Best Road Trips in the Northern Rockies: Montana, Wyoming and Idaho

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Best Montana Road Trips

The scenery in Montana is as impressive as it is varied. Thick forests, towering mountains, deep valleys and pristine lakes characterize the western part of the state, which includes the northern Rocky Mountains and the Continental Divide. It’s the topography of Montana’s west that inspired the name montaña, the Spanish word for “mountain” or “mountainous region.” Of all Montana road trips, this one is perhaps the most popular (and is sometimes referred to as Glacier National Park’s “Road to the Sun”). The 50-mile route cuts across Glacier National Park at an elevation of 6,646 feet and is open seasonally, so you’ll want to plan accordingly. To include the road as part of a longer trip, consider AAA’s , a 374-mile journey that starts in Kalispell, Montana, and ends in the capital city of Helena. (AAA members can take advantage of exclusive member benefits with car rentals from Hertz.)

A drive through the eastern portion of Montana will have you wondering, “Why is the sky so big in Montana?” It’s the prairie grasslands and wide-open vistas of the east that gave Montana the nickname “Big Sky Country.” To see these expansive, impossibly blue skies, consider the following road trips:

• Big Sky Country Road Trip: A scenic 425-mile journey that starts and ends in Billings, Montana, looping through southern Montana and a small section of northern Wyoming. You’ll see the cowboy town of Cody, snow-capped mountains and hairpin turns along Beartooth Scenic Highway, and important sites in Native American history like Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.

• Big Sky Back Country Scenic Byway: Farther east in Montana’s Great Plains region, this 111-mile journey takes you through badlands, buttes and rolling prairies.

For Montana drives under one hour, consider these additional trips:

• Flathead Lake West Shore Scenic Highway: Follows the shore of glacially formed Flathead Lake, said to be the largest natural body of freshwater west of the Mississippi River

• Bitterroot Valley Scenic Highway: Begins in rustic Darby, a filming location for the TV series “Yellowstone”

Road Trips Around Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Established in 1872, was the first national park in the U.S. and continues to be one of its most-visited, with approximately 4 million visitors each year. If you want to be among those visitors and experience one of the best places for road trips in the U.S., here are a few things to know about Yellowstone:

• The park is big — very big. Based on total land area, Yellowstone is larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined.

• The vast majority of Yellowstone’s 3,472 square miles lie in northwestern Wyoming, but its boundaries also extend into Idaho and Montana. (Three of the five park entrances are in Montana.)

• Wildlife sightings are common from park roadways, so drive with caution; you may see grizzlies, black bears, elk, bighorn sheep, moose and bison.

• Most park roads are open May through October (weather permitting), but check the Yellowstone road status website for the most current information.

To see Yellowstone’s dramatic river canyons, geysers, geothermal pools and waterfalls in all their glory, take the road trip, a 400-mile journey from Bozeman, Montana, to Jackson, Wyoming, with plenty of national park stops along the way. You’ll enter through the park’s west entrance (in West Yellowstone, Montana) before making a scenic loop that includes the popular Yellowstone Grand Loop in the heart of the park. This Yellowstone drive includes a trip through Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, with magnificent views of Jenny Lake, the Teton Range and the valley of Jackson Hole.

What Else to See on a Wyoming Road Trip (Besides Yellowstone)

Once you’ve done the scenic drives around Yellowstone National Park, what else should you see in Wyoming?Just outside Yellowstone’s northeast entrance is , a two-lane road that’s been called one of the most scenic American road trips. It rises to an elevation of almost 11,000 feet, with plenty of overlooks where you can stop for a photo. (If you’re starting from Cody, Wyoming, take the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway to reach Beartooth Scenic Highway; it offers more views of snow-capped mountains and deep canyons.)South of Yellowstone, you can explore the ski resorts and mountains around Jackson Hole and Star Valley. The Star Valley to Yellowstone Scenic Highway will take you from Yellowstone’s south entrance into Grand Teton National Park and then through Jackson Hole and a handful of small towns near the Idaho border. This trip is a good jumping off point for visiting Snow King Mountain and the National Elk Refuge in Jackson, Wyoming.North-central Wyoming near the Montana border offers many scenic drives and small towns worth exploring. From I-90 just south of the Montana–Wyoming border, you’ll have your pick of two scenic drives that start on US 14: the is a roughly 200-mile route across the Bighorn and Shoshone national forests on the way to Cody, while the Medicine Wheel Passage Scenic Highway heads toward Bighorn Lake on US 14A.The follows SR 120 past the vast prairies of Bighorn Basin to Thermopolis, Wyoming, a town known for its hot springs. Continue south on the Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway to Shoshoni for more views of canyons, rock formations and the Bighorn River.

Best Idaho Road Trips

Breathtaking mountain scenery, diverse wildlife, raging river rapids and a ski town that rivals Aspen — it’s easy to see why the state of Idaho makes a great road trip destination.The west region of Idaho boasts the , a 90-minute drive that snakes along the Payette River, with frequent pull-offs to admire the view.Scenic drives in Idaho’s central region will acquaint you with the state’s remote wilderness and craggy granite peaks. The follows SR 75 through Sawtooth National Recreation Area, passing the popular resort towns of Hailey, Ketchum and Sun Valley along the way. You may see wildlife like pronghorn antelope, deer, elk and wolves in this area.Another must-do road trip in the central region of Idaho is the , which follows the Salmon River (also known as the River of No Return, due to its strong current) past waterfalls and spectacular areas for whitewater rafting. As you near the Montana border, you can put yourself in the shoes of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who traveled through these mountain passes in 1805 on their journey west.In northern Idaho’s panhandle is a portion of the only International Scenic Byway in North America: . This 88-mile section of the Selkirk Loop offers great river scenery and wildlife watching opportunities around the Selkirk Mountains. (Make the full international loop — bring your passport! — by adding on Washington’s International Selkirk Scenic Loop to the west and British Columbia’s International Scenic Loop to the north.)Nearby is the Pend Oreille Scenic Byway, a two-lane road that follows the Clark Fork of the Columbia River from the Idaho–Montana border to Lake Pend Oreille (pronounced pond-ah-RAY), one of the largest freshwater lakes in the Pacific Northwest.

Best Time of Year for a Northern Rockies Road Trip

June to September is the best time of year for a Northern Rockies road trip, with the best chances of sunny skies and mild temperatures occurring in summer. July is the hottest month on average in these states.

Given the ideal driving conditions in June, July and August, expect plenty of crowds when road-tripping through tourist-heavy areas like Yellowstone, Glacier and Grand Teton national parks in summer months.

If you plan to visit Yellowstone National Park in the fall or spring, keep in mind that roads may close for winter conditions as early as October and remain closed until mid-April. In Glacier National Park, roads at higher elevations (such as the alpine portion of Going-to-the-Sun Road) can close in October and remain closed until late June or early July.

Some roads in Grand Teton National Park may close from November through April or mid-May for winter recreational use.

Winters are particularly harsh in the Northern Rockies, and driving in winter months can be dangerous due to slush, frost, snow, ice and white-out conditions.

No matter the season, always be prepared for dramatic temperature changes and unpredictable weather in the Northern Rockies, especially at higher elevations.

Start Your Next Road Trip with AAA

AAA Travel provides peace of mind for travelers — from the first mile of the journey to the last. Get inspiration for your next road trip and locate AAA Diamond designated hotels and restaurants with AAA’s TripTik Travel Planner, or browse pre-planned itineraries on AAA.com/RoadTrips. Estimating fuel costs for your trip is easy with the AAA Gas Cost Calculator, and if your car needs a quick tune-up before the trip, find a AAA Approved auto repair facility near you at AAA.com/AutoRepair. For printed maps, AAA TourBook guides and trip planning advice, contact your local AAA office.