(source: nps.gov)
Trip Planning · From Salt Lake City, UT
SLC is the cheapest, most-served airport in the region. Drive 4h 30m up I-15 to your Island Park cabin — and you're 30 minutes from Yellowstone's West Entrance.
I-15 north through Ogden and Pocatello to Idaho Falls, then US-20 to Island Park. About 285 miles.
Delta hub. Nonstops from 100+ cities — usually the cheapest way into the Yellowstone region. Every major rental brand on-site.
Hour-by-hour route, stops, gas, and detours for the SLC → Yellowstone drive.
SLC vs BZN, IDA, JAC for fares and drive times.
Idaho Falls regional airport — 90 minutes from the cabin if SLC fares aren't worth the drive.
North on I-15 through Ogden, Pocatello, and Idaho Falls, then northeast on US-20 to Island Park. About 285 miles, 4h 30m — no mountain passes, no tolls.
I-15 N through Ogden, Tremonton, and across the Idaho state line. Fuel up in Tremonton or Pocatello — the latter has the cleanest rest stop on the route.
Continue I-15 N. Flat farm country. Idaho Falls is the last full-service city before the cabin — Costco, Target, and a Trader Joe's all near the interstate.
Exit I-15 onto US-20 N. Through Rexburg, Sugar City, and Ashton (Big Jud's burger stop). The road climbs gently into lodgepole pine forest — cabin check-in awaits.
Most SLC travelers default to Jackson or West Yellowstone — and pay 2–3× more for lodging. Island Park is the same drive (or shorter), 30 minutes to Yellowstone's West Entrance, and 2h 20m to Grand Teton. One basecamp, both parks, a fraction of the cost.
West Entrance via US-20 — be at Old Faithful by 8 AM.
Drive back through Ashton + Driggs for a day in Jenny Lake or Mormon Row.
Cabin pricing is a fraction of Jackson and West Yellowstone hotels — especially in summer.