LizzieSampson

We are planing a 16 days with Weekends (2 week trip) with our family of 5. My husband, myself, and 3 boys, aged 15,13,12 during the last 2 weeks of July. We will be driving and tent camping, our first time ever! Yikes!! We want to see Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, Tetons, and Glacier. Is this possible in a 2 week time frame or no way! I am thinking
Day 1/Leaving from Indianapolis Arrive Badlands explore tent.
Day 2 - Drive to Mt. Rushmore tent
Day3- Drive to Yellowstone Area. tent
Day 4-7 Yellowstone Tent.
Day 8- Drive to Glacier tent
Day 9-10 Glacier Tent.
Day 11 Drive to Tetons tent,
Day 12 Tetons tent
Day 14-16 Drive Home to Indy.

suzanbak1

Our family has enjoyed multiple vacations to Tetons, Yellowstone area.
My recommendation: Book snake river rafting!! Its safe exciting and memorable!! Even for non swimmers they will feel safe and secure with ALL life vests etc provided. Whole family on one boat with a guide is possible. We later viewed multiple photos of our group taken during our ride to purchase or not. Snake river rafters are in the business to make it all happen seamlessly!

2nd recommendation:
Yellowstone is crowed in July ( beautiful time to go!) and parking can be challenging. We booked a private tour guide to take us. We could all sit back relax and enjoy. No hunting the map and parking spots etc. We learned SO much from the guide and truly this WAS the best decision for first time visitors to Yellowstone. Even if you book a tour guide for just one day.. you wont regret it!

Enjoy!! We've gone 3 x a year since our first trip there. THAT's how the West will win your heart

StantonHyde

I have trip reports on Yellowstone and Jackson with kids--click on my user name.

I would be scared to tent in Glacier just because of all the bears. But people do it and do fine. (I am a backpacker and don't mind tenting in the backcountry--no garbage/food left out for bears!!)

Make campground reservations now if you can. Check the nps.gov site to see if you can do this. You will need to arrive at any campground very early to secure a spot if it is first come, first served. (like well before noon)

I might take one day off Yellowstone and add to the Tetons or to go to Jackson and raft the Snake.

LizzieSampson

Great suggestions!! I never thought about a guide for Yellowstone but YES, I will look into it!

tomfuller

Badlands and Mt. Rushmore are in South Dakota. Leaving Rapid City see Devil's Tower and then head for Glacier before heading south to Yellowstone and south from Yellowstone to Grand Teton NP.
Come back home via Rock Springs WY and I-80 east.

John

Are you driving non stop the first day? That's about 1100 miles or 18 hours of driving!
No problem tenting in GP regarding bears. Check with visitors center before starting out to get update on bears and carry bear spray.

LizzieSampson

Thanks everyone for your replies. I am not planning on driving 18 hours the first day, that sounds like torture. I have done it but it seems like I need almost 2 days to recover from that crazy drive. I want to enjoy our trip and really get to experience the areas we are in. OMGsh how did I not add in Devil's Tower!! I am pretty overwhelmed at this point. My hubby is the" plan it all and just tell me what I have to pay for" type of travelor so that does not help me with an area that I am so unfamilar with. I will look at the trip reports as well, Thanks so much!

tomfuller

It is 1044 miles from Indianapolis to Wall, SD. You will want to stop along I-80 west of Des Moines IA.
I would stop at a motel so everyone could get a shower before heading to South Dakota.
The two things kids want to see in South Dakota before they get to the Badlands are the Corn Palace in Mitchell and Wall Drug in Wall, SD.

thovanesian

We did a similar trip last summer with my 3 kids (then aged 12, 9 and 6). Be aware of how much driving there is even within each destination.
The drive between yellowstone and mount rushmore is, in my opinion, way too much in one day. Besides the fact that you are doing a TON of driving just within Yellowstone. Plus a side trip to Devils Tower (which is a must) will take you at least 2 hours if you include the drive time plus time to walk around it and see the visitor center.
* We broke up the trip by by staying 3 nights at a dude ranch right between -- Eaton's Ranch
* We also spent a night in Cody along the way to see the Rodeo -- which meant one less night in the Yellowstone racket (the crowds and annoying national park food can get annoying after a couple days)
*My favorite was the Tetons -- we spent 3 days/ 2 nights there and I just LOVED it! way less crowded, very pretty, more manageable distances to drive.
*We did a rough river rafting trip on the Snake River south of Jackson which was much more exhilarating than the snake river float, and it was the kids' favorite thing from the whole trip. Mad River has groupons too -- look for them.
* Mount Rushmore doesn't take long to see, but you do need to give it 2 days in case of fog. If you get there on a foggy day, you won't see anything. Besides, Custer State Park (next to Rushmore) is AMAZING and can easily fill up more than a day. don't miss the needles highway and lake Sylvan. It is just as beautiful as any other national park. And much calmer. Very nice camping in there too
*At yellowstone, be sure to take the kids to the -- I think it was called "boiling river" on the northern most part of the park. It is where the hot spring water empties into a cold river and it is just so fun and peaceful hanging in the hot water. bring a towel and swimsuit with you.

I wonder if you should save Glacier for a different trip -- just seems like you are cramming way too much into too few days -- the drive times are very very long.

emalloy

I would want to take a route that would give the kids things to see/do on the way out and on the way back home.

Take one of the mapping programs like mapsgoogle or map quest or bing and play with possible routes. Be aware that they won't know you are going in the summer so will not route you through roads that are closed now because of snow in places like Yellowstone, but will give you an idea of how long it takes to go and how things are related to each other. I agree that going to Glacier might be too much car time and not enough park time.

That said, on day one I would probably want to get to Souix Falls or an area close by. I would probably want to stay that night in a roadside motel so as not to have to spend time setting up and taking down the tents.

Then head for the Badlands and decide if you want to stop at the Corn Pallace on the way out or save it for the way back. Probably spend two nights at Badlands then head for Mt. Rushmore.

Then you have to decide if you will approach Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons from the north, south or east. You head to Jackson Hole area and visit the Tetons for a couple of days then up through Yellowstone for a few days then hit Devil's tower on the way back. Alternatively you could go to Yellowstone first via either the east entrance from Cody then west to the park or from the north through Gardiner then south perhaps with a stop at Devil's tower on the way in.

You may find that the direction of travel will depend on where you can get camp sites when you want.

In any case, have fun planning and taking the trip. It is wonderful to let the kids see this part of the country.

familythattravels

I wrote a trip report regarding Yellowstone with kids. Click on my profile to find it. You do have a ton of driving plan I was exhausted reading your itinerary . We drove into Yellowstone via the Beartooth Highway which was spectacular. Stayed the night in Red Lodge Montana to include that bit....either way it is gorgeous country and you will enjoy it. Best of luck.