Hi there!
So you want to go on a road trip from Chicago to Grand Teton National Park!
In September and October 2021, I did a road trip from Chicago to Grand Teton National Park, and beyond.
Well actually it was from Michigan to Grand Teton National Park.
But that included driving on the outskirts of Chicago on day 1… so that means I also did drive from Chicago to Grand Teton National Park. 😜
So I can also give you some ideas on how to get to Grand Teton National Park if you are starting from the Chicago area!
It took me 9 days to drive from Chicago to Grand Teton National Park.
That is one way, from leaving the Chicago area to entering Grand Teton National Park for the first time.
No, it doesn’t have to take you 9 days to drive from Chicago to Grand Teton!
And in fact, my first overnight stop was in Wisconsin.
If you are starting the drive from Chicago, you probably won’t want to make your overnight stop until after you get out of Wisconsin, unless you’re getting started from Chicago late or something.
So you could say it was more like 8 days to get from Chicago to Grand Teton. Even so, it’s possible to make the drive in much fewer days if you want.
How long is the drive from Chicago to Grand Teton National Park?
Driving directly, it might take around 21 hours of driving time from Chicago to Grand Teton National Park.
Explore the map.
Of course, it’s a bad idea to do this drive in one day.
It might even be bad to do this drive in 2 days. That would be driving an average of 10 to 11 hours each day. I can imagine some people will think that’s doable.
But I would say that at minimum, taking 2.5 to 3 days to drive from Chicago to Grand Teton National Park starts to seem actually reasonable. That would be an average of 7 hours a day.
So if you want your road trip from Chicago to be focused on Grand Teton National Park and this is mainly a Grand Teton National Park road trip, then you might say you are going to take 2 days or 3 days to drive to Grand Teton from Chicago.
But there are a bunch of other stops that you can make if you want the “journey” (aka the drive to Grand Teton National Park) to be meaningful too!
Of course, there are many different ways you can do this drive depending on your time and interests!
Below will show you one driving route to start to give you some ideas… the way I did it… if you want to break up the drive and spend more time along the way from Chicago to Grand Teton National Park!
Download offline maps before you go!
It’s quite possible that you will have minimal data in some places as you are driving to Grand Teton National Park.
It will be best to download offline google maps before you go!
If you’ll be doing some day hikes in Wyoming, see the best apps for hiking in Wyoming!
More below for ideas on driving from Chicago to Grand Teton!
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There are a lot of videos below. If you can’t see them, you can watch the South Dakota video playlist and Grand Teton video playlist on youtube!
Now…
What is there to see between Chicago and Grand Teton National Park?
Explore the map.
Minor stop: Glacial Drumlin State Trail (Wisconsin)
My first overnight stop was at the Sandhill Station Campground along the Glacial Drumlin State Trail. It was just a place to sleep. This is a Wisconsin state park campground.
This is located about 45 minutes east of Madison WI.
Chicago to Sandhill Station Campground is around a 2.5 hour drive. (map)
Chicago to Madison WI is also around a 2.5 hour drive. (map)
1. Palisades State Park (South Dakota)
Palisades State Park is a small South Dakota state park that can make for a nice break-up point as you drive west along I-90 in South Dakota.
This is located in eastern South Dakota, and you’ll take the I-90 exit shortly after entering South Dakota from Minnesota.
All of the best places to visit in South Dakota are in western South Dakota, so this is something to do in eastern South Dakota along I-90.
There is the Palisades State Park campground.
There are also the Palisades State Park camping cabins.
South Dakota state park camping cabins are simple (bring your own everything including bedding) but it’s a budget-friendly way to have a roof over your head!
Chicago to Palisades State Park is around an 8.5 hour drive. (map)
Palisades State Park to Grand Teton National park is around a 13 hour drive. (map)
See more about planning your Chicago to Grand Teton road trip:
2. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
Badlands National Park is the best national park in South Dakota.
The main thing to do is to drive along Badlands Loop Road.
Badlands Loop Road is THE road to drive in Badlands National Park. It’s the main road through the park.
👆 You can make a quick stop at the Big Badlands Overlook while driving through Badlands National Park.
This is also the road that has pretty much all of the popular viewpoints and popular hikes in Badlands National Park.
👆 Hiking the Door Trail.
👆 Hiking the Badlands ladder hike. This is one of the scary trails in Badlands National Park!
There are campgrounds in Badlands National Park.
The Cedar Pass Campground is the more convenient Badlands campground because it is located almost directly off of the Badlands Loop Road.
While the Cedar Pass Campground is the most convenient, you may also want to go camping in Badlands National Park in the more remote area of the park too.
That’s where you will find the free Sage Creek campground where you have a very good chance of seeing prairie dogs.
And you also have a chance at seeing buffalo walking right past your tent!
If you are not camping, then driving towards this remote Sage Creek area will also give you a chance to see prairie dogs and buffalo.
When you are in Badlands National Park, you also have a chance to see bighorn sheep too! For that, you have a chance to see them just by driving the main area of Badlands Loop Road.
Chicago to Badlands National Park is around a 12.5 hour drive. (map)
Badlands National Park to Grand Teton National park is around a 9 hour drive. (map)
See more about planning your Chicago to Grand Teton road trip:
- Things to do in Badlands National Park for views!
- Camping in Badlands National Park (with buffalo and prairie dogs!)
- Where to see bighorn sheep in Badlands National Park
3. Wall Drug (South Dakota)
Wall Drug is a complete tourist attraction.
As you are driving along I-90 in South Dakota, you will see a TON of signs for Wall Drug.
There are really just THAT many that it will have you thinking… what is this Wall Drug?!?!
Well, personally I think it’s skippable.
But it’s also kind of an all-American road trip story, and you are on a road trip yourself, so… you might want to be a part of it and stop by!
I did an overnight at a hotel in Wall SD. (Super 8 by Wyndham Wall – reviews)
Chicago to Wall SD is around a 13 hour drive. (map)
Wall SD to Grand Teton National park is around an 8.5 hour drive. (map)
See more about planning your Chicago to Grand Teton road trip:
4. Mount Rushmore National Memorial (South Dakota)
Mount Rushmore is one of the most popular places to visit in South Dakota from out of state… if not THE most popular.
If you want to stay for a night or 2 near Mount Rushmore, there are a few hotels near Mount Rushmore in Keystone SD.
The big city near Mount Rushmore is Rapid City SD, and this is around 30 minutes away.
Mount Rushmore is in the famous Black Hills of South Dakota.
A popular drive related to Mount Rushmore is to drive through the Iron Mountain Road tunnels that includes a tunnel view of Mount Rushmore.
If you want to make time for it, you might also be interested in driving through Custer State Park also in the Black Hills. For example, you can drive the the Needles Highway
There are also camping cabins in Custer State Park, along with other more “luxury” Custer State Park lodging options.
If you want to stay for a few days in the Black Hills, this area is also where you will find Wind Cave National Park and Jewel Cave National Monument.
And then not too far away is also the National Natural Landmark of the Mammoth Site where you can see what’s said to be the largest concentration of mammoth remains in the world.
Chicago to Mount Rushmore is around a 14 hour drive. (map)
Mount Rushmore to Grand Teton National Park is around an 8 hour drive. (map)
See more about planning your Chicago to Grand Teton road trip:
- Things to do in Mount Rushmore National Memorial
- Things to do in the Black Hills for VIEWS!
- Things to do in Custer State Park
- Custer State Park camping cabins
5. Spearfish Canyon (South Dakota)
The Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway is a scenic drive that you can make along the way if you are driving from Mount Rushmore to Devils Tower. (Next on the list!)
You can make it just about the drive, or you can get out of the car for a couple of stops too.
You can make time to see some Spearfish Canyon waterfalls.
Chicago to Spearfish SD is around a 14 hour drive. (map)
Spearfish SD to Grand Teton National Park is around a 7.5 hour drive. (map)
See more about planning your Chicago to Grand Teton road trip:
6. Devils Tower National Monument (Wyoming)
Devils Tower is an iconic rock formation.
If you only want to dedicate 1-2 hours to Devils Tower, that’s completely reasonable.
There are some quick things to do at Devils Tower.
I did an overnight at a hotel near Devils Tower. (Best Western Devils Tower Inn in Hulett WY – reviews)
Then I did 1 night at the Devils Tower campground.
Chicago to Devils Tower is around a 15 hour drive. (map)
Devils Tower to Grand Teton National Park is around a 7 hour drive. (map)
See more about planning your Chicago to Grand Teton road trip:
- Driving from Mount Rushmore to Devils Tower
- Things to do in Devils Tower National Monument
- Camping in Devils Tower National Monument
- Driving from Devils Tower to Grand Teton National Park
7. Driving through Bighorn National Forest on the Cloud Peak Skyway (Wyoming)
Driving directions: Buffalo WY to Tensleep WY
Along with being along the way to Grand Teton National Park, the Cloud Peak Skyway is along the way to Yellowstone National Park.
And it’s said to be the scenic route for the drive from Devils Tower to Yellowstone, and it’s also said to be the route with the least grade.
The Cloud Peak Skyway is a drive from Buffalo WY to Tensleep WY, and it will take you through Bighorn National Forest. You will also end up driving through the Tensleep Canyon.
The highest point you will get by driving the Cloud Peak Skyway is 9,666 feet as you are driving the Powder River Pass.
Driving from Buffalo to Tensleep without stops will take you less than 1.5 hours.
You can also take it even more slowly along the Cloud Peak Skyway by spend the night in Bighorn National Forest if you can manage to book a Wyoming national forest cabin!
There are chain hotels in Buffalo WY.
If you’re up for a solid day hike in Wyoming, the road to the West Tensleep trailhead is off of the Cloud Peak Skyway.
Chicago to Buffalo WY is around a 17 hour drive. (map)
Buffalo WY to Grand Teton National Park is around a 5.5 hour drive. (map)
See more about planning your Chicago to Grand Teton road trip:
8. Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway (Wyoming)
Driving directions: Thermopolis WY to Shoshoni WY
If you will be driving the Cloud Peak Scenic Byway then you will next naturally end up on the Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway to get to Grand Teton.
Yes, this is a scenic drive along a river through a canyon!
Next up, shortly after Shoshoni WY, you will pass through Riverton WY, which is a “major” city in Wyoming.
There are chain hotels in Riverton WY… and there’s also a Walmart if you need to load up on food and/or supplies!
Chicago to Riverton WY is around a 19 hour drive. (map)
Riverton WY to Grand Teton National Park is around a 2.5 hour drive. (map) You will drive through 2 national forests (listed below!) in order to get the remaining way to Grand Teton National Park with no detour necessary!
9. Driving through Shoshone National Forest (Wyoming)
No detour necessary to drive through Shoshone National Forest if you have been following the driving route above!
But, again, if you’d like to make a stop, then you might be interested in driving to Brooks Lake!
Aside from seeing Brooks Lake, which you can drive right up to (there is also a small campground along the lake), you can also hike in Shoshone National Forest to Jade Lake.
The Jade Lakes Trail goes to 2 lakes. Going to both of them is around a 5.5 mile hike. You might want to give yourself around 3 hours for the hike.
10. Driving through Bridger-Teton National Forest (Wyoming)
And then Shoshone National Forest connects to Bridger-Teton National Forest, so once again no detour necessary.
You can drive with distant views of the Teton mountain range for your first glimpse of the Tetons!
11. Moran WY
Now, this is not exactly a “stop” to make (I did not do anything notable in the town of Moran itself), but Moran WY can be a reference point on a map as a gateway town of Grand Teton National Park when you are driving through the Wyoming national forests mentioned above.
The main gateway town of Grand Teton National Park is Jackson WY or Jackson Hole. The hotels there are quite expensive though.
So I was happy to find a budget room at the Hatchet Resort* located in Moran WY.
*Partner website to read the reviews and look at cost.
It was also a perfect location to stay in terms of this driving route to get to Grand Teton. (map)
It was located on the main road right outside of Bridger Teton National Forest, and it’s about a 10 minute drive to the Moran entrance and the Grand Teton Scenic Loop Drive. (More on that next!)
12. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
You’ve made it to Grand Teton National Park!!
The 42-mile Grand Teton Scenic Loop Drive is the scenic drive of Grand Teton National Park.
Along the way you will also pass by the turn-off for Jenny Lake Scenic Drive.
And then hiking in Grand Teton National Park is also a thing.
There are shorter hikes (hiking from the Taggart Lake trailhead for example), and there are longer hikes (hiking from the Lupine Meadows trailhead for example).
For Grand Teton National Park, the most popular gateway town is Jackson WY or Jackson Hole.
See more about planning your Chicago to Grand Teton road trip:
- Best things to do in Grand Teton National Park
- Driving through Grand Teton National Park
- How to spend one day in Grand Teton National Park
Driving from Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton and Yellowstone are connected.
So moving on from Grand Teton National Park, it can be perfect to drive to Yellowstone National Park next!
You can make your first major stop in Yellowstone the West Thumb Geyser Basin.
This is a Yellowstone geyser basin where you can see many thermal features with a lakeside walk along Yellowstone Lake.
👆 It can be perfect to drive from Chicago to Grand Teton National Park to Yellowstone! There are over 10,000 hydrothermal features in Yellowstone National Park! This includes more than 500 geysers! This means that there are truly so many things to do in Yellowstone National Park!
See more about planning your Chicago to Grand Teton to Yellowstone road trip:
- Driving from Grand Teton to Yellowstone
- Best things to do in Yellowstone National Park
- How to spend one day in Yellowstone National Park
And that’s one way you can drive from Chicago to Grand Teton National Park!
More for your Chicago to Grand Teton road trip planning:
- Best places to visit in Wyoming
- Wyoming national forest cabins
- Best places to visit in South Dakota
- Campgrounds in South Dakota
And, after Grand Teton National Park, maybe you want to keep heading west to Idaho and Craters of the Moon National Monument! And then you can make the return trip back east along southern Wyoming and drive through Medicine Bow National Forest and the Snowy Range Scenic Byway!
Or, after Grand Teton National Park maybe you want to loop back around and make the return trip to the east with a detour through North Dakota to go to another national park! (map) In which case…
Or, you can drive the southern route back to Chicago. Drive the Snowy Range Scenic Byway in Wyoming, and then take a detour to the Nebraska Badlands that is part of Oglala National Grassland.
HAPPY DRIVING FROM CHICAGO TO GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK!
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