Summer Road Trip: South Dakota, Yellowstone, Colorado
 

I'm planning a 2-week summer road trip for 2021 and would like to hear your critique and suggestions. The trip will focused on 3 areas: Black Hills/Badlands of South Dakota; Yellowstone/Grand Teton; and Rocky Mountain National Park. We will fly into and out of Denver. The drive will go like Denver -> South Dakota -> Yellowstone -> Grand Teton -> Rocky Mountain NP -> Denver. Our interests are scenery and hiking; and thermal features and wildlife in Yellowstone.


1 Arrive in Denver by 8:30AM; Drive to Hot Springs SD via Cheyenne, Guernsey, Fort Laramie (330m/5 hr of driving); Sleep in Hot Springs

2 Early morning Wind Cave NP tour; scenic drive to Crazy Horse Monument via Wildlife Loop and Needles Highway (100m; 3.5 hr); then to Mt. Rushmore; Sleep in Keystone SD

3 Tour Badlands and Minutemen Missile Site at late PM and nighttime (180m round trip to Badlands); Sleep in Keystone SD

4 Drive 2 hr to Devil's Tower via Deadwood SD; then drive 5 hr to Red Lodge (total 7-8 hr of driving); Sleep in Red Lodge

5 Drive Beartoothe Hwy to Lamar Valley early, then drive thru Tower and Mammoth (3-5 hr of driving); Sleep in Gardiner MT

6 Drive to Mud Vulcano; then hike Grand Canyon; Sleep at Canyon

7 Early morning at Hayden Valley, then drive to Norris; then sleep at W. Yellowstone or Old Faithful

8 Tour thermal features; then sleep at W. Yellowstone or Old Faithful

9 More thermal features, then drive from Old Faithful area to Jackson Lake Lodge via West Thumb area;

10 Day Hike: Cascade Canyon; Death Canyon; or Garnet Canyon; Sleep at Jackson Lake Lodge

11 Easier hikes: Taggart Lake; String Lake Loop; Jenny Lake Loop?; Sleep at Jackson Lake Lodge

12 Drive From Jackson Lake to Grand Lake CO (8-9 hr of driving); Sleep in Grand Lake

13 Drive Trail Ridge Road, then short hike; Sleep in Estes Park

14 Full day hike in RMNP; Sleep in Estes Park

15 (2hr drive to Airport); 2PM flight

Seems like a lot of driving and pretty rushed. But here are some thoughts.
Instead of the Cheyenne/Guernsey/Ft Laramie route, maybe investigate a route through Scottsbluff, NE for a glimpse of Chimney Rock and perhaps Scottsbluff National Monument? From there, maybe a night at Fort Robinson near Chadron NE instead of Hot Springs? You could take in the super-kitschy attraction that is Carhenge just north of Alliance, NE.
The Pollard Hotel in Red Lodge is really nice. Breakfast at the Red Lodge Cafe might not be the best you've ever had, but the ambiance is priceless if you're a fan of classic diners.
While in Estes, if you don't dine or stay there, for sure go for drinks at the Stanley Hotel, an Estes Park icon. Even more so if you're a Stephen King fan. (I'm not, BTW)

I also like the route thru western Nebraska. Scottsbluff is the city, Scotts Bluff is the national monument. Also on the route is Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. In Chadron is the excellent Museum of the Fur Trade ( mountain men and interaction with the Indians ).

Driving from RMNP to Denver, consider the longer route on Rte. 34 thru the Poudre River Canyon. Nice geology and I frequently see bighorn sheep there. Although you may have already seen some - I saw a big herd in Badlands last Sept.

Do the hike around the base of Devil‘s Tower.

34 routes through Big Thompson Canyon. 14 is Poudre Canyon. I've seen moose in the Chambers Lake area in Poudre.

The Tetons are prettier than RMNP. Maybe that is enough mountains for this trip? Suggest you save Colorado for later since 2 weeks is not enough even for the remainder. Fly into Billings, Bozeman, or Rapid City if similar in price to Denver.