Discover The Best places to visit in the Rocky Mountains. From the Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in the North, to Rocky Mountain National Park, Denver and Colorado’s other highlights in the south. Pure beauty will astound you around every corner when you’re driving in America’s Rocky Mountains.
Here, we have collected the Best places to visit in the Rocky Mountains, to help inspire your Road trip plans.
Herds of Bison roaming freely, colourful spring pools and lively Geysers all on top of a volcanic hot spot. Visit Yellowstone National Park!
Where is Yellowstone National Park? Most of the park is tucked up in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with some spilling out into Idaho and Montana.
How much does it cost to enter Yellowstone National Park? It will cost you the entrance fee of $30 per vehicle to enter Yellowstone National Park, and it will be worth every penny!
What to do at Yellowstone National Park? The park has five significant hotspots – Mammoth Hot Springs, Canyon Village, Lake Village, Grant Village and Old Faithful. Each is home to some hydrothermal marvel!
There are hikes around the park for all to enjoy, ranging from short round trips around the Geysers to steep stairways such as ‘Uncle Toms Trail’. Grand Prismatic Spring is one of the most popular attractions in Yellowstone. Here, you can see the multicoloured spring from the boardwalks surrounding the Midway Geyser Basin and take you along the other main features, including Opal Pool and Turquoise Pool.
Besides viewing the surreal landscapes, one of the best things to do in Yellowstone National Park is to consider the Wildlife. Lamar Valley is dotted with thousands of wild bison roaming freely. Take advantage of your jet lag and visit early morning, where you could be lucky enough to spot deer, bears, coyotes and maybe even wolves!
Click here to view our Road Trip Itineraries that explore Yellowstone National Park…
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Denver, Colorado, is an exciting year-round destination passionate about its rich western heritage and full of urban adventures!
Where is Denver, Colorado? Denver is known as the gateway to the best of Western USA’s national parks. You will find Denver in the north of Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. The ‘Mile High City’ Denver sits at an elevation of 5280 feet, a mile above sea level, and has phenomenal views surrounding it.
What’s in Denver, Colorado? Get outdoors in Denver, Colorado. With the Rocky Mountains, you won’t be short of spectacular beauty and old-west history as you step outside.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a vibrant music venue. It is also a local favourite for hiking amongst the giant boulders. Nearby Rocky Mountain National Park is packed with wildlife and incredible vistas. You can visit beautiful buildings such as the State Capitol building, where you can take a tour, or Union Station and admire the stunning architecture.
The Mile High City is full of museums. Visit one of these, including the Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum or the Molly Brown House, where you can absorb the history. Denver is a walkable city, and you can also get from each neighbourhood to the next using Denver B-cycle, the city’s bike-sharing programme. Visit Larimer Square, which has red brick Victorian buildings that will take you back in time.
When is the best time to visit Denver, Colorado? With 300 annual days of sunshine, what more can you ask for?
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Denver Union Station, Colorado
Glacier National Park, Montana, is any nature lovers haven!
Where is Glacier National Park? Glacier National Park is in Montana’s Rocky Mountains. Running right up to the Canadian border in the North, it is often referred to as The Crown of the Continent!
What to do at Glacier National Park? Going-to-the-Sun Road is the scenic road running through the middle of the Rocky Mountains in Glacier National Park. This spectacular 52-mile road really speaks for itself. You will drive along the narrow, winding roads, through the mountain tunnels and over the continental divide at Logan Pass. You will witness all sorts of terrain, from jagged cliff edges to glacial lakes.
Top Tip for Driving This Scenic Road – Set off early. It’s a popular drive, and you’ll want a little slice for yourself. Any chances of spotting wildlife are also higher at this time! Other ‘must-sees’ at Glacier National Park include the Logan Pass, Hidden Lake and Many Glacier.
What wildlife can we see at Glacier National Park? Grizzly’s and Black Bears are often spotted in the park; it is bear country, after all! You’ll also likely spot Moose, Deer, Wolverine, Big Horn Sheep, and smaller animals such as porcupines and beavers!
When does Glacier National Park open? This incredible National Park is open every day of the year, and visitors can enter at any time. The roads leading to the park and the visitor facilities close through the winter when the conditions aren’t suitable.
How much does it cost to enter Glacier National Park? The entrance fee is $35, allowing access to the park for 7 days.
Click here to view our Road Trip Itineraries that explore Glacier National Park…
Canoes by lake McDonald in Glacier National Park
You may recognise this iconic Tower from the 1977 sci-fi film ‘Close Encounters of the third Kind’.
This was the USA’s first national monument. Also known as Bears Lodge, this iconic Tower is considered sacred by many of the Northern Plains Indian tribes. To this day, some tribes continue to hold sacred ceremonies and sun dances at the Tower. You can admire the colourful prayer cloths tied to the trees nearby.
Where is the Devil’s Tower National Monument? The unmissable Tower is a large iconic rock butte in the northeastern Wyoming grasslands. The Devil’s Tower is 3 hours drive away from Casper, Wyoming, 4 hours 40 minutes from Cheyenne, Wyoming and 6 hours from Denver, Colorado.
How much time to spend at Devils Tower? Unless you plan a hike or climb, two hours is enough time to take in the Devil’s Tower.
What to do at the Devil’s Tower National Monument? You can visit the visitors centre, hike Tower Trail before heading to the Devils Tower Trading Post for some memorabilia or visit Rogue’s Gallery museum for a charming combination of fantastic artists, Indian history and artefacts, with an added dash of humour!
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Devils Tower, Wyoming
This National Park is about to blow you away. Grand Teton, Wyoming, is full of pristine lakes and has soaring mountains in every direction. At almost 14,000 feet tall, you might be able to spot which mountain is Grand Teton amongst the 484 square miles of the National Park.
Where is Grand Teton National Park? You will find this exciting National Park in the northwest of Wyoming. Grand Teton rubs shoulders with Yellowstone National Park, but each holds its own. Grand Teton is a super relaxed, peaceful experience.
What to do at Grand Teton National Park? Great for adrenaline-junkies, there is opportunity for hiking, camping and exploring all over the park. The many trails will lead you to the Teton Range. From here, you can see right over to Jackson Hole and Yellowstone National Park. Spend a couple of hours driving the scenic loop for 42 Miles of fantastic scenery. Hire a bike for a fast-paced way to tour the park. You can take a leisurely ride along the bike path or go ‘off-roading’ and join the gravel road along the Snake River. Bikes are available to hire from around $40 a day. Guided tours are also available, offering great insight into the park.
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Lake in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
The faces of four of America’s greatest presidents look out over the land they helped create, chosen for their contribution to the country’s founding, expansion, preservation and unification. Carving began in 1927 and took 14 years to complete, the granite rocks becoming one of the largest sculptures in the world. Its fame and reputation grew after playing a part in the classic movie North by Northwest, starring Cary Grant.
Where is Mount Rushmore National Memorial? Mount Rushmore is found in the Black Hills in Keystone, South Dakota.
Who are the faces of Mount Rushmore? Carved into the giant granite rock face, you will see the faces of four past presidents. George Washington, the first president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, the twenty-sixth president of the United States and Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States. These four presidents, in particular, were selected as the sculptor Gutzon Borglum felt at the time that they represented the most critical events in the history of the US.
What to do on a Mount Rushmore road trip? Mount Rushmore is super impressive but won’t require a whole day along your road trip. Under 20 miles away, you can view history in the making by visiting the Crazy Horse Memorial, another mighty rock-carved sculpture.
Custer State Park is a short drive away. Here, you will find herds of Bison roaming the wilderness amongst other remarkable wild animals.
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Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
One of best places in Rocky MountainsTucked into a box canyon, Telluride, Colorado, is a small town which was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1964.
Colorado’s most scenic alpine resort was previously a wild west mining town best known as the place where Butch Cassidy robbed his first bank.
The mountains are more craggy and dramatic than in other areas, and the city more than matches its surroundings in the beauty stakes. Many A-listers have chosen Telluride as the destination for a second home, and it’s easy to see why – Skiing for all levels, stunning natural beauty and a town packed with charm.
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Telluride in Autumn, Colorado
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