyon Campground in the pine forest, with showers and laundry nearby. On Yellowstone Lake: Fishing Bridge RV Park with full hookups (hard-sided vehicles only) or Bridge Bay Campground on the lake. Canyon and Bridge Bay close as early as mid to late September (2026: Bridge Bay 13 September, Canyon 19 September), Fishing Bridge in mid-October.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Overnight stays outside campgrounds are prohibited in the park, including in pull-outs; rangers patrol at night.
- Insider tip for campers
- Keep at least 23 m from bison and elk and 91 m from bears and wolves. In wildlife jams stay in your vehicle and don't stop in the middle of the road. In June and September it can snow at short notice on roads above 2,400 m.
4Stage 4: Canyon Village to Gardiner (approx. 85 km)
- The drive
- Over Dunraven Pass (2,700 m) to Tower–Roosevelt, then west to Mammoth Hot Springs and down to the North Entrance at Gardiner. Steep sections and bends; use a low gear downhill.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Tower Fall, a short stop at the viewpoint.
- Lamar Valley – a detour east from Tower Junction at dawn, with wolf watchers and their spotting scopes at the pull-outs.
- Mammoth Hot Springs with its travertine terraces, and the Roosevelt Arch in Gardiner.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Mammoth Campground (NPS, open all year) on the hillside above the Gardner River, often with elk between the pitches. Outside the park: Eagle Creek Campground (Forest Service) above Gardiner with views down the valley.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Custer Gallatin National Forest north and east of Gardiner, dispersed camping is permitted along forest roads – observe the food storage requirements and fire restrictions; some roads are rough.
- Insider tip for campers
- Since the 2022 floods, access from Gardiner to Mammoth has been via the Old Gardiner Road, upgraded as a temporary route; a permanent new road is still only at the planning stage. In 2026 there is also construction on the Gardner River High Bridge near Mammoth – check roadworks and closure times beforehand. Gardiner has a filling station, laundry and supermarket: stock up before the sparsely populated stretch to Cody.
5Stage 5: Gardiner to Cody (Chief Joseph Scenic Byway) (approx. 260 km)
- The drive
- Through the Lamar Valley to the Northeast Entrance and through Cooke City, then on WY-296 over Dead Indian Pass and finally on WY-120 to Cody. Hairpin bends and wide views over the Absaroka Range; about 4 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Soda Butte and the wildlife of the Lamar Valley in the early morning.
- Sunlight Basin and the Sunlight Creek Bridge, the highest bridge in Wyoming, over a narrow gorge.
- Dead Indian Summit Overlook with views of the valley and the Beartooth Mountains.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Buffalo Bill State Park west of Cody on the reservoir with mountain views, some sites with electricity. En route, basic Shoshone National Forest campgrounds along WY-296, such as Dead Indian Campground.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Shoshone National Forest dispersed camping is permitted along many forest roads; in places there are restrictions for vehicles without hard sides and strict food storage rules because of grizzlies.
- Insider tip for campers
- In Cody the Buffalo Bill Center of the West (five museums under one roof) is worth a visit, as is the nightly rodeo in summer. Empty your tanks and fill up with water here. The section between Cooke City and the start of WY-296 is open to normal vehicles only from about mid-May to early November – outside that period the route cannot be driven.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- In Yellowstone and Grand Teton, overnight stays outside campgrounds are prohibited.
- In the surrounding national forests (Bridger-Teton, Custer Gallatin, Shoshone) dispersed camping is permitted, usually with a 14–16-day limit, reduced in popular areas such as Shadow Mountain Road.
- Food storage orders apply throughout the area because of grizzlies; violations are fined. Some sites are open only to hard-sided vehicles.
- Apps: iOverlander, Campendium, Recreation.gov and the NPS app (save maps offline).
Waste disposal & supplies
- Dump stations at several Yellowstone campgrounds (such as Madison, Canyon and Fishing Bridge – seasonal) and in Jackson, West Yellowstone, Gardiner and Cody.
- Tap water is drinkable; stream water only filtered or boiled.
- Frost is likely at night: protect tanks and hoses, and check your heating.
- Propane in Jackson, West Yellowstone or Cody.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- In Yellowstone the maximum is 45 mph, less in wildlife zones. In Grand Teton, US-26/89/191 has a limit of up to 55 mph during the day and 45 mph from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise. Wyoming allows up to 80 mph on interstates.
- Most park roads are open to normal vehicles from about late April/May to early November; the only route open all year is Gardiner–Mammoth–Tower–Lamar Valley–Cooke City. Dunraven Pass, the Beartooth Highway and the section from Cooke City to WY-296 have shorter seasons.
- Signal Mountain Summit Road: no trailers or large motorhomes.
- Park entry: one annual pass is valid in both parks. Since 2026, visitors without US residency need the more expensive Non-Resident Annual Pass instead of the regular “America the Beautiful” pass; without an annual pass, non-US citizens aged 16 and over pay a per-person surcharge on top of the entrance fee in Yellowstone and Grand Teton – check current amounts at nps.gov.
- No tolls on this route.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Bear spray on your belt, not in your rucksack – buy or rent it in Jackson.
- Bear-proof storage: everything edible inside a hard-sided vehicle; tent campers need a bear canister or the bear box at the site.
- Winter gear even in summer: a warm sleeping bag, hat, gloves, frost protection for water lines – nights can drop to minus 5 °C.
- Spotting scope or powerful binoculars (10×42 or more) for wolves and grizzlies at a safe distance.
- Offline maps and a paper map – there's no signal in large parts of the park.
- Wheel chocks and levelling blocks for the uneven pitches in the national forests.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
