My last 4 days of my vacation in Wy. are
becoming a dilemma. We fly into SLC spend 1 night, spent 3 days in GTNP, 5 in YP, and 3 in Cody, then have 4 nights left before flying out of SLC.
We thought about driving to Vernal for 2 nights, but thats 8 1/2 hr drive, is there any place of interest to spend one night in
between there, as I don't see 2 nights in Vernal interesting enough. Then we planned
2 nights in Park City, but this is in Sept.
and we can't ski, is it worth 2 nights or are we missing a great side trip, or a better plan for 4 nights between Cody and SLC? Please help 2 travelers in their 50's
who love scenery, museums and something different than Missouri. Thank you so much!!

Also, are you driving the Beartooth and Chief Joseph? I would probably overnight in Red Lodge or that little lodge near the top if I had your time. I think the lodge was called Top of the World.

I wish we would have had a little time to see more of Montana, maybe going up to Livingston from YNP and doing some fly fishing or just driving for the pleasure of the scenery.

Good luck filling your extra days. A lady we met on the plane said she enjoyed staying on the other side of Teton Pass. I think that area is called Grand Targhee near Driggs, Idaho.

Ehovis, I thought you might be interested in this. We happened upon a wildlife tour with a science institute in the GTNP area when we stopped at a pull-off on Gros Ventre Road on the way to Kelly. We were looking for wildlife, too. Anyway, the guide was excellent and pointed out moose for us to see, too, when we drove up. Either take a tour or find their van and follow it around! ;-)

Just take your time between Cody and SLC. There's a lot to see along the way - historical spots and interesting museums. There's Thermopolis with its Hot Springs and Dinosaur museums. Riverton has a neat Indian museum. There's South Pass and South Pass City and other sites along the Oregon Trail.
Up in Pinedale is some awesome scenery and the Museum of the Mountain Man. In Kemmerer you can visit the JC Penny home and museum and just south of there is the restored Fort Bridger.

I took this route a few years ago when I followed the Oregon Trail through Wyoming and enjoyed it very much. I also went to Vernal and explored the Flaming Gorge Area and Dinosaur National Monument. There are some great petroglyphs around Vernal but you probably wont have time to go there if you see all the stuff up in Wyoming.

Also, in late September, the Wasatch Range behind SLC is gorgeous with all the maples turning color. This might be the best area for autumn colors in the West. The road between Sundance and Timpanogos Cave National Monument is especialy scenic when the trees are turning. You could easily spend a couple of days in this area exploring.

THANK you so much. I researched these
little towns and plan to slow down our drive to vernal so that all we do is get in late and sleep in vernal the first night, and spend the next day in the dinasaur park, and museum, spending the second night there and then I believe Park city our last 2 nights are in the Wasatch Range mountains and we are shutter bugs so now I feel the last 4 nights are well planned too. We are driving the Beartooth, wouldn't miss it. Thank you both for your great advice.