Looking for an awesome road trip with limited time? This 11-day loop itinerary starts and ends at Denver, Colorado and along the way explores state parks, national monuments, as well as the Rocky Mountain, Badlands, Wind Cave, Yellowstone, Arches, and Canyon-lands National Parks.
This schedule is guaranteed to leave you satisfied along with some pretty sore feet!
Day 1: Arrive at Denver
Fly into Denver and explore the Downtown and Surrounding area. Stop at Zoe Ma Ma for superb authentic Taiwanese street food that made me want to permanently move here.
Spend some time at the Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater to learn about the unique red rock geography, see the sunset colors bounce off the rocks, and hike some trails to get rid of those travel legs. Our favorites were the Trading Post Trail and the Geologic Overlook. If you're in luck, catch a show at night and see the Amphitheater in it's full glory!
Remember to visit the local grocery store to stock up on supplies for the rest of the trip before you head your way.
Day 2: Rocky Mountain National Park
Make sure to get to the Rocky Mountain Estes Park entrance bright and early as tour bus groups arrive late morning and can bring in the large crowds especially in the summertime.
My tip is to get to the Bear Lake trail-head, one of the most visited spots in the park before the parking spots run out. Park anywhere in the Park-and-Ride lots and a shuttle will bring you up to the trail-head as parking can be hard to find at the starting point. Take the hike to Emerald Lake and see three alpine lakes along the way (3.5 miles round trip). Beware, in the early summer, a light covering of snow may still be on the well maintained trials. A quiet stroll along the easy-access Bear Lake is a must as well.
From there, visit the Moraine Park Visitor Center, a secluded wildlife viewing center with interactive exhibits. For a place to have a lunch picnic, head to any of the viewpoints overlooking West Horseshoe Park.
Finish off the day driving up the infamous Trail Ridge Road which takes you up 12,183 ft into the sky. You'll see the alpine treeline disappear as a wind-swept tundra replaces it. Here, take the short Trail Ridge Road Summit hike. Make sure to pack an extra jacket and hat as temperatures here can be 20-30 degrees colder than the park entrances. While it takes just under an hour to reach Grand Lake, reserve ample time for photo ops and off road explorations.
Day 3: Wind Cave National Park, Mt. Rushmore, Needles Highway
Start early in the day to drive to Wind Cave National Park in Custer, South Dakota. Wind Cave is home to a rare honey-coned calcite "boxwork" formation and is a must if passing through the area. Jewel Cave is also just nearby if you have the extra time to visit.
Drive through the Custer State Park and the Needles Highway before making way to Mt. Rushmore National Monument. Needles Highway, also known as the"Impossible Highway", has some short great hikes - such as Cathedral Spires - that are certainly worth the stop. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife along the way.
Spend the night in Rapid City or camp under the starts in the Badlands!
Day 4: Badlands National Park
While you can easily spend multiple days here, the highlights of Badlands National Park can be visited through a singular day by driving through its main scenic road - The Badlands Loop Road.
Start at the Pinnacles Entrance and make your way to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. The drive itself takes just 42 minutes but reserve 3-5 hours in order to stop at the various trailheads and lookouts. Some of the must sees include: Pinnacles Overlook, Homestead Overlook, Panorama Point, Prairie Wind Overlook, Big Foot Pass Overlook, and the Fossil Exhibit Trail.
Trails here range from easy access walks such as the Fossil Walk to long 10 mile hikes such as the Castle Trail. A must hike for a short visit is the Notch Trail. Cutting at just 1.5 miles, the trail involves a ladder climb and fantastic views of the White River Valley.
Spend the night start-gazing at the Park or explore the nearby Rapid City region.
Day 5: Devils Tower - Cody
Drive through the Blackhills National Forest to reach the Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming. Devils Tower is a striking geological wonder that is considered sacred for the Native Americans. Many climbers make it their goal to reach the summit and non-climbers can enjoy the view from the boulders below.
Leaving the tower, drive through Bighorn National Forest to reach the small town of Cody just outside of Yellowstone National Park. There are numerous small viewpoints throughout the drive and watch the valley glow as the sun reflect light off the walls during the last hours of the day.
Compared to staying within Yellowstone Park grounds, Cody is a less expensive option to spend the night but still close enough to enter Yellowstone early the next day.
Day 6: Yellowstone National Park (Eastern Side)
As the United State's first national park, Yellowstone size makes it so you can easily spend a full week at the park. But it's highlights can be seen with just over two days. The park has five entrances, North Entrance, East Entrance, South Entrance, and West Entrance, all framing the main loop. Here is a map of the whole park.
On the first day, explore the eastern side as you enter the park through Cody. Here you can find landmarks such as the Yellowstone Lake and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Take a trip to Artist Point to see the canyon of pastel colors. Hike up the waterfall with Uncle Tom's Trail, and don't forget to see the Lower Falls of Yellowstone too.
Keep your eye out for Bison and wildlife! Within five minutes of entering the park we were blessed to see Raspberry and Snow the grizzlies near the entrance. Our car was even caught in the middle of a Bison herd while on the road.
A great place to stay the have dinner and stay the night is in the Old Faithful Inn. Stay in the cabins nearby or camp within the park is also a good option. Some rooms require a year in advance for registration so make sure to book quickly.
After dinner make sure to check out the many geysers in the area. The geysers go off in various intervals and this site is a great tool for approximating the predictions. While the Old Faithful is the most predictable, it is definitely not the most spectacular. Our other favorites are the Grand, Castle, and Daisy Geysers.
Day 7: Yellowstone National Park
Start off the day exploring the rest of the Upper Geyser Basin Region and take a short hike to Solitary Geyser. We were lucky and caught the unpredictable cone Beehive Geyser erupt just after day-break.
Next, make your way through the park on the way to Mammoth Hot Springs. The drive itself only takes about an hour but I would recommend reserving between 3-5 hours to check out the numerous geysers, hot springs, and fumaroles on the way. There are plenty of places to stop along the way but make sure to visit the Grand Prismatic Spring, Norris Geyser Basin, Fountain Paint Pots, and the Mud Volcano.
When you arrive, explore the Mammoth Hot Spring Region as well as the Visitors Center. Then take a Guided Wildlife Tour to Lamar Valley to let someone else take the wheel for you to have a chance to spot wolves, bald eagles, pronghorns, coyotes, and much more at sunset.
Day 8: Yellowstone - Grand Teton National Park
In the morning, while the sun is in the right position, check out the Morning Glory Hole. Although it's colors have dulled in vibrancy since its discovery due to tourist vandalism, it is still a must see of the trip.
Next take the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway to Grand Teton National Park. Stop at the Jackson Lake Overlook and marvel at the way the mountains reflect off the waters. An absolute must would be to go Kayaking at at Jackson Lake. This wasn't something we were able to do and it is one of my biggest regrets of the trip.
Lastly, finish off the day with a sunset hike at Taggart Lake, a 3.5 mile round trip loop that allows you to marvel at the views during the hike and at the lake.
Day 9: Grand Teton - Salt Lake City
Take a relaxing day to explore the rest of the park. Maybe do more hikes or do a bike tour around the lake.
One of the most visited spots in the Park is Jenny Lake, one of the picture perfect large lakes of the park. As with other hot visited places, the lake's main viewpoints are crowded. Therefore, discover your own lookout point by hiking or biking around the lake. You'll find your own lookout away from the beaten path.
From here, head to Salt Lake City and enjoy a bit of the civilization after days of being in the wilderness. Lonely planet has a great guide for things to do around the city.
Day 10: Arches National Park
Head to Arches National Park and be ready for the drastic change in temperatures. In the summer it can easily reach over 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare wet towels and drench them over your head. You'd be amazed at the difference it makes.
On the first day take a hike to the Landscape and Skyline Arch which is close to each other and should be pared together. For sunset, head to the Delicate Arch and time the hike before sunset to see the sun light up the arch bright red. Make sure to prepare headlamps for the return trip! Here is the park map and for the full list of best hikes in the park visit this The Mandagies Page.
Day 11: Arches and Canyon land - Denver
Rise early to reach Mesa Arch at the Canyonlands National Park. This place can be considered as the photographers dream and you have probably seen pictures of this arch with its red glow on numerous windows screen savers. Mesa arch can be packed with people even as early as 5:30am so make sure to get there as early as possible to get a good seat for the show. Afterwards, explore the nearby Canyonlands region. The picture below was taken after some amazing photographers gave me their tips on capturing the iconic image!
For the rest of the day, head back to Arches National Park to finish exploring anything left on your bucket list. Great places to explore would be the Windows Trails, which leads to the highest concentration of arches within the park, the Double Arch, Sand-dune Arch, and Balanced Rock. Each are relatively short hikes worth exploring.
Trip Summary
If you want a trip that will allow you to fall in love with the United States, this would be it. Throughout 11 days, the vastness and dramatic changes in scenery will stun you as nature presents the best of itself. This trip can easily be extended to two weeks as each stops can be explored more thoroughly. While most of these places are well-known landmarks, there are definitely ways to make it more secluded and personal.
This picture below for example is taken at the popular Delicate Arch but takes a different approach. And the result is stunning! Sometimes making the unexpected turn, taking an extended hike, or just simply waking up early is all it takes for you to find some peace within the wilderness.
Here is the google maps route of all the stops mapped out.
Leave a comment below for additional recommendations and subscribe for more content!
Comments