I have been planning a grand west coast vanlife road trip that spans between the USA and Canada but Covid-19 happened! My brother-in-law and his wife were so kind for opening up their home to us to quarantine but after 4 months, we finally made the decision to get on the road. I was hoping the Canadian border opens by the time we arrive in Montana but unfortunately, the border closure was extended. From Montana, we’ve decided to head east instead!

8 states, 30 days road trip | The Sweet Savory Life

30 Days West Coast Loop Road Trip

California - Nevada - Utah - Idaho - Wyoming - Montana - South Dakota - Nebraska - Colorado - Utah - Nevada - California

It took us a month to complete this road trip spanning between the west and mid-west of the United States. We’ve decided to skip most of the national parks in Utah completely unprepared for extreme heat without a portable ac and gas generator. Our only power source was an Ego power station for cellphone and laptop charging but it won’t be enough to power an AC. As for Colorado, I didn’t know that a reservation was necessary to get in the Rocky National Park due to Covid-19. The reservation was booked through a week in advance and while we were willing to wait, multiple wildfires were progressing in the state so we left after exploring a few towns.

Utah: Bonneville Salt Flats, Salt Lake City, Arches NP

Wyoming: Jackson, Grand Teton NP, Yellowstone NP

Montana: West Yellowstone, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Glacier NP, Hungry Horse, West Glacier, Fort Benton

South Dakota: Keystone, Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Badlands NP

Nebraska: Scotts Bluff National Monument

Colorado: Denver, Silverthorne, Georgetown, Twin Lakes, Independence Pass, Aspen, Glenwood Springs

Nevada: Great Basin NP, Reno

California: Highway 1, Half Moon Bay, Pebble Beach, Malibu, Oceanside, Carlsbad

Here is our must-do list:

Grand Teton: boat ride across Jenny Lake, hike to Inspiration Point, Cascade Canyons and Jenny Trail
Yellowstone: Hayes Valley, West Side exploring the Midway Geyser Basin
Montana: Going-to-the-sun Road, explore small towns near Glacier NP
South Dakota: take the Wildlife Loop Road on Custer Park, boondock at “The Wall” near Badlands NP
California: beach week is a must when in California, drive through Highway Pacific Coast Highway

Day 1 | California to Utah

Activities: Bonneville Salt Flats, Salt Lake City

We left Sacramento early heading north passing through Nevada only making stops for gas and a quick break. Once arriving at Bonneville Salt Flats around 3 PM, I made a late lunch which we enjoyed eating at the flats!

Noteworthy tip: There are plenty of entry points to the salt flats but I looked for “Bonneville Speedway” to get to this location. There were fewer people here compared to other areas during our visit.

Flippie the adventure van visiting the salt flats for the first time! | The Sweet Savory Life

Day 2 | Salt Lake City

Activities: drive around Salt Lake City

Day 2 was spent exploring Salt Lake City making stops at Vivint Smart Home Arena (Utah Jazz), Temple Square and the Tabernacle. Driving around aimlessly is one of our favorite things to do when exploring a city. I love the surprises wrong turns sometimes give!

Home of the Utah Jazz - exploring Salt Lake City | The Sweet Savory Life

Union Pacific Station in Salt Lake City, Utah | The Sweet Savory Life

Day 3 | Utah to Wyoming with Idaho Pit Stop

Activities: explore Jackson, WY

Between Salt Lake City and Jackson in Wyoming, we made a pit stop at the Clark Hill Rest area in Idaho, not far away from Idaho Falls. There were multiple waterfalls and hot springs along the route but skipped them thinking we might head back here if the Canadian border wasn’t open. Our updated itinerary took us east instead of coming back to Idaho.

Wyoming at last! We arrived in Jackson at around 2 PM, right on time for ice cream! The rest of the afternoon was spent visiting small shops around Jackson Town Square! The Elk Antler Arches in Downtown Square was quite impressive!

Noteworthy tip: Jackson is about 30 minutes away from Grand Teton NP. Try to get groceries and other needs while in town otherwise there are small convenience stores near the park.

View of the Snake River from Clark Hill Rest Area in Idaho!

The Elk Antler Arches in Jackson Town Square, Wyoming | The Sweet Savory Life

Mountain view from Jackson Town Square | The Sweet Savory Life

Days 4 to 6 | Grand Teton National Park

Day 4 East Side: Mormon Row Historic District, Schwabacher Landing hike, Teton Point turnout, Snake River overlook, Cunningham Cabin, Oxbow Bend turnout

We organized our Grand Teton National Park itinerary by location. Since our boondocking campsite entrance was right across the Cunningham Cabin, our first day was spent on the east side of the park along Highway 191. All of the stops on Day 1, except for Oxbow Bend, are outside the national park. So to those passer-by coming from Jackson, they can access a few short hikes and turnouts without having to pay for the park entrance fee. The turnouts have some of the best views of the Teton Mountain Range!

Day 5 West Side: Jenny Lake Visitor Center, Jenny Lake boat, hike 8 miles passing through Jenny Lake trail, Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point and Cascade Canyon.

This was our main hike day in Grand Teton! We started early by taking the boat from the visitor center across the lake then hiked up to Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point and Cascade Canyon using the Jenny Lake trail to get back to the visitor center. Portions of the hike were steep but the views were well worth it!

Day 6 North Side: Signal Mountain, Lakeshore trail hike, Colter Bay Village, headed to Yellowstone campsite

We hiked the short Lakeshore trail before finally heading up north to Yellowstone. This trail was located on Colter Bay which is the last major stop before Yellowstone. After the hike, I bought a few grocery items and filled up our water and gas tank. The drive to the south entrance of Yellowstone would only take 30 minutes from Colter Bay Village. I was expecting to have trouble finding a free boondocking spot close enough to the park. When we arrived at John D. Rockefeller Parkway campsites, all the spots were filled however, another camper was nice enough to share his space with us!

Noteworthy tips: Photographers gather around Mormon Row at dawn for some dramatic pictures with the sunrise reflecting the Tetons. I was just too lazy to wake up early to take pictures but if this is your interest, it will be well worth your time and effort! Free drinking water stations are available throughout the park. I was told by a proud local that the Tetons spring water is among the best in the world! Lastly, our boondocking site located across the Cunningham Cabin had an awesome view of the Tetons and it’s FREE. On the south side of Yellowstone, if planning on staying at the Rockefeller Parkway campsites, come early and reserve your spot before heading to the park.

Reflection of the Teton Range from Scwabacher Landing trail! | The Sweet Savory Life

The picturesque Moulton Barn at the Mormon Row Historic Site - Grand Tetons National Park | The Sweet Savory Life

Days 7 to 10 | Yellowstone

Day 7 South and East Side: Yellowstone bound from Grand Tetons, Lewis Falls, West Thumb Basin, Mud Volcano, Sulfur Cauldron, Hayden Valley

Since our boondocking campsite at John D. Rockefeller Parkway is only 10 minutes away from the south entrance, we explored the south and east corners of the park. The farthest Yellowstone stop we explored on the east side is the Hayes Valley which is about 1.5 hours away from our south entrance campsite. I was surprised at the amount of driving needed to get back to our campsite but since we are exploring the west side the following day, a camp from the south entrance was a good base.

Day 8 West Side: Old Faithful, Black Sand Basin, Upper Geyser Basin, Midway Geyser Basin, Lower Geyser Basin, Monument Geyser Basin, Artist Paintpots

Coming from the south, our second day in Yellowstone NP was spent exploring the west side of the park. This corner has the most interesting stops because of the 3 major geyser basin groups in the area. We spent the whole day visiting as many stops as possible. If you only have a few hours to visit the park, the west side is a must! When finished, we exited the park on the west entrance that took us to the city of West Yellowstone in Montana. This is the most vibrant town close to the park filled with small souvenir shops, restaurants, hotels and many touristy attractions. Our boondocking site near Denny Creek was only 20 minutes away from the west entrance. We spent 2 nights there.

Day 9 West Yellowstone, Montana: explore the town of West Yellowstone, Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center

Even though we didn’t hike any trails on the west side of Yellowstone, the amount of walking to see the geysers was tiring. Our third day on Yellowstone was spent on recovery and sightseeing. Lunch was at Firehole Barbecue (must-try!) and later that day, we visited the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center.

Day 10 Center and North Side: Norris Geyser Basin, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Lower Falls, Dunraven Pass, Roaring Mountains, Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces

Coming from the same boondocking site on the west, our last day on Yellowstone was spent exploring the center and northern corners. There were a few elks hanging out near Mammoth Ranger Station. From here, our campsite was about 45 minutes away at the Carbella Recreation Site next to the Yellowstone River. There are plenty of river-side dry camping spots!

Noteworthy tips: Yellowstone is one of the most popular national parks and many campsites are filled at least 6 months in advance. We stayed 1 night on a boondocking spot in the south and stayed 2 nights near West Yellowstone and 1 night on the north side before heading to Glacier NP. Planning your trip will help maximize your time by avoiding driving hours around the park just to get back to base camp. Prior to leaving, I’ve listed 6 boondocking spots coordinates in case my first choice was full. It also helps to download the offline map. We have no signal with T-Mobile inside the park. Additionally, plan your itinerary based on your camping/ hotel location. Yellowstone is big and you easily spend most of your time driving back and forth your base camp.

Grand Prismatic in Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park | The Sweet Savory Life

Lower Falls in Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone | The Sweet Savory Life

Day 11 | Yellowstone to Glacier National Park

Activities: drive up north to Columbia Falls

We left our campsite early to drive 6 hours north heading to Columbia Falls where our boondocking campsite is located. Along the way, we made a pit stop at Wheat Montana Bakery and Deli to get some bread and cinnamon rolls for my birthday dinner dessert! Yep, I turned 36 on the road and couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate it! The drive heading to Columbia Falls was beautiful especially passing through the stunning Salmon Lake. Upon arriving at Columbia Falls, we stopped at a grocery store before heading to our boondocking spot for the next 5 days. I planned on camping at multiple sites but we loved camping near Blankenship Bridge right beside the Middle Fork River.

Noteworthy tips: The boondocking campsite near Blankenship Bridge is a little tricky to get to. You’ll have to navigate through a narrow dirt road with multiple dips which I imagine can turn muddy during the rainy season. If you want to park right next to the river, pick the flat spots. We had to help a couple who got stuck in the pebbles during our stay. Despite all that, we camped here during our entire stay because it was just that beautiful!

Boondocking spot beside Middle Fork River in Columbia Falls, Montana | The Sweet Savory Life

View of Middle Fork River from our van! The Sweet Savory Life

Days 12 to 15 | Glacier National Park

Day 12: Kalispell, Going-to-the-Sun Road

We needed to buy certain things that were available in Kalispell so we spent half of our first day in Glacier doing errands and exploring Kalispell. The second half of the day was spent driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park. Going-to-the-Sun Road is the main attraction bisecting the park from west to east on a 50-mile span. This scenic narrow two-way road is a part of the Rocky Mountain Ranges and crossing the continental divide at Logan Pass. Although the drive up is filled with postcard-worthy views, my fear of heights got the best of me. Coming from West Glacier, we were on the cliff side for the most part of the drive and I was terrified!

Day 13: Macdonald Lake, Trail of the Cedars

I planned on tackling a few hiking trails in the park but ended up canceling them because driving through the Going-to-the-Sun Road once is more than enough for me! Instead, we hiked the easy 1-mile Trail of the Cedars also on Going-to-the-Sun Road but before the steep cliff.

Day 14: Hungry Horse, West Glacier, Fort Benton

Hungry Horse was one of my favorite stops purely because of the Huckleberry Patch! I’ve never had huckleberries prior to visiting Montana and I can say that my first bite was a love affair. Montana happens to have huckleberry everything during our visit in the middle of the hucks season! After Hungry Horse, we headed back to Glacier National Park but only stayed at West Glacier to get some grub and ice cream. Sadly, my husband and I said goodbye to our campsite by the river and headed southeast towards South Dakota stopping at Fort Benton. For the first time (and only time) during this trip, we stayed at a paid RV campsite in Fort Benton. In fact, most boondocking spots we’ve camped in had better views than most campgrounds.

Day 15: Fort Benton to South Dakota

Google maps have taken us to Highway 212 for most of the 9-hour drive to South Dakota which was incredibly boring. We were mostly driving a narrow 2-way country highway through vast farmlands. I’m not sure what alternative routes were available but I was hoping to see a more diverse landscape. Luckily, as we got closer to South Dakota, we saw hundreds of deers near the freeway. Once in South Dakota, views of green rolling hills replaced the flat and dreary farmlands in Montana. Don’t get me wrong, in fact, Montana was our most favorite state so far! I think we took the less scenic freeway!

Noteworthy tips: If you are going to be on the passenger side for Going-to-the-Sun Road drive and are terrified of heights, consider starting on the East entrance of the park where you will be on the mountainside for the most part. Additionally, even though the road is only 50 miles long for one way, it is a very narrow two-way street so be prepared to spend at least 2 hours one-way.

Logan Pass in Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park | The Sweet Savory Life

Did you know that Going-to-the-Sun Road is part of the Rockies?! - Glacier National Park | The Sweet Savory Life

Logan Pass, Glacier National Park | The Sweet Savory Life

Days 16 and 17 | South Dakota

Day 16: Keystone and Mount Rushmore

The morning was spent exploring the charming town of Keystone where we bought our magnetic US Map with state magnets! We’ve decided to only pin the state when we have both been there together recently. Next stop, Mount Rushmore! My husband and I have been wanting to visit for a long time and we finally made it. The way towards the viewing area of Mount Rushmore is lined with flags from different states and on our way out, we went through some of the state flags tidbits.

Day 17: Custer State Park, Badlands National Park

Custer State Park was not a planned stop but was surprisingly memorable. The 20-mile Wildlife Loop Road was where we experienced our first buffalo jam. There were hundreds of buffalos sitting close to the road while others crossed to the other side. For a while, we were less than 20 feet away from a momma and baby buffalo. Of course, sightseeing from the safety of our van! We also fed friendly burros and saw prairie dogs from a distance.

After Custer State Park, we drove for 1.5 hours to the northeast entrance of Badlands National Park near Ben Reifel Visitor Center. Taking a leisurely drive through the Badlands Loop Road was fun where it eventually led us to the Pinnacles Entrance where our boondocking campsite was. This campsite was our best campsite yet! A local referred to it as “the wall” and rightfully so! You can park at the edge of the wall overlooking the massive expanse of the Badlands canyons. It was quite spectacular until… thick clouds started rolling in and it rolled in fast! With it came severe thunderstorm, hail, rain and wind gust! It was our first experience of the thunderstorm show in the Great Plains but what made it terrifying was being parked at the edge of the cliff when the wind gust started blowing. We immediately left the wall and spent the night in a truck stop. It was quite an experience!

Noteworthy tips: Our South Dakota visit was in the second week of August during the annual bike rally. With Covid-19 this year, the bike rally still brought in over 100k bikers, however, it usually brings in more than half a million people annually. If you don’t like crowds, make sure to check on the bike rally dates while planning your trip. Also, our campsite at “the wall” near the Pinnacles entrance of Badlands NP was beautiful! If not for the severe thunderstorm scare, we would have stayed a few nights! I highly recommend it!

Mount Rushmore National Park, South Dakota | The Sweet Savory Life

“The Wall” boondocking spot near Badlands National Park, South Dakota | The Sweet Savory Life

Overlooking the canyons near Badlands National Park, South Dakota | The Sweet Savory Life

Days 18 to 20 | Nebraska and Colorado

Day 18: drive to Nebraska, Scotts Bluff National Monument Nebraska, drive to Denver, Colorado

Day 19: Georgetown and Silverthorne, Colorado

Day 20: Independence Pass, Aspen and Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Our Colorado visit was sadly cut short! First, we didn’t realize that a reservation was necessary to get into Rocky National Park due to Covid-19. Our reserved spot was not until the following week and though we were willing to wait, there were multiple wildfires happening near us. We’ve decided to just come back at a later time. While the towns we were able to visit were quite charming, the highlight of our Colorado visit was driving through the changing landscapes of the Rockies. We were in awe by the variety of boulder shapes and sizes as well as the changing of rock colors. I would love to see Aspen covered in snow!

Noteworthy tip: If you are sensitive to elevation, it may be wise to bring a can of recreation oxygen to prevent altitude sickness. My husband and I felt shortness of breath and little exertion seemed like cardio! To visit Rocky Mountain National Park during the pandemic, make sure to check their website in advance to see if reservations are necessary.

Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska | The Sweet Savory Life

Scenic stop at Highway 82 W heading to Aspen, Colorado | The Sweet Savory Life

Clinton Gulch Dam Reservoir near Summit County, Colorado | The Sweet Savory Life

Days 21 and 22 | Utah and Nevada

Day 21: drive from Glenwood Springs to Utah, visit Arches National Park

Arches National Park is less than 3 hours away from Glenwood Springs in Colorado. Unlike Yellowstone, Arches NP is small in comparison but just as remarkable. We explored the park for a few hours and started driving toward Nevada spending the night at a truck stop along the way. Sadly, we’ve decided to skip most of Utah’s national parks due to excessive heat but made plans in coming back when the weather cools off!

Day 22: Great Basin National Park in Nevada, drive to Half Moon Bay

Basin National Park was a quick stop for us as we start our long drive back to California! We took the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive to get some of the best views of the great basin desert though Wheeler Peak was close during our visit. After the quick stop, we happily drove 10 hours to get back to the coast of California! Hello, Half Moon Bay!

Noteworthy tips: We specifically planned to arrive late in the afternoon at Arches NP because of the heat. Arriving close to sunset proved to be the right choice not just for the heat but for the gorgeous hues the sunset glow gives the arches and monuments.

Arches National Park, Utah | The Sweet Savory Life

Days 23 to 30 | Beaches in California

Day 23: Half Moon Bay

Day 24: Pebble Beach

Day 25: drive south on the scenic California Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway)

Days 26 to 30: Oceanside, Carlsbad and San Diego

To be considerate, we self-isolated for at least 7 days just in case we picked up Covid-19 along the way. Even though we made sure to socially distance and practiced safety during our month-long trip, quarantining is the right thing to do. And what better way to quarantine than beach bumming?! At first, the plan was to stay in Half Moon Bay/ Pebble Beach area but the northern coast was filled with miles of seaweeds. So we drove south heading to Malibu only to be surprised with tens of thousands of people on the beaches that weekend. We drove further south finally arriving at Oceanside and Carlsbad. We finally found our perfect quarantine getaway! Warmer water and definitely not crowded! Our road trip has finally ended and it did in the most beautiful way! Well… except for the 500+ fires happening all over the state due to thunderstorm which seemed to follow us from South Dakota!