Bighorn or the Badlands?
 

I'm researching tours of Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, the Grand Tetons.

Most of them are pretty similar and hit the places I want to see but they give short shrift to South Dakota and eastern Wyoming. I did find one tour that includes the Badlands and Custer State Park but it skips Little Bighorn. (It also includes Spearfish Canyon.)

On the one hand, I feel like I'd be more interested in the Badlands and Custer, just for a chance to see some bison and some really different terrain than I'm used to on the East Coast. And I'm not a military history buff.

On the other hand, seeing Bighorn would give me a chance to set foot in Montana, crossing off another state. Some tours even go into Idaho a little bit. I know it sounds a little shallow and I wouldn't be seeing very much of these states but it means something to me and I'm not likely to get back to the area.

I considered planning my own trip so I could set my itinerary but I'm in my 50s, I'd be doing it alone, and I just want to have someone else do the driving.

So which is more of a must-see - the Badlands and Custer State Park or Little Bighorn?

Thanks.

Since you think you won't be back out I definitely would choose Badlands. The scenery is unique like nowhere else in the country. You will see plenty of Bison in Yellowstone so that need not be a considertion.

Although I've visited the badlands and Mt Rushmore and enjoyed them, I really don't think there's enough major interest to make them the goal of a lengthy trip. (That's just me, others probably think differently.)

Yellowstone and Grand Tetons have many different areas of interest - enough to justify a week or more, and can easily be done together on one trip, either by self-driving, public transport, or tours.

In Yellowstone you are very likely to see all sorts of critters: Bison, Elk, Black and Grizzly Bears, 2 legged cameras, and dozens of others.

Although most of Yellowstone & Grand Tetons are in Wyoming, they overlap into, and some of their major gateways and lodging areas are in, MT and ID

Thanks for the replies.

I really do want to see both South Dakota and Wyoming. I've never been to that part of the country. I'm not very outdoorsy so I'm fine with getting a brief look at them.

I thought about flying into Billings, renting a car for Yellowstone, then taking a bus to Rapid City and renting another car to see the South Dakota sites, or even driving between the two cities.

But I'm just at the point in life where I wouldn't enjoy driving long distances on unfamiliar roads, not knowing where the twists and turns are located. It would be more stressful than relaxing and I wouldn't be able to enjoy the scenery!

You're right, I could easily spend a week in the Yellowstone-Grand Tetons area, and I do understand that. But I think I'll be happy with a 10- or 11-day tour that just gives me an overview of the region.

And I really do appreciate hearing everyone's perspective. There's so much great information these forums!

It would be ideal if you could find a tour that stopped at the Whitney Museum of Western Art and the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, WY https://centerofthewest.org/explore/western-art/

Thanks. The Buffalo Bill Center is on my list and luckily, most tours stop there. I've read really good things about it.