Experience Americas Most Treasured Roads
Touring the Byway
163 Miles | 8 Days / 7 Nights (Optional Day 9) | Gateway City: Jackson, Wyoming
We recommend starting your journey in Jackson, a world-class mountain town. Learn about the region’s unique local history at Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum, see one of the country’s largest collections of animal art at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, experience iconic performances at the Jackson Hole Rodeo, and see spectacular views over the city on the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram. Spend your first evening around the fireplace at one of Jackson’s most renowned lodges.
On Day Two as you begin your drive along the Wyoming Centennial Scenic Byway, you’ll be heading south on WY-191. Stop at the noted archaeological site, Trappers Point before arriving in Pinedale, a small authentic Western town that pays homage to the region’s gritty explorers at the Museum of the Mountain Man. Getting on WY-28, you’ll be cutting across the southern tip of the Bridger-Teton National Forest on your way to Lander, a town filled with Western heritage. Discover the cultural history of the wild frontier at the Museum of the American West and get up close and personal with one of equine residents at the Wind River Wild Horse Sanctuary before continuing north on WY-287 and WY-26 to Dubois.
Live like a cowboy on Day Four as you explore Dubois, a true ranch town where you can take a wildlife viewing tour at the National Bighorn Sheep Interpretive Center and learn the history of the Upper Wind River Valley at the Dubois Museum. Then, enjoy a scenic drive through the Bridger-Teton National Forest with stops at Tie Hack Memorial and Togwotee Pass, the high point of the byway at 9,658 feet, as the Teton Mountain Range grows larger and larger in your car’s front window.
The next four days are all about America’s best idea – national parks. On Days Five and Six, bask in the majesty of the world’s most spectacular peaks at Grand Teton National Park, where you can hike an alpine trail, spot a bison, canoe on Jackson Lake, or take a scenic drive on Teton Park Road, under the majestic presence of the Grand Tetons.
Then keep the parks party going on Days Six and Seven as you explore Yellowstone National Park, the world’s oldest and home to millions of acres of wildlife, jaw-dropping scenery, and dozens of geological wonders, plunging waterfalls, percolating springs, high altitude lakes, and Old Faithful, the most famous geyser of them all.
On Day Nine, you can leave Yellowstone National Park and make it to Cody on the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway. From there, we wish you a safe passage if you’re continuing your journey on another Wyoming Scenic Byway, or a safe and pleasant journey home.
View the Detailed Itinerary below to see the full route, which is complete with dining, shopping, and lodging recommendations!
Highlighted Attractions
Grand Teton National Park
Spectacular mountains and rugged scenery don’t get any better than this as you travel Teton Park Road with the mountains looming overhead. The 40-mile mountain range that juts straight out of the plains boasts twelve mountain peaks more than 12,000 feet and Grand Teton which rises to nearly 14,000 feet. All three scenic drives are must-dos: Teton Park Road, that follows the base of the mountain range from Moose to Jackson Lake Junction, Jenny Lake Scenic Drive which skirts dramatic clear blue Jenny Lake, and Signal Mountain Summit Road which delivers a panoramic view of the Teton Range and Jackson Hole. Five visitor centers each tell a different part of the story of the Teton Range.
Yellowstone National Park
The creation of Yellowstone National Park and protection of its astounding resources was not without challenges. The first Park Act called for administration with no cost to the United States, which unfortunately, did not protect the land or the wildlife from poaching and squatters. Finally, recognizing that America’s National Parks needed cohesive management, the National Park Service was established in 1916. Fortunately for all visitors since then, Yellowstone has remained a beautiful place with incredible wildlife and more thermal features than anywhere else in the world. It is best to allow at least one whole day to travel each of the two park loop roads. If you enjoy stopping at both the Visitor Centers and the natural attractions, it may take two days to thoroughly explore each loop.
Museum of the Mountain Man
Over 15,000 artifacts ranging from prehistoric times to the settlement era present a visual and interpretive experience of the Plains Indians, the Oregon Trail, and the early development of the region. Rare pieces, directly traceable to the mountain men, include a rifle owned by Jim Bridger and archaeological pieces from the site of Fort Bonneville.
Buffalo Bill Center of the West
Often referred to as the “Smithsonian of the West,” the Buffalo Bill Center of the West weaves together stories of the Yellowstone region and the American West in five different museums. Immerse yourself in the geology and natural environment of the region at the Draper Natural History Museum. Get to know William F. Cody in the Buffalo Bill Museum. Experience the traditions, values, and culture of regional Native Americans at the Plains Indian Museum, and enjoy artists’ depictions of the West at the Whitney Western Art Museum. The Cody Firearms Museum houses more than 4,000 firearms used in the American West.
Old Trail Town
Explore a rare collection of ghost-town relics, authentic buildings, and historic furnishing in this reconstructed frontier town where Cody started. Original cabins used by outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and a Wyoming saloon frequented by Cassidy’s “Hole-in-the-Wall Gang” were moved to the site, along with the cabin of “Curley,” a Crow scout who helped guided Custer and the U.S. 7th Cavalry to the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876. Several pioneer graves on the property include mountain man John Johnson, portrayed by Robert Redford in “Jeremiah Johnson.”
To experience all that Legend of the Mountain Man has to offer, download the complete itinerary!
The detailed itinerary includes:
- A complete trip experience organized in geographic order, to print down and go.
- A full description of the Byway tour.
- Each trip experience begins in a gateway city with commercial flight availability (and often ending in another) to enhance the Byway experience.
- Attractions and activities along the full length of the Byway selected to truly tell the story of the places you visit.
- Detailed description of each attraction and activity, including the address, telephone number, hours of operation, admission fees and suggested time to allow for a visit.
- Accommodations (related to the theme of the Byway or unique to the destination wherever possible) positioned in the correct locations and including breakfast wherever possible.
- Dining suggestions positioned in the correct locations for lunch and dinner.
- All attractions, accommodations and dining locations arranged into Days that allow time for relaxation, savoring meals and enjoying the experience.
- A road trip to create memories and intrigue your mind.