Montana and Wyoming Roadtrip
Montana was everything I imagined and more. My intention with this trip was to hit as many hikes as I could, see some wildlife, and swim in lakes. As always, I made a draft itinerary for the things I wanted to see, however, there are certain details that are easily missed by first-timers. It’s important to note that you do need a car to explore the park successfully, you also want to make sure you download all the hikes, Google Maps, and any other information since most of the park is a dead zone area. Let’s get started!
THINGS TO BRING
Bear Spray!! (Literally don’t step in Montana without it, they also rent them in stores all over the park)
AllTrails App (Download the hikes you’re doing ahead of time because you won’t have service in the park)
Microfiber towel (Convenient for quick drying and small to pack)
Portable chargers
Glacier National Park
WHERE WE STAYED:
Wander Camp Glacier
We decided to stay in Coram which is the west entrance of the park. Pro tip: Stay in the west for the lakes and swimming, stay in the east for the hikes. Wander Camp was one of the most affordable options in the area, the beds were super comfy but it is important to note you will have no access to electricity. They have bathrooms and showers which everyone in the campground shares, they were clean and practical, however, depending on where your tent is located, it can be far, specially at night! Overall, it was a great opportunity to disconnect.
DAY 1: Arrive, Check-in
Arrive at the park, take a moment to get familiar with the place, and explore the local shops and food spots.
Grab sandwiches and snacks for the next day.
DAY 2: Grinnell Glacier Trail
Morning
You can’t go to Glacier and not do this hike, it was probably one of the most scenic ones I’ve done and a great opportunity to get a great workout. The hike is 10 miles and is listed as “Hard”. Although it was difficult, it was 100% the highlight of the trip. I’d say just prepare with snacks, plenty of water and start early to beat the sun. There were people of all physical states and a LOT of elderly people doing the hike so you definitely can too! A tip we wish we knew was that you can rent a boat ahead of time through Josephine Lake and take a shortcut on the way back, but we missed that info so we ended up walking the entire 10 miles. It’s ok though! Because at least our legs are toned af now! Lol
Something important to note, in order to enter Glacier during the summer months, you need a car permit which we thought it was so hard to get. However, what most people do is enter the park before 6 am, then there will be no one to check permits or charge entrance fees.
Since we were staying in Coram, it was 2hrs to get to the trailhead so we ended up waking up at 2:30am in order to get there by 5:45am. Don’t worry! 90% of people do this so you will definitely not be alone. Super important to also note that the parking gets pretty much full by 6:30am so you need to get there early with or without a permit.
Once we arrived, we were so exhausted that we just took a nap in the car until 8:00am and that is the time we actually started the hike.
Afternoon
On the way back, enjoy the Going-to-the-Sun Road and stop to take pictures at some of the lookouts.
Have dinner at the Glacier Highland Restaurant and try the huckleberry pies!
DAY 3: Apgar Village and Lake McDonald
Morning
Sleep in and start the day enjoying the quietness of the campground, the energy is so serene and perfect to just have a slow morning.
On the way to breakfast, stop at Canyon Critter Coffee for Coffee or Matcha. This place was right around the corner from our campground so it was perfect for a morning coffee.
For breakfast, we drove 10 minutes to Carolyn’s Cafe. There aren’t a lot of options nearby for breakfast but this place was good, note there is always a wait but you can shop around at the convenience store next to it while waiting.
Noon-Afternoon
Make sure you’re wearing swimming clothes because afterward, you’re going to head to Apgar Village and rent a paddleboard to swim in Lake McDonald!
Apgar village is about 30 minutes from Coram and you will pass a checkpoint where you need to pay the park entrance fee but this isn’t the checkpoint where they check permits so you will be fine. Park at the Apgar visitor center because there will probably not be any parking in the actual village. From there, there is a bike road that’s about a 10-minute walk from the village.
Head straight to Glacier Outfitters and rent a paddleboard. We shared one and it was $38 for 2 hours which was perfect. The paddleboards have little wheels and you can walk them 3 minutes to the lake nearby, (the team will give you these directions once you arrive).
Afterwards, we ate at Eddie’s Cafe, the bison burger was so delish but the huckleberry sweet tea changed my life!! Afterward, we had ice cream at the shop next door and headed back to the car.
At this point it was around 6pm. We still had energy so we decided to go to Avalanche Lake Trail, our intention was to do the entire thing (6 miles), but we got tired halfway and we turned back. It was still super pretty and the little creeks along the way were sooo blue!
We drove back to the camp and it was dark already so we showered and went to bed.
DAY 4: Extra day or Go to Bozeman
If you have an extra day in Glacier, it is worth it to do the Highline trail. This one is a great opportunity to see mountain goats and see the other side of the glacier. It is difficulty “Hard” but supposedly really worth it. Our time was very limited so we didn’t get to do this one but definitely an option for an extra day.
Another option is to head to Bozeman and start the Yellowstone portion of this trip.
Yellowstone National Park
WHERE WE STAYED: MountainView Lodge and Suites
Bozeman is sort of a pit stop to get to the Tetons but I wish I would’ve spent more time here. The town is super cute and good vibes.
DAY 5: Explore Bozeman, Drive to Jackson Hole
Morning
Explore the town and get food, then drive to Yellowstone passing by Canyon Village straight to Jackson hole.
Afternoon
We stopped along the way for some bison sightings and at Artists Point to see the waterfall.
Once you arrive at Jackson Hole, check in at the hotel and head to “The Local” for amazing food.
We also went to the famous Cowboy bar and it was cute but definitely not as impressive as TikTok made it seem lol. Nevertheless, a cool place to see once.
Jackson Hole and Grand Tetons National Park
WHERE WE STAYED: CACHE HOUSE
Cache house is a hostel right on the heart of Jackson Hole. I personally LOVEE hostels, it’s such a fun way to meet people and they’re affordable. This one has queen beds and they are extremely comfortable, the showers are nice and the overall vibe of the place is defintely high end hostel.
DAY 6: Jackson Hole
Morning
Wake up and head to Schwabacher Landing for the sunrise. This is a great opportunity to see wildlife and its great views.
Explore Oxbow Bend and nearby outlooks.
Head back to town and get breakfast at Persephone Bakery, we were so obsessed with this place that we ended up getting breakfast here the entire trip. 10/10'
Afternoon
We ended up just hanging out in town during the day and mostly getting ready for the next day.
An optional thing to do is to go to Phelps Lake or String Lake and swim or cliff jump.
Dinner spot: Snake River Brewing
DAY 7: Jackson Hole and Grand Tetons
Morning
Wake up, grab some food, and head to Jenny Lake Boating. You’re going to do the Cascade Canyon Hike which is the most popular hike in the Tetons. If you want to see wildlife, I recommend starting early but we got there around 12 to avoid the first wave of people.
You’re going to park at the Jenny Lake visitor center and take the ferry boat to the beginning of the hike. Cascade Canyon is a total of 9.10 miles and it’s listed as “Moderate”. The hike to inspiration point is difficult, but after that, it’s fairly flat.
You can walk the additional 2 miles through Jenny Lake back to the parking lot but after 9 miles, we took the ferry back to the car.
Afternoon
Head back to town but make sure you come back to catch the sunset at Mormon Row. It’s an iconic photo spot.
Dinner spot: Roosevelts
DAY 8: End of the trip