Yellowstone, Grand Teton & Bryce Canyon Self-Launched Road Trip
7 days · Western USA (Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana)
Bindlestiff Tours charges £1,420
No-markup version: ~£1,015 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, solo-traveller-friendly version of Bindlestiff Tours' 7-day camping loop out of Las Vegas — same national parks, same wildlife, same campfire nights, but booked yourself. Hire a car (or split one with travellers you meet in Vegas hostel groups), pitch your own tent in the same campgrounds, and self-drive the Cedar Breaks → Bryce → Salt Lake City → Grand Teton → Yellowstone → Valley of Fire loop. You'll cover roughly 2,300 miles, so a car is essentially mandatory; a shared rental split between 2-3 travellers (arranged via hostel noticeboards, Reddit r/solotravel or the Las Vegas Hostel common room) is the single biggest cost saver. Campground reservations open 6 months ahead on Recreation.gov and sell out fast for Yellowstone — book the day they open.
Day-by-day
Las Vegas → Cedar Breaks → Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Pick up a rental car at LAS airport or a downtown depot (~£28-35/day for a compact, cheaper if booked 2-3 months out). Drive north-east on I-15 then UT-14 through Cedar Breaks National Monument, climbing to the 10,400 ft summit viewpoint — free to drive through, £8 if you stop and use facilities. Continue to Bryce Canyon City and check into Ruby's Inn Campground (the same site the tour uses) — unserved tent pitch from about £18/night, £26 with electric. Afternoon: hike the Rim Trail or descend the Navajo Loop into the hoodoos (2-3 hrs, free). Evening: free ranger geology talk at the amphitheatre (check the park newspaper for times, usually 8-9pm in summer) plus a campfire. Buy groceries in Cedar City or Panguitch on the way — a small cooler in the boot saves a fortune.
🚌Self-drive Las Vegas → Cedar Breaks → Bryce, ~270 miles / 4.5 hrs; fuel ~£35
🛏Ruby's Inn Campground, Bryce Canyon City (own tent, ~£18-26)
- →Cedar Breaks summit drive
- →Navajo Loop / Rim Trail hike
- →Free ranger geology program
- →Campfire at Ruby's
Bryce Canyon sunrise to Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Sunrise at Sunrise Point (worth the 5:30am alarm), then drive 4 hrs north on I-15 to Salt Lake City. Free self-guided wander of Temple Square (the Mormon Temple exterior and Tabernacle), the Utah State Capitol building (free entry, great views down the valley), and Brigham Young's Territorial Governors Mansion (Lion House, free). Skip the $200 food-kitty hotel night the tour charges for and instead book a downtown hostel or budget motel — the Salt Lake City hostel/Airbnb scene is thin, so a budget motel like a Motel 6 or Super 8 runs £45-60 for a private room but solo travellers can find hostel dorms in the Sugar House area for ~£28. Eat at a diner on State Street (~£12).
🚌Self-drive Bryce → Salt Lake City, ~270 miles / 4 hrs; fuel ~£30
🛏Hostel dorm or budget motel, downtown Salt Lake City (~£28-45)
- →Sunrise Point sunrise
- →Temple Square self-guided walk
- →Utah State Capitol
- →Lion House / Governors Mansion
Salt Lake City → Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Drive 5 hrs north via US-89 through Logan and Afton into Jackson Hole — stop in Jackson for a coffee and a look at the elk antler arches on the town square. Enter Grand Teton and drive the Teton Park Road to Gros Ventre Campground (£18/night, first-come-first-served overflow available; reserve on Recreation.gov up to 6 months out). Afternoon: walk to Inspiration Point above Jenny Lake (the boat shuttle is £12 return, or hike the 2.5 miles round the south shore for free) and continue to Hidden Falls. Evening is prime wildlife time — moose in the willows along the Gros Ventre River, and grizzlies are regular in the sage flats. Pack a picnic from the Jackson supermarket.
🚌Self-drive Salt Lake City → Jackson → Grand Teton, ~280 miles / 5 hrs; fuel ~£32
🛏Gros Ventre Campground, Grand Teton NP (own tent, ~£18)
- →Jenny Lake & Inspiration Point hike
- →Hidden Falls
- →Jackson town square
- →Evening wildlife spotting
Grand Teton → Yellowstone south loop
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Early start for the drive north through John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway and into Yellowstone via the South Entrance (£27 park entry, valid 7 days; non-US residents pay a surcharge — budget £27-35). Check into Grant Village Campground (£22/night, reserve months ahead; it has showers and a general store). Afternoon on the South Loop: Old Faithful (check eruption times at the visitor centre — every ~90 mins), the Upper Geyser Basin boardwalk, Grand Prismatic Spring from the Midway Geyser Basin boardwalk and the Fairy Falls overlook trail, and Fountain Paint Pot. Evening drive to Hayden Valley or the Madison River for bison herds and if you're lucky a wolf pack. Bring a headtorch and bear spray (rent or buy ~£30, split between travellers).
🚌Self-drive Grand Teton → Yellowstone South Entrance → Old Faithful, ~110 miles / 2.5 hrs; fuel ~£20
🛏Grant Village Campground, Yellowstone NP (own tent, ~£22)
- →Old Faithful eruption
- →Grand Prismatic Spring
- →Upper Geyser Basin boardwalk
- →Fairy Falls overlook
- →Hayden Valley wildlife drive
Yellowstone north loop — canyon, Lamar Valley
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming/Montana
Full day on the North Loop. Drive to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and walk the Brink of the Lower Falls trail plus the South Rim Trail to Artist Point (the classic view). Continue through Tower-Roosevelt and out to Lamar Valley — the best wolf and grizzly viewing in the lower 48. Dawn or dusk is essential; if you're up for it, leave camp at 4:30am, the way the tour guides do. Bring binoculars. On the way back, detour to Mammoth Hot Springs terraces and, optionally, the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone (£20 entry) — the optional add-on the operator charges separately for. No booking needed for any of this; all self-drive and self-guided.
🚌Self-drive North Loop, ~150 miles; fuel ~£25
🛏Grant Village Campground, Yellowstone NP (own tent, ~£22)
- →Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone / Artist Point
- →Uncle Tom's Trail or Brink of Lower Falls
- →Lamar Valley wolf watching
- →Mammoth Hot Springs
- →Optional Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center (£20)
Yellowstone → Provo / Utah Lake
Provo, Utah
Long drive day south — 6.5 hrs via Jackson or via Idaho Falls and I-15, your choice (the Idaho Falls route is faster). Break the drive at Bear Lake or in Logan Canyon for a swim and a leg stretch. Overnight at a lakeside campground near Utah Lake State Park (£20/night, bookable on the Utah State Parks site) or a Provo budget motel (~£42 private room). Afternoon walk along the Provo River Trail or the Bridal Veil Falls trailhead at the mouth of Provo Canyon (free, 1 hr). Self-catered BBQ at the campsite in place of the tour's final-night BBQ — grab burgers and corn from a Provo supermarket (~£10).
🚌Self-drive Yellowstone → Provo, ~380 miles / 6.5 hrs; fuel ~£45
🛏Utah Lake State Park campground or Provo budget motel (~£20-42)
- →Logan Canyon / Bear Lake stop
- →Provo River Trail walk
- →Bridal Veil Falls trailhead
- →DIY campsite BBQ
Valley of Fire State Park → Las Vegas
Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
Drive 4 hrs south-west on I-15, stopping at Valley of Fire State Park (£8 entry per vehicle). Hike the Fire Wave and White Domes loop (2.5 miles, stunning red rock stripes), scramble the sand dunes near Atlatl Rock, and see the petroglyphs. Arrive back in Las Vegas early evening, drop the car at the airport and treat yourself to a cheap Strip happy hour or a hostel night if you're staying on — the tour ends at the Palms Casino Resort at 5pm if you want to compare notes with travellers who took the group version.
🚌Self-drive Provo → Valley of Fire → Las Vegas, ~400 miles / 5.5 hrs incl. park loop; fuel ~£45
🛏None included (Las Vegas hostel dorm ~£30 if staying on)
- →Valley of Fire Fire Wave hike
- →White Domes loop
- →Petroglyphs at Atlatl Rock
- →Sand dunes
Self-launched vs. Bindlestiff Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Bindlestiff Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,015 | £1,420 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £405 per person (29%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Bindlestiff Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,015
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Yellowstone, Grand Teton & Bryce Canyon Self-Launched Road Trip cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,015 per person for 7 days in Western USA (Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Bindlestiff Tours?+
Yes — Bindlestiff Tours charges around £1,420 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,015 — a saving of roughly £405 (29%) per person.
How long is the Western USA (Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana) trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Western USA (Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, hiking, wildlife trip through Western USA (Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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