7/7
Depart Inglewood — heading north
~7–8 hrs to SLC
🤠 Rodeo? maybe
Rodeo on the way up — if it works out
West Yellowstone Rodeo runs 5–6 nights/week mid-June through mid-August (~$15–25/person). If you're pushing past SLC and stopping near West Yellowstone, you could catch it night of 7/7 before sleeping there. But with kids and a family crew, no pressure — SLC overnight is the smarter call. westyellowstonerodeo.com ↗
🚗
LA → Salt Lake City
I-15 N all the way · ~7–8 hours · reasonable day's drive
- Leave early-ish — no need to rush, SLC is only 7–8 hours
- Las Vegas is 4 hours out — good fuel/snack stop (avoid stopping there overnight with a July crowd)
- St. George, UT (~5 hrs) — scenic red rock, good lunch stop if you want to stretch
- Arrive Salt Lake City mid-afternoon — time to explore before dinner
- SLC has great food, Temple Square, the Natural History Museum, quick access to canyons
Departure plan — who's driving what
Stay: Night of 7/7
🌆
Overnight — Salt Lake City
Perfectly halfway · leaves 4.5 hrs for Day 2 into the Tetons
- Why SLC: Exactly splits the drive — 7–8 hrs up, 4.5 hrs to Colter Bay the next morning. Family-friendly, tons of hotels, easy on/off I-15.
- Downtown has good dinner options — Red Iguana (Mexican, legendary), Takashi (sushi), or grab burgers and keep it easy
- If arriving early enough: Antelope Island State Park is 45 min north — bison roam free on the shore of the Great Salt Lake. Kids love it.
- Morning of 7/8: easy breakfast, on the road by 8–9am → arrive Colter Bay by early afternoon
SLC hotel notes
July 8 – 11 · 3 nights
7/8
Arrive Colter Bay — settle in
🛖
SLC → Colter Bay · ~4.5 hours
US-89 N through Logan, Bear Lake, Afton, Alpine → Jackson → Colter Bay
- Leave SLC by 8–9am — arrive Colter Bay early afternoon
- Bonus stop on route: Bear Lake, UT/ID — bright turquoise "Caribbean of the Rockies," great for a quick swim and lunch (~2 hrs in)
- Check in, settle the crew, explore the dock and lakefront
- Dinner on property or easy — early night, 8am boat tomorrow
Group notes — arrival day
7/9
Boat Trip + Triangle X
🎣 Fish day
Wyoming license + Grand Teton park permit required
No live bait. Kids under 16 free in park. ~$55/person for Wyoming license. Buy online or at the visitor center.
⛵
Boat trip — 8:00am sharp
Grand Teton Lake · Triangle X Ranch option
- Boat departs 8am — get the kids up and moving
- Triangle X Ranch for guided fishing options
- Grand Teton lake boat rental on property
Reservation + logistics
7/10
Jenny Lake + Taggart Lake
🛶 Kayak / fish
🥾
Hike + paddle day
Boat shuttle in · 4-mi loop · Taggart Lake kayak rental
- Jenny Lake: take the boat shuttle in, hike the ~4-mile loop — gorgeous, manageable for kids
- Taggart Lake afternoon: kayak or boat rental
- Check shuttle schedule — first boat varies
Group notes
7/11
Leave Tetons → Grant Village
🚗
Head north ~1pm
~2 hrs · Yellowstone south entrance
- Morning free — pack up, check out
- Depart ~1pm heading into Yellowstone south
- Arrive Grant Village, check in, walk the Yellowstone Lake shoreline
Transition notes
July 11 – 14 · 3 nights
7/12
Geysers · Old Faithful · Mama Glory · Lake
🎣 Fish maybe
Yellowstone park fishing permit — no WY license needed
3-day or season option. Kids under 16 fish free. Buy at any visitor center.
💨
Geyser basin + Old Faithful
3–4 miles · Mama Glory · Yellowstone Lake afternoon
- Geyser basin loop — 3 to 4 miles, totally doable for families
- Old Faithful — check the eruption schedule at the visitor center
- Mama Glory area exploration
- Yellowstone Lake: fish or just take it all in
Group notes
7/13
Norris Geyser Basin
🌡️
Norris Basin — ~45 min north
Hottest basin in the park · Steamboat Geyser
- Steamboat Geyser — world's tallest active geyser — is here
- Norris is the hottest and most acidic basin in Yellowstone — otherworldly
- Plan ~1 hour minimum; pack lunch, limited food service at Norris
Group notes
7/14
Boat? · Hayden Valley → Roosevelt Lodge
🎣 Fish maybe
🦬
Transition — south to north Yellowstone
Optional morning boat · Hayden Valley · Arrive Roosevelt
- Optional: Morning boat on Yellowstone Lake — Xanterra at Bridge Bay Marina (reserve ahead)
- Drive north through Hayden Valley — best bison/bear/wolf corridor in the park
- Grand Canyon of Yellowstone viewpoints en route
- Arrive Roosevelt Lodge, check in
Group notes
July 14 – 17 · 3 nights
7/15
Sunrise Wildlife · Canyon · Mt Washburn option
🎣 Fish morning
🌅
Out early — Lamar Valley at dawn
Wolves, bears, bison · binoculars essential
- Sunrise: Lamar Valley wildlife — wolves, bears, bison, pronghorn, eagles
- Morning: Slough Creek fishing — legendary cutthroat trout, right near the lodge
- Afternoon: Grand Canyon of Yellowstone — Upper and Lower Falls views
- Optional: Mt Washburn hike — 6 mi RT, ~1,400 ft gain, 360° panoramic views at the summit
Group notes
7/16
Sunrise Wildlife · Slough Creek · Campfire Cookout
🎣 Best fish day
🔥
Campfire cookout night
Full day: wildlife, fish, waterfalls, then fire
- Sunrise: Lamar Valley or Tower area for wildlife
- Slough Creek fishing — best day of the trip for it
- Tower Fall exploration in the afternoon
- Evening: campfire cookout — hot dogs, the whole deal
Cookout plan
7/17
Drive Home — Cody Nite Rodeo?
🤠 Rodeo? maybe
Drive day
Cody Nite Rodeo — if the crew is up for it
Exit Yellowstone NE via Lamar Valley → Cody (adds some miles but Lamar morning is worth it). Gates 7pm, show 8–10pm. ~$25/person. 4.7★ with 2,190 reviews. Then south on Hwy 120 → Thermopolis → I-80 → SLC → home. Skip it and go direct via NW exit (Mammoth) if everyone's cooked. codystampederodeo.com ↗
🏠
Check out · last Lamar Valley pass
NE exit → Cody option, or NW via Mammoth direct
- Check out Roosevelt Lodge in the morning
- Route A (Rodeo): NE exit → Lamar Valley → Cody → show at 8pm → Hwy 120 → I-80 → SLC → home. Late arrival.
- Route B (Direct): NW exit → Mammoth Hot Springs (worth the stop) → Gardiner → I-15 → SLC → LA
- Decision day — see how the crew feels after 10 nights
Route home notes
Lodging tracker
Confirmation numbers, check-in times, and notes for all three stops.
🌆
Night 1 — Salt Lake City
July 7 · 1 night · on the way up
Property name
Confirmation #
Check-in
Phone
Notes
🏕️
Stop 1 — Colter Bay / Grand Tetons
July 8–11 · 3 nights
Property name
Confirmation #
Check-in
Phone
Notes
🏨
Stop 2 — Grant Village
July 11–14 · 3 nights
Property name
Confirmation #
Check-in
Phone
Notes
🌲
Stop 3 — Roosevelt Lodge
July 14–17 · 3 nights
Property name
Confirmation #
Check-in
Phone
Notes
📜
License & permit overview
Two separate systems — know before you go
- Grand Tetons (7/8–7/11): Wyoming fishing license + Grand Teton park permit. ~$55/person. No live bait. Kids under 16 free.
- Inside Yellowstone (7/11 onward): Yellowstone-specific permit only — no WY state license needed. 3-day or season. Kids under 16 free. Buy at any visitor center.
- No live bait in either park. Some Yellowstone waters are fly-fishing only.
License notes — who has what
📅
Best fishing windows
- 7/9 — Jackson Lake (boat trip): Cutthroat, lake trout, brown trout. Main Teton fish day.
- 7/12 — Yellowstone Lake: Cutthroat. Lake + shoreline. Afternoon after geysers.
- 7/14 morning — Yellowstone Lake: Optional boat at Bridge Bay Marina (Xanterra). Reserve ahead.
- 7/15 & 7/16 — Slough Creek: Best fishing of the entire trip. Legendary cutthroat stream right near Roosevelt Lodge. Bring waders.
Per-day notes
🧰
Gear & tackle inventory
What we're bringing / renting
🎒
Group packing checklist
Check things off as you pack — everyone can track this
🍽️
Camp food & provisions
Coffee, French press, cereal, oatmeal, sandwiches, hot dogs
Food plan