Eastern Idaho is one of the best road trip destinations in the USA. From plentiful roaring waterfalls, lush forests, dramatic mountain peaks, massive sand dunes and endless valleys, exploring the Teton Valley makes for a fantastic road trip with natural landscapes beyond compare.
While possible to accomplish exploring the famous Teton Valley in a weekend trip, you are definitely going to want to take your time exploring this insanely beautiful part of the United States. Our 4-day Eastern Idaho road trip itinerary is going to help you do just that!
4 Day Eastern Idaho Road Trip Route
Where to Start and End Your Eastern Idaho Road Trip
You will be starting and ending your road trip in Idaho Falls, or more specifically, the rental car area near the Idaho Falls regional airport. In saying that, you could jump on this itinerary at any stage of your Idaho road trip and you may opt to start/finish in different spots.
With this itinerary, we are using our first-hand experience to help you put together an adventurous 4-day Eastern Idaho road trip. This ultimate planning guide will also share some of our favorite scenic stops, hikes, suggestions of where to stay, and some of our favorite food options along the way.
Where to stay in the Teton Valley
For this itinerary, we’re recommending the Moose Creek Ranch; although there are plentiful free camping sites, official camping areas and other hotels if you’d prefer to lodge elsewhere!
Know Before You Go to Eastern Idaho
Driving Around the Teton Valley
You most likely won’t need a 4×4 or AWD vehicle with higher clearance unless you are wanting to do some hiking off some dirt roads. We’d recommend if you are doing hikes like the Darby Canyon Wind Cave or Sheep Falls to upgrade your car rental to a higher clearance just in case since there can be mud and significant potholes on both of those roads.
In terms of gas, most of the gas stations are only located in the bigger towns, so make sure to keep an eye out while driving on the highways since there can be some areas with quite a long stretch before a gas station turns up again.
Cell Service & WiFi
This area has pretty good signal along the highways, however, we’d recommend downloading maps for offline use ahead of time. Whether you use Google Maps or a service like All Trails Pro, it’s better to have your directions and hiking maps saved in advance.
Bear Safety
Eastern Idaho is known to have bears in its wilderness areas. Make sure to touch up on bear safety for both grizzlies and black bears and carry bear spray with you at all times when recreating outside. If you don’t have any with you, you can pick some up from the Victor Emporium in Victor.
Travel With Care and Leave No Trace
Make sure to brush up on the Travel With Care pillars and the 7 Leave No Trace principles when enjoying all of the beautiful nature that Eastern Idaho has to offer.
DAY 1: Idaho Falls to Victor
You will be starting day 1 at the Idaho Falls Airport. From here you will pick up your rental car and begin your Eastern Idaho Road trip! The rental car companies are located right next to the baggage claim area.
Stop #1: Fall Creek Falls
As you start making your way toward the town of Victor, we’d recommend making your first stop at our favorite waterfall in Eastern Idaho, Fall Creek Falls. Fall Creek Falls is tucked away in the Swan Valley and is hidden right off of the U.S. Hwy 26 where you’ll find a road either called NF-058 or Snake River-Palisades Dam Road.
You drive about 1.5 miles down a dirt road where you can find pull outs for parking. Right next to the pull outs, you’ll find a few different pathways that have already been cleared that will take you to the viewpoint overlooking Fall Creek Falls from above.
Make sure to bring grippy hiking shoes or water shoes, sunscreen, water, and a camera!
Stop #2: Victor Emporium
One of the top things to do in the town of Victor is to try the world-famous Huckleberry Milkshake from the Victor Emporium. It’s absolutely delicious and refreshing. You can also stock up on other camping/hiking supplies here if needed as well, but they are definitely known for their superb milkshakes.
Stop #3: Grab a drink at Grand Teton Brewing
Right down the street from the Emporium, you’ll find Grand Teton Brewing Co. It’s a cute little brewery with incredible beer and fantastic landscapes of the Teton mountain range from their outdoor patio.
If you’re hungry, you can kick back and relax here with a picnic, perhaps from the Victor Valley Market (which makes amazing fresh deli sandwiches) and enjoy the views and brews. The brewery itself doesn’t have food so just make sure to get your food from the market in advance.
Stop #4: Check into your hotel at the Moose Creek Ranch
The Moose Creek Ranch has a few different lodging options, whether you’d like to stay in your own RV/camper, in one of their luxury glamping cabins next to the river, or a cabin. We stayed in the glamping units and absolutely loved our stay!
It comes equipped with a furnace to keep you warm, a solo stove and smores kit, and twinkly lights to keep your glamping ambience cozy.
The ranch also has free bagels, oatmeal, and coffee for breakfast in the main lodge, as well as WiFi. Once you check in, head back into Victor to grab a bite to eat for dinner.
Stop #5: Hike the Moose Creek Trail for Sunset
End the day with a sunset hike along the Moose Creek Trail. This is a great beginner friendly trail and is great for all skill levels including those hiking with children. It is 3 miles out and back in length, but you can also shorten it to your liking. It has pretty minimal elevation gain at 249 ft and is dog friendly. Keep an eye out for wildlife on this trail as it’s very common to see elk and moose along the way.
If you are hiking it at sunset, make sure to pack some headlamps, lanterns, or flashlights for when it gets dark on your return back from the hike.
DAY 2: Island Park: Horseback Riding, Waterfalls & Sand Dunes
Today you are heading out bright and early for a one-hour drive over to the Island Park area. This is going to take about a 1 hour 15 Minute drive so make sure to grab some breakfast, pack some snacks, and get your day pack together before you go!
Stop #1: Harriman State Park
Harriman State Park is a beautiful gem located on the border of Eastern Idaho and is very close to Yellowstone National Park. You can either explore by foot or by horseback here!
We’d recommend taking a two-hour trail ride with Dry Ridge Outfitters. Enjoy a scenic and relaxing ride up to the tree line of the park for gorgeous views overlooking the surrounding lakes. Make sure to keep an eye out for wildlife on your ride!
Stop #2: Explore Upper & Lower Mesa Falls
Mesa Falls is one of the Grand Targhee Forest’s hidden gems. The falls themselves are 114-foot tall and 200-foot wide, making it a true force of nature. We would highly recommend checking out both upper and lower Mesa Falls along the way. Upper Mesa Falls is more child friendly and accessible for an up close and personal experience with the gorgeous waterfall.
Stop #3: Hike to Sheep Falls
Sheep Falls is tucked away off a dirt path in the Grand Targhee Forest, located fairly close to Mesa Falls. We’d recommend taking the drive nice and slow unless you have a higher clearance vehicle since the road isn’t in the best condition. The hike itself is around 1.1 miles out and back and offers great views of the roaring river and falls in the canyon.
Stop #4: Wander Through the St. Anthony Sand Dunes for Sunset
Finish off your second day of adventures on your Eastern Idaho road trip by hitting the St. Anthony Sand Dunes near Rexburg. Try hiking up the tallest sand dunes for the most epic photos!
DAY 3: Exploring The Teton River
Stop #1: Teton River Supply
Today you’re heading out on an adventure along the famous Teton River with Teton River Supply. Choose your choice of watercraft – whether it be kayaks, paddle boards, or rafts, and head out for a half day excursion. You’ll see incredible views of the Teton mountain range and even encounter some wildlife if you are lucky.
Stop #2: Citizen 33 for Lunch
Stop for some food across the street at Citizen 33. It’s a local favorite restaurant with a fantastic food and beer selection. It does get pretty busy since it’s so popular, so don’t be surprised if there’s a short wait for a table.
Stop #3: Head to Driggs to Watch the Sunset
For sunset tonight, we’d recommend finding a gorgeous pullout along the scenic byway in Driggs. The drive is so scenic and the golden hour hitting the Grand & Middle Tetons is breathtaking.
DAY 4: Victor To Idaho Falls Airport
After you check out of your hotel, if you have a later flight, you can head out on another adventure!
Stop #1: Darby Canyon Wind Cave Hike
Enjoy one last hike before heading back to Idaho Falls. The Darby Canyon Wind Cave Hike is our favorite hike we did in the Teton Valley.
Make sure to bring bear spray, sunscreen, and your 10 essentials for this hike into the wilderness. The Darby Canyon hike takes you up into a beautiful canyon and along a ridge that overlooks the waterfalls the entire hike. The view of the cave itself makes the whole 6.3 miles and 1811 ft of elevation gain absolutely worth the effort.
Last Stop: Head Back to Idaho Falls Airport
It’s finally time to head back home. Drop your rental car off at the airport and say goodbye to a great trip in Eastern Idaho!
We hope you have a great time on your Eastern Idaho Road Trip!
Feature image is credited to The Lovers Passport.
Giselle and Stephen Jiroch are outdoor travel content creators known as The Lovers Passport and can be found on Instagram, Tik Tok, and YouTube, where they highlight their outdoor adventures and travels. Their goal is to inspire others to get outside and travel with their accessible travel guides, bucket list worthy itineraries, and tips on hiking, road tripping, and camping around the world.
Published on July 15, 2024
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