Well, hopefully you can someday get into a situation where you can take bigger chunks of time. We can hope, eh?

As a bit of veteran of those parks, I'll echo the sentiment that 8-9 days including travel isn't enough time for those 3. RMNP is a haul from Yellowstone/Grand Teton. I would definitely leave RMNP off the list and focus on the other two. Even just those two are a challenge to fit into a 8-9 day week with travel.

I would 100% drive the 4Runner if possible. There might not be trails you can drive in the parks, but there are outside, and it just 'fits'. Hell, the entire reason I bought this instead of a crossover/SUV that does 90% of the things better than a 4Runner is to take it to that part of the country.

Personally disagree. The drive from the Grand Lake side of RMNP up to Yellowstone is absolutely beautiful. Take 125 through Jackson County, Saratoga WY, Lander, Dubois, then Jackson WY. You'll get to see a lot - North Park, Wind River, Bridger-Teton on 26. A few ghost towns. Good food in Lander.

Stay the night in Grand Lake or somewhere that side of the park and you can make the drive in less than a day the next morning. You'll be able to roll in to the Tetons and set up camp well before sunset.

OP has a 1700-mile drive just to get to RMNP. 2100 miles to Yellowstone. I think the point here is that he will only have time for a meaningful visit in one of them.

8-9 Days once he's in the Rockies is plenty of time to see it all. 1 Day in RMNP, 1 Day to Yellowstone, 6-7 days in Yellowstone. And yes, it's going to be a lot of driving but you're going to go through a lot of beautiful country that most people don't ever see.

He has 8-9 days total, I believe. He has 5 days minimum just driving there and back.

8-9 Days total was my understanding, and he's coming from quite a distance.

You've got at ~2 days each way depending on your drive, which leaves 5 days for 3 parks. I just cant agree that 5 days split among those 3 parks (assuming you haven't been there before) is anywhere close to enough time to have a meaningful visit at any one of them, let alone all three.

Especially with RMNP being full 500 mile day away from YS or GT. If it's his first time in Yellowstone, 5 days is barely enough as it is.

Just to clear things up. Plan is below:

Optional leave two days early to drive.
Night 1: Jackson or Jackson Hole regardless of drive or fly
Night 2-3: Stay in Grand Teton
Night 4-6: Stay in Yellowstone (potentially Jackson on last night)
Night 7-8: Stay in Rocky Mountain NP
Night 9: Flex day to stay in Rocky Mountain NP, Denver, or push later part of trip back a day and incorporate this day into Grand Teton or Yellowstone
Day 10: Fly back from Denver or begin drive back to VA. Driving would push out arrival to VA by an extra day

Just make sure you get entry reservations for the National Parks. Not sure about Yellowstone but RMNP is definitely on a daily quota.

Thanks that’s good to know!

So you have two extra days at the front, and one extra day at the back? 13 days total?

Like a couple others on here, my wife and I have done this same trip, essentially, about 10 times (we actually do Yellowstone and Glacier). We're in Ohio, so a tiny bit closer.

In your case, driving from Richmond, you have about 2200 miles to Jackson/Yellowstone. You also have 2200 miles back (maybe a little more via RMNP). So you're at 4400+ miles (63 hours of driving at 70mph average, which is difficult to do) without doing any sightseeing. Once there, I bet you burn at least 1000 miles sightseeing amongst the parks (Yellowstone is huge, 9 times the square miles of RMNP. And it has 250 miles of roads). So you're at 5400 miles minimum for the trip, I'd guess. Likely closer to 6000. Average of 600 miles/day for 10 days. I love driving, but at that rate, fatigue will set in, ruining 1-2 days of your trip.

I'm trying to be helpful. I've done the 5am-11pm runs twice. You can get to Yellowstone or Glacier on day 2, but you're burned out. You think you're buying days in the parks, but they're not quality days.

Here's what I would do if I had 10-12 days: I'd drive to Yellowstone/Tetons, allowing at least 3 days to get there. South Dakota is worth slowing down for. Allowing for 3 days' return trip, that will leave me 4-6 days to chill and explore Yellowstone and the Tetons (plus a ton of territory right next door if you want to explore). I still wouldn't be able to see it all, but I wouldn't feel rushed, either. Personally, I would save RMNP for another trip.

That's me. Best wishes to you!

OK, now it makes more sense. You want to do a drive-through, stopping at the scenic overlooks, walking a short distance, snapping a few pics, get in the truck and drive to the next location. This is what most tourists do, as well as the bus loads of foreigners you’ll encounter. That’s OK.

But if you really want to “explore” as you originally said, you will need more time or slim down your ambitions. I spent 2 days hiking in Grand Teton and 13 days hiking in Yellowstone. And that was still not enough. It’s just incredible, so much to see, but you have to walk and hike to see the best and get away from crowds. Yellowstone is huge with long drives between major scenic areas. Plus you may get caught in traffic jams of cars watching roadside bears, or bison.

I would also recommend you concentrate most of your time on GT and YNP. Plan out your days of travel, lodging, sights to see, hikes to take. Your base lodging could be Jackson, Old Faithful Inn, Canyon Village, West Yellowstone. Or campgrounds nearby. Make reservations. Research what is open and closed. The winters are so severe that there is usually roadway reconstruction every year. Delays happen. Plan it out in as much detail as you can, it will be so rewarding.

Looks like just RMNP at this time but worth monitoring

Ever thought about having your 4R trucked out to a central location and flying out and picking it up? save you a few days of driving, but's you'd still have your own vehicle.

Yes definitely looked into it - seemed a bit expensive. Think I was seeing $1,000+ for one way