This is the best summer road trip in the USA and Canada
If you’re looking for the best summer road trip to explore North America’s wild places, you’re in the right place. Spanning the high desert of Salt Lake City all the way to Jasper and the Canadian Rockies, this adventure will be the greatest of your life.
For many, this may not be a trip you can take all at once, but it’s one we can all strive for. If you need to break this up, feel free to. I would anticipate this taking no more than 21 days’ drive in all, though.
However many days you do it in, you’re in for a treat. You will come to better understand why this area is so incredible and why our public lands need our protection and support from those who wish to sell it off ot the highest bidder.
Quick Trip Planning Questions for this Epic Summer Road Trip
When is the best time to do this trip?
With mountains as your destination, this is best done during the long summer days once the snow has melted out. I would recommend taking this road trip from late June through September. Logan Pass in Glacier National Park usually doesn’t open until July 4. It’s one of the highlights of the area.
If you’re okay with missing Logan Pass, this could be done starting in June.
How many days would it take to complete in its entirety?
I would estimate this road trip from Salt Lake City to the Canadian Rockies to be 15-18 days. Three to four of those days will be spent driving, so keep that in mind.
Do I have to do the full road trip to Canada?
No, you don’t. It’s up to you. You could stop at Glacier and return home, just doing Glacier, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone National Parks. However you plan it, make sure to do at least 7-9 days on the road.
What does this road trip offer that others don’t?
This is one of my favorites because it offers mountains, lakes, and wildlife. It is some of the most pristine and stunning views you will see in the United States and Canada. I tell myself Glacier is my favorite national park, but honestly, it changes monthly.
Outside of going to Alaska, this will ruin a lot of future trips, haha!
My favorite summer road trip in America and Canada
1 Minute details on this road trip
- Fly into SLC
- 3 Days in Grand Tetons
- 2 Days in Yellowstone
- 4 Days in Glacier
- 5 Days in Banff/Jasper/Yoho in the Canadian Rockies
- Don’t forget your passport
- Add or subtract days where you see fit
- You don’t need to hike as much as I did. Plenty of sightseeing ot be had.
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Starting the Road Trip by flying into SLC
I picked Salt Lake City as it’s the closest major airport to fly into and likely cheaper than Idaho Falls, ID, and Jackson Hole, WY. But, if you want to save yourself a five-hour drive and have the funds, fly into Idaho Falls (2-hour drive) or Jackson and rent a car there!
Explore Grand Teton National Park for 3-4 days
The Teton Range is one of the most impressive you’ll ever see. The terrain is flat until it’s not, then it rises to 13,000 feet, with jagged spires and glaciated slopes. It’s a mesmerizing sight. There’s a ton to do here, with fantastic hiking, wildlife, and plenty of pullouts to stop at.
Day 1 – Explore Grand Teton National Park
This is a great day to take things slow and explore the park on day one. Make sure to stop at Jenny Lake, Snake River Overlook, and Jackson Lake Dam. As you drive, you will likely see wildlife.
Moose Ponds is an easier hike with wildlife potential. So if you want a warm-up, that’s a great one.
Day 2 – Hike Either Cascade Canyon or Paintbrush Canyon
Hiking day! Get your bags ready, and let’s get into one of the awesome canyons in Grand Teton National Park. If it’s earlier in the season, I recommend Cascade Canyon. If it’s later, Paintbrush Canyon will take you to a lovely lake. (In my experience, however, the lake looked blah on the July 4th weekend in 2020.)
In Cascade Canyon, we saw four moose, so keep your eyes open and remember to give moose plenty of space. It was also green and totally dried out. One of my favorite memories in Grand Teton National Park. (PS: Take the boat to save you a few miles.)
Day 3 – Delta Lake Sunrise hike or watch sunrise at Schwarbacher Landing
If you want to tackle one of the best hikes in the area, set your sights on Delta Lake. I haven’t done it since 2020, when it was sparsely visited.
Now, while still technically off-trail, it’s a legit route. The best view is at sunrise, so you have to start around 3am to see the spires light up. If you want a less adventurous activity, go to Schwarbacher Landing. It’s a flat walk with stunning views of Grand Teton and its lesser peaks.
Where to stay: Jackson has the most options, then Teton Village. There are a few nice hotels within the park boundaries.
3 Top-Rated Things to See: Jenny Lake, watch the sunrise at Schwarbacher Landing, and visit Jackson Lake
My favorite hikes: Cascade Canyon, Paintbrush Canyon, and Delta Lake
Tours to Book: Scenic Float Trip | 4-hour wildlife safari
Continue North into Yellowstone National Park for two days
Yellowstone is one of the more natural national parks you’ll experience. It still feels like the wild west. Cell service is still spotty, making this a perfect place to detox. But I will say, download your maps offline to make things easier.
While I love Yellowstone as a wildlife photographer, I do find it a little limiting in what to do. I think 2-3 days is plenty.
Day 1 – See the most popular parts of the park
For your first day in Yellowstone, just drive and see the sights. Estimate about 2 hours from Grand Teton to Yellowstone.
After getting into the park, take the 191 west to Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, Morning Glory, and all the mudpots. This drive should take most of your day.
Day 2 – Wildlife Day and go hiking
For your second day in Yellowstone, if you’re okay with an early alarm, get up early and go to Hayden Valley. This is one of the best places to see wildlife roam as the day starts. Then, go to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Artist Point. You’ll spend a couple of hours enjoying this region.
From here, find a nearby hike. Funny enough, I haven’t done much hiking here, so I’m not the best resource. But remember to bring bear spray on every hike!
Where to stay: This is the most challenging part, because lodging in the area is limited. West Yellwostone has more options, but if you can land a spot in the park, do it. It’ll save you drive time (but will be more expensive).
3 Top-Rated Things to See: Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Grand Prismatic (both upper and lower views), Morning Glory
My favorite hikes: Surprisingly, I’ve never really hiked in YNP. I’ve only done the drives and short walks to various hot springs/mudpots/geysers.
Tours to Book: Full-day Yellowstone tour | Lamar Valley Wildlife Safari
Adventure in Glacier National Park for 5 days
Of the lower 48 National Parks, I adore Glacier National Park. It’s pretty accessible with four main areas, and the lakes and views will astound you. I will also note that there is plenty to do outside of the park in Glacier Country and Kalispell.
Before we start, it’s necessary to know the new 2026 rules for Glacier National Park. 1) No timed entry permit 2) New shuttle access to Logan Pass 3) Parking at Logan Pass is now limited to 3 hours.
With Glacier, I would move these around to put the typically more crowded places on weekdays vs. weekends.
Day 1 Bowman Lake Region
This is a stunning area and far less visited than those in the main park areas. There are three lakes in this region, spanning nearly to the Canadian border. I’ve only been to Bowman Lake, but I loved it. (It’s mosquito heaven.)
Make sure to stop at the Mercantile on the way in or out for some goodies and snacks. The bear claws are to die for!
If you do Bowman Lake, there’s a nice trail along the north side of the lake. I doubt you’ll do it all, as it’s like 10 miles both ways. But it’s nice to stretch the legs.
As with the entire area, be very bear aware and keep your bear spray at the ready.
Day 2 – Avalanche Lake and Lake McDonald
I’d leave Lake McDonald for sunset and enjoy a hiking day at Avalanche Lake. Avalanche Lake is a 5-mile round-trip hike, decently steep but not overly exhausting. The lake views are magical, and if you can handle the snow melt, it’s a perfect place to jump in!
Then, wrap up your day at Apgar Village and the mouth of Lake McDonald. This is a beautiful area to watch the setting sun illuminate the far-off peaks and enjoy the colorful rocks along the shore.
Day 3 – Logan Pass
One of the most stunning parts of Glacier National Park that needs to be on your summer road trip. Now, with the new rules, if you are doing anything other than Hidden Lake Overlook, you probably want to book the shuttle.
The longest and most popular hike is the Highline Trail. With a shuttle, this makes it easier to complete the point-to-point trail. It’s 9-11 miles long, depending on whether you take the tangent to Grinnel Glacier Overlook. Overall, it has around 1,400 feet of gain.
Plan to spend all day up here.
Day 4 – Two Medicine
For this summer road trip itinerary, you’ll now make your way from West Glacier to East Glacier. There’s less infrastructure over here because it borders tribal lands. But there’s still plenty to see and do.
The first stop is Two Medicine Lake. This is gorgeous and a little more low-key hiking. In 2017, a buddy and I did a trail to a waterfall. I believe it was this Twin Falls hike – though we may have done the south short route.
Day 5 – Many Glacier
My favorite place in Glacier National Park. It’s totally okay to skip Two Medicine if you want to do more hiking here.
The landscape features are monumental in this part of the park, with towering rock walls, turquoise lakes, and tons of wildlife.
If you’re up for a heckuva hiking day and you’re in good shape, you can do Iceberg Lake (10 miles) and Grinnell Glacier Trail for close to a 20-mile day. Neither is overly challenging, but the miles will require you to be well-hydrated and well-fed.
Otherwise, I’d say do Icelberg Lake. It’s a fun one, pretty moderate, and has a high chance of seeing grizzly bears.
Where to stay: Most people in West Glacier, Kalispell, or Whitefish (see options), but East Glacier works too
3 Top-Rated Things to See: Drive the Going to the Sun Road, enjoy the colorful rocks at Lake McDonald, and visit Bowman Lake
My favorite hikes: Iceberg Lake, Grinnel Glacier Trail, Highline Trail, and Avalanche Lake
Tours to Book: Glacier NP Scenic Float | Glacier NP whitewater rafting
Cross the border into the Canadian Rockies: Banff, Yoho, Jasper National Parks for 5-6 days
The Canadian Rockies may be my favorite place to explore in North America. The diversity of landscapes, epic jagged peaks, and wildlife provides unbelievable potential. If you want more articles, including an itinerary, click here.
This somewhat depends on where you are staying. But I’m going to say make Banff or Canmore your home base for a few days, then go to Lake Louise so you have an easier time exploring Yoho National Park and the Icefields Parkway.
Day 1 – Explore Kananaskis Country
You want me to go where?! Stay with me. While everyone goes ot Banff, Kananaskis Country is less visited and offers INREDIBLE scenery. Think of this area as what Banff National Park used to be.
Harder hike option: Rawson Lake up to Sarrail Ridge (9-mile day)
Moderate hike option: Burstall Pass (still a 10-mile day)
Saw it on IG option: Tent Ridge (shorter, but steeper)
Any of these will be a full-day adventure, though Sarrail Ridge is a further drive.
That evening, hang out in the town of Banff.
Day 2 – Johnston Canyon and Lake Louise
One of my favorite easy hikes in Banff National Park is Johnston Canyon. It’s a beautiful canyon with a nice waterfall at the back! It won’t take more than a few hours. I’d pair this with Lake Louise.
If you want to keep seeing things, go hike up to Lake Agnes and the Little Beehive (moderate hike), or keep it easy and walk along the Lake Louise Shoreline.
Related: Best Larch hikes near banff
Day 3 – Drive the Icefield Parkway to Jasper
After hiking for a few days, let’s have a “rest” day and drive the Icefields Parkway. As one of the most stunning roads on planet earth, a summer road trip isn’t complete until you experience this drive.
The 140ish miles from Lake Louise to Jasper will blow you away.
Highlights of what you should see on the Icefields Parkway:
- Peyto Lake
- Bow Lake
- Athabasca Glacier
- Stutfield Glacier Viewpoint
- Sunwapta Falls
- Athabasca Falls
Spend a night in Jasper to make it worth it, and then explore the National Park before heading down south again. We initially didn’t plan to go all the way to Jasper, but after reaching Athabasca Glacier, we decided to keep going and book a hotel for a night.
Day 4 – Explore Jasper and Icefields Parkway heading south
Spend half the day or longer (days are like 18 hours here) exploring Jasper National Park. Enjoy the scenic drive to Maligne Lake. Once there, you can walk along the shoreline. While we didn’t do the boat ride, I would suggest it; otherwise, you’re limited on views.
Keep eyes wide open for wildlife. We saw so much, including bears, eagles, and elk, on this part of the summer road trip.
Then, enjoy the drive down south. Stop at whatever places you didn’t get to beforehand. And if you want a nice place to soak up the sunset, visit Emerald Lake, 20 minutes from Lake Louise.
Day 5 – Moraine Lake for sunrise + Larch Valley
Final Day in Banff! Let’s make it count. Start your day with a sunrise mission to Moraine Lake to watch the sun hit the tips of the Valley of Ten Peaks. After sunrise, grab a quick bite at the cafe before heading up to Larch Valley.
It’s one of my favorite hikes in the area, and if you want to extend it, go up to Sentinel Pass. The hike is between 6-9 miles, with ~2,000 feet of gain.
No private cars are allowed at Moraine Lake unless you’re staying at the hotel. Book a sunrise shuttle here.
Where to stay: Lake Louise Village, Canmore, Town of Jasper, or Banff offer excellent options
Top-Rated Things to See: Drive the Icefield Parkway, Moraine Lake and Lake Louise, and Maligne Lake
My favorite hikes: Little Beehive, Burstall Pass, Lake O’Hara, Larch Valley, and Sentinel Pass
Final Thoughts on the Best Summer Road Trip in America and Canada
This summer road trip travels through my favorite places, offering 10/10 views of some of the most magical places in America and Canada. Completing this epic route will put you in another tier of witnessing magical destinations.
My favorite parts of this summer road trip are Delta Lake, Larch Valley, the Grinnell Glacier Trail, and Lake O’Hara, but that is a 22-mile hike if you don’t get the permit (which is hard to get, which is why I didn’t really cover it).
Until next time, adventurers, stay safe.
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