Thank you! The colder months see fewer people and are still very beautiful. It takes about 2 hours to thoroughly explore this area.Get full details on how to plan your visit in our Guide to the Geyser Basins. Hot, steaming water spills out over travertine terraces, making this one of the most unique geothermal areas in the park. The Cody. Its a nice drive but Tim and I both think that the Bighorn Scenic Byway is more thrilling from start to finish. We plan to drive from Tucson, AZ. At Mount Rushmore, you drive through the main entrance and then will immediately park in a large lot/parking garage. If you do one hike today, this is the one that I recommend. The town of Custer is located just outside of Custer State park, on the west side. Getting in/out of motor coach frequently. Get a free Yellowstone trip planner with inspiring itineraries and essential information. Because of all the amazing destinations and things to see along the way, we recommend taking seven days to make this journey. This saloon is where Wild Bill Hickok was shot and killed playing poker by Jack McCall. View Dates & Pricing. From Cody, it takes 2 hours to drive to Ten Sleep. On the roads you will use for visiting Yellowstone, such as the Beartooth Highway or beautiful 191, don't expect to be cruising along at 65mph. Eruptions are unpredictable and you have to be very lucky to be here when it erupts. Spend the afternoon at the Midway Geyser Basin. You can go for fishing at the beach, bait shop, or boat rental. . Cheers, Julie. Day 4: Drive toward Glacier (stop at Holland Lake) Day 5: Glacier NP. Thank you so much for your website! If you want to take a cave tour, currently tours are booked in the morning on a first-come first-serve basis. On the way, stop at Craters of the Moon National Monument, a unique natural attraction that boasts an ocean of blackened lava and unique rock formations. This is a jaw-dropping view of the hot spring and a must-do on a trip to Yellowstone. Yellowstone, Devils Tower and Mount Rushmore Itinerary, Yellowstone, Devils Tower & Mount Rushmore Itinerary. day 2 driving 8 hours. Here are a few suggestions for cool things . We are planning on reversing your 10 day itinerary from Rapid City to Grand Teton. Yellowstone, Devils Tower and Mount Rushmore Itinerary Day 1: Arrive in Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park Day 2: Grand Teton National Park Day 3: Yellowstone National Park Day 4: Yellowstone National Park Day 5: Yellowstone National Park Day 6: Bighorn Mountains & Devils Tower Day 7: Spearfish Canyon, Deadwood, Lead & Mount Rushmore While in Boise, we recommend visiting the Idaho State Capitol Building and making a stop at the Old Idaho Penitentiary Site. National parks. Before sightseeing, check out its award-winning Sunday Brunch served at their Laurel Brasserie and Bar. In Spearfish, Spearfish Canyon Lodge is the highest rated property. Coming from Florida is no easy feat. If you're having issues using the site, please enable JavaScript and refresh your browser. EO Bungalows is one of the highest rated properties and your room comes with a kitchenette. Yellowstone Lake Yellowstone Grand Loop Road (great to follow to see many of the sites) Whitewater Rafting Waterfalls: Osprey Falls, Fairy Falls, Towel Fall, Upper Falls, Lower Falls, Union Falls Favorites: Grand Prismatic Spring was at the very top of our list of things to see at Yellowstone. Day 1: Jenny Lake. ), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. You can probably find these in South Dakota as well. About this Yellowstone, Devils Tower, Mount Rushmore Itinerary, 7 Day Yellowstone, Devils Tower, and Mount Rushmore Itinerary, Day 1: Arrive in Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, Day 7: Spearfish Canyon, Deadwood, Lead & Mount Rushmore, Day 10: Wind Cave National Park & Fly Home. You can do this itinerary with less time, but you will have to give up a few sights. On a clear day you can also see out to Badlands National Park. On our first visit to Grand Teton National Park, this is where Tim and I stayed. We are looking at 2023. Start New Trip. The Fossil Exhibit Trail and Saddle Pass are two more walks/hikes to consider doing. If you stayed near Devils Tower, it is a one hour drive to get to Spearfish. Theres so much to see and do that we welcome you to pick and choose your stops to fit your vacation style whether thats family fun time, scenic cruises or adventure challenges. Our website uses cookies. Go canoeing, kayaking, or fishing during your stay. There is a third section, Brink of the Upper Falls, which is nice, but I recommend skipping it in order to give yourself enough time to visit the other sights today. Unfortunately, we dont have a PDF version of this itinerary. Very helpful! The visitor center opens at 8 am and I recommend getting here right at 8 am, or even a little before, to make sure that you are on the first tour of the day. This scenic USA road trip route begins in Red Lodge, Montana, and ends in Cooke City and the northeastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Mountains rise against big blue skies, geysers and hot springs bubble up from the earth, and wildlife abounds. Rushmore National Memorial and Crazy Horse Memorial. For the quickest visit, simply walk the Tower Trail, a 1.3 mile trail that loops around the base of Devils Tower. Ideally, stay in the park. BEARTOOTH HIGHWAY: The quicker route (94 miles, 2 hours) is to exit Yellowstone at the Northeast Entrance and drive through Cooke City-Silver Gate (if you need dinner this is the best place to get it until you reach Cody). and leave at 6:08 pm. View more. This park is named for its enormous cave but there are also hiking trails on the surface that lead to viewpoints and wildlife viewing opportunities. Trip - 1-2 weeks Offbeat, Fresh and Iconic: 4 Sides of California from North to South Trip - 5 days South Carolina to Alabama Road Trip: Beaches, History and Iconic Music Trip - 1-2 weeks Culture, History, and Tranquility: 3 Captivating Stops in Georgia Off the beaten path Trip - 1-2 weeks Southern Atlantic Coast Trip - 4 days The New England Coast Crowds are lower and you could see some fall colors. Along both of these routes, there are short hiking trails and scenic overlooks to visit along the way. Your email will not be provided to third parties. If you walk the Presidential Trail you get unique views like this one. Many of our readers have written in, saying that they got cheaper flights into Bozeman than Jackson or Idaho Springs. If you are looking for a bit of luxury, this is a highly-rated historic hotel in Cody. Salt Lake City International Airport is 280 miles away and it is almost a 5-hour drive to get to Jackson. On the South Rim, visit Artist Point (one of the most photographed spots in Yellowstone National Park), Canyon Overlook, and Uncle Toms Trail (if it is open). * Hotel accommodations for 9 nights, including 2 nights in Yellowstone National Park. You need a minimum of 4 nights/3 days in Yellowstone and probably 1 or 2 nights at Mount Rushmore. If you're departing from Los Angeles getting to Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore will take you 30 hours, and covering 1,840 miles if you don't make any detours. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Earth Trekkers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn advertising fees by advertising & linking to Amazon.com. Im sorry you are having trouble saving/printing this. Day 2: Colter Bay. I would love to help! Coastal Redwoods Road Trip. At Colter Bay, you also have the option to walk the Lakeshore Trail. Trip - 1-2 weeks A Pacific Pride Road Trip . Schwabacher Landing, the Snake River Overlook, and Oxbow Bend are beautiful places to visit, and photograph, in the morning hours. See the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Devils Tower, Yellowstone and more on this 2,800 mile all-American road trip. It is faster and easier to day trip to Grand Teton from these locations. The advantage to staying here is that you will do less driving on the day trip to Badlands National Park. From Boise, travel on through Montana and Wyoming and into your first destination of Yellowstone. Day 1: Arrive in Rapid City, drive to Wall, South Dakota Day 2: Badlands National Park from sunrise to sunset, drive to the Black Hills Day 3: Custer State Park Day 4: Wind Cave NP, Mount Rushmore Day 5: Deadwood, Lead, Spearfish Canyon & Devils Tower Day 6: Drive to Cody via Bighorn Scenic Byway or Cloud Peak Skyway Day 7: Yellowstone NP Day 8: Yellowstone NP Day 9: Yellowstone NP in the morning, Grand Teton NP in the afternoon Day 10: Grand Teton NP in the morning, fly home in the evening. There are free rental bikes, a fitness center, and an indoor pool as well so you can really make the most of your stay. Highlights: * Rail travel on Amtrak (1 night on train) * Scenic excursion on the 1880 Train. Stay in a suite or a standard room, some of which can accommodate up to 7 people. A road trip to Yellowstone isnt just about the destination. Enter the park through the northeast entrance. Make a pitstop at the Shell Falls Interpretive Site to see Shell Canyon. Porcelain Basin is our favorite of the two basins. It is a lot of pages since it is not optimized for printing. Temperatures during the winter season lie between 4 degrees and 30 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have any problems let me know. You can email us at info@earthtrekkers.com but we get so many emails every day that sometimes it takes us a week to get to them. This Yellowstone road trip planner covers the northern route through North Dakota. Search for buffalo, pronghorns and other wildlife on a Jeep Safari in Custer State Park. After living it up in one of the world's party capitals, continue on I-15 until you reach UT-9. If you are doing well on time, you have the option to add on a visit to the Crazy Horse Memorial. The nearby Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area has great hiking and skiing as well. Dont miss the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and the Mangelsen Images of Nature Gallery. It is also good to keep in mind that while Mount Rushmore National Memorial is open all year, the Sculptor's Studio closed from October - April, so plan your visit accordingly. Yellowstone will be about a day's driving west and would be my first choice of places to see. You can also refer to our Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Glacier itinerary for ideas on how to plan out these three parks. This is one of our favorite views of Badlands National Park and one of the top spots to watch the sunrise, but its also great all morning long. Day 1 : Bismarck, North Dakota Do: Driving will take a big chunk of your day. Below we give an overview of both routes, but for more information and many more photos, read our Guide on How to Drive from Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone. May, September and October are less busy and popular months to visit as well. How far is Mount Rushmore from Seattle, and how long will the road trip take? For recommended hotels and locations, both inside and outside of Yellowstone National Park, read our article Where to Stay in Yellowstone. California: 23 Unmissable Stops on the Legendary Pacific Coast Highway. Historic Lantern Tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Required fields are marked *. Rooms are clean and tastefully decorated. PLACES TO GO IN SOUTH DAKOTA: Here are 15 great things to do near Rapid City, South Dakota. Mount Rushmore: SD: 47 : 1 : 19 : Wall Drug: SD: 80 : 1.5 . Spend the morning at Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. We use Booking.com to book our hotels when we travel. Consider visiting before 9:00 a.m. or after 3:30 p.m. Use the links below to plan your visit to Mount Rushmore and the surrounding . A visit to Old Faithful, combined with Upper Geyser Basin, typically lasts three hours. Continue on US-89 north until you get to Dixie National Forest. Rushmore Bus tour from Los Angeles/Las Vegas Tour Code: 678-973 Yellowstone From USD Price shown is based on the lowest price per person over the next 30 days $711 $748 Save 5% Offer Ends h m s 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 2 reviews Available: Mon (5/21 - 8/20), Wed, Fri (4/25 - 9/28) Depart from: This small town was home to the Homestake Mine, the largest, deepest, and most productive gold mine in the Western Hemisphere. This town has a very touristy feel to it but it does have a nice, central location for exploring the Black Hills. The Glacier National Park Route covers 1,380 miles with 23 hours and 10 . From Lamar Valley, it takes 2 to 3 hours to drive to Cody. From Gardiner or Mammoth, it will be a very long drive to Grand Teton National Park (plus, they are closed due to the flood). Return to your hotel, lodge, or campsite and have dinner. We have 16 days, including driving time from Southeast. Option #2 is for avid hikers. There are three main airports near Jackson, Wyoming. From Pinnacles Overlook, it is an hour drive to get back to Rapid City and an hour and a half drive to get back to the Black Hills.