Getting here
Most visitors arrive from Bozeman or I-90, then watch the landscape change fast: brick Livingston, the Yellowstone River, Paradise Valley, Gardiner, and finally Yellowstone’s north entrance.
Airport and interstate
Livingston sits between Bozeman and Billings. For an arrival in town, follow the interstate approach to your lodging; for Paradise Valley or Gardiner, US-89 carries the journey south along the Yellowstone River. Check which of those places your room is actually in before planning the final leg.
Flying in
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport is the main fly-in approach described in this guide. Drive east on I-90 toward Livingston. Allow for baggage collection, vehicle pickup, and road conditions before setting a check-in or dinner time.
For Paradise Valley or Yellowstone plans, arrange a rental car or confirm transport for those outings before you arrive. Do not assume an airport transfer also covers the next day's travel.
From the east
Billings is roughly 110 miles east of Livingston. I-90 runs west through Big Timber and the Yellowstone River valley, keeping this approach on the interstate until you turn into town.
An I-90 hotel can suit an overnight road-trip stop; a downtown address makes more sense when the evening's destination is Main or Park Street.
From the west
The interstate approach from Butte and Missoula continues through Bozeman to Livingston. Check conditions along the whole drive rather than judging the route by the weather at your destination.
If you are arriving late, confirm lodging check-in arrangements and restaurant hours instead of counting on dinner after the drive.
Arrival map
Compare the Bozeman airport drive, I-90 road-trip approaches, downtown Livingston, Paradise Valley, Gardiner, and Mammoth before choosing lodging or promising a park day.
Second Star gear guide
Road Trip Essentials
Road-trip packing list
Phone mounts, chargers, coolers, emergency supplies, and small car organizers for the drive to and from the destination.
Car Phone Mounts
$19.99
Road Trip Coolers
$275.00
Car Emergency Kits
$69.95
Onward to Yellowstone
South of Livingston, US-89 follows the Yellowstone through ranch country toward Emigrant, Chico Hot Springs, and Gardiner, with the Absaroka front rising beside the valley. This stretch has its own reasons to stop; leave room for them if the drive is part of your day out rather than simply the way to your lodging.
Gardiner is roughly 50 miles south of Livingston. Mammoth Hot Springs requires additional driving inside Yellowstone beyond the north entrance. Lamar Valley adds another park leg: plan that wildlife outing around an early departure, not as a quick addition to an airport arrival.
Once you reach town
The depot, Murray Hotel, and Main and Park Street blocks give an arrival night a destination of its own. If you are staying downtown, settle in before heading to Gil's Goods or Neptune's. If your hotel is by I-90, plan how you will get downtown rather than assuming the same walk from your room.
For a late flight or a long road day, keeping Yellowstone for a separate morning leaves the remaining evening for a meal instead of another drive. Check opening hours before choosing your arrival dinner.
Compare downtown meal options →Staying two nights? The weekend itinerary separates arrival evening, an outdoor day, and the morning before departure.
Read the two-night itinerary →Official resources
Snow, ice, smoke, and road work can change the plan. Check Montana DOT advisories for I-90 and US-89, and NPS alerts for the park leg. Follow current equipment requirements and confirm entrance and road status close to departure.
Keep exploring
Continue with three western destinations built around mountain towns, national-park approaches, rivers, and memorable downtown streets.
