Guide
Staying in Idaho Falls on the way to Yellowstone or the Tetons
Yellowstone and Grand Teton are two hours or a little more from Idaho Falls, so what matters is which part of town you sleep in and which road you take.
If you are booking a room here on the way to Yellowstone or Grand Teton, Idaho Falls is a sensible place to break the drive. The regional airport is two miles from downtown, and both parks are a drive of two hours or a little more.
What matters is which part of town you sleep in, and which road you take out of it.
How far the parks are
Road distances from the middle of Idaho Falls, measured on OpenStreetMap routing:
- West Yellowstone, Montana: about 108 miles on US 20, a little over two hours
- Old Faithful, through the park's west entrance: about 160 miles
- Jackson, Wyoming: about 89 miles
- Rexburg: about 28 miles, on the way north
West Yellowstone is the Montana town next to the park, and US 20 runs there from Idaho Falls. It is the simpler of the two drives: one highway most of the way.
Jackson is fewer miles but a mountain drive. The route follows US 26 to Swan Valley, then Idaho 31 and Idaho 33 to Victor, then crosses into Wyoming on Highway 22 over Teton Pass, which tops out at 8,435 feet. Grand Teton National Park is roughly 5 miles from Jackson.
Two things to check before you set out
Teton Pass. In June 2024 a landslide took out part of Wyoming 22 on the pass. A detour opened later that month with a steeper grade and a low speed limit. Look at Wyoming's road conditions the morning you drive, and in winter plan for the pass as a mountain road.
Yellowstone's road season. The road from the west entrance to Old Faithful is open to ordinary cars only part of the year. In 2026 the park listed it as open from April 17 to October 31; check the park's road page for the current year. The only road generally open to regular vehicles all year runs across the north, between Gardiner and Cooke City in Montana. In winter, the west entrance is not your way in by car.
Where the hotels are
The 35 places in our Hotels category fall into a few clusters. Where you land decides what the evening looks like.
Lindsay Boulevard and River Parkway. This is the main cluster: nine of our hotels have a Lindsay Boulevard address and three more are on River Parkway, with a couple of others on side streets nearby. The River Parkway hotels share a block with a River Walk trail access, and downtown is under half a mile away. Most of the Lindsay Boulevard hotels are one to two miles from the airport in a straight line, so this is the practical pick for a late flight in or an early one out.
West Broadway. Six hotels and motels have a West Broadway address. Only East 17th Street has more restaurant addresses in our listings than West Broadway, so dinner can be a walk.
Snake River Landing. Southwest of downtown, between I-15 and the river, a 450-acre development has grown up along Snake River Parkway. A couple of our hotels are there, in the same development as the Mountain America Center, the arena where the Spud Kings play hockey. If you are in town for an event at the arena, start your search here.
Channing Way, by the mall. Two hotels sit on Channing Way, about a quarter mile from the Grand Teton Mall on East 17th Street. East 17th has more restaurant addresses than any other street in our data. This side of town is almost three miles from downtown in a straight line and close to five from the airport, so it suits a trip built around the east side rather than a flight.
The rest. A few more sit along South Yellowstone Highway, on Outlet Boulevard and South Fork Boulevard, and on scattered streets closer in.
Picking between them
For a flight, Lindsay Boulevard. For an evening walk and dinner without the car, River Parkway, with the River Walk out the door and downtown a short walk away. For an arena event, Snake River Landing. For the mall and East 17th, Channing Way.
Before you book
We list each hotel's name, street and phone number and nothing else. We have not stayed in them, and we do not carry prices, ratings or reviews. Call or check the hotel directly about rates, pet policies and whether they hold rooms for late arrivals.
The War Bonnet Round Up, the town's rodeo, usually runs around the first weekend of August. If your dates overlap with it, book early.