If there’s one thing I’ve noticed in my travels, it’s that memories are made by being uncomfortable.
We don’t remember the monotonous.
We remember the slight uneasiness of getting outside of our bubble. The scenery it took hours to get to. The bright, bustling city that contrasts with the quiet easiness of home. The mountains and cliffs that tower grandly above above the gleaming skyscrapers we’re used to.
So this trip—spending a week touring 3 of our country’s National Parks with my sister inside a 350-cubic-feet campervan—was bound to be nothing but memorable.
Yellowstone | Grand Teton | Glacier
On the road
Our van
We rented our campervan through Native Campervans (their Salt Lake City location) and got upgraded to “The Biggie”, their swankiest model that everything we needed for a comfortable trip—including a mattress that was comfortable by mattress (let alone campervan mattress) standards.
Our meals
The Biggie had a built-in mini fridge, propane camp stove, and running sink that allowed us to eat some pretty fantastic fare on the road and while camping. We hit the grocery store before getting on the road and, with a couple grocery replenishes, didn’t eat out once. (Except for the Chick-fil-a that inaugurated the road trip but didn’t count because it’s tradition.)
Our views
While we spent a borderline uncomfortable amount of time on the road, driving over 2,200 miles from Utah to Idaho to Wyoming to Montana (and then back) let us see some stunning countrysides that we couldn’t have experienced from an airplane.
Yellowstone
Our first National Park was Yellowstone and the only reason its wild and varied landscape didn’t earn the spot for my favorite park this trip was the traffic.
At one point, we sat at a complete standstill for over 30 minutes, waiting for what we assumed were buffalo crossings. But most frustrations were forgotten when we saw baby buffalo romping along the roadside.
Springs and geysers
One of the wildest things about Yellowstone are the thermal features—hot springs, geysers, steam vents and mud pots—creating clouds that spot the landscape. Most had the unfortunate sulfuric smell, but were also a nice bit of warmth in the brisk weather.
Grand Prismatic Spring & Fountain Paint Pots geysers
Of the springs we saw, Grand Prismatic Spring was the most beautiful—with its crystalline, bright blue (and dangerously inviting) steaming waters surrounded by a ring of rusty orange sands that appeared to be leaking from the spring.
Old Faithful
I initially wasn’t sure Old Faithful was going to be worth the 30 minutes we waited—thanks to the lady rambling behind us about it once shooting up what sounded like an unremarkable 6 to 8 feet—but I’m glad we stuck it out. The geyser cutting through sky at a monumental height while buffalo roamed unimpressed nearby was a memorable sight.
Mammoth Hot Springs
The bone-white to rust-orange calcium formations of Mammoth Hot Springs looked like something from a different planet. It’s worth stopping by both the upper and lower springs to see different vantage points.
Even if you don’t stop for Mammoth Hot Springs, the northwestern part of Yellowstone is quite the scenic drive.
Hidden gem: Yellowstone Hot Springs
About 20 minutes outside of Yellowstone’s north entrance is Yellowstone Hot Springs, a relaxing set of hot, warm, and cold mineral pools set against an incredible backdrop of mountains.
Rivers and waterfalls
One of the many things I loved about Yellowstone was its varied terrain. Where one side had vibrant, other-worldly hot springs that clouded the landscape, other areas had pine-covered mountains cleaved by rushing rivers and waterfalls.
Yellowstone Falls and Grand Canyon
The North Rim Trail runs a little over a mile and a half (3.3 miles out and back) along the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone to Observation Point. A short walk in the opposite direction of the trailhead takes you to another observation walk with various views of Yellowstone Falls.
Fairy Falls
The trail to Fairy Falls (near the Grand Prismatic Spring overlook) is roughly 5.5 miles out and back, but absolutely worth the view of the gossamer water streaming delicately over the rockface.
Gibbons Falls
Gibbons Falls is conveniently right off the main road. A paved trail lets you go about a mile down the path for some superior views.
Grand Teton
In between days at Yellowstone, we ventured to Grand Teton National Park and its suspiciously perfect mountains—which were definitely worth the day trip.
We spent the day kayaking Jackson Lake and cruising past what I’m not entirely convinced was a bear sauntering through a meadow—although the posse of roadside tourists and photographers indicated otherwise.
Glacier
I have a weakness for mountains and unearthly blue waters, so our final National Park was probably the one I was looking forward to most.
Lake McDonald
Lake McDonald was one site I was most excited about in Glacier—with its bottom of vibrant, colorful rocks and some of the clearest water I’ve ever seen reflecting a mountainous backdrop.
McDonald Creek
John’s Lake Loop is a 2.2 mile loop that goes around a quaint little lake and then along McDonald Creek which, in early June, was less a “creek” and more a raging river.
Avalanche Lake
Avalanche Lake was by far one of the most beautiful lakes we’ve ever seen. With rivers running down snow-dusted and pine-speckled mountains into emerald waters, we’d make the 6.6-mile trek out and back again in a heartbeat.
St. Mary and Virginia Falls
For the most of our time in Glacier, we got clouds and rain—not so much that it kept us cooped up in the van, but enough to don the rain gear that we were glad to have near the rushing Virginia Falls.
St. Mary Lake
Just as we decided to leave early to dull the 10-hour drive back to Salt Lake City, the rain gave it a rest and the sun broke through to give us breathtaking views of the mountains (and one very sweet little rainbow).
Back on the road
Lava Lake
We broke up the drive back south with a hike to Lava Lake near Big Sky, Montana. After nearly 6 miles out and back, 1,600+ elevation gain, and incredible views of the hidden lake, we were satisfyingly wrecked for the long drive ahead.
Great Salt Lake
We spent the last night of our trip on the Great Salt Lake, which would have been lovely had it not been for the high winds that whipped sand across the barren beach.
But that discomfort added yet another memory to a trip we’ll never forget—one that inspires us to keep thinking about where to make our next memories.