We only have 18 summers with our kids. 18. That seems like a huge number when they are babies, or even in preschool, but as soon as elementary hits, those years fly by. We travel with our kids as much as possible, but a family vacation every summer is a must. People always ask what our favorite trip has been. There are so many places we love and would go back to, but the hands down winner for favorite family vacation – our National Parks road trip.
We allowed a full two weeks for this monster, and in those two weeks, I can honestly say there was about 4 hours total of electronics time. And we drove about 5000 miles. Oh yes, you read that right.
I’m giving you the full road warrior path below, but you can shave off a couple thousand miles if you fly into South Dakota and out of Denver. Check the entrance fees if you plan to visit multiple parks as the $80 annual National Parks pass might be a better option – it was for us.
Chicago to South Dakota
Where we stopped. There are two rites of passage for any visitor to South Dakota. If you have ever been anywhere near the state in a car, you have seen a Wall Drug billboard. It is a tourist trap of epic proportions, but you will stop. And you will drink the free ice water, and have a 5 cent cup of coffee, and buy your kids a souvenir, but most of all, you will laugh – at every billboard, at yourselves for stopping, at the things you will see for sale and for years at the memories.
On the way to Wall Drug you will pass through Mitchell, SD, home of the 2nd biggest tourist trap in South Dakota – the Corn Palace. My 1st visit was when I was about 10. My Aunt and her family had traveled to the Black Hills the month before I went with my mom, dad and brother and had told us all about the highlight of her trip –this amazing building made out of corn. Sounds ridiculous, right? That is exactly what we told her, but she insisted, so we stopped. We kept waiting for the amazing, but it was a building full of a lot of things made out of corn. Before the days of cell phones, we had to wait until the end of our trip to hear the “Gotcha!”. And yes, I did make a 2nd stop – we had to take our kids, who thought it was hilarious.
The Badlands – our 1st National Park was absolutely stunning. Make sure you stop to see the prairie dogs before the park entrance. This was our shortest NP visit so our hike was the easy Window Trail. Just a quarter of a mile to get to a large opening in the Badlands Wall, this hike is suitable for all and well worth it for the view. If you visit in the summer, bring lots of water. We drove the park loop and saw mule deer and pronghorn (antelope) lounging in the few shady areas.
Where we stayed. Hotel pit stop #1 in Sioux Falls turned into a great evening when we found Falls Park – it’s gorgeous and it’s FREE! The kids loved climbing the rocks by the falls and seeing it all from above in the observation tower. There’s even a bike trail from downtown to the park which is great for a little exercise after a day in the car.
Just outside of Custer State Park we rented a cabin at the cutest place, Calamity Peak Lodge. It is no frills, but the backdrop is gorgeous, the service excellent and there is a creek winding through the property. Our kids tried their hand at spear fishing (made with the pocket knife purchased at Wall Drug), collected geodes and looked for arrowheads. They would have been happy staying there the whole trip!
The destination. Every family should visit the Black Hills. Getting up close and personal with the presidents at Mount Rushmore was one of the kids’ favorite parts of the trip. Go late in the day to explore the park during daylight, but stay until dark for the lighting ceremony. I loved the the windy highway leading to the monument – you turn a corner and come face to face with these great leaders between the trees.
In Custer State Park you will see herds of bison, bighorn sheep, mule deer and so much more. We chose to hike Lovers Leap Trail (beautiful views and very moderate with enough stream crossings to be exciting for the kids) and eat at the State Game Lodge (our kids loved their first bison burgers and walking in Roosevelt’s footsteps).
Our favorite town to explore was Hill City (grab dinner at the Alpine Inn), dessert was at Bobkat’s Purple Pie Place and outing was with Rockin’ R Rides for family horseback riding with a view of Crazy Horse. First time riding for both kids, and they still talk about their horses 3 years later. For casual elegant dining, the food at Sylvan Lake Lodge is worth the trip up the winding road that is half the fun of the experience. The kids (and even the kid in you) will love the tunnels through the hills.
Montana to Wyoming
Where we stopped. Livingston, MT is about 45 minutes north of the entrance to Yellowstone and is in a valley between 2 mountain ranges. The Yellowstone River runs through this valley and you can raft or fly fish in some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable. They have excursions to do so, but we chose to fish from the shore and it is one of our son’s favorite memories.
When you get to Jackson Hole, WY, you can see why it is Hollywood’s retreat, but it has the price tag to match. We chose to stop here, visit Snake River Brewing for lunch with views of the ski runs (really who doesn’t want to grab a beer at a place where their tanks are named Ad Rock, MCA and Mike D, and was named best small brewery of the year – twice) and move on.
Where we stayed. The Yellowstone Valley Lodge for our 1st night before getting to the park. The best part – the restaurant on site, Yellowstone Valley Grill. We lucked into a reservation (found this place to stay on the fly and asked at the desk – they laughed because it is apparently often booked months in advance, but they were kind enough to check and there was a cancellation for that very night) and it was probably the best meal of our trip. You don’t even mind when your table isn’t ready if you can sit around a fire pit with a glass of wine and watch the sun set over the mountains with the Yellowstone River rushing past.
Inside the park, the Canyon Lodge & Cabins for the next 3 nights. It was a great hotel but we had absolutely made a rookie mistake in reserving 3 nights here. If you are going to Yellowstone, know 2 things – reservations fill up EARLY (make them a year in advance) and the park is SO MUCH BIGGER than you imagine. We chose Canyon because it was central, and while we made it work, we drove so much. Spread out your stay between Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins, Canyon Lodge & Cabins and either Old Faithful Inn or Lake Yellowstone Hotel if you can.
The destination. Yellowstone and Grand Teton. We would go back to both 100 times over. There is so much worth your time to see and do at both parks!
Yellowstone
Oh the natural beauty! Unlike anything we had ever seen. I’m going to list some must-see spots and cover the regions (generally) north to south because that was the way we came in.
Mammoth Hot Springs – Roosevelt Arch (the BEST way to enter the park), Visitor Center (smaller but the least crowded) and Upper/Lower Terraces (drive the Upper Terraces if you want, but don’t miss walking the Lower Terraces).
Tower-Roosevelt – Roosevelt Lodge (ice cream on the porch), the Old West Dinner Cookout (the food was meh but you are eating it in a beautiful setting, there's cowboy coffee, the horse-drawn carriage ride was cool for the kids but next time we would pick the horseback ride instead), Lost Lake Trail (we saw very few other hikers and it was beautiful, but beware there is a pretty significant elevation change in full sun) and the road to Lamar Valley (don’t miss this one at sunrise or sunset – you will see so much wildlife! Stop if you see a group of people gathered with scopes- they will probably be looking at one of the few wolf packs, or bears, and most just love to share their experience with you, including viewing through their scopes).
Canyon Village/Norris – The Visitor Center (really so much to see here, so many educational opportunities and the place to rent your bear spray – watch the video, trust me, you’ll rent some, too), Mount Washburn (we did about half of this hike and still had great views), Artists Paintpots (trail through geysers and small mudpots), Hayden Valley (another great wildlife viewing spot) and Artist Point (quintessential view of Yellowstone Falls and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone).
Fishing Bridge – The Mud Volcano area (we stopped and felt we saw enough with the parts closest to the road, but there are some hikes here to explore further), Lake Yellowstone Hotel (on the pricey side and tough to get reservations but definitely stop for a drink with a view if you don’t stay), Yellowstone Lake (gorgeous views, many places to stop and walk the shore, some with steam vents) and the drive through Sylvan Pass (we loved this because it was an escape from the crowds, and believe me, even in a park this big, there are A LOT of people - we stopped and spent some time in the creek before having a picnic lunch and never saw another person).
Old Faithful – the geyser is every bit as awe-inspiring as you have heard it is! Walk the trails while you wait and you might be lucky enough to catch a Beehive Geyser eruption (we were, and it was amazing, but we were told it is pretty unpredictable), check out the Old Faithful Inn (if you can’t stay here, walk through this national historic landmark to see the fireplace and the balconies) and grab an ice cream and a front row spot to enjoy the show. After the eruption, drive to Grand Prismatic for one of the most stunning sites in the park.
We stopped for roadside steam vents, elk, bighorn sheep, a fox playing in a flower-covered meadow, countless waterfalls and fishing in the Yellowstone, but that doesn’t even scratch the surface of everything we saw as we drove from site to site. Before we move on to Grand Teton, I am going to mention the crowds again. Pick your must-sees and do them early - not only will you beat most other travelers, you will be treated to extra animal sightings and a show you can only see at Yellowstone – sunrise through the steam.
Grand Teton
Smaller than Yellowstone but every bit as beautiful! The mountains here will take your breath away, and not just from hiking in them.
Jenny Lake – take the boat ride (and a jacket) but make sure you stop to stick your feet in this crystal clear lake. The parking lot will probably be full by about 10:00 so get there early! Walk a little way on the Jenny Lake Trail and you will find some quiet inlets perfect for finding out just how cold this water is. A little tip - you might want to wait until after your hike to the point because nothing soothes sore and tired muscles like a soak in a glacial lake.
Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point – it will be a crowded hike, but it is still absolutely worth it. If you take the boat across the lake, the trail is just over 2 miles roundtrip. If you choose to hike around Jenny Lake, you are adding another 5. If heights aren’t your thing, stop after the views of Hidden Falls. The path up to the point is relatively easy, but there are a few vertigo-inspiring areas with no barrier between the granite-carved trail and a drop of about 6000 feet.
Moose-Wilson Road – this is a diversion from the main highway but well worth it. You are likely to see the road’s namesake (moose, not Wilson :)) and this spot is frequented by mothers with their young. It also takes you to the base of some of the ski villages once you leave the park and still gives fairly easy access to Jackson Hole.
Utah to Colorado
Where we stopped. The Olympic Training Facility in Park City. We saw it on the ridge as we were driving out of town and decided to stop on impulse. So glad we did – watching the aerial skiers train jumping into the pool mesmerized the kids for hours. The ski jumpers fly so much farther than you can imagine until you see them up close. There was a zip line at the top of the mountain, summer bobsledding and a playground area for the kids to climb through.
Arches National Park – our visit was shorter because of our unplanned stop at the Olympic Facility, but we still got to experience so much. We did the Double Arch Trail – beautiful! The trail is short, only ½ mile, but at the end of the trail, you can climb up the arches themselves. The kids were up the back like mountain goats – by the time my husband caught up with them, they were waving from the top. A small heart attack later, he realized that there was a drop of about 75 feet to the rocks below, directly behind where they were sitting. Lesson learned - there are no railings here so make sure you stay with the kids. We also did the short Delicate Arch Viewpoint Trail – we had initially planned to do the Delicate Arch Trail, but it is about 3 miles and we were approaching sunset. I would definitely recommend doing it if you have the time, but remember you are in the desert and multiple hikes here in one day can be a lot.
Glenwood Springs, Colorado is such a fun town! We went for a half day trip with Whitewater Rafting LLC and loved every minute! The guide was fantastic with our kids, let them “ride the bull” through some of the calmer spots, stopped to let us swim in the hot springs and gave us a history lesson on the canyon itself. Yes, we bought the photo package. We grabbed dinner at Slope & Hatch, delicious fast-casual tacos and cocktails. There might be a bit of a wait because it’s small, but they turn people over quickly and it is well worth the wait (extra time to enjoy extra drinks)!
Vail for lunch in the quintessential Colorado ski town. Blue Moose Pizza (for the pizza, of course) and Rimini Gelato & Cafe (salted caramel gelato and coffee). We watched the mountain bikers come down the trail and walked by Gore Creek to break up the drive.
Where we stayed. Park City for the 1st night. Our hotel shall remain nameless (fine but nothing to write home about), but the best part was to wake up and walk to breakfast at The Eating Establishment in town. The food was tasty and the views were even better.
Hotel Glenwood Springs was perfect for the night after rafting. Clean, friendly staff, not too pricey and even some indoor waterslides for the littles. We wished we had another day here because there was so much to do!
Homewood Suites downtown in Denver for 2 nights to round out the trip. Walking distance to some great restaurants and down the street from the blue bear!
The destination. Denver and Rocky Mountain National Park. Always a perfect jumping off point for exploring the mountains and to catch a Rockies game.
If you are looking for beautiful vistas, Trail Ridge Road does not disappoint. It can get a little dicey, but you do feel like you are at the top of the world. Side note: I do not envy my husband for all of the mountain driving on this trip, but he handled it like a champ. If you plan to drive this road (or many in Yellowstone), check your rental for high mileage or brakes on the questionable side and request a change if need be. Same goes for your own vehicle if you are going to road warrior it – we saw our share of cars struggling and on the side of the road on this trip.
Our hike – first time we have gotten lost in 15+ years of hiking! We tried for the Beaver Mountain Loop, but are not sure what we actually ended up hiking (even with a trail map pic on our phones). Several trails converge in this area, there are a lot of wildlife trails as well and we had a hard time finding the trail markers. Fortunately, we were able get back to our car after a bit of an adventure and still had beautiful views. We met a couple from Canada who had the same experience, but ended up in our parking lot a few miles from where they left their car after hiking all day. My husband had to give them a ride back before we headed out because they couldn't walk any more - I would probably recommend trying a different trail!
The last leg of our journey? Denver to St. Louis. The drive isn't bad but since the only time the electronics had come out the rest of the trip was on the 1st day, we told the kids they could watch as many movies or play as many games as they wanted. Guess how much of the trip home was spend on screens? None. They both took a few naps, but other than that, talked with each other and us about everything they saw and did.
If you are keeping track, that's 5 national parks, 1 national memorial, 2 state parks, 11 states, 5000 miles and 16 days - only 1 of them on electronics.
Take the trip. Make memories. Get outside.
Explore | Dream | Discover | The Road
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