Atl, GA to Badlands and Yellowstone

Go down sage rim road. I think it is the first rd after you enter the park from wall. It will lead you to the buffalo wild lands and lots of buffalo. You can then drive the rest of the badlands in the rest of the day.

BTW, if you stop at the gift store to buy some made in China doodads, there's a sign above the outside benches that warns you to watch for rattle snakes before you sit down. They like the shade under those benches. Personally, I remained standing.

Thanks for all the replies will definately visit the suggested places. We are meeting. With the other couple we'll be caravaning with next week to start planning the trip.

Did that trip in 2011, you will LOVE it. So much to see and take in. We camped at Rafter J and had a very good camping experience there. Close to just about everything....day tripping anyway. Enjoy and 'soak it all in'...you will never ever forget the experience. Safe travels......

There is a decent private campground in Wall within easy walking distance to the main street. It has pull throughs and can handle big rigs. Wall is a tourist trap but shouldn't be missed also if you come west on 90 stop at the Corn Palace in Michell, kinda the same but one of a kind. Plenty of things in the Black Hills to keep you busy.

If aircraft is your thing, then the air museum at Ellsworth AFB. It is open to everyone without going thru the gate. Just one warning though, if you go and get off of I-90 at exit 67 stay in the inside lane of the road the the base and drive under the speed limit. There is a bad dip in the road in outside lane that you can not see and not marked and it will really bang you around. I hit it with our rig in June and thought I might have broke something, but I didn't. Also take a trip thru downtown Rapid with your toad. It is sharp. They have changed it a lot since we left there 27 years ago. Enjoy your trip.

We traveled that way last year about a week before your planned date. It can be really hot in the Badlands and fairly cold in Yellowstone by then at night, so bring summer clothes, jeans and heavier layers. Some campgrounds inside Yellowstone close by mid-September, so you might consider going there first.

One stop en route that we enjoyed was St. Louis to see the Arch and the fantastic museum beneath it. There is an RV park facing it just across the river (Casino Queen, East St. Louis, Illinois), and you can either drive over or take an easy train ride one stop to see the Arch. We followed part of the route of Lewis & Clark from there, heading north to South Dakota.

As said it won't take long to drive the Badlands park road, do this from east to west and then spend a hour or two in Walls SD at Walls Drugs.
Stay in the Black Hills Custer SP, Hill City, Keystone or one of the other many places to stay in the area your call, with lots to do and see.
For Yellowstone, I like Grizzly RV in West Yellowstone, MT.

Jim Shoe wrote:
The Badlands National Park Loop Road is only 28 miles long. It's worth driving through and stopping at the pull outs to look around, but it wouldn't take 5 or six days to see it if you walked the whole loop. But if you do walk, you'll be thirsty. Another 7 miles straight north on 240 gets you to Wall Drug Store. They have free ice water.
Seriously, there's so much to see, do and enjoy in the Black Hills, it would be a shame to miss something because you spent so much time in the Badlands.

x2 the Badlands can be seen in a few hours. It's starkly beautiful but when Mt.Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, the Needles Highway, Deadwood City (where Wild Bill Hickok- Calamity Jane are buried) Custer State Park have so much to offer you should plan on seeing at least a few of them,too. Wall Drug is interesting but we were just there and the place was so packed we just grabbed an ice cream cone, took a few pictures to prove we'd been there, and left. We also took a day trip to Devil's Tower. We stayed at Rafter J Bar Ranch. It's a beautiful resort with wide open meadows and forests. They have places to camp with tents and beautiful spaces for an RV. They are popular so not sure about space availability. Have a wonderful time!

We spent a week at Custer's Gulch RV Park near Custer, SD. Very convenient location for Custer State Park, Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, etc.

Also commend Colter Bay RV Park in the Grand Tetons.