| Day | Itinerary | Time | Notes | Animal Log |
| Friday | Drive Chicago to Sidney, NB (13hr) | Daytime Drive 9AM — 10PM |
No way to avoid spending day of driving, just enjoy the scenery | Pronghorn Geese Turkey Cows Donkeys Horses |
| Saturday | More driving (8hr) Sierra Trading Post |
9AM — 7PM | Sierra Trading Post was worth the visit and we still made camp before dark. | Pronghorn |
| Sunday | Tetons: Hiked Bradley & Taggert Lakes Jenny Lake scenic drive (Black Bear) Oxbow Bend |
9AM – 6PM | Deep snow, minimal trail, fun. Cool to cold but not windy. | Marmots Grouse Black Bear & Cub Bald Eagle Pelicans Osprey |
| Monday | Tetons: Hiked to Hidden Falls Drive through Yellowstone (3:45) |
Passed through Yellowstone @ dusk Got to the motel @ 11ish |
Deep snow, minimal trail, fun. Cool to cold but mostly calm — except the momentary snow storm. Late drive fine b/c no need to make camp | Moose Bison Grizzly & Cub |
| Tuesday | Yellowstone: Provisioning stop @ Wally’s Setup camp Mammoth Hot Springs |
Hiking in the afternoon, late return | Mammoth Hot Springs was a basic, boardwalk / trails hike. | Bighorn Sheep Bison Elk Hare |
| Wednesday | Yellowstone: Norris Basin Lower Geyser Basin Old Faithful Geyser Basin Hayden Valley in the evening |
Up Earlyish Left Old Faithful Basin @ 6PM |
Lots of walking with other people on boardwalks. | Bison Coyote More Bison Elk Crane No Wolves |
| Thursday | Yellowstone: Hayden Valley Grizzly Yellowstone Falls Artists Paint Pots Nice sunset |
Up Earlyish | Tried to hike to Rainbow Lake… trail not passable. Might have been doable in the early AM when still frozen. | Coyote Grizzly Osprey |
| Friday | Yellowstone: Lamar Valley (canceled) Tower Falls Mt. Washburn Drive to Belle Fourche (7hr). |
Earlyish, but needed to pack up Drive into the night, 6PM – 3AM | Should probably have realized that we weren’t going to make it to Lamar Valley “early” after packing up camp If the trail to the lower Tower Falls lookout is not fully open, don’t bother. | Bison Black Bear Cinnamon Black Bear Bighorn Sheep Elk |
| Saturday | Drive to Rushmore Drive to Badlands Badlands: Castle Trail / Medicine Root Trail |
Rushmore: 12PM Badlands: 5:00PM |
Rushmore was a joke but the box has been checked Badlands hike was late, but good. | No Rattlesnakes Pepe Le Elk (Deer) |
| Sunday | Badlands: Door Trail Window Trail Notch Trail Prairie Dog Town Wall Drug Drive to Chicago |
Left Badlands @ 5:30PM | Careful driving through Montana at night. Not freeway and thus nothing is open. Fortunately we didn’t need gas. | No Rattlesnakes Prairie Dogs Bison |
| Monday | Unpack | Could have found somewhere to stay, but not much else to see between Badlands and Chicago |
Tetons & Yellowstone – Travel Itinerary
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