There is a moment, somewhere past the last Seattle exit, when the city finally lets go and I-90 opens up ahead of you. That is the start of one of the most driven routes in America: roughly 750 miles and 11 hours of wheel time to Yellowstone National Park. Done right, it is not a slog. It is a string of good towns, better food stops and a couple of sights worth the detour.
Open this route in XCRSNLeaving Seattle
Aim to clear Seattle before the morning rush, or after it, never in it. Fill the tank on the edge of town where prices usually drop, set the playlist, and settle in for the first 471 miles to Missoula.
The headline stop on this route is Snoqualmie Pass. Leave real time for it; it sets the tone for the whole trip.
Missoula
Missoula sits about 471 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Nearby, Coeur d'Alene lake is worth the short detour if the day is going well.
Bozeman, the last stretch
Bozeman sits about 666 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Rolling into Yellowstone National Park
The final 84 miles always go faster than you expect. Save a little energy for Gallatin Canyon into the park; it is a fitting finish.
By the end you will have seen Snoqualmie Pass, Coeur d'Alene lake and Gallatin Canyon into the park, and you will understand why this corridor is a classic.
When to go and how to pace it
Split the drive near the halfway mark. Most travelers sleep in Missoula or Bozeman, MT, which keeps each day under eight hours and leaves time for the stops that make the trip.
Check live gas prices along I-90 before you go; they can swing a lot from one state or county to the next. XCRSN prices every leg for your exact car.
