Glacier to Yellowstone Road Trip: Crossing Montana to the Tetons

Glacier and Yellowstone are both on most people's lists, and they're both in the same corner of the Rockies, so it seems like they should be close. They aren't. It's about 385 miles from St. Mary, on Glacier's east side, to Gardiner, at Yellowstone's North Entrance, and Grand Teton is another 150 miles past that. Kalispell to Jackson comes to about 620 miles, plus whatever you drive inside the parks.

The good news is that the drive between them is worth doing on purpose. This post covers the road: how to cross Glacier, the two ways across Montana, the miles and drive times, where to stop, and how many days to give it. Each stop gets a short plan here, and the full days are in my guides.

Glacier to Yellowstone Road Trip at a Glance

• Parks: Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton.
• Start and finish: Kalispell, Montana, to Jackson, Wyoming (one way).
• Driving: about 620 miles one way by the US 89 route, plus the driving inside the parks.
• Time behind the wheel: about 14 hours, spread over the trip.
• How many days: 9 at the least, 11 to 14 to enjoy it.
• Best season: early July through mid-September.
• Pass: the $80 America the Beautiful annual pass covers all three, and each park charged $35 a vehicle in 2026.

Orientation sketch, not to scale. Check the official park maps for detail. Routes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); state lines from the U.S. Census Bureau.

How Many Days Do You Need?

I'd plan on 11 days. Here's the math. Glacier needs at least two full days, three if you want both sides of the park. Getting across Montana takes one long day or, better, two easy ones. Yellowstone needs three days, because its main sights sit 20 to 40 miles apart at 45 mph. Grand Teton needs one or two. Add a day to arrive, and you're at 10 or 11 before you've left any room for weather or wildfire smoke.

Can you do it in 9? Yes, if you cross Montana in one 7-hour day and give the Tetons a single day. With a week or less, I'd split this trip in two. Glacier by itself is a fine week, and Yellowstone and Grand Teton touch each other, so they make their own trip. The part that doesn't shrink well is Montana: the 385 miles are the 385 miles.

Which Direction to Drive It

I'd drive it north to south, and I'd cross Glacier west to east. Fly into Glacier Park International Airport near Kalispell, enter at West Glacier, take Going-to-the-Sun Road over Logan Pass to St. Mary, and pick up US 89 south right there. That way the road across the park is part of the route instead of a side trip, and you don't backtrack at all. Then fly home from Jackson Hole Airport, which sits inside Grand Teton National Park.

The catch is the one-way rental. Dropping a car in another state usually costs extra, sometimes a lot. If the fee's too steep, run it as a loop from Bozeman, Montana: Interstate 90 west to Missoula, US 93 north to Glacier, over the park and down US 89 to Gardiner, then through Yellowstone and the Tetons and back out of Yellowstone's West Entrance on US 191. Driving it in reverse works just as well; flip the legs below.

The Route, Leg By Leg

Kalispell to West Glacier: About 33 Miles, 40 Minutes

Take US 2 east through Columbia Falls and Hungry Horse to West Glacier. Fill up here. There's no fuel inside the park, and that's the single most useful thing to know about Glacier's roads.

West Glacier to St. Mary on Going-to-the-Sun Road: About 50 Miles, 2 Hours

This is the road people come for, and two rules decide whether you can use it. The first is size: vehicles or combinations longer than 21 feet or wider than 8 feet (mirrors count) can't drive between Avalanche Creek and Rising Sun, and anything taller than 10 feet may have trouble with overhanging rock. The second is the calendar. The road usually isn't open over Logan Pass until late June or early July, and the alpine section typically closes around the third Monday of October. As of early November 2026 it was closed for the season from Avalanche Creek on the west side to Jackson Glacier Overlook on the east side.

The access rules change every year, so check them before you lock in dates. Between 2021 and 2025 the park tried vehicle reservations. In 2026 it dropped them for a pilot: three-hour parking at Logan Pass from July 1 to September 7, a ticketed shuttle, and cars temporarily turned away when an area got too congested. I didn't find 2027 rules posted as of November 2026. Which stops to make on the way over, and what to do on either side of the pass, is what my Glacier National Park guide works out, with nine one- to three-day plans.

A short plan for Glacier: Enter at West Glacier with a full tank and see the colored stones at Apgar. Have lunch at Lake McDonald Lodge in summer, then walk the Trail of the Cedars at Avalanche Creek. When the road's open over the top, usually from late June or early July, continue to Logan Pass and the Hidden Lake Overlook trail. Otherwise, Avalanche Creek is your turnaround. My Glacier National Park guide has the full days.

If you're too big for the road or it's closed, go around the south end on US 2 and US 89: about 90 miles and also about 2 hours. That's not a typo. The famous road is slow.

Glacier National Park. Going-to-the-Sun Road cuts across a steep green mountainside above a deep valley (NPS photograph by Tim Rains). Photo: National Park Service (Tim Rains), Wikimedia Commons. Public domain (U.S. Government work).

St. Mary to Great Falls on US 89: About 165 Miles, 3 Hours

Head south through Browning, on the Blackfeet Nation, where the Museum of the Plains Indian is an easy stop. From there US 89 runs along the Rocky Mountain Front, the place where the mountains stop and the plains start with almost no warning. You'll pass Bynum, Choteau, and Freezeout Lake. The east side of Glacier often has high winds, and they don't stop at the park boundary, so keep both hands on the wheel if you're towing.

Great Falls is a natural overnight: it's about halfway between the parks and the biggest town on the route. If you only stop once, stop here.

Glacier National Park. Wild Goose Island in St. Mary Lake, framed by spruce and mountains (NPS photograph). Photo: National Park Service, Wikimedia Commons. Public domain (U.S. Government work).

Great Falls to Gardiner: About 220 Miles, 4 Hours

US 89 leaves the plains at Belt and climbs the Kings Hill Scenic Byway through the Little Belt Mountains. Then it's White Sulphur Springs and about 78 quiet miles to Livingston, with long gaps between towns, so fill up in Great Falls or White Sulphur Springs. At Livingston, take Interstate 90 briefly, then US 89 south through Paradise Valley along the Yellowstone River to Gardiner.

Gardiner is the place to sleep on the Montana side. It sits right at the North Entrance, which stays open to cars all year.

Yellowstone National Park. The Roosevelt Arch at the North Entrance near Gardiner, Montana, at sunset (NPS photograph by Neal Herbert). Photo: National Park Service (Neal Herbert), Wikimedia Commons. Public domain (U.S. Government work).

The Other Way Across Montana: US 93 and Interstate 90

If you're leaving from West Glacier instead of St. Mary, or the weather's bad on Kings Hill, take the western route. Go south along Flathead Lake on US 93 to Missoula, about 150 miles, then Interstate 90 east through Butte and Bozeman to Livingston and US 89 south to Gardiner. It runs about 430 to 460 miles and 7.5 to 8 hours, depending on how many side roads you take. It's the longer way on the map and the easier way behind the wheel. It also has more services, and Missoula makes a good overnight. I'd still pick US 89 in summer for the scenery, but I wouldn't argue with anyone towing a trailer.

Gardiner Through Yellowstone to the South Entrance: About 95 Miles, 2.5 to 3 Hours at Best

You'll enter under the Roosevelt Arch and climb 5 miles to Mammoth Hot Springs, then go south on the west side of the Grand Loop past Norris, Madison, and Old Faithful to West Thumb and the South Entrance. Those hours assume nothing stops you. Something will: the speed limit is 45 mph unless posted lower, and a herd of bison in the road doesn't read the schedule.

The season matters here too. Most of the park's roads close to cars on November 1 and are projected to reopen in late April, and only the road from Gardiner to Cooke City stays open all year. In 2026, bridge work on the Firehole River near Old Faithful, repairs on the Gardner River High Bridge near Mammoth, and parkwide chip sealing all slowed traffic. Check Yellowstone National Park alerts before you go. For how to split the park into days, see my Yellowstone National Park guide, which matters more than any other guide on this route because the park is so spread out.

A short plan for Yellowstone: When the park's roads are open, enter under the Roosevelt Arch and drive south past Norris and Madison. Walk the boardwalk at Midway Geyser Basin, then continue to Old Faithful for the predicted eruption, lunch, and Geyser Hill. Old Faithful is the end of this plan; West Thumb and the South Entrance are next. My Yellowstone National Park guide has the full days.

The Yellowstone River winds through the open grasslands of Hayden Valley (NPS photograph by Jacob W. Frank). Photo: National Park Service (Jacob W. Frank), Wikimedia Commons. Public domain (U.S. Government work).

South Entrance to Jackson: About 58 Miles, 1.5 Hours

Drive through the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway to Colter Bay and Jackson Lake, then south past Moran Junction. The outer highway stays plowed all year. The Teton Park Road, closer to the mountains, closes to cars from November 1 to April 30 between Taggart Lake Trailhead and Signal Mountain.

Grand Teton National Park. Early light on the Teton Range from Glacier View Turnout on the highway north of Moose (NPS photograph by C. Adams). Photo: National Park Service (C. Adams), Wikimedia Commons. Public domain (U.S. Government work).

Grand Teton has a busy 2027 ahead of it, with construction leading up to the park's 2029 centennial. Taggart Lake Trailhead is scheduled to close from May 1 to November 15, 2027, the Death Canyon Trailhead stays closed until June 19, 2027, and the roundabout at Moose can cause delays into June 2027. My Grand Teton National Park guide has swaps for those trailheads and the plans that use them.

A short plan for Grand Teton: Coming from the north, take the Teton Park Road, closed to cars November 1 to April 30, to South Jenny Lake. Ride the shuttle boat (mid-May into September) and walk to Hidden Falls, then turn back. Eat at Dornans at Moose, then take the highway to Snake River Overlook and stop at Mormon Row on the way back. My Grand Teton National Park guide has the full days.

Grand Teton National Park. Dawn light on the peaks reflected in a beaver pond at Schwabacher Landing, in late October (NPS photograph by J. Bonney). Photo: National Park Service (J. Bonney), Wikimedia Commons. Public domain (U.S. Government work).

A Sample 11-Day Driving Schedule

This is the driving skeleton only, so you can see where the miles fall. The park days themselves are in the guides.

Day	Drive	Driving Time	Overnight Town
Day 1	Kalispell to West Glacier, about 33 miles	40 minutes	West Glacier
Day 2	Glacier's west side, driving from West Glacier or Apgar	Local driving	West Glacier or Apgar
Day 3	Going-to-the-Sun Road to St. Mary, about 50 miles	2 hours	St. Mary
Day 4	Glacier's east side, driving from St. Mary to Many Glacier	About 40 minutes each way	St. Mary
Day 5	US 89 to Great Falls, about 165 miles	3 hours	Great Falls
Day 6	Great Falls to Gardiner, about 220 miles	4 hours	Gardiner
Day 7	Yellowstone's north end, driving from Gardiner	Local driving	Gardiner
Day 8	Yellowstone's canyon, driving from Gardiner	Local driving	Gardiner
Day 9	Through Yellowstone to Old Faithful or Grant Village, about 60 to 80 miles	About 2 to 2.5 hours	Old Faithful or Grant Village
Day 10	To Grand Teton, about 60 miles from the South Entrance to Jackson	1.5 hours from the South Entrance	Jackson
Day 11	Grand Teton, driving from Jackson, then the short drive to the airport	Local driving	Fly home from Jackson Hole

Where to Stay Along the Way

• Glacier: Lake McDonald Lodge, the Village Inn at Apgar, Rising Sun Motor Inn, Swiftcurrent Motor Inn, and Many Glacier Hotel are inside the park, and reservations open up to 13 months ahead. Outside it, try West Glacier, Columbia Falls, Whitefish, and Kalispell on the west side, and St. Mary, Babb, and East Glacier Park on the east.
• Across Montana: Great Falls on US 89, or Missoula on the western route. Livingston works if you've got a shorter day.
• Yellowstone: the park's nine lodging areas run from the Old Faithful Inn to the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. Rooms have no air conditioning or TV, so book for location. Gardiner and West Yellowstone are the main towns outside.
• Grand Teton: Jackson Lake Lodge, Signal Mountain Lodge, Jenny Lake Lodge, and Colter Bay Village are in the park, and Jackson has the most rooms and services.

Book Glacier first. It has the fewest rooms and the shortest season, and it sets the dates for everything else. Campgrounds in all three parks mostly need reservations, and Yellowstone's open exactly six months ahead.

Best Time of Year to Drive It

Early July through mid-September is the window, because the whole trip hangs on Going-to-the-Sun Road. July and August are the busiest months in all three parks, and they're also when wildfire smoke can settle in. High trails in Glacier usually melt out by late July, and August is typically the most accessible month in the high country.

Mid-September into early October is my pick if you can live with fewer services. Crowds thin, the elk rut is on in Yellowstone, and aspens turn in the Tetons. Many lodges and visitor centers close during those weeks, though, and early snow can close roads for a day or two, so build in slack.

November through April doesn't work as a road trip. Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed, most of Yellowstone's roads are closed to cars, and the Teton Park Road is groomed for skiing. May and June are good for Yellowstone and the Tetons, but you'd be driving around Glacier rather than across it.

Road Trip Tips for Montana and Wyoming

• Buy the annual pass. Three parks at $35 a vehicle comes to $105 at the gates, against $80 for the America the Beautiful pass. Non-U.S. residents 16 and older pay an extra $100 per person at all three in 2026 unless they have an annual pass, so for them the $250 nonresident pass usually wins.
• Bring a card. Glacier and Grand Teton are cashless, and Yellowstone takes cash or card.
• Fuel up when you can. There's no gas in Glacier, and the stretches around Kings Hill are long. In Yellowstone, Old Faithful, Grant Village, Canyon, and Fishing Bridge sell it.
• Don't plan on cell service. It's spotty in all three parks, and Glacier's is too unreliable to book a campsite from inside the park. Download offline maps before you leave Kalispell.
• Carry bear spray, and know how to use it. If you plan to hop over to Waterton Lakes in Canada, you'll need a passport, and only USEPA-approved bear spray gets across.
• Stay in your car around wildlife. Use the pullouts and never stop in a travel lane. Bison jams are part of the trip, so pad every drive time in Yellowstone.

Plan Your Days Inside Each Park

This post gets you from park to park, with a short plan for each stop. The full days are what my guides are for: each one has nine itineraries for one, two, or three days at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, each with a backup plan for bad weather or a closure, plus orientation maps, the park's history, and the animals you're likely to see. You get an EPUB and a printable PDF, so the day's plan can ride in the car with you.

• Glacier National Park: nine itineraries, 14 animals to look for, 6 maps, and 34 photographs
• Yellowstone National Park: nine itineraries, 15 animals to look for, 7 maps, and 37 photographs
• Grand Teton National Park: nine itineraries, 15 animals to look for, 6 maps, and 37 photographs

For This Route

The Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier Collection covers all 3 parks on this route (Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton) in one download.

Short on time at one stop? Just an Afternoon is my free four-hour plan for every U.S. National Park.

Glacier to Yellowstone Road Trip FAQ

How far is Glacier from Yellowstone? About 385 miles from St. Mary to Gardiner on US 89, about 6.75 hours without stops. From West Glacier by US 93 and Interstate 90, it's about 430 to 460 miles and 7.5 to 8 hours.

Can I drive it in one day? Yes, and plenty of people do, but you'd spend the whole day in the car. I'd stop for a night in Great Falls or Missoula.

Do I need reservations to enter these parks? Not in 2026. None of the three required a vehicle reservation, though Glacier's rules change year to year. Check Glacier National Park alerts and Grand Teton National Park alerts before you lock in your dates.

Can I take an RV? Yes, but not over Going-to-the-Sun Road if you're over 21 feet. Go around on US 2 and US 89, then take US 89 or Interstate 90 south. Yellowstone and Grand Teton's main roads handle RVs fine, though the Moose-Wilson Road doesn't take RVs or trailers over 23 feet.

Before you go: roads, campgrounds, and visitor centers close for snow, fire, and repairs, so check each park's alerts and current conditions, updated daily: Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton. For every park at a glance, see the park conditions dashboard.

Planning a different route? See all my National Park road trips.

This is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service. Driving times are estimates without stops, and conditions change; check each park's current alerts before you go.