Mount Rushmore To Yellowstone: The Complete 10-Day Road Trip Highlights Itinerary

We first drove from Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone back in October 2019 during a 3 month road trip we took out west from Upstate New York. It was our first time visiting either South Dakota or Wyoming, so we didn’t have much of an idea about what to do other than the obvious Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone and Grand Teton. In the end we managed to put together a fairly decent itinerary, but we missed a few major stops and we definitely didn’t give ourselves enough time in each place to hit all the highlights.

Then in April 2021, we moved from NYC to Seattle. But instead of flying, we took a cross-country road trip which again included driving from South Dakota’s Black Hills to Yellowstone. We had a better idea of timing and what else to see the second time around, so we were able to tick off tons more popular attractions and find some hidden gems. Our major issue this early in the year? Snow. There were a lot of road and trail closures in both regions, which ended up being a massive disappointment.

After driving from Mt Rushmore to Yellowstone twice and learning from our mistakes, we figured out exactly how we’d plan this road trip if it was our first time all over again. All things considered, we think 10 days is the perfect amount of time to see the best of each region, keep costs from getting out of control, and maximize efficiency without feeling too rushed. Our 1,283-mile route from Rapid City, SD to Jackson, WY takes around 31 hours to drive, so it’s no joke.

This is easily one of our favorite road trips in the US, and following our perfected step-by-step 10 day itinerary will help you make absolute the most of your time. We include 4 days in the Black Hills, one day for the long drive to Cody, WY and 5 days split between Yellowstone and Grand Teton. It’s honestly an amazing experience, and we’re sure you’re going to love following our first-timer’s route. Let’s dive in.

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Getting To The Black Hills

We drove our car from Upstate NY to South Dakota both times we visited the Black Hills and Yellowstone, so we didn’t need to fly into Rapid City airport or pick up a rental car. Arriving from the east via I-90 meant Badlands National Park was the first major attraction we reached, which is the ideal starting point for this route. It was a heck of a drive, but having our own car saved us a lot of money on a rental.

The first time in early October 2019 we pitched our tent in Badlands primitive Sage Creek Campground but it collapsed at 3:00 AM due to strong winds (not a great start!), so the second time in April 2021 we stayed at Best Western Plains Motel in Wall the night before day 1 of this itinerary. The budget hotel was okay, but next time we’d definitely book Badlands Frontier Cabins which looks fantastic.

Okay, but what if we were flying into the region to begin the road trip? Ideally, we’d arrive the evening before, pick up our pre-booked one-way rental car at Rapid City airport, drive 50 minutes to Wall, grab dinner at Red Rock, and spend the night at Badlands Frontier Cabins. But worst case, we’d take the earliest flight possible on the morning of day 1, pick up the rental car and drive straight to Badlands National Park.

Where we’d stay the night before day 1: Wall is the closest place to Badlands with a few reasonable restaurants and hotels, but it’s tiny and there’s really not much going on. Rapid City is larger and would be a far better place to stay for foodies and atmosphere. That said, our preference is instant access to the park on day 1, so we’d stay in Wall again next time.

Day 1: Badlands & Keystone

• Distance: 141 miles
• Time: 3 hours

We’d set an early alarm, grab massive coffees, food and plenty snacks for the morning, check out of the hotel, and drive into Badlands for sunrise (it costs $30 per vehicle, we used our America the Beautiful Pass for “free” entry). We had bad luck with sunrise both times, so we’d love to do it next time with better conditions.

The park’s west entrance called Pinnacles is only 10 minutes south from Wall, and Pinnacles Overlook is just a few minutes further. For us, Badlands is mostly about enjoying its many overlooks, and Pinnacles is one of our favorites so it’s the perfect place to begin with sunrise. If you’re not bothered about sunrise, start with coffee at the famous Wall Drug Store and then enter the park after breakfast.

From Pinnacles, we’d slowly drive east on Badlands park loop road, stopping at every opportunity. Yellow Mounds, Panorama Point and White River Valley Overlook are the unmissable viewpoints we’d snap most of our photos before getting to the park’s hiking trails. We’d start with two easy walks at Fossil Exhibit (we listened to an interesting ranger talk here) and Cliff Shelf Trail which is a boardwalk with steps.

Next, we’d tackle the best hike in Badlands called Notch Trail. The short but engaging trail ends with magnificent views, and it has adventure elements like a cliff-hugging ladder climb and narrow ledges to navigate. We walked Notch Trail on both visits and think it’s well worth doing for regular hikers, but less confident hikers might want to give this one a miss.

After Notch, we’d walk up to the “Window” before hiking Door Trail which is the only path leading behind the Badlands wall. We followed the yellow flag poles to the end of trail sign both times – it’s a good one. Castle Trail is the longest hike in the park but we’d say skip it because it takes too long for this itinerary. Read our guide explaining the hikes in Badlands to learn more.

After one final stop at Big Badlands Overlook, we’d leave the park via NE entrance station and park at Minuteman Missile Visitor Center to learn about the Cold War. Honestly, we had no idea what to expect but it turned out to be a fantastic museum. A mistake we made was not realizing that NPS guided tours of decommissioned missile silos are available, but must be booked in advance. We’d 100% do it next time.

After Minuteman we’d drive back into Wall and grab a late lunch at Wall Drug Store. We thought it was a bit gimmicky and overpriced, but it was still fun to see and we’d recommend it to first-timers. It’s almost like a rite of passage in this area. Last time we got 5 cent coffee (it wasn’t the best tasting but it cost 5 cents) and homemade donuts. After lunch, we’d hit the road and drive 1 hour 15 minutes to Keystone without stopping.

In Keystone, we’d check into either the cheap Comfort Inn + Suites, the mid-range K Bar S Lodge, or the luxury glamping Under Canvas. It would be late afternoon by now, so we’d take it easy and have a slow walk along the main strip in Keystone. We’d maybe take a tour of Big Thunder Gold Mine or visit the National Presidential Wax Museum (sounds odd, but it’s legit). Then we’d grab dinner at either Cruizzers for low-key pizza or Red Garter Saloon for an Old West theme.

If we were taking this road trip between late May and the end of September, and we still had energy, we’d drive 7 minutes to see the Mount Rushmore evening lighting ceremony at 8:00 PM or 9:00 PM depending on the month (the lighting ceremony doesn’t operate October through mid-May but the sculpture is still illuminated at night).

Mark’s top planning tip: Mt Rushmore costs $10 per vehicle to park and the parking pass is valid for 1 year. There’s no fee to enter the memorial. If we did the evening ceremony, we’d make sure to keep the parking pass safe so we could use it again the next morning without double paying.

Day 2: Mount Rushmore & Custer State Park

• Distance: 58 miles
• Time: 2 hours 21 minutes

We know some people will say “it’s just a sculpture” but we were pleasantly surprised by Mount Rushmore. In October 2019, we arrived early to watch sunrise light up the sculpture, and we were honestly the only people in the grounds. It wasn’t as great in April 2021 because we had snow, and water runoff made it look as though the former presidents were crying.

We’d 100% do it for sunrise again if it was our first time because the orange and pink colors we had at dawn were stunning, but we understand the early wake up won’t be for everyone. If we didn’t go for sunrise, we’d fill up with breakfast at our hotel (or go to Fat Sams in Keystone if our hotel didn’t include it), check out of our hotel, and arrive at the memorial by around 8:00 AM.

Using the parking pass from the night before or paying for a new one if this was our first time, we’d enter the grounds, and walk straight to the main amphitheater to see the four presidents faces high up on the mountainside. After taking plenty of photos, we’d start walking the Presidential Trail in a counter-clockwise loop. Our first stop would be the Sculptor’s Studio for a 15-minute ranger talk about Gutzon Borglum, who designed and led the creation of Mt. Rushmore.

Once we’d completed the full boardwalk loop (it doesn’t take long), we’d head back to Keystone for lunch. Refueled, we’d then drive the super-scenic Iron Mountain Road (US-16A). We absolutely loved driving the twisting, curving hairpins and even pigtail bends. We took a time-lapse video when we drove it, so we didn’t stop but next time we’d pull over after going through one of the tunnels for a cool view of Mount Rushmore.

At the end, we’d turn right and visit Custer State Park Visitor Center to watch the welcome video narrated by Kevin Costner. Then we’d buy or display our pre-purchased Custer State Park Entrance License which costs $20, is valid for 7 days, and will be required for the next two days of the itinerary. Right below the visitor center we’d begin driving the 18-mile one-way Custer Wildlife Loop to see animals like bison, burros, coyotes and eagles roaming freely in the wilderness.

The mid-afternoon isn’t an ideal time to drive the wildlife loop for seeing the most animals, but it fits efficiently into the overall itinerary and we do revisit the wildlife loop again the next morning. So this first time would be our chance to scope it out and see certain animals that might not be out in the morning. We had burros come right up to our car in the afternoon. If we wanted to try something a bit different, we’d consider booking an official Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour, which has a 2:00 PM and 4:30 PM start time.

Near the very end of the wildlife loop, we’d drive up a gravel road to Mount Coolidge Lookout and Fire Tower for 360-degree views of the region. Frustratingly, we didn’t know about it until after our second trip so we haven’t been able to do it yet. It’s on our list for next time, and to be honest we might do it for sunset. From the viewpoint, we’d drive 20 minutes to Custer and stay at either the budget Rocket Motel, the mid-range Bavarian Inn (we stayed here in 2021 and it was excellent), or the luxury EO Bungalows.

Day 3: Wind Cave & Needles Highway

• Distance: 87.5 miles
• Time: 2 hours 53 minutes

We have to admit we were genuinely surprised at the huge amount of fun things to do near Mount Rushmore. After two trips to the Black Hills, we’d go as far as saying it’s one of the most underrated places we’ve visited in the US. So we’d really make the most of our days by getting another early start, grabbing breakfast in Custer (either Hjem A.M., Miner’s Cup, or Our Place), and then making our way back to drive through Custer Wildlife Loop again.

Animals are typically more active in the morning, so we’d drive slowly and be on the lookout. We actually got out of our car and walked up a small hill to a viewpoint last time, which allowed us to see more animals in distant parts of the landscape that were blocked from the road. The difference today is that near the end of the loop we’d take a left turn on SD-87 for 7.5 miles to Rankin Ridge Trail within Wind Cave National Park boundaries.

We’d hike the 1-mile round trip loop trail, stopping at the summit for far reaching valley views from an old fire tower. And after the hike, we’d continue to Wind Cave Visitor Center to check in for our cave tour. We skipped Wind Cave in 2019 but we visited in 2021 and thought it was well worth the drive down. Cave tours can be booked in person on the day or up to 4 months in advance through this official recreation.gov page.

We did the 1 hour 15 minutes long “Natural Entrance” tour, which covered around 0.6 miles underground and had maybe 300 steps. It was very early in the season in April, so we were able to turn up on the day and join the next available tour for $17 each. But if we planned this road trip from May through September, we’d definitely book the 11:20 AM time slot in advance. It’s important to know you must arrive no later than 30 minutes before the tour begins, so that’s 10:50 AM for this itinerary.

After our cave tour, we’d drive back to Custer for a late lunch. Compared to Keystone’s pretty poor offerings, Custer has lots of excellent places to eat – we like Skogen Kitchen, The Custer Wolf and Black Hills Burger & Pizza Co.

Then in the mid-afternoon we’d head up SD-89, turn right onto the incredibly picturesque Needles Highway, and hike the awesome Cathedral Spires Trail (using our Custer State Park pass for entry). Cathedral Spires is a moderately difficult 1.7-mile round trip hike with 500 feet elevation gain through ponderosa pine forest that ends in a kind of amphitheater surrounded granite needle-like rocks. It’s cool.

It would be close to sunset by the time we finished the hike, so we’d either drive back along the same section of Needles Highway, or we’d continue driving east to complete the full eastern portion of the scenic highway as it twists and turns through the Black Hills. Once back in Custer, we’d head out for dinner and a beer at The Custer Beacon, before spending a second night at the same hotel.

Kristen’s cave alternative: If Wind Cave tours are sold out for your date or you arrive and there aren’t any same day tickets left, try Jewel Cave instead. It’s 30 minutes drive northwest. They run similar tours and the cave is just as impressive.

Day 4: Black Elk Peak & Spearfish Canyon

• Distance: 103 miles
• Time: 2 hours 33 minutes

After a hearty early breakfast, we’d drive 15 minutes north to Sylvan Lake, use our Custer State Park pass for entry, and park as the road dead-ends in a circular lot. Then we’d grab our day packs, make sure we had plenty of water and snacks, slap on some sunscreen, and hike the moderately difficult 7-mile round trip Black Elk Peak Trail with around 1,500 feet elevation change.

It took us around 4 hours to climb up trail #9, eat an early lunch at the old stone fire tower with horizon-reaching 360-degree views over 4 US states, then descend on trail #4. The summit views were awesome and we wanted to hike it again in 2021 but it was closed due to heavy snow. On the way back down #4 we would have added a spur hike to Little Devils Tower but we didn’t have time. We’ve included Black Elk Peak in our guide to the top US hiking trails.

We’d aim to be back down at Sylvan Lake by 1:00 PM latest. If we were down much earlier and still had energy, we’d hustle around the adventurous 4-mile Sunday Gulch Trail on the west side of Sylvan Lake. Otherwise, we’d spend half hour chilling by the lake – or we’d jump in the lake if it was a hot day.

Next, we’d hop back in the car and head west on the scenic Needles Highway, stopping for more photos of tunnels and hairpin bends, before arriving into Hill City and grabbing a quick bite at Downtown Deli & Bakery (this only opened in 2024 but looks perfect for a late lunch).

Optional: After Needles Highway and before going to Hill City, you could drive 8 minutes south to Crazy Horse Memorial. We went in 2021, and while it was interesting to learn about the history and construction, we thought it was overpriced at $30 for the two of us (bear in mind Badlands is $30, Yellowstone is $35, and Mt. Rushmore is $10). Having done Crazy Horse, we personally wouldn’t include it in our itinerary if it was our first time again. But that’s just us – if you have a special interest in the history of this site, or you don’t hike Black Elk Peak, now’s the time to visit Crazy Horse Memorial.

From Hill City, we’d drive 1 hour north to Deadwood. After parking, we’d walk the historic main street to see famous sites referencing wild west gunslingers and cowboys, like Wild Bill Hickok who was shot at Saloon No. 10, Calamity Jane, and Al Swearengen from the HBO series Deadwood. We didn’t expect it to be so casino and bachelor party heavy, but we still enjoyed seeing the preserved late 19th century architecture.

After a quick hot chocolate along Deadwood’s main street, we got back in the car and took 14-ALT through Lead to Cheyenne Crossing and onto the awesome Spearfish Canyon. We had no idea the 20-mile long Spearfish Canyon would be so scenic – it was all gradual downhill cutting through a deep limestone canyon with a 35mph speed limit. We stopped at Roughlock Falls, Eleven Hour Gulch and Bridal Veil Falls, and we actually hiked the fun Devils Bathtub Trail.

Once we arrived in Spearfish in 2021, we grabbed dinner at Killian’s and checked into Best Western Black Hills for an early night, ready for the big driving day on day 5. It worked really well, but next time we’d consider booking Spearfish Canyon Lodge to stay inside Spearfish Canyon for a more secluded experience.

Mark’s lodging tip: Spearfish was very quiet which worked well for us getting an early night. If you want something a bit more lively on day 4, stay at Celebrity Boutique Hotel or The Lodge At Deadwood in the much more vibrant Deadwood instead, and begin with Spearfish Canyon first thing the next morning.

Day 5: Devils Tower & Cloud Peak Skyway

• Distance: 361 miles
• Time: 6 hours 5 minutes

We know 361 miles and 6 hours 5 minutes of driving doesn’t sound like it’s going to be a fun day. But trust us, after doing it twice we can tell you it’s not as bad as it sounds. The worst part of the day for us both times was the boring stretch of I-90 from Moorcroft to Buffalo, otherwise it’s a super-scenic route with barely anyone else around.

From Spearfish, we drove for just over 1 hour on US-85, SD-34, and WY-24 to Devils Tower National Monument because we knew it would be quieter and more enjoyable than the slightly quicker I-90 route. After using our America the Beautiful Pass for entry (it costs $25 per vehicle without a pass), we drove straight to the top and parked at the visitor center at around 9:00 AM.

The first thing we did after arriving was slowly walk an easy, flat and paved path leading around the base of Devils Tower. It was well worth doing because it gave us different perspectives of the unique igneous rock columns, and we saw climbers way up near the top. Afterwards, we stopped at Joyner Ridge Trailhead for the best middle-distance view looking back over the tower. This is where we got our favorite photos.

We did also stop a few more times on the way out of Devils Tower but none of them were worth it, so straight from Joyner Ridge we’d drive south to Moorcroft and get on I-90 until stopping for lunch in Buffalo. We ate at the Busy Bee Cafe right above Clear Creek. From Buffalo, we had two route options to reach Cody – Cloud Peak Skyway or Bighorn Scenic Byway. We chose the quicker Cloud Peak Skyway in 2019 and loved it so much that we picked the exact same route again in 2021.

The Cloud Peak Skyway from Buffalo to Ten Sleep is non-stop scenery, views and fun driving. It climbs the southern Bighorn Mountains then drops into a dramatic narrow canyon, and we even put our drone up for a few photos the second time. Both times we drove from Ten Sleep to Cody, we honestly saw maybe 2 or 3 other cars.

After arriving into Cody, we’d have a quick look around the Buffalo Bill Center of the West before it closed at 5:00 PM, then we’d grab dinner at 8th Street at the Ivy or Michael’s Tacos, before checking into the budget Cody Cowboy Village, the mid-range The Cody Hotel, or the luxury Chamberlin Inn. We stayed in Cody before entering Yellowstone both times we drove this road trip, but the alternative at this point is to continue into the park through east entrance and stay at Lake Yellowstone on night 5 instead.

Optional: We had quite a few comments and emails asking about how to include Little Bighorn Battlefield into the drive from Mt Rushmore to Yellowstone. If you want to add it, head north on I-90 from Buffalo but instead of turning off for Bighorn Scenic Byway, keep driving for 1 more hour into Montana to the National Monument. Then simply turn around, and take Bighorn Scenic Byway to Cody later in the day.

Day 6: East & Northeast Yellowstone

• Distance: 192 miles
• Time: 5 hours 9 minutes

Funnily enough, both times we stayed in Cody, the next day we couldn’t actually enter Yellowstone via its east entrance which is the whole point of staying there. In October 2019, the road was technically open until the end of the month, but a big snow storm passed through overnight and we woke up to them closing the road, so we had to drive Chief Joseph Scenic Byway and enter through Cooke City instead.

Then in April 2021, the road from Cody to Yellowstone Lake wasn’t even open for the season. We knew that, but we liked Cody and the drive in through Cooke City and Lamar Valley (which is open year round) from our first time, so the plan was to go the exact same route. Only this time we had an even bigger snow storm overnight – and this one closed east entrance, Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, and even Cooke City. So we had to drive from Cody to Gardiner, which took us almost 4 hours. That was the trade-off we had for fewer crowds.

If it was our first time, we’d still go through Cody but we’d plan the trip in June or September to avoid these unexpected closures. So having already double checked east entrance is open (it’s usually open start of May until end of October), we’d get a very early start, eat a decent breakfast in Cody, and head west to Yellowstone Lake via the park’s east entrance. Yellowstone entry costs $35 per vehicle, but we’d use our America the Beautiful Pass.

A little known secret is that east entrance approach and Yellowstone Lake can have decent amount of active wildlife early in the morning, so we’d keep our eyes peeled. If we wanted a real challenge, we’d consider hiking Avalanche Peak on the way in, but that would eat into our day too much so we’d probably leave it for this trip. Instead, we’d blow the cobwebs off with a gentle walk along the easy trail to Storm Point for cliffside views over Yellowstone Lake.

Next, we’d turn right onto Yellowstone’s Grand Loop Road and drive 10 minutes to see the Mud Volcano. We remember this thermal area being one of the smelliest and ugliest in the park, but in a good way. Dragon’s Mouth Spring is the standout feature, it’s like a cave opening with hot water churning, loud crashing sounds and steam intensely billowing out. The bubbling mud pots here are also well worth the stop.

It’s a 20 minute drive from Mud Volcano to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone without stopping, but we would plan to stop often because this stretch is called Hayden Valley, and it’s one of the best wildlife spotting areas in the park. Animals tend to disappear during the day, so we’d make sure it wasn’t too late in the morning by the time we arrived into Hayden Valley – we’ve seen coyotes, elk, and bald eagles here across our two trips.

After hopefully seeing loads of wildlife, we’d take a right onto S Rim Drive to see the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone close up. First, we’d stop at Upper Falls View for a quick photo, then we’d head back to the best viewpoint of Lower Falls called Artist Point at the end of the road. We photographed a moody sunrise from here in 2019. Next, we’d switch sides of the canyon and take N Rim Drive for more views from different perspectives.

By now we’d be starving, so we’d definitely stop at Canyon Village for lunch. We actually stayed at Canyon Lodge in 2019 and ate dinner at Canyon Eatery – it was like a buffet-style canteen, the food was okay, it did what it needed to. On the plus side it was very quick, which helps with this itinerary because there’s a lot more to get through.

After lunch we’d drive 10 minutes north to Dunraven Pass and hike the most popular trail in Yellowstone to the summit of Mount Washburn. It’s a 7-mile round trip hike with 1,400 feet elevation gain, and we’d expect it take us a good 4 hours if we didn’t hang around. We’re still yet to hike it because the road was closed both times we visited Yellowstone, but we’d add it to our itinerary if it was our first time and we visited between mid-May and mid-October when the road is open.

Back in the car, we’d drive 20 more minutes north and park at Tower Falls Trailhead. We’d take a short and easy walk to see Tower Fall at a minimum, and if we felt like we had time and energy we’d consider going down the steep switchbacks for a close up of the canyon (this is not essential and we only recommend it for strong hikers).

No matter how we spent the afternoon, we’d prioritize driving into Lamar Valley around dusk. Even if we had to skip something else like hiking Mt. Washburn, we’d make sure to be out in the heart of Lamar Valley as darkness creeps in because it’s the best place in Yellowstone for wildlife. We’ve only driven through it during the day and with snow on the ground, but we know it can be like a theme park in peak season, so we’d drive up to Slough Creek Campground and hope to see more animals away from the main road.

Now, we’d have a few options for where to stay on night 6. Roosevelt Lodge is the most efficient place for doing Lamar Valley at dusk and then again at dawn, but the only food option isn’t great and the lodge sells out quickly. Our in-park alternative would be Mammoth, either the lodge or cabins – we stayed in a cabin in 2019 and enjoyed it, but again we were limited to the Mammoth Dining Room for dinner and breakfast.

That leaves Gardiner just outside park boundaries near Mammoth, which has plenty of hotels and restaurants. If we needed to do it on a budget we’d stay at Yellowstone Big Rock Inn, otherwise we’d stay at Yellowstone Riverside Cottages or Yellowstone Gateway Inn again – we’ve done both and they were superb. Staying in Gardiner would give us more choice over food, but it would also mean more driving.

Kristen’s no hiking tip: We have to admit this day would be a bit of a rush with the Mt Washburn hike included, so if we wanted a more relaxing experience we’d skip the hike, slow down, and make the other stops last a bit longer.

Day 7: North & West Yellowstone

• Distance: 120 miles
• Time: 3 hours 26 minutes

We love hiking, and we typically put trails at the top of our list wherever we go. But in our opinion Yellowstone isn’t a place to prioritize hikes, it’s a place to prioritize two things – geyser basins and wildlife. They are what make this place so unique. So no matter where we spent night 6, we’d set an early alarm and make our way back into Lamar Valley for dawn (well before sunrise) for our best shot at seeing active animals, before the first wave of morning crowds arrived and scared the wildlife away.

After a (hopefully!) successful sunrise with wolf, elk, bison, and maybe even grizzly bear sightings, we’d make our way to Mammoth Hot Springs. If we really did want to do a bit of exercise, we’d stop on the way across and hike the short and easy trail called Lava Creek to Undine Falls. Otherwise, we’d wait until Mammoth, where we’d slowly walk the upper and lower boardwalk trails leading to vibrant staircase-like travertine terraces.

Both times we visited the Mammoth area, we spent a good two hours enjoying the unique geothermal features. Nowhere else in the park is like it, so again we’d make sure we gave ourselves plenty of time to see it all. By now, we’d definitely be ready for a spot of lunch, so we’d either eat at Mammoth Dining Room, or we’d drive 10 minutes to Gardiner for more food options like the popular Cowboy’s Lodge and Grille and Paradise Deli for a tasty sub or salad.

After lunch we’d make our way south on Grand Loop Road. We’re almost certain we’d see bison walking on the roads around Mammoth Village (both times we visited there were loads roaming around the whole area), but we’d be hoping to get stuck in another proper bison jam a little further down the road after leaving Mammoth. Along with a few other cars, we had to pull over and wait for a good 3 or 4 minutes for a massive herd of bison to pass by on the road in 2021, which was cool to see.

One thing that surprised us first time around was how little there was to see between Mammoth and Norris Geyser Basin. We had another look on our second trip, but confirmed nothing was worth the time. So we’d wait until reaching Norris to get out of the car again. Now, Norris is split into two distinct sections called Back Basin and Porcelain Basin, and it’s one of the most significant geyser basins in Yellowstone, so we’d allow for a good few hours to see both sides.

Why is Norris significant? It’s the hottest geyser basin in the park, it has the world’s tallest active geyser called Steamboat Geyser (which we watched erupt several times), and it’s one of the most geologically active thermal areas. We also found Norris to be less manicured, and a bit more alien-looking than any other basin. So other than the Old Faithful area (which we get to on day 8), we think Norris is one of the most interesting basins in Yellowstone. Another of our favorites was the unusual deep red colored Echinus Geyser, which is an acid-water geyser, rather than alkaline.

After Norris, we’d drive through the beautiful Gibbon Meadows, turn left and park to hike what we think is one of the best hidden gems in Yellowstone called Artists Paintpots Trail. It’s an easy 1-mile round trip walk that leads to a loop at the end with our favorite bubbling mud pots and colorful pools (the orange colored pools are super intense). We’d definitely do Artists Paintpots again if it was our first time, but walking the loop at the end is important because that’s where the bubbling mud is found.

Next on the road is Monument Geyser which we haven’t done yet, and we’d probably skip it again next time. We would stop on the roadside to quickly see Gibbon Falls because it requires no effort at all. Terrace Spring is another easy stop to make but we don’t think it’s essential. Then there’s Purple Mountain Trail which looks awesome but it’s a bit of a beast and we wouldn’t have time.

Instead, we’d leave the park via west entrance and arrive into West Yellowstone. We’d check into the budget Elkhorn Cabins, the mid-range Kelly Inn, or the luxury Explorer Cabins, and then go out for dinner at Firehole Bar-B-Que.

Kristen’s in-park lodging tip: Logistically speaking, it would be more efficient to stay at either Old Faithful Inn or Old Faithful Lodge Cabins instead of West Yellowstone. Plus, it’s cool to stay in the park. Check for availability and prices at the lodges and compare to hotels outside the park. Just remember, outside the park you’ll find much better food options, and some hotels have indoor pools for the kids.

Day 8: Southwest Yellowstone

• Distance: 64 miles
• Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

This is the big hitter day dedicated to enjoying the best of what makes Yellowstone so famous; unique geysers and vibrant hot springs. But it’s also a more relaxing day with less driving and more geothermal action, which would make a nice change from spending so much time in the car. We’d actually allow ourselves a more chilled morning to recharge the batteries, and eat a slow-paced breakfast at Running Bear Pancake House.

Then we’d change into swimming gear, pack towels and spare clothes, jump in the car, enter the park with our America the Beautiful Pass, get on the Grand Loop Road heading south and then take a right turn onto the one-way Firehole Canyon Road. First, we’d pull over to see Firehole Falls, it’s nothing special but worth a quick stop. Then we’d continue until near the end of the one-way road and park near the vault toilets. We’d descend the boardwalk, navigate the rocks, and get in the thermally-heated Firehole River for a swim (it’s about 80°F or 27°C).

Swimming in the river would be a unique experience, but we’re yet to do it because it’s only open late May through early September. Dried and changed, our next stop would be Fountain Paint Pot Trail in Lower Geyser Basin. It’s a short boardwalk loop, so we’d only need 30 minutes here to snap photos of the billowing geysers and fumaroles.

Next, we’d drive down to Midway Geyser Basin, cross the Firehole River Bridge and go clockwise around the wooden boardwalk. We’d pass by the super-steamy Excelsior Geyser Crater first, this was frozen solid one time and so steamy we couldn’t even see the water the other time we visited. Then we’d reach one of our favorite features in the entire park, the striking Grand Prismatic Spring. The colors are almost unbelievably vibrant, like someone has painted it using only the brightest versions of each color. And to complete the loop, we’d snap photos of Opal Pool and Turquoise Pool on the way out.

Our next stop would be Fairy Falls Trail parking lot, so we could hike the first 0.7 miles (1.4 miles round trip) to reach Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook and take the most iconic Yellowstone photo. If we had plenty of time and energy, we’d continue hiking the full easy 5-mile round trip trail to the stunning Fairy Falls waterfall. As travel photographers, we were gutted Fairy Falls trail was closed both times we visited Yellowstone, the first time due to snow and the second time due to heavy grizzly bear activity.

After the hike we’d continue south, park at Biscuit Basin, see Black Opal Pool, walk the boardwalk loop and then hike the easy 2.3 mile round trip trail to Mystic Falls. A little further south we’d pull in for a quick walk around the small Black Sand Basin and to see Emerald Pool. Then we’d drive into the massive sprawling Old Faithful complex, park our car, and head into Old Faithful General Store Grill for a very late lunch at the only decent eatery. There are other food options here, but honestly they’re not great.

Now, we think the single biggest mistake people make at Yellowstone is only visiting Old Faithful Geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin. This area has the highest concentration of geysers in the world, so there’s a lot more to see. After lunch, we’d sit on the bleachers and wait for our first Old Faithful eruption. We’ve seen it go off maybe 10 times now, but we remember how cool it was to see it for the first time. With that out of the way, we’d begin walking clockwise on Upper Geyser Basin Trail.

Our first stop would be the intriguing Castle Geyser, then Sawmill Geyser, Belgian Pool, Grand Geyser, Chromatic Pool, Giant Geyser, Culvert Geyser, and finally the incredibly striking Morning Glory Pool – maybe our single favorite geothermal feature in Yellowstone. We had this entire walk to ourselves in April 2021, while everyone else sat watching Old Faithful. On the way back we’d complete the loop by passing Liberty Pool, seeing the cluster of geysers and springs around Geyser Hill, and hiking up to Observation Point to watch Old Faithful erupt from a higher up vantage point.

If we were staying at Old Faithful, we’d stay up at Observation Point for sunset and then grab dinner. But we’d more likely be staying in West Yellowstone, so we’d drive back up the loop road and take a right onto the one-way Firehole Lake Drive to watch a stunning sunset reflecting in Great Fountain Geyser. Then we’d drive out of the park and grab dinner at The Buffalo Bar.

Day 9: South Yellowstone & Grand Teton

• Distance: 129 miles
• Time: 3 hours 19 minutes

In October 2019, we spent 4 days in Yellowstone and 2 days in Grand Teton. We weren’t sure if those time frames were going to work out, but they were perfect. Grand Teton fully deserves at least one full day, if not two, so if we drove this route again for the first time we’d spend most of day 9 and all of day 10 in the park. After checking out, we’d start with a drive-thru coffee and breakfast burrito at Go-Go Espresso Cafe in West Yellowstone, then we’d enter the park and drive beyond Old Faithful.

Our first quick pit stop would be to see Kepler Cascades, then we’d pass over the Continental Divide, before descending into West Thumb Geyser Basin. We thought West Thumb’s setting on the edge of Yellowstone Lake and with views of the Absaroka Mountains was stunning, and we couldn’t understand why it was so quiet when we visited in 2019. Anyway, we definitely wouldn’t miss it this morning. We’d walk the basin boardwalk loop for 45 minutes, stopping to see Fishing Cone and Abyss Pool among many other lakeshore thermal features.

Around 11 miles south on John D Rockefeller Jr Memorial Parkway, we’d drive past Lewis Lake and stop not long after it to see Lewis Falls. Further south yet, we’d consider stopping to see Moose Falls via a short rocky trail, before crossing into Grand Teton boundaries and stopping for our first real view of the Teton range at Jackson Lake Overlook. It’s a beautiful view, but it gets even better. Now would be the perfect time for lunch, so we’d go to Leek’s for pizza, John Colter’s for barbecue, or Pioneer Grill for diner style food.

After lunch we’d take a right onto Teton Park Road, drive over Jackson Lake Dam, and take a left onto Signal Mountain Road. It’s a 5-mile drive up the narrow, steep and twisting road to the 7,720-ft summit. At the very top, we’d soak up immense views over the entire Jackson Hole valley, but our favorite view is from a little further back down called Jackson Point Overlook. A short walk here led us to a staggering view of the Teton Range and Jackson Lake from a unique elevated vantage point, so we wouldn’t miss it next time.

Back on Teton Park Road, we’d stop at every turnout, before taking a right turn after Mountain View Turnout onto Jenny Lake Road. This would lead us to String Lake, where we’d get out for a quick walk and photos, before continuing Jenny Lake Overlook for one of the single best photo ops on this whole road trip – a direct view of what we think is Teewinot Mountain reflecting in the lake behind evergreen trees in the foreground.

Our final stop of the day would be Chapel of the Transfiguration to see the famous “mountains through the church window” view, then we’d drive 12 miles to Jackson and check into the budget Cowboy Village Resort, the mid-range Inn on the Creek, or the luxury Huff House Inn. In the evening, we’d walk to Jackson Town Square to see the famous Elk Antler Arch before grabbing dinner at one of many excellent eateries. We remember Hand Fire Pizza having a lively atmosphere, but we’d probably pick whichever exotic cuisine we most liked the sound of, especially after so many “American-style” restaurants from the previous 8 days of the road trip.

Kristen’s lodging tip: We absolutely recommend Jackson as the place to stay when visiting Grand Teton, and we’d stay there again next time because we like having diverse food options. But if you’d rather spend your last few nights inside the park surrounded by nature, take a look at the various park lodges.

Day 10: Grand Teton

• Distance: 74 miles
• Time: 1 hour 55 minutes

The biggest problem we’d face in Grand Teton is deciding between Mormon Row and Schwabacher Landing for sunrise photography. We’ve done both and they’re amazing, but we’d say Mormon Row just about edges it for us because the wooden barns are such unique foreground subjects. Now, if you’re not bothered about sunrise photography, stay in bed, eat a relaxing breakfast and pick this itinerary up later in the morning.

We’d grab big coffees and ideally some breakfast snacks, jump in the car, and drive 30 minutes to Mormon Row. We really liked John Moulton homestead, but in our opinion T.A. Moulton Barn is even more photogenic, so that’s where we’d set up our tripod and camera ready for the sunrise. There’s a lot of great spots to capture different perspectives of the dawn sunlight illuminating the Teton Range and barn doors.

With just one sunrise, we’d maybe consider splitting it between the two popular spots. So when it felt right, we’d jump in the car and hotfoot it 15 minutes from Mormon Row to the tiny parking area at Schwabacher Landing. We’d hustle along the riverside for a few minutes to find the perfect angle and then capture yet more dramatic sunrise photos. This time it would be the Teton Range and evergreen trees reflecting in the Snake River like a mirror. In 2019, we watched otters playing on ice and a moose walked not far from us.

Next, we’d stop at Snake River Overlook, J.P. Cunningham Cabin, Elk Ranch Flats Turnout and Oxbow Bend for yet more superb views of the mountains. Then we’d return to Jenny Lake, but this time we’d park near the visitor center and plan to spend most of the day there. If we had nothing left in the tank after an intense 10 days, we’d consider relaxing on the shores, taking a swim, or floating on inflatables.

But the more likely outcome is we’d push ourselves to hike Cascade Canyon Trail instead. To reach Cascade Canyon, we’d need to get to the west side of the lake. So we’d either walk 2 miles around Jenny Lake or take a ferry service for $20 round trip to west shore boat dock, which cuts this part of the hike.

From there it’s a short burst uphill to Hidden Falls and again to Inspiration Point. This would be a good turnaround point for lots of hikers, but we’d continue into Cascade Canyon for more stunning views and excellent wildlife spotting. Later in the day, we’d enjoy a celebratory end of trip beer with dinner back in Jackson!

Flying Out Of Bozeman

Now, there are plenty of other possibilities for start and end points on this road trip. We’re not going to cover them all because this guide is already long enough! We love our route ending in Jackson because it maximizes time in Yellowstone and Grand Teton, and it provides flexibility for both the flight home and rental car drop-off with Jackson Hole, West Yellowstone, Bozeman and Salt Lake City airports all within reasonable driving distance.

That said, the only other variation we’d give serious consideration to is re-routing the Yellowstone and Grand Teton portion of this itinerary so the trip naturally ends in Gardiner, MT with the purpose being logistical efficiency for flying home out of nearby Bozeman airport, which we know has more flight options than Jackson Hole. This alternate route also works much better for onward to travel to Glacier National Park. In truth, we don’t think it flows as well geographically through Yellowstone, but here’s how we’d do it this way instead:

Days 1-5: Pick up a one-way car rental from Rapid City airport to Bozeman. Itinerary remains exactly the same.

Day 6: Enter Yellowstone via east entrance, drive down to West Thumb, continue south into Grand Teton and follow our day 9 from the main itinerary.

Day 7: Follow day 10 of our main itinerary, except don’t go back to Jackson after Jenny Lake, instead drive up to Old Faithful and spend the night there.

Day 8: Full day at Upper, Midway and Lower Geyser Basins. Basically follow day 8 of our main itinerary but in reverse. Then instead of staying in West Yellowstone, drive to Canyon Lodge and stay there.

Day 9: Artist Point on South Rim of Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone for sunrise photography, or Hayden Valley at dawn for the best chance of seeing wildlife. Then Mud Volcano, before turning around and going back to see Lower Falls from both sides of the canyon. After lunch at Canyon, hike Mt Washburn and stay either in Canyon again or Roosevelt as a backup.

Day 10: Lamar Valley at dawn for more wildlife spotting, drive back (not ideal) to see Norris Geyser Basin, and then up to Mammoth for the afternoon. Stay in Mammoth, Gardiner or even drive up to Bozeman for airport or make tracks up towards Glacier.

Mark’s planning tip: Instead of driving from Spearfish to Cody on day 5, you could drive to Jackson instead. It’s 8 hours 30 minutes instead of 5 hours 20 minutes which would make for a pretty awful day, but it would allow for days 6 and 7 in Grand Teton before doing days 8, 9 and 10 in Yellowstone from south to north and leaving via Gardiner for Bozeman.

Doing The Route In Reverse

Since first publishing this guide back in 2021, we’ve had a lot of comments and emails asking about how to do it in reverse. Now, we haven’t done it the other way around, but here’s a top level summary of how we would plan it (including picking up a one-way rental car from Jackson Hole to Rapid City and staying in Jackson the night before):

Day 1 – Grand Teton: Mormon Row, Signal Mountain, Jenny Lake, hike Cascade Canyon. Stay in Jackson.

Day 2 – Teton & Yellowstone: Schwabacher Landing, Snake River Overlook, Oxbow Bend, West Thumb Geyser Basin, stay in Old Faithful.

Day 3 – Yellowstone: Full day Upper, Midway and Lower Geyser Basins. Stay in West Yellowstone.

Day 4 – Yellowstone: Norris Geyser Basin, Mammoth, Lamar Valley at dusk. Stay in Roosevelt or Canyon.

Day 5 – Yellowstone: Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Hayden Valley, Mud Volcano. Stay in Cody.

Day 6 – Cody to Spearfish: Drive Cloud Peak Skyway and I-90 to Devils Tower. Stay in Spearfish.

Day 7 – Black Hills: Drive Spearfish Canyon to Deadwood, west Needles Highway, Sylvan Lake, hike Black Elk Peak. Stay in Custer.

Day 8 – Black Hills: Wind Cave, Rankin Ridge, east Needles Highway, hike Cathedral Spires. Stay in Custer.

Day 9 – Custer & Mt Rushmore: Custer Wildlife Loop, Iron Mountain Road, Mount Rushmore. Stay in Keystone.

Day 10 – Badlands: Full day in Badlands with Minuteman Missile Museum. Stay in Rapid City.

This is a very rough and basic outline of how we’d do it in reverse. We don’t think it flows quite as nicely as our main itinerary, but it still works just fine. The main thing to look out for is setting off on the Black Elk Peak hike no later than midday on day 7. Otherwise, it’s mostly about making sure to be in the right places at the right times of day.

The thing about this road trip is there’s so much wiggle room for tweaking both the Yellowstone/Teton and Black Hills regions based on personal preferences. If you’d like to talk through a personalized itinerary to suit your travel style and goals, book a call with us so we can sit down and create the perfect plan.

Logistics & Planning Tips

Start/end: Our itinerary begins in Rapid City, SD and ends in Jackson, WY with 10 full days available for the road trip. You might need to add a day traveling to Rapid City and day traveling from Jackson. If Jackson doesn’t work for a flight home, drive to West Yellowstone, Bozeman or Salt Lake City airport instead.

Hotels: Accommodation can be a real problem on this road trip, especially around Yellowstone. We don’t think you’ll have too many issues in the Black Hills, except in peak months of July and August, but even so we would still book every single hotel as far in advance as we could. The worst thing you can do is wing it last minute, that just won’t work. We know changing hotel almost every night isn’t ideal, but it’s the best way to keep this road trip efficient.

Opening dates: Yellowstone’s roads are fully open between early May and the end of October. If you plan to follow our road trip itinerary from Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone in shoulder seasons, you must make sure the east entrance road and the roads leading to Old Faithful and Grand Teton in the south are open. Here’s the opening and closing dates for the various roads around Yellowstone.

When to drive it: Getting the balance right between avoiding crowds, keeping costs down and having good weather is hard. Summer trips are going to have better weather, but it will be busier and more expensive at hotels. Whereas visiting in spring or fall to avoid crowds and benefit from cheaper hotels can mean running into problems with snow and road closures (like we had both times). We think June and September are the two best months on balance.

Weather: In spring and fall the weather can be super volatile, which can close roads and hiking trails without much notice. Check Yellowstone’s live conditions and Grand Teton’s live conditions to stay on top of closures.

Attractions: We strongly recommend buying an annual national parks pass which is called America the Beautiful Pass. For US residents it costs $80 for a full year, and on this road trip alone you’d save $55 between Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Badlands and Devils Tower. For non-US residents the cost of this pass has increased dramatically, it now costs $250. But non-US residents entering certain parks individually have to pay a surplus of $100 per person, and that includes Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Without a pass it would cost a couple $325, so the saving is still $75.

How Much Does It Cost?

It’s not easy to give an exact figure on how much a road trip like this will cost because we don’t know if you’ll book cheap or luxury hotels, and if you prefer sit-down meals three times a day or sticking to quick cheap eats. But based on our two experiences, we’ll give you a rough ballpark figure for what we think the average couple should expect to spend.

Hotels were our biggest expense both times, especially around Yellowstone and Grand Teton. We didn’t book hotels in advance because we were traveling in shoulder season and winging it. But if we took this trip in peak months between late May and late September, we would 100% book hotels in advance to get more availability and better rooms at cheaper prices, particularly at park run lodges. Overall, we’d try to keep hotel costs around $250 per night on average for the whole trip for a total of $2,750 (including the night before day 1).

Food is so subjective, but we aimed for around $100 per day for both of us to eat three meals, totaling roughly $1,000 for the trip. Some hotels included breakfast, and we took advantage of those. We avoided fancy sit-down dinners where possible, and we didn’t splurge on $8 Starbucks coffees. Entry prices for all attractions covered in our itinerary totals $210 (or $165 with America the Beautiful Pass) for US residents, and gas would cost somewhere around $180 (1,283 miles at an average of $3.45/gallon and 25mpg).

So all in, we think a couple using a personal vehicle is likely to spend along the lines of $4,000 total for 10 days, and of course it will be more for a family of 4 who need more or bigger hotel rooms. But a couple or family who also need to pay for flights and a rental car for 10 days would need a much larger budget. We can’t account for flights, but it looks like a car rental from Rapid City airport to Jackson Hole airport could cost around $2,000, which significantly increases the overall cost.

Next Steps

We hope our road trip itinerary helps with planning your trip to see Mt Rushmore, the Black Hills, Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

If you’d like more personalized help, we offer expert travel planning consultations where we answer any questions you have and plan out your entire itinerary step by step. See our packages and reviews.

Still researching for your trip?

• Here’s our first-timers Yellowstone travel guide
• These are Yellowstone’s top attractions
• Here’s where to stay around Yellowstone
• What to know about Yellowstone in April
• What to expect at Yellowstone in October
• This is how to visit Mt Rushmore
• Here’s what to do near Mt Rushmore
• Follow our Black Elk Peak trail guide
• Here’s what to do in Custer State Park

Finally, we recommend reading our South Dakota travel guide and Wyoming travel guide to get more helpful tips and advice for your trip.

Happy travels,

Mark and Kristen

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