Day 1 - Fly to from the UK to Rapid City, South Dakota
Collect your hire car on arrival in Rapid City, your base for exploring the Black Hills of South Dakota. The city itself boasts a vibrant downtown area with shops, restaurants, boutiques and galleries, an historic district, museums and attractions, so you will find plenty to do.
Stay three nights in Rapid City.
Day 4 - Rapid City and Badlands National Park, South Dakota, approx. 65 miles
This morning explore downtown Rapid City and spend some time at the Journey Museum to learn about the history of the Black Hills and Native American culture. Spend a night in the Badlands area to view constellations, stars and planets in the incredibly clear night sky.
Stay one night in the Badlands National Park area.
Day 5 - Badlands to Bismarck, North Dakota, approx. 295 miles
Bismarck is the capital city of North Dakota and lies on the banks of the Missouri River that divides the city into Bismarck-Mandan. Step back in time at the newly renovated North Dakota Heritage Center, visit the Native American Earth Lodges in Mandan and walk in General George Armstrong Custer’s footsteps at Fort Abraham Lincoln.
Stay one night in Bismark.
Day 6 - Bismarck to Medora, North Dakota, approx. 135 miles
Head west to Medora, diverting slightly south to admire the Enchanted Highway, a 32-mile stretch of paved county highway that features spectacular giant concrete and metal sculptures. Medora is your base for visiting Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
Stay two nights in Medora.
Day 8 - Medora to Billings, Montana, approx. 285 miles
Make your way west into Montana and Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. In Billings, Montana’s largest city, visit the Western Heritage Center, which features over 17,000 Native American objects and artefacts. Shop ‘til you drop at the Rimrock Mall and enjoy a meal in one of the many downtown restaurants.
Stay one night in Billings.
Day 9 - Billings to Helena, Montana, approx. 235 miles
Take a stroll around historic downtown Billings before heading west toward Livingston and Bozeman. Visit the Museum of the Rockies, home to one of the largest collections of dinosaur fossils, as you pass through. On arrival in Helena, wander around the pleasant blocks of Last Chance Gulch, pop into the impressive State Capitol Building or view the fine collection in the Holter Museum of Art.
Stay two nights in Helena.
Day 11 - Helena to Glacier National Park, Montana, approx. 210 miles
Take a boat tour through the Gates of the Mountains, a dramatic stretch of the Missouri River, with 1,200ft cliffs on either side. Then make your way to spectacular Glacier National Park to discover glacial-scoured valleys, towering peaks, tumbling waterfalls, verdant forests and wildflower-strewn meadows.
Stay two nights in Whitefish.
Day 13 - Whitefish to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, approx. 220 miles
As you head south, admire the crystal clear waters of Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the west, and the picturesque small town of Bigfork which has been honoured as one of the 50 Great Towns in the West and brims with art galleries, fine restaurants and high-end boutiques.
Stay one night in Coeur d’Alene.
Day 14 - Coeur d’Alene to McCall, Idaho, approx. 270 miles
Continue your travels south following in the footsteps of Lewis & Clark on the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway to the Nez Perce National Historic Park, one of Idaho’s most important Native American attractions. The park’s 38 sites tell the story of the Nez Perce (Nimiipuu) people – the Lewis & Clark Expedition considered them the most hospitable tribe they met. Spend the night in McCall, a laid back mountain town on the shores of Payette Lake.
Stay one night in McCall.
Day 15 - McCall to Sun Valley, Idaho, approx. 220 miles
Make a day of the drive between McCall and Sun Valley to take in the incredible mountain scenery as you travel along not one, but four scenic byways - Payette River, Wildlife Canyon, Ponderosa Pine and Sawtooth. Along the way stop at Kirkham Hot Springs for a relaxing dip in the natural geothermal pools and waterfalls, and Sawtooth National Recreation Area for epic views of mountain peaks and ice blue lakes.
Stay one night in Sun Valley or Ketchum.
Day 16 - Sun Valley to West Yellowstone, Montana, approx. 245 miles
This morning visit Craters of the Moon National Monument, formed during eight major eruptive periods between 15,000 and 2,000 years ago. It contains three major lava fields which are some of the best examples of rift cracks in the world.
Stay two nights in West Yellowstone, or inside Yellowstone National Park.
Day 18 - Yellowstone National Park to Cody, Wyoming, approx. 165 miles
Continue your exploration of Yellowstone National Park. At the end of the day exit via the East Entrance to journey along the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway to the western town of Cody. If you are in town early enough, find your inner cowboy or cowgirl at the Cody Nite Rodeo, held daily during the summer.
Stay one night in Cody.
Day 19 - Cody to Riverton, Wyoming, approx. 140 miles
In the morning lose yourself in the expansive Buffalo Bill Center of the West, a fascinating complex of five thematic museums. Then head south to Thermopolis. Greek for ‘Hot City’, Thermopolis has two large natural hot spring complexes as well as a free public bathhouse.
Stay one night in Riverton.
Day 20 - Riverton to Jackson, Wyoming, approx. 165 miles
Travelling west you’ll come to the town of Dubois (pronounced Dew-boyz) where rustic log buildings line the main street looking much as they did when the town was first settled in the late 1800s. In the distance, you’ll soon begin to see the Tetons, a jagged 40-mile stretch of the famed Rocky Mountains.
Stay two nights in Jackson.
Day 22 - Depart from Jackson Hole
Drop-off your car at the airport in time to check-in for your flight.
Posted by: America As You Like It
Posted on: 17/02/2025