A two-week loop from Bozeman, Montana: the geysers of Yellowstone, Jackson and the Tetons, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Lamar Valley, then the Beartooth Highway at 3,337 m and Cody, Buffalo Bill's town. Here the road is part of the sightseeing: you watch bison and elk from the car, at 45 mph at most inside the parks.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Bozeman | Start |
| Days 2 to 3 | West Yellowstone | 145 km · 1h55 |
| Days 4 to 6 | Jackson | 212 km · 3h50 |
| Days 7 to 8 | Canyon Village | 195 km · 3h40 |
| Days 9 to 10 | Gardiner | 73 km · 1h35 |
| Day 11 | Red Lodge | 199 km · 3h45 |
| Days 12 to 13 | Cody | 106 km · 1h25 |
| Day 14 | Back to Bozeman | 332 km · 3h50 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
June to September, when all the roads are open: in 2026, Dunraven Pass from 22 May to 12 October, the Beartooth Highway from late May to mid-October. On 31 October, the park roads close to cars, except Gardiner-Cooke City, which is open all year.
🚗 145 km · 1h55 of driving from Bozeman
US-191 along the Gallatin River, via Big Sky: two lanes along the valley floor, skirting the north-west corner of the park.
🚗 212 km · 3h50 of driving from West Yellowstone
Via Old Faithful, West Thumb and the South Entrance, then the US-89 via Moran. Grand Teton charges its own fee, even if you are just passing through.
🚗 195 km · 3h40 of driving from Jackson
Teton Park Road via Jenny Lake, then the South Entrance, the lake and Hayden Valley. Wildlife: stop in pullouts only.
🚗 73 km · 1h35 of driving from Canyon Village
Dunraven Pass (2,700 m), open from 22 May to 12 October in 2026, then Tower Fall, Roosevelt and Mammoth.
🚗 199 km · 3h45 of driving from Gardiner
Lamar Valley at dawn, Cooke City, then the Beartooth Highway (US-212): a pass at 3,337 m, open from late May to mid-October.
🚗 106 km · 1h25 of driving from Red Lodge
Montana Routes 308 and 72 via Belfry, then Wyoming 120, down towards the Bighorn Basin.
🚗 332 km · 3h50 of driving from Cody
Drop Red Lodge and Cody, spend only two nights in Jackson, and drive back from Gardiner to Bozeman through the Yellowstone valley and Livingston (US-89 then I-90): 9 nights. The Beartooth Highway then becomes a long day trip there and back from Gardiner via the Lamar Valley.
| Small car, Bozeman, average | ≈ $66 a day (€58) |
|---|---|
| All categories, Bozeman, June | ≈ $143 a day (€125) |
| All categories, Bozeman, November | ≈ $46 a day (€40) |
| SUV, Bozeman | ≈ $104 a day (€91) |
| Small car, Salt Lake City, average | ≈ $40 a day (€35) |
| All categories, Salt Lake City, June | ≈ $64 a day (€56) |
| Vehicle | Saloon or SUV: the whole route is paved. Rental contracts ban unpaved roads. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | Bozeman airport (BZN), returning it there; Salt Lake City is cheaper but much further away. |
| Insurance | Take the LDW or CDW (damage to the vehicle) and supplemental liability cover (LIS or SLI). |
| Age | 21 at Enterprise, 20 at Hertz; a surcharge of about $25 a day under 25. |
| Licence and card | Hertz requires a licence held for more than a year and a card in the driver's name, preferably a credit card. |
| Prices quoted | Kayak averages from September 2026, excluding optional insurance. |
⚠️ In June, hiring a car in Bozeman costs $143 a day, 70% above the annual average: book early.
Accepted for tourist stays under the ESTA visa waiver. An International Driving Permit is strongly recommended: get it in your home country before you leave.
As in mainland Europe. Almost all hire cars are automatics.
Unless signed otherwise. Outside the parks: up to 70 mph on roads, 75 to 80 on interstates (Montana, Wyoming).
0.08% in Montana and Wyoming, 0.05% in Utah. Under 21, 0 to 0.2 g/l.
In a pullout, with all wheels off the road. Bears and wolves 91 m away, bison and elk 23 m.
Come to a complete stop and give way to pedestrians, unless there is a NO TURN ON RED sign. Never on a red arrow.
When every approach has a stop sign; if you arrive at the same time, the vehicle on the right goes first.
As long as its red lights are flashing, unless the road is divided by a central reservation.
The ground can be just a thin crust over superheated water: never leave the boardwalks and trails.
≈ $4.55 to $4.61 a gallon (€1.05 to €1.07 per litre, AAA, September 2026)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Today's price: AAA Gas Prices →
⛽ 1,262 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €90 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
Wyoming is slightly cheaper than Montana. Fill up in town before the long stretches inside the park. With a non-US card, pay inside at the till.
| Motorways and roads | No tolls on the route |
|---|---|
| Yellowstone | $35 per vehicle for 7 days, plus $100 per non-resident aged 16 and over |
| Grand Teton | $35 per vehicle for 7 days, plus $100 per non-resident, separate ticket |
| Non-resident pass (America the Beautiful) | $250 a year, covers the car and its passengers in both parks |
| Yellowstone, West Entrance, Old Faithful, Norris, Canyon, Mammoth | Open from 17 April to 31 October in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Yellowstone, South Entrance, West Thumb, the lake | Open from 8 May to 31 October in 2026 |
| East Entrance and Sylvan Pass (towards Cody) | Open from 1 May to 31 October in 2026 |
| Dunraven Pass (Canyon to Tower Fall) | Open from 22 May to 12 October in 2026 |
| Beartooth Highway (US-212) | From the Friday of Memorial Day weekend to mid-October |
| Gardiner to Cooke City via Lamar | Open all year, closed in winter east of Cooke City |
| Teton Park Road (Grand Teton) | Closed from 1 November to 30 April |
| Moose-Wilson Road (Grand Teton) | Closed from 1 November to mid-May depending on snow |
| Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (WY-296), off the route | Open from mid-May to early November |
| 2026 roadworks in Yellowstone | Delays of up to 30 minutes, 15 at Bridge Bay and Gardner River |
| Yellowstone in winter | Snowmobiles and snowcoaches only, from 15 December 2026 to 15 March 2027 |
Two weeks for this loop from Bozeman: 13 nights, seven stages, rarely more than four hours' driving a day. In Yellowstone, the speed limit is 45 mph (72 km/h) and wildlife stops make everything take longer. In 10 days, drop Red Lodge and Cody and drive back from Gardiner via Livingston.
June to September. In 2026, the park roads opened between 17 April and 22 May depending on the section and close on 31 October, Dunraven Pass as early as 12 October. The Beartooth Highway opens in late May and closes in mid-October. In winter, only the Gardiner-Cooke City road stays open to cars.
Yes. Since 1 January 2026, Yellowstone and Grand Teton each charge $35 per vehicle plus $100 per non-resident aged 16 and over, with no joint ticket: $470 for a couple, $270 even on your own. The $250 non-resident pass covers the car and its passengers for a year, in these two parks and elsewhere.
Yes, and early. The park's nine lodgings, all run by Yellowstone National Park Lodges, fill up fast, and most only open from May to October. Campsites can be booked six months before the night, to the day, on Recreation.gov or with the same concessioner depending on the campground.
Bozeman is about two hours from West Yellowstone, and the loop comes back to it from Cody via Billings. Salt Lake City has cheaper cars ($64 a day in June against $143 in Bozeman, according to Kayak), but Jackson is more than five hours' drive away and Cody more than eight: allow two extra days.
Excluding flights and accommodation: $600 to $1,900 of car hire for 13 days from Bozeman ($46 to $143 a day depending on the month, Kayak, September 2026), about €90 of petrol at September 2026 prices for roughly 1,250 km, and $250 for the non-resident pass. Add guided tours and the Cody rodeo.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/yellowstone · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
