Hello all I am trying to get a trip planned and put together for me and my two sons this summer. We are from Johnson county ks just south of KC. It will be my 15 and 5 year old sons and myself. We will be driving the whole trip. I was planning on driving west to Colorado and going through Denver and then heading north to Yellowstone. I would like to spend three days at yellowstone before heading east to South Dakota to see Custer park and Mt. Rushmore. Then head home south through Nebraska. I'm trying to do this all on a 7 day trip start to finish. So please be honest, am I being to ambitious? Any comments, tips, ideas on what route would be best, and what would be best to see and what best to skip would be greatly appreciated. Here's a list of what I would like us to see. Old faithful, grand tetons, devils tower, yellowstone grand canyon, custers park, crazy horse, and mt rushmore. Let me know how crazy I am. Also this trip will begin on july 14th and conclude on july 21st.
That's WAY too ambitious; probably not doable.
IMO, you should just do Yellowstone OR just South Dakota sights.
Driving times will limit you.
KC to Denver is more than 9 hours, and the drive just from Denver to YNP the same if not more. Most of another day in the car from YNP to Devil's Tower, then 3 hours from there to Mount Rushmore?
If you all love to be in the car, you could maybe spend 2 days in YNP, start very early, blow across WY to the tower, get to Mt Rushmore the same day (very very late), see the monument the next day, one other site (Crazy Horse?), drive 11 hours back home?!
There's too much in your agenda; try looking at a drive-time calculator, there are many websites that will do that.
IMO, you should just do Yellowstone OR just South Dakota sights.
Driving times will limit you.
KC to Denver is more than 9 hours, and the drive just from Denver to YNP the same if not more. Most of another day in the car from YNP to Devil's Tower, then 3 hours from there to Mount Rushmore?
If you all love to be in the car, you could maybe spend 2 days in YNP, start very early, blow across WY to the tower, get to Mt Rushmore the same day (very very late), see the monument the next day, one other site (Crazy Horse?), drive 11 hours back home?!
There's too much in your agenda; try looking at a drive-time calculator, there are many websites that will do that.
Pick one or the other. There is plenty at either place to keep you busy.
Which Month?
I would imagine that all of Yellowstone is pretty much full for the summer. If this is the case, you could call daily and its almost 100% that you would eventually find a cancellation. But this is a bit of a hassle. You would want to include Grand Tetons for at least a day or two. So you could spend 3-4 days in Yellowstone and 1 or 2 in Tetons. Perhaps 1/2 day in Jackson. Ride the Alpine Slide Trust me, your kids will not be bored.
Now if you decided to do Mt. Rushmore. I would stay at Custer State Park. Don't miss Badlands, Mammoth Site, Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, Crazy Horse. There is an Alpine Slide in the are here too.
I would go to Rushmore this year and Yellowstone next summer. My your Yellowstone reservations on June 1 or July 1(the day those months become available for 2014) for next year.
Which Month?
I would imagine that all of Yellowstone is pretty much full for the summer. If this is the case, you could call daily and its almost 100% that you would eventually find a cancellation. But this is a bit of a hassle. You would want to include Grand Tetons for at least a day or two. So you could spend 3-4 days in Yellowstone and 1 or 2 in Tetons. Perhaps 1/2 day in Jackson. Ride the Alpine Slide Trust me, your kids will not be bored.
Now if you decided to do Mt. Rushmore. I would stay at Custer State Park. Don't miss Badlands, Mammoth Site, Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, Crazy Horse. There is an Alpine Slide in the are here too.
I would go to Rushmore this year and Yellowstone next summer. My your Yellowstone reservations on June 1 or July 1(the day those months become available for 2014) for next year.
Driving between KS to Yellowstone will probably take two days each way. I've done that with my DH, but it might be a bit long with kids. I would spend the 3 days vacationing in Yellowstone/Grand Teton to maximize the park time.
You could go via 70 or 80 for most of the east west part of the trip, maybe go on one and back on the other. Perhaps with a stop in the Estes Park area for a quick look at RMNP.
For the kids, get some books on tape, maybe Harry Potter types, and or a portable cd player and lots of films to help pass the time. Stop at a motel with a pool to give them a bit of fun in the evening.
Get a cooler with ice and fill it with snacks, drinks, water etc.
Have a great time.
You could go via 70 or 80 for most of the east west part of the trip, maybe go on one and back on the other. Perhaps with a stop in the Estes Park area for a quick look at RMNP.
For the kids, get some books on tape, maybe Harry Potter types, and or a portable cd player and lots of films to help pass the time. Stop at a motel with a pool to give them a bit of fun in the evening.
Get a cooler with ice and fill it with snacks, drinks, water etc.
Have a great time.
The drive from KC to Yellowstone is 17 hours. Going through Denver doesn't add much total drive time but would slow you down if you stop there to do anything. Since you're driving alone, I don't think this trip is realistic.
That trip over to South Dakota and back home would take 21 hours via the shortest route. And that doesn't include any time at all to stop and see or do anything in the Black Hills.
If you skip the South Dakota part, you still are basically just giving yourself enough time to drive to Yellowstone, spend 3 days there and drive home. There's not really any time to make other stops. You say you have just 7 days leaving on Sunday the 14th, if you could somehow leave Friday night the 12th that would help.
I have to agree with everyone else, do one or the other but not both. You've got 3.5 to 4 days of just driving, there isn't enough time to see Yellowstone and the Black Hills in 3 to 3.5 days. And truthfully, I'm not sure your kids would love a vacation where you are driving over half the time. Maybe just go to the Black Hills or Estes Park (or somewhere else in Colorado)?
That trip over to South Dakota and back home would take 21 hours via the shortest route. And that doesn't include any time at all to stop and see or do anything in the Black Hills.
If you skip the South Dakota part, you still are basically just giving yourself enough time to drive to Yellowstone, spend 3 days there and drive home. There's not really any time to make other stops. You say you have just 7 days leaving on Sunday the 14th, if you could somehow leave Friday night the 12th that would help.
I have to agree with everyone else, do one or the other but not both. You've got 3.5 to 4 days of just driving, there isn't enough time to see Yellowstone and the Black Hills in 3 to 3.5 days. And truthfully, I'm not sure your kids would love a vacation where you are driving over half the time. Maybe just go to the Black Hills or Estes Park (or somewhere else in Colorado)?
"We will be driving the whole trip."
"Fly into a location closer to your destinations and rent a car."
Given the first, this suggestion is not helpful. Finances are often an important issue: Why not just suggest chartering a plane and taking more time?
"Fly into a location closer to your destinations and rent a car."
Given the first, this suggestion is not helpful. Finances are often an important issue: Why not just suggest chartering a plane and taking more time?
The OP didn't say why they were driving the whole tip. Cost may or may not have been the reason. Sometimes people just want a driving trip, but when weighing that against what they are trying to do in a limited period, they may still modify their trip and have enough driving to satisfy them.
Do they really need protection from such a horrible suggestion forcing them to do what they should not?
Do they really need protection from such a horrible suggestion forcing them to do what they should not?
I get your point Keith, but the OP did say they were driving the whole trip. reread
Thanks everyone for the replies. I do think we are just going to go to yellowstone. Both of my sons are really into outdoors activities, camping, fishing ect...
So really I think they'd have the most fun going there. As to why don't I fly to a closer location, it is about finances. That would blow my budget, I've already checked. Plus growing up our family driving trips were always my favorites and just want my sons' to experience that. Thanks for the advice.
So really I think they'd have the most fun going there. As to why don't I fly to a closer location, it is about finances. That would blow my budget, I've already checked. Plus growing up our family driving trips were always my favorites and just want my sons' to experience that. Thanks for the advice.
You will LOVE Yellowstone. If I had to pick just one national park for my child to see, it would be Yellowstone. Hope you can spend a bit of one day in the Tetons.
Are you camping or staying in a lodge?
Are you camping or staying in a lodge?
You actually have 8 days total, if you leave on the 14th and have to be back on the 21st. So you could spend a day in Grand Tetons and 3 days in Yellowstone, plus 2 days to drive there and 2 days to get back.
It's about a 17 hour drive to Yellowstone, the shortest route goes north through KC to Lincoln, then west on I80 to Cheyenne. That's about a 9.5 hour drive. If you just head west right away on I70 to Denver, it would add about 15 minutes to your drive. So no big difference, but you could go one way there and the other way back so at least you'd be on a different road.
I'd try to to make it at least to Cheyenne on the first day so you have as much time as possible in Yellowstone. If you want to at least drive through Grand Tetons on your way to Yellowstone, keep driving west past Cheyenne and camp overnight at Curt Gowdy State Park (it's about 30 minutes past Cheyenne). So you'd have about 10 or so hours of driving the first day, camp overnight then drive another 7 hours to Grand Tetons. I'd camp there overnight so you can relax a little and spend the next morning in Grand Teton, then head up to Yellowstone for the next 3 nights. You won't really have a lot of time to stop and see stuff on the way there and back, but Yellowstone is the best part anyway so just hurry up and get there.
These 2 links have more info about fishing and camping in Yellowstone.
http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/fishing.htm
http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisi...ellowstone.htm
It's about a 17 hour drive to Yellowstone, the shortest route goes north through KC to Lincoln, then west on I80 to Cheyenne. That's about a 9.5 hour drive. If you just head west right away on I70 to Denver, it would add about 15 minutes to your drive. So no big difference, but you could go one way there and the other way back so at least you'd be on a different road.
I'd try to to make it at least to Cheyenne on the first day so you have as much time as possible in Yellowstone. If you want to at least drive through Grand Tetons on your way to Yellowstone, keep driving west past Cheyenne and camp overnight at Curt Gowdy State Park (it's about 30 minutes past Cheyenne). So you'd have about 10 or so hours of driving the first day, camp overnight then drive another 7 hours to Grand Tetons. I'd camp there overnight so you can relax a little and spend the next morning in Grand Teton, then head up to Yellowstone for the next 3 nights. You won't really have a lot of time to stop and see stuff on the way there and back, but Yellowstone is the best part anyway so just hurry up and get there.
These 2 links have more info about fishing and camping in Yellowstone.
http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/fishing.htm
http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisi...ellowstone.htm
