This is our full itinerary for our road trip to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. (Dates, times, and prices are subject to change. Please do your own research for the dates of your trip.)
Because we live in Mississippi, our itinerary may be slightly different or completely different from yours. The ultimate goal for sharing this with you is to help you create yours or give you some new ideas.
The best time of the year to do this trip is in the summer months. Even though, we usually try our best to avoid the busy season, we can’t really get around it with Yellowstone being our destination.
Day 1
After a long day of packing the day before, we set out bright and early. My favorite time to get on the road is 4 am. Most of the time, I start out driving because I am a morning person, and by about 11 a.m. Kevin takes over the driving responsibilities.
Because our first stop would actually be on Day 2, we want to make time, so we would opt for a hotel during the night of Day 1.
It looks like Sioux City, Iowa would be approximately 17 hours from our location, including stops for gas and food (15 hours, plus 2 hours). That would make our estimated time of arrival (ETA) to be 9 pm.
Here are a couple of hotels that I would choose from for the dates of June 4 – June 5, 2023 with Hotels.com. Expect the prices to be different depending on the dates that you choose.
Kevin really likes luxury, so I try to find luxury hotels that are within a reasonable amount.
South Sioux City Marriott Riverfront is $190 total, including taxes and fees, for the dates that I chose. The hotel also has an 8.8/10 rating from 751 reviews. Though we wouldn’t be there long, it looks like we would have a very relaxing stay.
The Warrior Hotel, Autograph Collection is $183 total, including taxes and fees, for the dates that I chose. The hotel also has an 8.8/10 rating from 110 reviews. We probably wouldn’t get to use it, but they have a bowling alley in the hotel, which is kind of a cool feature.
Both hotels have a restaurant and bar, so we could get a nightcap, if we want.
Day 2
As always, I would plan to leave the hotel around 4 am or 4:30 am (CST). Getting on the road before the traffic is the goal. I love making sure that during rush hour traffic, I am in the more remote, rural areas.
Day 2 is the day that we will actually get to stop and see the sights. On our way to Mount Rushmore, we will continue on I-29 to I-90. About 5 hours into our trip, we will make a left onto the Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway (Hwy 240). https://maps.roadtrippers.com/us/wall-sd/motoring/badlands-loop-state-scenic-byway?lng=-102.07421&lat=43.89713&z=10.54995&a4=t!35628904 This scenic road will make our trip about an hour and a half longer, with stopping to take pictures, but it will give us a gorgeous view of Badlands National Park. On this same stretch of road are several overlook points.
If you live closer to this area than we do, there are a few dispersed camping areas to choose from on Hwy 240. Nomad View Dispersed Camping would be our choice. The view from this camping area is beyond amazing! https://maps.roadtrippers.com/us/wall-sd/places/nomad-view-dispersed-camping?lng=-102.07421&lat=43.89713&z=10.54995&a4=t!35628904
Buffalo Gap Dispersed Camping is also an awesome camping area with great views of the badlands. https://thedyrt.com/camping/south-dakota/the-wall-dispersed-camping-just-outside-badlands?startDate=2023-02-24&endDate=2023-02-28
Continuing on our road trip, we will get back onto I-90 West. After about another 2 hours, we will come to our next scenic route, Iron Mountain Road (Hwy 16A). This route will give us spectacular views of Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills. After driving a ways, for about 10 minutes, we will find a road to turn around on, probably at Lakota Lake Encampment. Once we turn around, we will be able to get views of Mount Rushmore from both the Scovel Johnson Tunnel and the Doane Robinson Tunnel.
From Lakota Lake Encampment, it will take us 24 minutes to get to Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
Mount Rushmore
Once we arrive at Mount Rushmore, it will most likely be 12:30 or 1 pm (MST), just in time for lunch. To tie us over, we can get ice cream at Memorial Team Ice Cream, located at the memorial. Supposedly, they have some really good vanilla ice cream, Thomas Jefferson Vanilla.
There is also a short hike that gives you some awesome views of the presidential heads, the Presidential Trail. According to the AllTrails app, the Mount Rushmore and Presidential Trail Loop is approximately 1 mile and includes 422 stairs. There is a more accessible route without stairs, the Presidential Trail (Stair-Free Route).
If you are interested in something spooky connected to Mount Rushmore, you can visit Keystone Cemetery. This is where most of those who died while building Mount Rushmore were buried. Some people have seen ghostly apparitions in photos and videos they took while visiting the cemetery.
Once we are done sightseeing, we will eat at The Powder House, located at 24125 Hwy 16A, Keystone, SD. It is a popular spot and often crowded, but I cannot ignore the historical value of this place. It was built on the location where an old log cabin used sit. That log cabin was used as a place where blasting powder and bootlegged liquor was stored. Who knows, it might be just as haunted as the Keystone Cemetery.
After approximately an hour and a half, we will get back on the road, taking It will take about 2 hours to get to Devils Tower National Monument, arriving at around 5 pm.
Devils Tower
The Devils Tower is sacred to the Lakota, Kiowa, Sioux, and Cheyenne Indian Tribes. Each tribe has a different story about the monolith, but they all share that the marks on the monolith were left by a bear in each of the stories.
It was also an important landmark for those traveling on the Oregon Trail.
One great thing about visiting these locations in the summer is that the sun goes down a little later, which makes it perfect for our dispersed camping experience.
Afterward, we will drive about 15 minutes north of Devil’s Tower to Storm Hill BLM Land Dispersed Site. This dispersed camping area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). https://thedyrt.com/camping/wyoming/storm-hill-blm-land?startDate=2023-02-24&endDate=2023-02-28 There are beautiful views of Devil’s Tower, but reviews on The Dyrt website say that the road is impassible when wet. People have also said that the road is a flat, gravel road, but it contains potholes and slopes and is rough.
Day 3
After a restful night, primitive camping, we will continue on our journey. The mornings after a night of camping are often slower, so we might not get on the road until around 8 am.
Pat O’Hara Brewing Company in Cody, Wyoming looks like a great place to get a bite for lunch, since we should arrive around 2 pm. The only draw back is that they are only open Wednesday through Sunday. If we happen to get to Cody on a Monday or Tuesday, we will have to find somewhere else to eat.
Giving ourselves about an hour to an hour and a half to eat, we should get back on the road around 3:30 pm. The East Entrance to Yellowstone National Park is only 2 hours from Cody.
Because we will be arriving in late afternoon, we won’t be able to enjoy the park just yet. We will need to drive through the park to reach our camping area, which is just on the other side of the North Entrance, Travertine Road Dispersed Area https://thedyrt.com/camping/montana/travertine-road-outside-of-yellowstone-national-park?startDate=2023-02-24&endDate=2023-02-28. This area has beautiful views of the mountains. It is an uphill drive to some of the better views, though.
The drive to the camping area is about two and a half hours, so we should arrive around 8 pm. Hopefully, that will give us plenty of time to set up before dark. In June and July, sunset in Gardiner, Montana, where Travertine Road is located, is around 9 pm. In May, sunset is at 8:30. With that in mind, we should have plenty of time to set up camp.
Day 4
Day 4 is our day in Yellowstone National Park. Because we have a lot to do and see, we will get up earlier than usual and start the day with breakfast in Gardiner at the CinnaBear Bakery & Deli https://maps.roadtrippers.com/us/gardiner-mt/food-drink/cinnabear-bakery-deli?lng=-110.70553&lat=45.03297&z=16.15391&a4=t!39521994. They are closed on Sunday, so hopefully, we will be there on another day.
After breakfast, we will stop at the Roosevelt Arch to take some pictures and continue on our journey through the North Entrance of Yellowstone National Park.
Yellowstone National Park
Since we are going to be entering the park through the north entrance, our first stop will be Mammoth Hot Springs. The Mammoth Terraces Trail is approximately 2 miles long, and takes you around Mammoth Springs completely. The trail is a boardwalk, with a gravel trail and lots stairs, so not all of it is handicap accessible. It will take us about 1 hour to walk/hike the trail.
After Mammoth Hot Springs, we will make the one hour drive down Grand Loop Road to Lamar Valley. Lamar Valley is one of the best places in the park to capture photos of buffalo and other wildlife.
From Lamar Valley, it will take us another hour to get to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Artist Point at the end of South Rim Road off of Grand Loop Road. This is a popular destination, so we will expect to have trouble parking. The trail from the parking lot is only about 0.2 miles, according to the AllTrails app, so it won’t take that long to stop and see.
Grand Prismatic Hot Spring
When we leave Artist Point, we will make a right back onto Grand Loop Road and take a left onto Norris Canyon Road. At the end of Norris Canyon Road, we will make a left onto Grand Loop Road. Just off of Grand Loop Road, an hour from Artist Point, is Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook. This is a boardwalk that goes past the colorful geothermal springs. According to the AllTrails app, this 0.7 mile (20 minute walk) boardwalk is on the Midway Geyser Basin Trail. You can take the Grand Prismatic Hot Spring Trail, 1.5 miles (45 minutes), that goes a little ways up the Fairy Falls Trail, but it overlooks the Grand Prismatic Hot Spring from a higher elevation. It is still pretty crowded, though. Reviewers say that the trail is better than the boardwalk. We will probably do both.
Old Faithful
Our last stop before leaving the park will be Old Faithful. It is only a 12 minute drive from the Grand Prismatic Hot Spring. There are several trails to take near Old Faithful as we wait on her to do her thing. The Old Faithful Geyser Loop is only 0.7 miles (20 minutes) long. If we get tired of hiking, there are restaurants and gift shops in the area.
After a full day of Yellowstone, we will start to leave Old Faithful around 7:30 PM. I am pretty sure that there are some amazing spots for primitive camping, however, since our day was full, it may be better to stay the night in a hotel and get a hot shower before starting the next day in Grand Teton National Park. Headwaters Lodge & Cabins at Flagg Ranch , outside of the South Entrance of Yellowstone, is about an hour drive from Old Faithful. For the dates of June 7 and June 8, 2023, a standard cabin with 2 queen beds is $361, including taxes and fees, according to Hotels.com.
Another option would be for us to camp, as long as it is not too dark when we arrive. Snake River Dispersed – Rockefeller Memorial Parkway https://thedyrt.com/camping/wyoming/snake-river-john-d-rockefeller-jr-memorial-parkway?startDate=2023-06-07&endDate=2023-06-08 is a small dispersed area with only 5 camping spots and spectacular views. Reviews state that more campers can fit if needed.
Ashton-Flagg Ranch Rd Dispersed Camping https://thedyrt.com/camping/wyoming/ashton-flagg-ranch-rd-dispersed?startDate=2023-06-07&endDate=2023-06-08 area has a few more camping spots than Snake River. They also have bear storage boxes to keep your items from bears getting into them. We just keep food in the car or in a cooler in the back of the truck, so that isn’t much of an issue for us. The views are equally as beautiful as Snake River.
Day 5
This is the day that we will see Grand Teton National Park. Depending on where we stay the night before, we will want to make an early morning of it.
Jenny Lake Lodge Dining Room, in Grand Teton National Park, is open for all three meals. Reviews say that the restaurant does not disappoint, and they have great bison burgers, one of my favorites. One reviewer mentioned that they have Wagu filets, which Kevin and I really enjoy.
After breakfast, we will check out the Astoria Hot Springs https://maps.roadtrippers.com/us/wy/nature/astoria-hot-springs?lng=-110.72744&lat=43.26126&z=11.07387&a4=t!40365863. They are undeveloped and situated on the side of the Snake River. I love anything that is raw and undeveloped…it makes you feel closer to nature.
Kevin’s thing is off-roading and overlanding, so I have found an awesome road in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, off of Highway 26-189, where other Jeepers travel – Towgotee Pass OHV Trail https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/wyoming/towgotee-pass-ohv-trip. It will take up the remainder of our day. There are dispersed camping sites all along the trail, so hopefully, we will be able to find a nice spot overlooking the mountain range.
Day 6
After a good night’s rest, we will continue along the Towgotee Pass OHV Trail until we reach Highway 26-189 once again. From there, we will start our long journey home.
It will depend on where we meet the pavement again to determine when we will reach the Continental Divide https://maps.roadtrippers.com/us/wamsutter-wy/points-of-interest/continental-divide-i-80?lng=-108.17441&lat=41.67075&z=10.58489&a4=t!40365863 on I-80. I would like to stop and get a family picture there.
After a little while, we will leave I-80 in Laramie, Wyoming and head south toward Estes Park, Colorado. We have been to Estes Park before. The Rocky Mountain National Park was closed then, November 2020, due to wildfires. I was devastated, and we didn’t get to see much of the area. If nothing else, I’d like to go into the park a little ways and take pictures.
Though, our little detour will add about 6 hours to our trip, but it will be nice to see one more national park before heading home. We will stop in Denver and get a hotel. A shower and warm bed will be nice after days of camping in the wilderness. Kevin will greatly appreciate being in civilization again.
Looking at hotels for June 9 – 10, 2023, we will want to stay at a hotel along I-270, which is on our drive.
Renaissance Denver Central Park Hotels will be $134 with tax and fees included. It is rated an 8.2/10 by 1000 reviews. There are 2 restaurants in the hotel, so there will be options for breakfast in the morning, if we decide to leave later than 4 am, our usual hotel check-out time.
Another hotel option is the Double Tree Central Park, which will be $138 with tax and fees. It is rated a 7.8/10 with 1000 reviews. It also has a restaurant, which is an added bonus.
Day 7
Because we leave so early to make good time, we will not be able to stop at Grampa Jerry’s Clown Museum https://maps.roadtrippers.com/us/arriba-co/attractions/grampa-jerrys-clown-museum?lng=-103.45781&lat=39.29912&z=8.71576&a4=t!40365863. If you have the time to stop and tour this really cool, unique attraction, I’d love to know what you think and see your pictures.
If we do leave at 4 am from Denver, we should be able to make it to Wichita, Kansas around lunchtime. HomeGrown Wichita West https://www.yelp.com/biz/homegrown-wichita-west-wichita-2?adjust_creative=togo&utm_campaign=yelp_feed&utm_medium=feed_v2&utm_source=togo looks like a very unique restaurant. The restaurant is only open from 6:30 am – 2:30 pm, so we will have to make sure we get there before closing. The reviews say it is delicious and healthy.
After lunch, we will continue on, stopping in White Hall, Arkansas. This is a typical overnight stop for us, when we are coming back from Colorado or Utah. We should arrive around 8 or 9 pm. Holiday Inn Express is where we usually stay. For the night of June 10-11, 2023, the price is $181 with tax and fees. It has an excellent rating of 9.0/10 with 226 reviews.
If we are able to drive a little further, there is another Holiday Inn Express in Pine Bluff, Arkansas for $136 with tax and fees. It is not as updated as the one in White Hall, though. It still has a good rating, with an 8.2/10 with 400 reviews.
Day 8
As always, we will leave at 4 am to make good time. There will be no more stops, except for gas and using the restroom. We should make it home around 10 am or 11 am, at the latest.
We hope you have learned something or gotten some new ideas from this itinerary. If you have any questions or would like to suggest a road trip idea for us, please contact us at contact@roadtrippingthree.com.
** Again, prices, dates, and times provided are information collected on March 2, 2023 and are subject to change without warning. Do your own research when planning your trip to make sure you have a safe and enjoyable trip. **
