Visit Denver, Rocky Mountain NP, Mt Rushmore, Badlands NP, Devils Tower, Yellowstone NP, Grand Teton NP & Glenwood Springs.
Road trip from the magnificent Rocky Mountains to the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota and back again. This relatively short but epic circular route visits numerous National Parks and enjoys spectacular scenery along the way. Want a two-week itinerary full of wonderful wildlife, wilderness and wild west adventure? You got it!
Key road trip highlights:
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We’ll suggest properties to match your preferred budget, be it low-cost, mid-range or high-end luxury that you’re looking for. We can also mix it up so you’ll experience a range of standards and experiences along your road trip.
All of our American road trips can be tailored to meet your requirements. Do you have more or less than 14 days for your road trip? No problem, we can bolt on extra nights to allow more time to explore or shorten the number of destinations as required.
Fly direct from the UK to Denver, Colorado, in the Rocky Mountains area of America. Collect your car at the airport and head into the Mile High City for two nights of city fun and acclimatisation before you hit the open road to visit the region’s abundant natural wonders. If you prefer to avoid the city, then we can arrange an overnight at the Denver Airport before you head straight to Rocky Mountain National Park the following day.
Spend the day discovering some of Denver’s must-see places like Denver Botanical Gardens, Denver Art Museum and the Museum of Nature & Science. Handsome Union Station (pictured) is another great spot, with many excellent restaurants and shops on offer. A visit to Coors Field baseball stadium is a must if sport is your thing, especially if the Colorado Rockies take the field during your stay.
Denver sits 5,000 feet above see-level, and during today’s drive you’ll climb to over 12,000 feet high. Cruise along the highest paved mountain pass in the United States, Trail Ridge Road starts in Estes Park, it then crosses the Continental Divide before dropping down to Grand Lake on the far side of Rocky Mountain Park. Along the way, wildlife viewing opportunities will hopefully include Elk, Moose, Bighorn Sheep, Bears and even Mountain Lions.
Spend most of today exploring Rocky Mountain National Park, looking for wildlife and epic mountain views as you go. In mid-afternoon, you’ll depart from the Estes Park gate and start the drive up to the gorgeous Black Hills of South Dakota. To break up the long drive, you’ll overnight in the Wild West town of Cheyenne. When in Cheyenne, be sure to take a photo with some of the giant cowboy boots dotted around the town.
The faces of four former American Presidents look out over the country they helped create. Carved out of the side of Mount Rushmore during the 1930s, this granite sculpture is the largest in the world. Classic movie buffs will remember the part Mt Rushmore played in the iconic Alfred Hitchcock movie North by Northwest starring Cary Grant. Although Mt Rushmore is the most famous destination in the Black Hills area, you’ll need an additional day or two to explore this picturesque area and the natural wonders that reside here.
We believe South Dakota’s pretty Black Hills is arguably America’s most underrated destination. Badlands National Park (pictured), Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Crazy Horse Memorial and Custer State Park are just some of the stunning sights and experiences you can enjoy here. Want to find out what a Pigtail bridge is? Then, you must drive the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway to the Needles and experience the hairpin curves firsthand.
Made famous by Steven Spielberg’s classic film ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’, Devils Tower National Monument is simply spectacular, it’s a must-do destination for anyone driving west towards Bighorn National Forest and then Yellowstone. Keep a close eye on the tower, as you can often witness climbers scaling the 1,267-foot butte. Overnight, you can stop in Buffalo, Sheridan or at a Dude Ranch in Ucross. Just let us know which option you prefer.
Pass through Bighorn National Forest, which features even more remarkable wilderness, including Shell Falls, which a lovely waterfall that sits along today’s route. Cody is an absolute gem of a cowboy town; founded by iconic cowboy Buffalo Bill, Cody features Western-themed events, including summer rodeos, staged shoot-outs, parades, and even pow-wows.
Today, you’ll reach the world-famous and wonderful Yellowstone National Park. Founded back in 1872, Yellowstone is the world’s oldest and first National Park. Home to millions of years of geological history and an incredible range of wildlife, including bison, bobcats, grizzly bears and more. Yellowstone should be on everyone’s bucket list, so act fast as the best lodges book up quickly here, and securing the correct accommodation is really important. As with every destination on every trip, we’ll work hard to ensure you stay in the very best locations.
A second full day to further discover Yellowstone’s natural wonders and plentiful wildlife. Unbelievably, half the world’s geysers are found here, including the most famous, Old Faithful. This iconic natural wonder spurts water over 90 feet in the air almost every hour. Enjoy taking in one of the National Park ranger-led talks or walks that depart daily from Old Faithful Lodge. Further essential points of interest include the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Hayden Valley and Lake Yellowstone.
Spend the morning and early afternoon concluding any remaining Yellowstone sightseeing before heading south on the short drive to Grand Teton National Park. Grand Teton is epic and more than holds its own against its more famous neighbours found along this Rocky Mountain road trip. Grand Teton National Park offers a rich mix of extraordinary wildlife, pristine lakes and stunning alpine terrain; to just call it beautiful would be an understatement.
Grand Teton National Park is home to numerous scenic drives, including Jenny Lake Scenic Drive, Teton Park Road and Signal Mountain Sumit Road. Want to stretch your legs for the rest of the day? Easy hiking options include Taggart Lake, Phelps Lake Overlook and Lunch Tree Hill, with the latter offering spectacular views of the Teton Range. Numerous opportunities exist for those wanting a more challenging walk also.
Spend the morning enjoying the crystal clear waters and staggering mountain scenery of Grand Teton National Park, you’ll then cruise south on scenic roads to Dinosaur National Monument in Utah. Dinosaurs once roamed this corner of America in vast numbers, and at Dinosaur National Monument near Vernal, their remarkable remains are still clearly visible to this day.
After all the hiking on this road trip, it’s time to relax and enjoy the natural hot waters of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. After you arrive in Glenwood Springs, choose your preferred hot spring pool and soak away any aches and pains. Want more adventure? Then Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park has roller coasters and canyon swings overlooking the magnificent rocky mountain views that surround this town. Tomorrow, you’ll return to Denver Airport via scenic Interstate 70 and jump on a direct flight home to the UK.
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You’ll find answers to most of your questions right here. If you still need assistance, Feel free to get in touch, and we’ll be sure to get back to you promptly!
Not a problem. If you are lucky enough to have extra time to explore more places or add more rest days, then just let us know and we’ll adjust your trip to match your preferred timescale.
We strongly advise that you purchase travel insurance for your holiday to cover you against medical expenses, theft and other financial costs. Should you need to cancel before travelling, some insurance policies may pay out for any loss of funds that have been paid to us and which cannot be refunded under our cancellation policy.
Many of our trips have a different end destination than the starting point, so this is not a problem. Please note a fee sometimes applies for one-way rentals between other regions or states, which will be paid to the supplier directly when collecting the vehicle. We’ll endeavour to inform you of this charge within your quote.
No, far from it. We work with a range of properties from 3* to 5*, so we can adapt the trip to match most budgets. We have access to rooms in more than 800 hotels, motels, lodges and B&Bs across North America.
The minimum age to rent a car is 21 in the United States or Canada, although, in addition, any drivers under 25 years of age will generally incur a surcharge.
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Not quite what you’re looking for? Get in touch to discuss your Bespoke Road Trip plans, or check out these similar road trip itineraries…
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