There is so much beauty and adventure packed into the least populated state in the nation.
Photo by Aveedibya Dey/Unsplash
This article was originally published in 2022 and most recently updated on August 25, 2026, with current information.
The least populated state in the country is an endless natural playground for paddling, fishing, hiking, spotting wild mustangs, studying ancient fossils, and soaking in hot springs. And the easiest way to experience it all is on a road trip. The best time to go is June to early October, when the weather is warm, the days long, and the Equality State’s roads clear of any snow. Here’s where to go, eat, and stay on a 10-day, 829-mile Wyoming road trip runs from the railroad-centric capital, Cheyenne, to Shoshone National Forest, passing through two national parks.
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Day 1: Cheyenne rodeo and railroads
End: Cheyenne, WY
Distance: 2 miles
Driving time: 6 minutes
Universal suffrage in Wyoming was enacted at the State Capital in Cheyenne in 1869, more than 50 years before that right was guaranteed across the country.
Courtesy of Wyoming Office of Tourism
After touching down at Cheyenne Regional Airport, I suggest heading to the Wrangler and ponying up for authentic cowboy boots, a Stetson hat, belt buckle, spurs, chaps—whatever suits you. If you plan to be in town the last two weeks of July, swing on over to Cheyenne Frontier Days to watch bareback, bull riding, and saddle bronco events in the world’s largest outdoor rodeo and western tournament.
The nearby Laramie County Fair amuses in August, with animal shows, a demolition derby, and a kids rodeo. Visitors can also check out semipro kite fliers and BYOK (kite) at the End of the Trail Kite Festival in late September or hop a trolley on the Street Railway Ghost Tours in October. During the summer months, there is a free concert series downtown. This is a good opportunity to visit the Cheyenne Depot Museum, housed in the original Union Pacific Depot built in 1886 and now restored as a National Historic Landmark.
Where to eat
Kick back at the dog-friendly beer garden Blue Raven Brewery, situated inside an 1883 Queen Anne–style Victorian cottage. Fill up on a hand-cut steak from a family-run kitchen since 1942 at nearby Albany Restaurant, or opt for contemporary casual at the Metropolitan Downtown, with innovative twists on classics and creative cocktails and dueling pianists most Saturdays.
Where to stay
Right downtown, Victorian-era bed-and-breakfast Nagle Warren Mansion B&B has 12 rooms in the 1888 original mansion, once home to the first indoor bathrooms in Cheyenne. Past guests at this adults-only inn include 27th U.S. president William Howard Taft and—who else?—Buffalo Bill Cody. Expect late 19th-century period furniture, wallpaper, and light fixtures, but also modern air-conditioning and Wi-Fi.
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Day 2: Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest
End: Saratoga, WY
Distance: Approximately 155 miles
Driving time: Approximately 3.5 hours
Take in the views during a scenic hike along the Snowy Range mountains.
Wyoming Office of Tourism / Dan Towsley
Rise and shine, and double knot your hiking boots; Cheyenne is the gateway to the 2.2 million–acre Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, and the park’s Snowy Range mountains are ripe for rock climbing and hiking among the 70 million–year-old igneous rock formations of Vedauwoo. Continue on to alpine lakes for fishing, paddleboarding, or kayaking.
There are two additional hiking options I recommend: a moderate three-mile (two-hour) trek along the Medicine Bow Peak Trail and, for a challenge, tack on the Lakes Trail Loop. Afterwards, book a guided tour ahead of time to visit the 4,700-acre family-owned Deerwood Ranch Wild Horse EcoSanctuary; it’s the country’s first private land parcel for wild mustang horses.
Where to eat
Start with breakfast at one of my and Cheyenne locals’ favorite, Luxury Diner, which operated as a trolley car on the streets of Cheyenne until 1912. For lunch, you can fuel up in nearby Laramie—try an artichoke burger at the vegetarian Sweet Melissa Café or go for a beef burger and wings or nachos at Born in a Barn.
Where to stay
Finish the day an hour away at luxurious dude ranch Brush Creek Ranch Lodge and Spa. Choose between 19 rooms in the main lodge or log cabins. Have dinner at Cheyenne Club, the ranch’s fine-dining, “pasture‑to‑plate” restaurant, which serves produce from the hotel’s own garden, cheeses from its creamery, and wagyu beef from nearby ranches.
Day 3: Hot springs in Saratoga
Saratoga’s Hobo Hot Pool averages about 106° and 119° F and is free and open 24/7.
Courtesy of Wyoming Office of Tourism
End: Saratoga, WY
Distance: Approximately 34 miles
Driving time: Approximately 40 minutes
Give your legs a break after tromping through Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest with the wellness offerings at Brush Creek or in the picturesque resort town of Saratoga, home to some of Wyoming’s famed mineral hot springs.
Native American tribes such as the Cheyenne, Ute, and Arapaho consider these waters, which flow over magma and hot rock, to be sacred and have medicinal healing powers. See for yourself just 20 minutes from Bush Creek Ranch at Hobo Hot Springs, where the Lobster Pot and Hobo Pool stay a balmy 119 degrees from the heat deep from within the Earth’s crust. Hobo Hot Springs is free and open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and its pools are near more natural hot pools that line the banks of the North Platte River.
Where to eat
Book ahead for a homey Italian American meal at Bella’s Bistro in Saratoga (think ravioli in vodka sauce) or at the Hotel Wolf, built in 1893 as a stage stop and today a popular spot for steak. Back at Brush Creek, Trailhead Lodge serves contemporary American fare in a beautiful setting, with a large stone fireplace, antler chandeliers, and views of the mountains and meadows of the Platte River Valley through floor-to-ceiling windows. Slip on the rodeo gear you bought in Cheyenne, and end the night at the hotel’s boisterous saloon with a game of billiards.
Days 4–5: Jackson and Grand Teton National Park
The pastoral beauty of Grand Tetons National Park has long inspired artists, including photographer and environmentalist Ansel Adams.
Courtesy of Wyoming Office of Tourism
End: Jackson, WY
Distance: Approximately 335 miles
Driving time: Approximately 5 hours, 20 minutes
Now it’s time to head north to “the Mountains of the Imagination”—the majestic Grand Teton National Park, nicknamed for its wild and rugged landscapes famously painted by artists including Thomas Moran.
If you’re an experienced backpacker with the right gear (this includes bear spray), drive deep into the park’s 250 miles of trails; check out showstopper views at Cascade Canyon Trail, or opt for an easy 1.8-mile hike on Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point Trail, with a big view of a cascade and, of course, lakes and mountains. Don’t forget to check for construction updates leading up to the Grand Teton National Park 2029 centennial.
Those feeling adventurous can try white water rafting with Jackson Hole WhiteWater or the via ferrata routes that opened in July 2026 on famed Corbet’s Couloir ski run. If you’re visiting in winter and want a change from downhill skiing, pass by Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for cross-country skiing; Jackson Hole Nordic Alliance has all the info on where to rent gear and take lessons.
Where to eat
Reserve a table in Jackson at Bin 22 for Italian and Spanish small plates, including cornmeal-crusted trout, bacon-wrapped dates, and homemade meatballs. For fine dining in Teton Village, keep it classic with wagyu beef from Steadfire Chophouse at the Four Seasons Jackson Hole. If you don’t have an early morning ahead, the Mangy Moose and the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar are beloved rowdy nightlife options.
Where to stay
I always recommend Jackson an excellent base for exploring the Tetons. You have no shortage of appealing accommodation options here, including the 69-room Wyoming Inn, a rustic chic property with plenty of free and modern American cuisine at the Whistling Grizzly. Hotel Terra has a rooftop infinity pool and hot tub right under the mountains in Teton Village. The Rusty Parrot Lodge supplies regular and e-bikes to guests.
Days 6–8: Geysers in Yellowstone National Park
End: Yellowstone National Park, WY
Distance: Approximately 95 miles
Driving time: Approximately 2.5 hours
Yellowstone National Park has more than half of the world’s active geysers.
Courtesy of Wyoming Office of Tourism
Pick up some sandwiches at Creekside Market and Deli in Jackson today before driving to the original U.S. national park. Welcome to Yellowstone, a park that speaks in gurgles of geysers, hot springs, and mud pots. The country’s eighth-largest national park also protects the world’s largest public herd of bison, sacred to the 27 tribes who have inhabited this land since the 1400s. Yellowstone, which will celebrate its 155th birthday in 2027, is one of the largest nearly intact natural temperate-zone ecosystems on Earth and has more than half of the world’s active geysers.
Visitors should take the park’s 96-mile south loop if they want to pay homage to Old Faithful; the most famous of the 500 geysers in Yellowstone, it shoots sizzling hot water up to 180 feet nearly 20 times each day. Next, get lost in the brilliant blue, green, and orange tendrils of the steamy Grand Prismatic Spring. Yellowstone’s most photographed thermal feature is actually a supervolcano and the third largest hot spring in the world.
While visiting the park, make sure to stop by the Yellowstone Tribal Heritage Center, which opened in 2022 and celebrates the 27 tribal communities connected to Yellowstone. Visitors can learn about these Indigenous tribes through presentations by representatives of 19 tribes on beadwork, photography, moccasin making, dancing, and storytelling.
Where to stay
Check in at the classic and popular Old Faithful Inn, complete with lodgepole pine and stone fireplaces and dining. Built in 1903, it’s one of the country’s few remaining log hotels, an architectural marvel that influenced national park architecture we see throughout the country today.
Related: Where to Find Yellowstone’s Captivating Wildlife, Indigenous Heritage, and Uncrowded Places
Day 9: Wildlife in Yellowstone
End: Yellowstone National Park (Pahaska Tepee Resort)
Distance: Approximately 152 miles
Driving time: Approximately 4.5 hours
Bull elks are among the dozens of animals who call Yellowstone National Park home.
Photo by Harrison Hargrave/Unsplash
Once you pass the Old Faithful Inn, drive 50 minutes to Yellowstone’s hottest and oldest thermal feature, Norris Geyser Basin, then hit up the remains of a 600,000-year-old volcanic explosion, Mammoth Hot Springs. Next, head east and be on the lookout for bison. In the park, you’re likely to stumble on these agile and burly beasts in the Tower-Roosevelt area (home to the 132-foot Tower Fall gushing down eroded volcanic rock), with expansive views of Mount Washburn, a road-side petrified tree entombed in mud and rock, and other geologic formations that helped shape the area.
Visit the Lamar Valley to spot elk, moose, grizzly bears, badgers, bald eagles, pronghorn, osprey, deer, coyotes, wolves, and thousands of bison. It was here and in the high plateaus above that the dwindling buffalo population began recovering when, in 1902, park managers purchased 21 bison and raised them here. (A second herd lives in the Hayden Valley.)
Conservationists are still working to repopulate Yellowstone bison by spreading the growing population of animals among 29 Indigenous tribes across 13 states and Canada in partnership with the InterTribal Buffalo Council. Remember to always view wildlife responsibly, keeping your distance, respecting animals’ habitats, storing food properly, and leaving no trace of your visit.
If you have time, consider an easy walk, like the one-mile Artist Paintpots trail, full of hot pools, mud pots, and small geysers or the 0.6-mile Mud Volcano trail, whose Sulphur Caldron gives off the admittedly pungent smell of rotten eggs.
Where to stay
Accommodation options on this side of Yellowstone are scant, so push through to Pahaska Tepee Resort, two miles from the park’s east entrance. This was Buffalo Bill’s early-20th-century hunting lodge, where he passed the time with Teddy Roosevelt. Although the green-roofed A-frame log cabins are dated in decor—expect sturdy wooden furniture and 1990s Wild West–leaning bedspreads—they’re just five minutes’ drive from Yellowstone.
Day 10: Shoshone National Forest
End: Cody, WY
Distance: Approximately 56 miles
Driving time: Approximately 75 minutes
For a hit of adrenaline, book a day of whitewater rafting on the Shoshone River in Shoshone National Forest.
Courtesy of Wyoming Office of Tourism
Yellowstone’s east entrance (and exit) brings you right to 2.4-million-acre Shoshone National Forest, the country’s first, which hugs Yellowstone along the Wyoming–Montana border.
The plains of Shoshone National Forest offer sagebrush, glaciers, and pristine lakes and rivers. Hikers can romp along 1,300 miles of trails across flat paths and three craggy snowcapped mountain whitewater rafters can head out for a day with outfitters like Wyoming River Trips. There are 30 campsites for those who roughing it a bit beneath the stars and a popular rock climbing area at Wild Iris Campground.
About 25 miles east of Shoshone is the mountain town of Cody, the end of this Wyoming road trip.
Where to eat in Cody
Wind down your Wyoming road trip with live music and slow-cooked meat at dinner theater the Cody Cattle Company. For pub grub or a pint, head to one of the half dozen breweriessuch as Cody Craft Brewing, which also serves pizza. Sitti’s Table serves healthier fare, like a roasted cauliflower and kale grain bowl and lescho, a Hungarian dish of stewed peppers, served with labneh.
Where to stay in Cody
Finish the trip with a bit of cowboy ambiance at the 39-room Irma Hotel, built in 1902 by Buffalo Bill, after whom the city of Cody was named.
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Wyoming Road Trip FAQ
You’ll roll through plenty of pastoral scenes on a road trip around Wyoming.
Photo by Jarul Gogri
When is the best time to take a Wyoming road trip?
The best time to drive this Wyoming road trip is June to early October, when the weather is warm, the days long, and the roads free of snow. Most roads in Yellowstone National Park are closed in winter, and heavy snowfall can make driving on other roads in Wyoming hairy for those without experience.
How many days do you need for a Wyoming road trip?
This 10-day road trip covers roughly 829 miles; you can trim your trip to seven to eight days by going directly from Cheyenne to Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, cutting out a day in Yellowstone National Park, and skipping Shoshone National Forest.
Do you need reservations or passes for Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks?
You do not need reservations for either Yellowstone or Grand Teton National Park. The cost of entry to Yellowstone and Grand Teton is the same in each park: $35 per vehicle, $30 per motorcycle, or $20 per person on foot or bike. You can use the National Park Service’s Annual and America the Beautiful passes at both parks.
How much does a 10-day Wyoming road trip cost?
The cost of a 10-day Wyoming road trip varies significantly based on how much gas your car uses or whether you drive an electric car. At a minimum, you’ll spend $35 per vehicle to enter each of the national parks (Yellowstone and Grand Teton). The hotels listed in this 10-day Wyoming road trip guide range from $250 to $2,000 per night.
