My wife and I are volunteering at a camp in Montana this year. It is located about 5 hours from Yellowstone, so we figured we would take an extra week and do some site seeing. We will NOT be camping this time. Here is our thoughts.Spend 2 days in Yellowstone then travel east to the Gillette area to see Devils Tower.After seeing that, continue east to the Rapid City area and base the rest of the trip there to see:Mount Rushmore Crazy HorseDeadwoodBadlandsWind CaveThen fly home from Rapid City.It appears this is all doable, especially since I’m not towing my camper. I know it is just getting a taste of the area. We would like to spend more time in Yellowstone, for example, but will be returning at a future date with the camper. My wife has never been in the area, so we want to see as much as possible.Am I missing anything obvious? Any pointers in seeing the area? It’s been about 30 years since I’ve been to this area of the country.Thanks in advance!

2 days in Yellowstone is barely enough time to see the highlights, expect it to take 2 full days just to drive the main figure 8 loop at Yellowstone, briefly stopping at the major attractions only, and skipping some of the secondary thermal features, waterfalls, visitors centers, etc. Yellowstone is BIG, and the loop road alone is 142 miles with 45 mph speed limit, which drops to 0 mph when wildlife is present. It would be easy to fill up a week in just NW Wyoming, and not come close to seeing all the major attractions that are within 100 yards of the highway. We spent 3 nights and 4.5 days in Yellowstone in the summer of 2017 just before the big solar eclipse and were barely able to hit the highlights.

Yellowstone is better than the other things added together.

I think your plan is great. We did something similar years ago flying into Salt Lake City, seeing most of your list, and flying out of Denver. We saw a little of a lot of things, but by no means all of everything. But no regrets at all. It gave us ideas of what we wanted to spend more time at. You should add in the Buffalo Bill Cody museum in Cody. And we enjoyed a quick visit to the Little Bighorn battlefield.

jfkmk wrote:Spend 2 days in Yellowstone then travel east to the Gillette area to see Devils Tower.After seeing that, continue east to the Rapid City area and base the rest of the trip there to see:Mount Rushmore Crazy HorseDeadwoodBadlandsWind CaveI've been out there one time on a motorcycle trip so take my advice with that in mind. Devil's Tower - With the walk around the tower and a stop to watch the local prairie dogs, your looking at about 3 hours there. Mount Rushmore - Including the Presidential Trail walk, again 3 hours at the most. You can easily do Crazy Horse and Rushmore in the same day and add in the Wildlife loop in Custer State Park to complete the day. Don't miss the drive on Needles Highway Rt 87 and Iron Mtn Rd Rt 16A. Early morning on Needles is great as you will likely have the road all to yourself and the wildlife.I guess my point is, you should be able to spend more time in Yellowstone and less in S.D.

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Isaac-1
Explorer
May 05, 2019
2 days in Yellowstone is barely enough time to see the highlights, expect it to take 2 full days just to drive the main figure 8 loop at Yellowstone, briefly stopping at the major attractions only, and skipping some of the secondary thermal features, waterfalls, visitors centers, etc. Yellowstone is BIG, and the loop road alone is 142 miles with 45 mph speed limit, which drops to 0 mph when wildlife is present. It would be easy to fill up a week in just NW Wyoming, and not come close to seeing all the major attractions that are within 100 yards of the highway. We spent 3 nights and 4.5 days in Yellowstone in the summer of 2017 just before the big solar eclipse and were barely able to hit the highlights.
jkwilson
Explorer II
May 06, 2019
Yellowstone is better than the other things added together.
Lwiddis
Explorer II
May 06, 2019
X2 on jkwilson’s post.
BB_TX
Nomad
May 06, 2019
I think your plan is great. We did something similar years ago flying into Salt Lake City, seeing most of your list, and flying out of Denver. We saw a little of a lot of things, but by no means all of everything. But no regrets at all. It gave us ideas of what we wanted to spend more time at.

You should add in the Buffalo Bill Cody museum in Cody. And we enjoyed a quick visit to the Little Bighorn battlefield.
schlep1967
Nomad
May 06, 2019
jfkmk wrote:

Spend 2 days in Yellowstone then travel east to the Gillette area to see Devils Tower.
After seeing that, continue east to the Rapid City area and base the rest of the trip there to see:
Mount Rushmore
Crazy Horse
Deadwood
Badlands
Wind Cave

I've been out there one time on a motorcycle trip so take my advice with that in mind.
Devil's Tower - With the walk around the tower and a stop to watch the local prairie dogs, your looking at about 3 hours there.
Mount Rushmore - Including the Presidential Trail walk, again 3 hours at the most. You can easily do Crazy Horse and Rushmore in the same day and add in the Wildlife loop in Custer State Park to complete the day.
Don't miss the drive on Needles Highway Rt 87 and Iron Mtn Rd Rt 16A. Early morning on Needles is great as you will likely have the road all to yourself and the wildlife.

I guess my point is, you should be able to spend more time in Yellowstone and less in S.D.
ppine
Explorer II
May 06, 2019
My best advice is slow down and enjoy yourself. You could spend the whole time in Yellowstone and fly home from Billings, MT.
tragusa3
Explorer
May 06, 2019
I would eliminate Devil's tower if it buys you another day in Yellowstone. It's a long, boring drive to get out there and it is one place that a quick glance sort of does the trick.

Don't underestimate the Black Hills area. For us, it wasn't far behind Yellowstone.
4runnerguy
Explorer
May 06, 2019
Peronally I would take the entire week at Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. If you have two FULL days, you'll be able to drive the main park roads and stop to see Old Faithful but little else. While much of the park has 35 MPH speed limits, you rarely get to go that speed with all the traffic plus the occasional traffic stoppage for animal sightings. Ofen there is a wait to get a parking spot at the more popular stops. You'll spend a lot of time looking at the vehicle in front of you.

The Black Hills are a long drive and not nearly as scenic IMHO. (Coming from Colorado we understand why they're the Black HILLS not mountains!) ;)
tragusa3
Explorer
May 06, 2019
I assume the OP is returning to New Jersey? passing right by The Black Hills?
BB_TX
Nomad
May 06, 2019
tragusa3 wrote:
I assume the OP is returning to New Jersey? passing right by The Black Hills?

He said he was flying home from Rapid City afterward.

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