The Cowboy-Cation Movement: Roadtrip Out West
Rather it’s dreams of living out a Yellowstone episode, an escape to wide-open spaces, or just an excuse to sport this seasons western fashion trends, people are traveling west. Some hotels in the western US have officially adopted the term, Cowboy-cation, for their full experience, Old West package. Here’s my cowboy-cation roadtrip through Wyoming and Montana.
Start in Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Surrounded by the Teton Mountain Range to west, and by the Gros Ventre Range to the east, sits the luxurious, yet rugged town of Jackson. The valley is famous for its breathtaking landscapes characterized by rugged mountains, verdant forests, pristine rivers, and expansive meadows. Grand Teton National Park and Bridger-Teton National Forest are among the protected areas that showcase the area’s natural splendor. Year round enjoy excellent restaurants and fine dining. The shopping is extensive from western and fur shops to local art artisans. The wildlife viewing is also spectacular in the winter and summer.
Winter: Jackson Hole has 3 ski resorts – and a part of the IKON Pass – for the winter months that boasts its expert skiing terrain. Not a skier? Rent a snowmobile and take a tour through the Tetons.
Spring/Summer: In the warm months people can enjoy hiking, ropes courses, mountain biking, water rafting, hot air ballon rides, and fishing. I did the ropes course at Snow King Resort for an entire day and loved it! At 5 a.m. we took a hot air balloon ride with Wyoming Balloon Company. We were in the air above the ranches and mountains for about 45 minutes. After landing in a field of cows, our guides popped open champagne for mimosas. 10/10 experience!
Enter Grand Teton National Park
Rent a car and take U.S. Highway 191/89 north out of Jackson and follow it through Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Stop and admire the countless lakes along the route or pull off and take one of the many hiking trails. We walked around Jenny Lake. I spent the night in the town of Alta. The next morning we headed to explore the West Thumb Geyser Basin, which is the largest geyser basin on Yellowstone Lake.
Through Yellowstone National Park
Our quest for geysers continued through Yellowstone. We waited along with hundreds of others to witness the iconic eruption of Old Faithful, which goes off every 44 minutes. After a day of making our way through the park we stayed the night in a lodge in Cody, WY.
The next day was spent hiking the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone before we continued on our journey into Montana.
Big Sky, Montana
Big Sky is a short drive from the West Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. If I was visiting during ski season I would’ve stayed longer, but we still walked around the quaint downtown and ate lunch.
Missoula, Montana
Before arriving in Missoula, my father, a history buff, wanted to stop in the historic mining town of Butte, Montana. Once deemed “The Richest Hill on Earth” in the late 1900s due to its mining of gold, silver, and copper, now resembles a ghost town. Check out the The Granite Mountain Memorial for some sobering history.
Our first night in Missoula we spent at the Double Tree by Hilton located on the Missoula River. The views from our room and their restaurant were breathtaking! My friend and I picked up a cooler and beer from the corner store, grabbed three industrial inner tubes from the hardware store (one for each of us and one for the cooler), and my dad drove us upstream. We flooded down the river for hours, bumping tubes many locals doing the same.
The next morning we met our fly fishing guides in town, and they drove us to Bonner, Montana where we fished the Blackfoot River.
Alberton, Montana
Our next stop (and my favorite of the trip) was the small town of Alberton. We rented a large cabin that sat overlooking the Clark Fork River. We hiked down to the river every day to fly fish and float in our tubes.
The Details
The roadtrip was ten days total. The crew was me, my friend from college, my parents, and a couple friend of theirs. We rented a seven-passenger van that my dad drove. The dynamic of two 21-year-olds and two retired couples both well above the age of 65 on a roadtrip together was hilariously incongruous. More to come on where to eat, shop, and stay! Subscribe for more.
