Baltimore, MD to Glacier National, Yellowstone, Mt Rushmore

I suggest looking at Rafter J Bar Ranch in Hill City, SD for the Black Hills/Rushmore stay. We just camped there last week and it was great. Huge area, Different type of campsites (forest, prairie, hillside, etc), pool, and incredible views. Don't miss out on Custer State park in the area (wildlife loop road). I think you will find brochures/info just about anyplace you go in the area for things to see.

Att cell service will be good. I've been there several times.

We just came back from a weekend trip. This would be an excellent multi day route to Glacier through the best parts of Montana. We camped at the National Forest Campgrounds south of Red Lodge (Parkside, Limber Pine). Then you do the Beartooth Highway and cross over the northern end of Yellowstone (Lamar Valley) without actually staying in Yellowstone (one day trip). You gotta do Beartooth once in your life. Avoid though if you have a big rig or take an extra pair of pants and make sure your insurance is up to date.

You can head north to Gardiner or keep going and head north through West Yellowstone as you get ready to head north. Discovery Center in West Yellowstone is worth checking out for the bears. There are some gorgeous national forest campgrounds heading up to Bozeman from West Yellowstone. They even have electricity now days. Red Cliff stands out and it is right on the river. You can fish with a license, walk fifty feet and cook them in your fire pit. Split em, gut em, pack em with garlic and butter and wrap in foil, 10 13 mins a side, hmmm. Also get a smoked trout from the Beartooth cafe in Cooke City and put on ice for a light snack or lunch, hmmm. If you like IPAs', check out all of the MT ones. They are almost all good. Recommendations are Bent Nail (Red Lodge), Tumbleweed or Single Malt (Helena), Shake a day and most others.

From Gardiner or West Yellowstone, it is about three hours north to Helena. Take 12 across Helena and head north at Avon do a few miles on 200 and north past Seely Lake. At the top of McDonald Pass west of Helena is a very nice wooded campground Cromwwell Dixon or you can keep going. Head North at Avon up past Seely Lake to Glacier. This whole drive from Helena to Glacier is one of the most beautiful in the country in my opinion. There are National Forest and state campgrounds along the way also but usually full.

Once you get to Glacier area, I'd look at the KOA or Glacier Campground about a mile south of West Glacier as a base for doing Glacier. Take your passport and go to Waterton in Canada if you have a few days.

Other alternatives are to head from Black Hills cross over on 14 to Cody and head north and across the northern end of Yellowstone. You will catch the end of the Beartooth Highway. You can do 14A and hit the Medicine wheel. It's all good.

Cody is definitely a place you shouldn't miss. You can spend a couple of days just taking in the Buffalo Bill Center.

Sounds like a wonderful trip! Glad you already have reservations in the busy spots. I second the suggestion for the Rafter J Bar in the Black Hills - and the Hills are so much more than Mt. Rushmore! Don't miss the Crazy Horse memorial! There's an old steam train one can ride there, lots of hiking/biking trails, etc. Depending on the size of your rig, Custer State Park has some nice campgrounds as well, some with electric hookups.

A couple other spots I'd recommend seeing: Devils Tower in n.e. Wyoming and Little Bighorn National Battlefield - both are between the Black Hills and Cody/Yellowstone/Glacier, the latter being just off I-90. The KOA at Devils Tower is right at the base of the tower - great view! A couple nice CGs near Little Bighorn; it's worth a day to tour the battlefield, which you can do on your own as well as with local guides. Don't miss the hourly ranger talk(s) at Little Bighorn.

I don't advise traveling US 14 (and especially not 14A) or Beartooth Hwy with your entire rig - just with the toad/tow vehicle. Beautiful drives but very tough with RVs.

Search this Forum for the places you plan to visit. Rushmore and Jackson Hole are each worth 1/2 day. Spend more time in Yellowstone. I hope you plan on hiking in Glacier and Tetons.
Also do a Google search for `________ tourism' and put the place of interest in the blank space.

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Great advice above once you hit, say, Red Lodge. Like the others, it's not a good idea to pull anything major over Bear Tooth to Red Lodge.

I'd say we've not had a good experience overnighting in Wyoming, but Cody may offer some nice campgrounds. I don't know.

And as for the route from Balamer, we made a dozen trips from Bowie in the '90s so things may have changed. I'm sure you have that planned, but just in case. We'd take I 70 to Indianapolis, 625 miles for us, a bit less for you, the first day, then angle up to I-80 just before entering Iowa. If you think that portion of the trip was exciting, you'll love crossing Iowa, that's another 600+ to Omaha, Nebraska, continuing about 12,000 miles (really about 450 miles) into Cheyenne. Then start making choices, but you're close to great sights! Have fun and be safe.

I enjoyed camping inside Custer National Park, one of the best state parks in America. Numerous campgrounds, but Game Lodge Campground has electric sites and water/dump station. It also had a herd of bison walking past just outside our RV window several times. Amazing experience.

Any special reason you want to stay at the Virginian in Jackson? Colter Bay RV right in Grand Teton Nat'l Park is extremely nice and a lot easier to tour the park. There are also two very nice dry campgrounds in Grand Teton Nat'l Park - Colter Bay campground, right next to Colter Bay RV and our favorite, Gros Ventre campground. Each has 300 sites and we've always gotten a site. They rare fill.

Gros Ventre is a easy drive into Jackson for a day trip.