Salt Lake City in Utah is close enough to Yellowstone to be super convenient but also far enough away that there are a ton of things to see and explore during the drive!
Technically, depending on how high the lake water is, the “island” is actually a peninsula, but that doesn’t detract from its scenery! It’s only about a one-hour drive from downtown Salt Lake City, making it a perfect first stop to stretch your legs and explore.
One of the best scenic drives in Utah, this stretch of road connects the city of Logan to Bear Lake and provides some breathtaking scenery of the mountains and canyons in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
One of Wyoming’s most popular tourist destinations, Jackson Hole can turn into an entire trip by itself. It’s worth planning to spend at least a night or two here as you drive from Salt Lake City to Yellowstone.
The park is known for its incredible mountain scenery and picturesque lakes which make for awesome places to cool off and swim during the hot summer months.