The road distance is 1392.2 miles. 7-Day Yellowstone, Arches, Mt. You can save this post as a PDF and then print the whole thing or just what you need. Find all the transport options for your trip from California to Mount Rushmore right here. If you arent lucky enough to see a herd of bison here, you have another chance in Lamar Valley. Deadwood sits right next to Lead. . A visit to Old Faithful, combined with Upper Geyser Basin, typically lasts three hours. The Notch Trail is the most thrilling hike in the park and it is very short. Mount Rushmore: SD: 47 : 1 : 19 : Wall Drug: SD: 80 : 1.5 . For example, the Kelly Inn in West Yellowstone allows pets on request. Miazgas has a wide range of food. At Colter Bay, you also have the option to walk the Lakeshore Trail. Cloud Peak Skyway (US Route 16) crosses the highest pass in the mountains. From Wall, its just a 30 minute drive to get to this overlook. This is the location of Steamboat Geyser, the worlds tallest active geyser. PRO TRAVEL TIP: If you want to go farther on Beartooth Highway, you will have to skip something in Yellowstone today. Tonight, sleep in Cody. May, September and October are less busy and popular months to visit as well. Rushmore road trip is exactly what we are looking for. On top of that, you'll pass through the smaller town of Sutcliffe as well as the city of Boise. The most optimal route would be to travel from Rapid City to Grand Teton to Yellowstone to Glacier. From Provo, your travels take you to the cowboy town of Jackson and Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, Cody and then to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Yellowstone will be about a day's driving west and would be my first choice of places to see. Continue on to learn more about our recommended routes, where to stay, and what to see along the way. Parts of the park close during the winter! This route is the shortest and will take you to the famous Yellowstone National Park on your way. The highlight is Abyss Pool, a brilliantly blue hot spring, but it is also very cool to see the geothermal activity right along the edge of the lake. You can still explore the national park on a snowmobile or a snowcoach. Make a pitstop at the Shell Falls Interpretive Site to see Shell Canyon. Cheers, Julie. 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. Mount Rushmore National Memorial: Amazing when you really think about it - See 11,784 traveler reviews, 7,905 candid photos, and great deals for Keystone, SD, at Tripadvisor. The best route from Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone is via US-16 West. To learn what to do and how to plan your time, read our post Mount Rushmore: 10 Things to Know Before You Go. Activity Level On Your Feet Walking up to 2 miles a day. For more information about how to visit Devils Tower, check out our Guide to Devils Tower. Below, we've chosen our favorites for you to choose from. Need some. Old Faithful erupts roughly every ninety minutes, so it is possible that you can catch two eruptions while you are here. Located in Cody, this property gets some of the best reviews in town. The town of Custer is located just outside of Custer State park, on the west side. Here are a few suggestions for cool things . In the evening, continue to Cody, Wyoming. Every year, tens of thousands of tourists come to the region's ski slopes to enjoy the world-famous snow and slopes. And with the gardens and interior decor, this property is beautiful. 14. If you are doing well on time, you have the option to add on a visit to the Crazy Horse Memorial. The 1,840-mile road trip from California to Yellowstone National Park and Mount Rushmore will take about 30 hours to drive. You can return to the Black Hills at this point, or stick around for sunset, another magical time to be here. Most of this drive is on Interstate 90 which is a large divided highway. UNITED STATES: We have TONS of information about places to visit in the United States in our USA Travel Guide. 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. About; Roadtrippers Plus; Magazine; Contact; Help; Did you know: If you use the Roadtrippers . From Gardiner or Mammoth, it will be a very long drive to Grand Teton National Park (plus, they are closed due to the flood). If you're having issues using the site, please enable JavaScript and refresh your browser. The distance between California and Mount Rushmore is 950 miles. Yellowstone Lake is a large alpine lake in Montana, USA. Then drive onwards to the iconic Mount Rushmore, just make sure to account for the additional 8 hours it takes to get there! You can begin at the southern end of the Shenandoah National Park, near Waynesboro, VA, and wind along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. So it looks like at a minimum, you'd need 10 days to two weeks. Check our our USA Road Trip Guide for travel ideas and sample itineraries. To get into the heart of Jackson, it is a short drive or a 20-minute walk. USA ROAD TRIPS: Planning your next big adventure in the USA? For updated pricing and hours, visit the official website. Deadwood is a National Historic Landmark District, since it preserves its Gold-rush architecture. For the drive through the Bighorn Mountains, taking the Cloud Peak Skyway is your better option, since this road has fewer tight turns/switchbacks. For each property, if you scroll down to the bottom of the screen, they will list their pet policy. Activity level Natural Explorer. In May this year we drove from Minneapolis to San Francisco via the Badlands, Mt. Starting from San Francisco in the Bay Area our suggested route will take you through Boise and Lake Tahoe, a somewhat more relaxed vibe but still jam-packed with unique attractions along the way. Winter sees the fewest tourists and the area's accommodation is generally cheaper. Explore the map. 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. Unfortunately, I do not have another itinerary for the way back to Ohio. Overview of a 4 week 2000 Cross Country Road Trip with Travel Itinerary, Travel Road Map, . You can even go to the rodeo. This is amazing! I would not make the 2 day drive just for a bit of time at the one spot. Coastal Redwoods Road Trip. So, for many people, it would even be doable to drive from Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone in one day! * Hotel accommodations for 9 nights, including 2 nights in Yellowstone National Park. Here is the link to our One Day Badlands Itinerary, a more detailed version of what is listed below. Total Distance . Thats four national parks in one road trip, not to mention two national monuments, one incredible state park, and several very scenic drives. If you have any problems let me know. You also have enough time to visit the highlights of Grand Teton, day trip out to Badlands National Park, spend some time at Wind Cave National Park, and cruise the scenic drives and spot wildlife at Custer State Park. Scenic Drive through the Bighorn Mountains. If you want an upscale experience in the city center of Jackson, the Wort Hotel gets rave reviews. Mapbox . Persephones Bakery is an awesome breakfast/brunch spot in town. We have a 10 day Colorado itinerary that you could do a portion of. Both of these routes are roughly the same distance and take the same amount of time. Many of our readers have written in, saying that they got cheaper flights into Bozeman than Jackson or Idaho Springs. You get to see a little bit of everything on this tour, including boxwork and cave popcorn. To get to Cody, you will then drive the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. This saloon is where Wild Bill Hickok was shot and killed playing poker by Jack McCall. GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK: Check out our Grand Teton National Park Travel Guide for important travel information, sample itineraries, and how to plan your visit. We have been to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and the Black Hills of South Dakota in September and early October and love being here at this time of year. Of course, it depends on the traffic on the days of your travel. We are planning on reversing your 10 day itinerary from Rapid City to Grand Teton. Here are ideas of where to stay in and around Grand Teton National Park. Our favorite overlooks on the North Rim are Lookout Point, Red Rock Point, and Inspiration Point. Due to seasonality, and taxes prices of the tour are subject to change without due notice. States Covered. The Yellowstone, Devils Tower, and Mt. If you need food, Canyon Village has some shops and restaurants. Although this will depend on exactly where in Yellowstone is your first destination, since Yellowstone is big! Its not ideal, since its not formatted to be printed, but it is your best option right now. Day 2: Colter Bay. The Lodge at Jackson Hole. Rather than joining the crowds, I recommend leaving the park for a few hours. We have driven through here many times and sometimes you see a few bison off in the distance and sometimes an enormous herd is clustered along the road, creating a giant traffic jam. Mount Rushmore is a days drive past Yellowstone, plus any time to see other things in the area. Jewel Cave is located 30 minutes from the end of the Needles Highway in the Black Hills. We liked the Wyoming Inn a little bit better but we wouldnt hesitate to stay here again, especially since prices are a little lower. After the first eruption, spend some time exploring the Upper Geyser Basin and Geyser Hill. With 10 days, you can visit Yellowstone, Devils Tower, and Mount Rushmore, but thats not all. Answer: Jack Kerouac. About halfway on the Bay Area Route is Boise, Idaho's capital and the largest city on this route before reaching Yellowstone. During the Black Hills Gold Rush, from 1876 to 1879, this town was in its heyday. Continue the drive on Badlands Loop Road, visiting the overlooks as you go. Cheers, Julie. Hello Catherine. I do have two weeks budgeted and would like to include Glacier as well. 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 . Experience the mystique of Devils Tower Monument, see Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park and take in the majesty of Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Hole. For more information about Badlands National Park, check out our article 15 Best Things to Do in Badlands National Park. Click here to learn more about your options. Either route you choose, you will drive through Yellowstone National Park, one of the most celebrated parks in the US and a favorite for lovers of the outdoors. stay overnight and leave the next day around 9:00 am. Salt Lake City and Area 51 on the way back to Vegas. 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. 3. Trip Guides. Yellowstone Driving distance from Cooke City to Old Faithful: 100 miles / 2 hours 50 minutes You will come into Yellowstone via Lamar Valley, which is an amazing wildlife watching area in the park. Read on to discover the best routes to travel, our favorite places to stay, and the many must-see stops along the way. These hot springs are spread over a large area. With the recent flooding in Yellowstone, some park roads are closed. Day 1: Arrive in Jackson, spend some time in Grand Teton NP if you have time in the afternoon Day 2: Grand Teton in the morning, drive to Yellowstone in the afternoon Day 3: Yellowstone National Park, sleep in Cody Day 4: Drive from Cody to Devils Tower to the Black Hills of South Dakota Day 5: Custer State Park & Mount Rushmore Day 6: Badlands National Park Day 7: Wind Cave National Park in the morning, fly home in the evening, Grand Teton: $35 Yellowstone: $35 Devils Tower: $25 Mount Rushmore: No entrance fee but there is a $10 parking fee Custer State Park: $20 Badlands: $30 Wind Cave: Free (cave tours have an extra fee). Temperatures during the winter season lie between 4 degrees and 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Best of all, you'll Tours typically start at 9 am and the tour schedule varies based on the season. Continue to Lead. Sioux Falls. After that, drive through Wyoming and Bighorn National Forest before heading east into South Dakota and the famous American landmark Mount Rushmore. On the Road: 100 miles, 2 hours if you stay at Old Faithful; 160 miles, 3 hours if you stay in West Yellowstone; 140 miles, 3.75 hours if you stay in Canyon Village. It is also known as Lake Yellowstone. If I turn my computer off I need internet access to load it again. Tonight, sleep in Grand Teton National Park, Jackson, or Teton Village. You need a minimum of 4 nights/3 days in Yellowstone and probably 1 or 2 nights at Mount Rushmore. The Freedom Ridge Cabins and the Black Elk Resort are two of the highest rated properties in this town. A road trip to Yellowstone isnt just about the destination. Its still possible to visit Yellowstone in the winter, but you will get around by snowmobile or snow coach, which of course will be a much different experience than the summer months.