The drive to Mount Rushmore from San Francisco taking The Yellowstone Route takes around 28 hours to cover 1,800 miles, not considering any food and gas breaks. Rushmore and the Grand Tetons Yellowstone, Mt. Option #2 is for avid hikers. While in Boise, we recommend visiting the Idaho State Capitol Building and making a stop at the Old Idaho Penitentiary Site. There is a lot more activity here, with noisy fumaroles, steaming hot springs, and blue pools of water. Continue on and head east into Montana and Wyoming and into your destination of Yellowstone. You'll pass strikingly beautiful mountain scenery and desert landscapes that will make any professional or amateur photographer fall in love. Can I purchase a copy of the Yellowstone-Devils Tower-Mount Rushmore Trip Itinerary and other trip itineraries in hard copy, or if not, in PDF format that I can print out or load on my computer. 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. Most Direct Way to Drive From Yellowstone to Mount Rushmore Assuming you are starting from the southeast side of Yellowstone, which is close to Old Faithful and the West Thumb part of Yellowstone Lake, the most direct route to Mt Rushmore is Highway 14 from West Yellowstone towards Cody and then Highway 20 to Worland. The Rocket Motel is a nice pick if you are looking for a budget property that gets good reviews. Things to Do and See on this Road Trip This route is about 419 miles and will take you around 7.5 hours if you drive straight through with no stops. July 8, 2022 Tori Peglar Start in Chicago on this incredible road trip through some of the nation's most stunning prairies, wide-open skies and gorgeous rock formations on your way from Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone. The ultimate road trip planner to help you discover extraordinary places, book hotels, and share itineraries all from the map. Hello Catherine. Very helpful! That's 24 hours of driving just to get to your destinations. Where to stay depends on whether or not you want to do an extra hour of driving today or save it for tomorrow morning. If you plan to do this road trip in the opposite direction, here is the itinerary in reverse order, with a few modifications. The Yellowstone Loop: 11 Stops to Make on an Epic Western Road Trip By Michael Yessis Route distance: 1,561 km Suggested Time: 2 weeks + A vast, scenic landscape provides the timeless backdrop for the western United States. From here you can save it and/or print it. Our suggested 7-10 day Ideal Western Road Trip Itinerary Day 1/2: Rapid City, South Dakota There are also a number of fishing lodges in the park. You will drive a portion of the spectacular Beartooth Highway and then take the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway to Cody. Spend the afternoon in and around Jenny Lake. The Door and Window Trails are very easy walks that take you up close to the rock formations. Most of this drive is on Interstate 90 which is a large divided highway. It will take a day to drive from Yellowstone to Glacier and then you would have 2 to 3 days in Glacier National Park, which is just enough time there. Summer is the busiest tourism season. Spend the afternoon at the Midway Geyser Basin. For dinner, the Gun Barrel Steak & Game House is a popular spot. Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Keystone: "Coming in from Nebraska, what road is." | Check out 5 answers, plus see 11,784 reviews, articles, and 7,905 photos of Mount Rushmore National Memorial, ranked No.1 on Tripadvisor among 47 attractions in Keystone. Salt Lake City and Area 51 on the way back to Vegas. Here's our pick of the best picture-perfect US county - or, in Alaska and Louisiana respectively, borough or parish - in each state that packs in the most gorgeousness. Then the road twists and turns through a canyon and climbs up higher into the mountains. Surrounding its multicolored waters is the Spiral Jetty, a famous sculpture made by the famous sculptor Robert Smithson. This is our favorite of the two routes through the Bighorn Mountains. Drive north and get back on I-15. 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. For something quicker, hike the short but sweet Rankin Ridge Trail for panoramic views over the Black Hills. Day 1: Arrive in Bozeman, drive to Yellowstone Day 2: Yellowstone National Park Day 3: Grand Teton day trip Day 4: Yellowstone National Park Day 5: Yellowstone National Park Day 6 through 10: Same as the above itinerary. Cheers, Julie. Save. 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. If you want to visit Yellowstone, Devils Tower, and Mount Rushmore, but have limited time or a different starting point, here are alternate versions of this itinerary. We use Booking.com to book our hotels when we travel. Tonight, stay either near Devils Tower or you can drive one hour east to Spearfish, South Dakota. Elevations of 3,400-7,731 feet. 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. Grand Teton to Yellowstone to Glacier National Parks Road Trip 1 Week Itinerary. But not to worry, you will be choosing between two very scenic drives. For more information about cave tours, visit the National Park Service website. The quickest way to get answers to your questions is to ask them in a comment section at the end of a post, like this one (I try to answer everything within 12 hours). At the end of this article, I give the links to each national park so you can get updates on park conditions and road closures. Cheers, Julie. Make sure to visit the museum below the viewing deck for some history & statistics. My minimum recommendation for a first time trip just to see the main sights is 4 nights (3 full days) for Yellowstone, 2 nights (1 full day) for Grand Tetons. If you are doing well on time, you have the option to add on a visit to the Crazy Horse Memorial. There is an onsite pool and hot tub and this is one of the highest rated properties in Cody. The nearby Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area has great hiking and skiing as well. The 1,840-mile road trip from California to Yellowstone National Park and Mount Rushmore will take about 30 hours to drive. PRO TRAVEL TIP: If you want to go farther on Beartooth Highway, you will have to skip something in Yellowstone today. 12. Im sorry you are having trouble saving/printing this. From the fun-in-the-sun city of Los Angeles, get on I-15 towards Las Vegas. You need a minimum of 4 nights/3 days in Yellowstone and probably 1 or 2 nights at Mount Rushmore. Entering the Bighorn Mountains near Shell, Wyoming. Instead, go right to Yellowstone. I do have a question, we will be traveling from Ohio by RV (I saw where you answered this question that it is RV friendly. LEARN MORE: Grand Prismatic Spring and the Fairy Falls Hike. When translated to driving times, it will be around 16 hr 30 min to 16 hr 45 min. Thank you. To make the most of the day, I recommend getting an early start, ideally getting on the road at 7 am. There is RV parking here. When you reach your destination of Yellowstone National Park, we recommend staying at the highly rated and luxurious Bentwood Inn. Highlights: * Rail travel on Amtrak (1 night on train) * Scenic excursion on the 1880 Train. Day 3: Yellowstone NP. This is a jaw-dropping view of the hot spring and a must-do on a trip to Yellowstone. By staying here, you will have a much shorter drive to get to Devils Tower on day 6. Mount Rushmore: SD: 47 : 1 : 19 : Wall Drug: SD: 80 : 1.5 . 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. Make a pitstop at the Shell Falls Interpretive Site to see Shell Canyon. Continue on through Wyoming and see Bighorn National Forest. Start New Trip. Idaho Road Trip: Off the Beaten Path to Yellowstone. You can return to the Black Hills at this point, or stick around for sunset, another magical time to be here. But I would love to see something different on our way back to Ohio. CO. SD. Below is our 9 days road trip plan for Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore; Day 1 - Leave home drive to Elko,Nevada or Wendover Day 2 - Wendover to Salt Lake City to Casper Day 3 - Casper to Mount Rushmore Day 4 - Mount Rushmore to Sherindan Day 5 - Sherindan to Yellowstone Day 6 - Yellowstone Day 7 - Yellowstone - Garnider Denver, Colorado. Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more. A trip to South Dakota wouldn't be complete without visiting Mount Rushmore. Take a detour to explore the coastline and mountain scenery of Lake Tahoe. If you will be driving back to your starting point then plan on adding on an extra day and hundreds of miles of driving to this itinerary. Best of all, you'll Try again, pressing CTRL+P (command + P on a mac) to bring up the printer dialog box. This scenic drive is 20 miles long and it takes about 30 minutes to drive it, without stops. From Deadwood, it takes about one hour to drive to Mount Rushmore. Plan well and select from these suggestions the sites and attractions that will most please your family. Things to do in Lead include visiting the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center, the Black Hills Mining Museum, and the Historic Homestake Opera House. Visit Badlands National Park, go hiking in Custer State Park, visit Wind Cave National Park, and learn how to visit Mount Rushmore. If you like the idea of staying in a resort town just outside of the park, this is a great place to consider. Due to seasonality, and taxes prices of the tour are subject to change without due notice. Just a few miles away is the Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook. Best Things to Do in Grand Teton National Park. I will go into this in greater detail later in this itinerary. Along the way, you get to see places like Mount Rushmore, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Devils Tower and, finally, Old Faithful. Guide to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Every year, tens of thousands of tourists come to the region's ski slopes to enjoy the world-famous snow and slopes. Zion & Bryce Canyon: Epic 3 Day Zion to Bryce Canyon Road Trip Itinerary. Day 2: Colter Bay. Just wondering if its going to be doable. Any suggested itineraries? Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Wind Cave. Enter the park through the northeast entrance. 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. You can save this post as a PDF and then print the whole thing or just what you need. Flying into here will save you some driving today. In Deadwood, walk through the historic town, Tour the Adams House, visit Mount Moriah Cemetery, and visit the Saloon #10 Bar. Its a 30 minute drive from Mount Rushmore and a visit here can be very quick. It is the southern route through the Bighorn Mountains. This is one of the best road trips in the USA. But it is arguably the least scenic compass direction to approach Yellowstone, considering some of the stunning landscapes found in the US northwest: From the South and Salt Lake City, you have scenic roads and majestic Grand Teton National Park. From here, you can save it and/or print it. We are planning on reversing your 10 day itinerary from Rapid City to Grand Teton. Best Things to Do in Badlands National Park. From Lamar Drive, drive past Canyon Village and Yellowstone Lake and exit the park at the East Entrance. Dont miss our article Best Things to Do in Yellowstone for more great things to do in the park. At this point, you can drive Sagecreek Rim Road farther into the Badlands. Thank you! We recommend the K Bar S Lodge and the Rockerville Lodge and Cabins. Spend the afternoon in and around Jenny Lake. The most optimal route would be to travel from Rapid City to Grand Teton to Yellowstone to Glacier. Temperatures during the winter season lie between 4 degrees and 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Rooms are large, clean, and quiet and decorated with a western theme. . Great Smoky Mountains National Park; Texas. Stay in Yellowstone through day 5 of this itinerary and use one of these days to day trip to Grand Teton National Park. Today you will drive from Cody to Devils Tower. Cowboy Village Resort. From Gardiner or Mammoth, it will be a very long drive to Grand Teton National Park (plus, they are closed due to the flood). Thank you, Julie. (And the next one on this list about visiting the Giant Redwoods too). At Colter Bay Village, there is a gas station and restaurants, a great place to refuel your car before continuing on to Yellowstone. How to Use This Map: Click the tab in the top left hand corner of the map to view the layers (places to go and the driving route). These hot springs are spread over a large area. by MARY July 16, 2014 The Fossil Exhibit Trail and Saddle Pass are two more walks/hikes to consider doing. 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. Larsson's Crooked Creek Resort - Located 2 miles south of Hill City, South Dakota this campground has 84 RV sites, 15 cabins, a 14-room lodge, and12 Presidential Creek Side Sites. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we get paid a small commission at no extra cost to you. This will minimize how much driving you will do. Since Bozeman is a 4-hour drive from Jackson, and you will drive right past Yellowstone, it doesnt make sense to drive to Jackson on the first day of this itinerary. We stayed here on our most recent visit. This state park has a little bit of everythingthrilling hiking trails, picturesque lakes, and an abundance of wildlife that rivals that in the neighboring national parks. Day 1: Jenny Lake. Caravan's Rapid City, South Dakota hotel, the Rushmore Hotel provides a courtesy shuttle from the Rapid City Airport (RAP). Yellowstone to Mt Rushmore is 8 hours, wheels turning. If you visit both basins, a visit here typically lasts about 2 hours. However, you might also be OK on the Bighorn Scenic Byway, it just might take some research if there are any vehicle restrictions for this road. This road trip works best from May through October, when the roads in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks are open. It is also known as Lake Yellowstone. Historic Lantern Tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Holiday Express & Suites Custer-Mount Rushmore also gets good reviews. ), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. Wyoming: 7 Day Road Trip Itinerary Salt Lake City to Grand Teton and Yellowstone. The breakfast gets rave reviews. Spend the remainder of the day in Jackson. Elk, bison, pronghorn deer, bear, coyotes, and wolves can all make appearances. Explore the endless hiking trails of this one-of-a-kind natural area. From Hayden Valley, drive north. About halfway on the Bay Area Route is Boise, Idaho's capital and the largest city on this route before reaching Yellowstone. We plan to drive from Tucson, AZ. But with all the amazing things to see on the way, we definitely recommend you take a few extra days and take in the sights! YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK: Check out our Yellowstone National Park Travel Guidefor important travel information, sample itineraries, and how to plan your visit.