The American Northwest is home to some of the country’s most iconic national parks. We embarked on a two-week RV road trip from Denver to Seattle, exploring six stunning national parks in between. Follow the first part of our journey as we drive from Denver to Wyoming for a three-day camping adventure in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park.

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Day 1-2: Arrival in Denver & Drive to Wyoming

The summer of our road trip marked my two-year anniversary of living in America. I flew into Denver from my home base Dallas to meet my brother and sister-in-law for the trip. We enjoyed the last bit of city life in Denver, but were even more excited to start RV life.

Starting point of our two-week trip was Cruise America in Denver, where we rented a 25-foot RV. We opted to return the RV in Seattle, which turned out more efficient and cost-effective than doing the trip as a loop. The first challenge was fitting our luggage into an Uber. My brother and sister-in-law had already been camping for two weeks and built up a stock of provisions and camping tools. Our Uber driver was up for the challenge and managed to fit everything inside.

The moment we took off in our Cruise America RV, the soundtrack of the trip emerged: the kitchen doors opened and closed with every turn. We headed straight to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, a seven-hour drive from Denver.

Stay: Fireside Buffalo Valley RV Park

Grand Teton National Park campgrounds were full long before I started planning our trip, so we ended up staying on a private campground just outside of the park. We woke up the next day in Fireside Buffalo Valley RV Park with a first glimpse of the impressive Grand Teton mountain range.

Day 3: Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

The Grand Tetons were named “les Trois Tetons” (the three breasts) by early French-Canadian explorers. We got our first close-up view of the three iconic peaks on the way to Jackson Hole Airport. My then boyfriend, now hubby was flying into this scenic airport to join us for the weekend.

Full of energy after a day of driving, we were ready to take on one of the longer hikes in the park. Despite repeated discouragements from the park ranger, we started the 14.4-mile Lake Solitude Trail around 1 PM. The shuttle boat ride from Jenny Lake Visitor Center offers 360-degree views of the Grand Tetons and a head start on the trail.

The first stretch of the hike leads up to a beautiful viewpoint of Jenny Lake. Since it is the most accessible part of the trail, it is also the most crowded.

As we entered a quieter stretch, we realized we were missing something. Each hiker on the trail was equipped with at least one bottle of bear spray. When a group of hikers warned us there was a bear on the trail ahead, we made our move. We convinced a group of men who looked liked they could take on a bear without bear spray to sell us one of their sprays. Armed with the bottle, we ran into everything but a bear.

The views turn spectacular past Cascade Canyon Fork. The impressive Grand Teton peaks tower above a colorful wildflower carpet. We enjoyed the stunning scenery with no other soul in sight. End point of the trail is Lake Solitude, where my brother went for a true polar bear plunge.

The fact that we were all alone on the last stretch of the hike was a good indicator that we started too late. The park ranger’s discouraging words echoed when realizing we only had two hours until the last shuttle boat ride. After seven miles of hiking and seven more to go, avoiding the three extra miles if we would miss the boat became our motivation. We completed the hike back at trail running-pace in under two hours.

Our efforts and blisters paid off, as the last shuttle boat was just approaching when we made it down to the ramp. We continued by RV to Yellowstone while toasting to an amazing first day in the American West.

Stay: Grant Village Campground, Yellowstone National Park

Grant Village is the first campground when entering Yellowstone from the Grand Teton side. The hot showers were much appreciated after our adventurous day in Grand Teton. The spots are secluded with a lot of trees ensuring privacy.

Day 4: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park became the very first national park in the US in 1872, and it is not hard to see why. The park is incredibly diverse and the scenery is nothing short of spectacular. Yellowstone is shaped like a figure eight, with the more famous attractions on the lower loop. We spent two full days and three nights in the park, camping at two different campgrounds.

Upper Geyser Basin

On our first day in Yellowstone, we woke up with the smell of eggs, but not the breakfast-type. The Upper Geyser Basin is home to Yellowstone’s most famous geyser. Park rangers can predict the eruption of Old Faithful to the minute. The eruption times are posted in the Old Faithful Visitor Center and happen about 60 minutes apart.

The Upper Geyser Basin houses 150 geysers in just one square mile, making it the most densely concentrated geyser region in the world. Yellowstone reveals a unique part of the earth that is not visible anywhere else. An easy 3.5-mile loop runs past many of these spectacular geysers and hot springs.

Grand Prismatic Spring

Yellowstone’s most iconic sight is the Grand Prismatic Spring, the largest hot spring in the park and the country. There are two ways to see this surreal hot spring: up-close from the boardwalk on the Midway Geyser Basin Trail, or birds-eye from the Grand Prismatic Hot Spring Overlook Trail. We opted for the overlook trail, a 1.5-mile out-and-back path that starts at the Fairy Falls Trailhead.

Kepler Cascades

Our plan was to drive the entire bottom loop the first day, starting at Grant Village and ending at Bridge Bay Campground. But traffic around the major attractions is walking pace at most in peak summer season. As the promise of relaxing in the sun seemed more appealing than queuing in the RV, we turned around and drove to Bridge Bay the same way we came. We made a stop at Kepler Cascades on the way back.

Stay: Bridge Bay Campground, Yellowstone

Bridge Bay is one of the five big campgrounds within the national park borders. Just like Grant Village, it’s located on Yellowstone Lake. Bridge Bay is an open meadow with plenty of sunlight, whereas Grant Village’s trees offer more privacy and shade. All campgrounds in Yellowstone require advance reservations.

Day 5: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Hayden Valley

The bison of Hayden Valley played a lead role in our second Yellowstone day. This beautiful area is known for the large herds of bison that roam the valley. My hubby was flying out of Yellowstone airport, just a 10-minute drive from the park’s west entrance. The fastest way from Bridge Bay to the airport goes through Hayden Valley – or at least we thought so.

Several bison were hanging out in the middle of the road, quickly leading to an endless line of cars. After an hour of barely moving, we realized we would never make it in time for the flight. Since there was no service to try and change the flight, all we could do was give in to the stunning scenery around us.

When we eventually made it out of Hayden Valley, we purchased a new flight leaving from Helena Regional Airport in Montana the next day. Thanks to the bison of Hayden Valley, we got to spend an extra day together in Yellowstone.

Mount Washburn

The small parking lot at Dunraven Pass is the trailhead for one of two different hikes to the summit of Mount Washburn. The Dunraven Pass to Mount Washburn is a 7-mile out-and-back trail with 1,400 feet of elevation gain. The trail steadily climbs to the summit, flanked by fields of wildflowers and non-stop panoramic views.

Mount Washburn Summit is home to one of three remaining fire lookout stations in Yellowstone. During the summer and fall fire season, the tower is staffed 24/7 by one individual or “lookout”, who is tasked with detecting fires on the horizon.

Although this is an out-and-back trail, two of us ended up on the side of the road a mile from the Dunraven Pass parking. It is still a mystery how we lost sight of our hiking partners and sidetracked to a different trail. After waving to about ten Cruise America RV’s, my brother and sister-in-law came cruising around the corner to pick us up.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is one of the most stunning locations in the park. There are several viewpoints and trails that wind into the canyon. We started at Artist Point, a spectacular viewpoint that might as well be a painting.

From Artist Point, an easy 2.6-mile out-and-back trail leads to Point Sublime. The path runs along the south rim, offering amazing views of the colors in the canyon.

Mud Volcano Area

Our last stop in Yellowstone National Park is not a breathtaking natural wonder, although it does encourage you to hold your breath. The sizzling mud pots and hot springs of the Mud Volcano Area emit a pungent odor of rotten eggs. The area is another testament to Yellowstone’s many unique and otherworldly landscapes.

The storm that broke afterwards forced us inside the RV for a cozy burger and caipirinha dinner. The following morning, we left Wyoming behind and continued to the state of Montana for part two of this road trip in the American Northwest.

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