⛰️ Exploring the Natural Beauty of the American Northwest: A 30-Day Road Trip Itinerary
A 30-Day Road Trip Itinerary
Planning this 30-day road trip across four states—Washington, Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho—was challenging as there is so much to see and do. Driving distances between our "must-see" sites are long, so we meticulously planned overnight stops to break up the drives. We prefer to plan our driving segments for about 4–5 hours a day, allowing us the ability to stop whenever we find something interesting on the road.
We are planners, not just "get in the car and go" travelers, so we meticulously planned all our accommodations along the way. In National Park areas, planning is a must if you want prime accommodations near or within the park; they get booked up quickly and can be quite pricey.
For this trip, we are flying in/out of Seattle and renting a car. We prefer hotels and love the ease of driving to a place where a hot shower and bed are readily available, though we have one exciting detour planned!
Washington State: Coast, Islands, and Volcanoes (15 Days Total)
Our plans to explore Washington State will be split between the beginning and the end of the trip since we are arriving and departing from Seattle.
Initial Washington Exploration (Before Montana):
We will visit Seattle and do the requisite sites, including Pike Place Market and the Space Needle. We are going on a whale-watching adventure while at Orcas Island, which is part of the San Juan Island group. We will then drive through the southern part of the Cascade Loop Scenic Byway on our way into Montana.
Return to Washington Exploration (After Idaho):
On returning to Washington, we will stop at Mount Rainer National Park, the highest mountain in Washington State, with a summit elevation of 14,417 feet. We will also explore Olympic National Park, along the Pacific Coast. This park is nearly a million acres with distinctly different ecosystems, including glacier-capped mountains, old-growth temperate rain forests, and more than 70 miles of wild coastline. We have been warned that because of the size, there will be a lot of driving to get from place to place, but there is so much to explore!
Montana: Glacier Park and Glamping (4 Days)
A visit to Montana must include a visit to Glacier National Park, and that is exactly where we are headed. We made the required car reservations for the Going to the Sun Road and will drive that road with the accompanying audio guide from the National Park Service to check out all the highlights.
We have a few days in the Glacier National Park area, so we will also explore a couple of the beautiful glacial lakes, including Lake McDonald with the backdrop of the Rockies, and Flathead Lake, which is the largest, clearest freshwater lake in the continental US west of the Mississippi.
From there, we’ll make a stop in Bozeman on our way to the Montana area of Yellowstone National Park. We will be staying at the new Under Canvas North Yellowstone, which will be our first glamping adventure—I’m really excited to check this out! I learned a long time ago that I’m not a camper, but perhaps I could be a glamper.
Wyoming: Geysers and Grand Peaks (8 Days)
After a few days in the northern part of Yellowstone in Montana, we’ll head over to where all the top spots are in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. We plan to go on a few hikes and see Old Faithful Geyser, the Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone Canyon, and Yellowstone Lake.
Yellowstone became the first US national park on March 1, 1872. The park’s 2.2 million acres of protected land contains geothermal areas with almost half the world’s active geysers.
After Yellowstone, we’ll travel south to stay in Jackson Hole while we explore the breathtaking Grand Teton National Park. While in Jackson Hole, we have a white water rafting adventure on the Snake River booked, and also plan to head to the Jackson Hole Rodeo for the last rodeo of the season.
Idaho - 3 Days
After leaving Wyoming, we will make our way through the southern part of Idaho, stopping at Craters of the Moon National Monument, Redfish Lake in the Sawtooth Mountains, Shoshone Falls, and Sun Valley, known for its ski resorts and the destination for “billionaire summer camp”.
We’ll spend a night in Boise as we make our way west back into Washington State. And of course, I am expecting to have lots of meals featuring every variety of potato! Idaho Potato Museum & Potato Station Cafe is definitely on our list of places to stop.
Best Laid Plans
This is the plan, but with any travel, there are detours along the way, unexpected stops that will turn out amazing. Check out our post-trip posts for Washington, Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho to see what actually happened!
