Start in Jackson Hole, where your can raft or fish the Snake River, or take the tram up the ski resort and hike out from there. When you come back to town, get food and beer at the Snake River Brew Pub go to the Stagecoach bar to take in live music played by ski mountaineering pioneer Bill Briggs.

View Jackson to Yellowstone in a larger map

In the morning, gear up in town for a couple of days of camping then head north past the ski resort to Grand Teton National Park.

Try to secure a campsite at Jenny Lake, the prettiest and most popular campground.  If you do get a spot, it’ll set you up perfectly for a bunch of good hikes and climbs. You can also go boating on the lake.

After you’ve exhausted Grand Teton (which might take years) head farther north up 287 to Yellowstone National Park.

The main attractions at Yellowstone, like Old Faithful, are almost always crowded, but they live up to the hype.  Deal with the crowds to get a look, then break away for a hike like the Doghead Loop near Lewis Lake or, head into the backcountry for a longer trip.