Start Denver, to Mt Rushmore, to Yellowstone, to Denver

My wife and I are planning a 7 day roadtip from Denver to Denver via Mt Rushmore and Yellowstone. Is this a feasible amount of time? What are the recommended routes to take? Should we be spending more time here, and where? Is it worth seeing Utah (Zion, Moab) from Denver or is this too far?

Start Denver, to Mt Rushmore, to Yellowstone, to Denver

You cannot see the Utah parks in that time period. The drive from Denver to Gardiner, MT, the north entrance to Yellowstone is, according to MapQuest:

Total Estimated Time: 10.0 hours 15 minutes

Total Estimated Distance: 723 miles

And that%26#39;s w/o significant stops which you have planned, or as necessitated by your sightseeing. So, given a round trip, that%26#39;s at least two, more likely three, full days of straight driving which would be unfair to you in terms of really seeing this wonderful areas; i.e., instead of a fly by.

I%26#39;d think seriously about putting the balance of your time in Yellowstone National Park, with a visit, perhaps an overnight, to Grand Teton National Park, just south of YNP. You could head back to Denver from TNP/Jackson Hole. You don%26#39;t say when you are coming; this is high country, so winter road conditions will matter, as well as when YNP actually opens.

You need to start seeking lodging a few months ago LOL, by contacting Xanterra.com, for any place you can find in the park, which I feel is better than staying in the outlying communities. However, it%26#39;s a good idea to find lodging in, for example, Gardiner or W. Yellowstone for backup.

Start Denver, to Mt Rushmore, to Yellowstone, to Denver

If you do choose a fly by, here again is MapQuest, with an arbitrary selection of a departure point, Jackson Hole:

Jackson Hole, WY to Moab, UT

Total Estimated Time: 8.0 hours 38 minutes

Total Estimated Distance: 536 miles

That%26#39;s just one way. Two more days used, leaving you with ???

Pep,

Give us more details about your trip? What time of year is this trip? What time are you arriving and flying out of Denver?

Assuming summer months and favorable flight times, yes, this is possible but probably not enough time to do the trip adequately. To give you an idea of the distances, figure it will take you 8 hours of driving to get from Denver to Mt. Rushmore area. It will take you 8 hours of driving from Mt. Rushmore area to the Yellowstone area (depending on where you want to end up and whether you stop at Devil%26#39;s Tower). It will take you 10 hours of driving to get from Yellowstone area (again very approximate depending on where you start out) to get back to Denver. So you are looking at three very long driving days just to get to those two areas.

Yellowstone is very large and very diverse, so you will want to have 2-3 days minimum there, plus at least another half day in the Grand Tetons, and likely a little time in either Cody or Jackson.

We are doing the same trip-Mt. Rushmore, Battle of Little Bighorn, Cody, Yellowstone and Grand Tetons, Jackson and back to Denver in 11 days. This is the second year we have been in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. You will probably just want one day in Mt. Rushmore and spend most of your time in Yellowstone.

When are you coming? Have you made reservations? We are coming late May/early June and I made most of the reservations in January.

7 day%26#39;s is going to be hard to see Mt Rushmore, Yellowstone and Tetons. I would add a few more days, so you can enjoy. Utah parks would really require at least another week!

Here%26#39;s an idea:

Day 1 Drive from Denver to Mt Rushmore.

Day 2 Visit Mt Rushmore area and Custer State Park. Maybe also a cave tour at Jewel Cave or Wind Cave

Day 3 Drive to Sheridan WY. Stopping at Devils Tower along the way.

Day 4 Drive to Cody WY. Visit the museums, possibly see the rodeo.

Day 5 Visit YS

Day 6 Visit YS

Day 7 Visit YS

Day 8 Drive to Tetons. Stay there for the night

Day 9 Visit Tetons in the morning, then drive to Lander for the night.

Day 10 Drive to Denver.

If you can%26#39;t add more days onto your trip, I%26#39;d eliminate Mt Rushmore and spend your time between YNP and GTNP.

BUT, I%26#39;ve never been to Mt Rushmore so others may have a different opinion.

7 days is just a short time to squeeze a lot in.

Here is a sample of our itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive in Denver , pick up car, be on the road by noon. Spend the night in Story, WY

Day 2: Visit Battlefield at Little Big Horn in the morning, head to Billings, visit Pompey%26#39;s Pillar

we are big Lewis %26amp; Clark buffs)

Stop at Walmart in Billings, pick up cooler,food supplies (breakfast, lunch foods, bottled water, snacks,etc)

Drive to Red Lodge spend the night (Chateau Rouge)

Day 3 Early morning drive over Beartooth, stop for photo ops and short hikes. Arrive in Cooke City early afternoon, visit YNP Northeast entrance,Lamar Valley Stay the night in Cooke City

Day 4 Lamar valley at sunrise. Drive from Cooke City to Cody via Chief Joseph Highway. Spend the day/night in Cody, visit Buffalo Bill Museum, Sierra Trading (not too fond of Rodeo%26#39;s)

Day 5 Yellowstone

Day 6 Yellowstone

Day 7 Yellowstone

Day 8 Yellowstone

Day 9 Grand Teton NP(Signal Mountain Lodge)

Day 10 Grand Teton NP

Day 11 Grand Teton NP

Day 12 Leave Moran junction, visit Sacagawea%26#39;s

gravesite. Drive to Riverside, WY Stay the night at Spirit West River Lodge

Day 13 Riverside, WY to Grand Lake, CO.(lunch and ice cream in Grand Lake) then trail Ridge Rd to Estes Park

Day 11-18 RMNP

Day 19 Denver, fly home

Thanks for all the great useful tips...I am overwhelmed by the supportive advice. I am looking to be in the area in late May, early June.

You should try to take two weeks if you can. LOL You%26#39;ll see a lot more. If you are going to see Mt. Rushmore, don%26#39;t forget to see Chief Crazy Horse carved in the mountain. Very close to Mt. Rushmore. There is also a state park there where they have begging burros. Take a sack of carrots and apples to them and they will love you forever. Then on the way back from Yellowstone, or on the way to, you can see where the Battle of the Little Big horn took place. It%26#39;s a very moving and spiritual place. You need at least 4 days in Yellowstone. You can stay in one place (Gardner Mt. is nice) and do day trips all over the park. Lots of driving but lots to see and well worth it.

BTW, Utah is worth seeing also, but you would need more than 7 days.

If you have AAA you can get free travel guides for any state.

Jill