When we decided to take a road trip from Wisconsin to Yellowstone and back, there was so much planning that went into it! Overall, we spent 7 days road tripping through Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and then back! In this post I give a breakdown of our daily itinerary. There are so many things in Yellowstone that we simply didn’t have time to do, but we were able to see the big things! I hope this itinerary is helpful as you plan your trip out west!
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Day 1
Left home in central Wisconsin. We stopped a few times in Minnesota for gas but wound up at the Ingalls homestead in De Smet, SD. I cannot recommend this stop enough if you are intrigued by the history of America and its first settlers out west! This homestead is the site of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s home in her younger years. Our hotel for the night was the Hotel Alex Johnson in Rapid City, SD.
Day 2
Started the day at Bear Country USA. This is a drive-through park where you can see tons of wildlife! We picked up a fast-food breakfast to eat while enjoying watching the animals. Next was a stop in the Badlands of South Dakota. Next, we made a stop at the Badlands Ranch Store where we fed wild prairie dogs. This was not a scheduled stop but we saw it along the way. It was so much fun we decided to stop and feed them again on the way home! This was a particularly busy day because we also took a ride on the 1880’s train in Hill City, SD. And, we also made a stop at the Crazy Horse Memorial! The day ended in Hot Springs, SD at the USA Hotel & Suites.
Day 3
We started out at The Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, SD. A site where actual mammoth remains are being excavated! We then drove to Thermopolis, SD. A beautiful area to see wild buffalo herds and take scenic walks. We ended our day at the Cody Legacy Inn & Suites in Cody, WY.
Day 4
Today we explored Yellowstone! We were able to see Old Faithful and explored many of the other geysers and hot springs the beautiful park has to offer. We basically drove around the park and stopped at whatever sites sounded interesting to us. That night, we stayed at the Clubhouse Inn, located in West Yellowstone, MT.
If you need help navigating Yellowstone, check out this Yellowstone National Park Guide Book.
Day 5
Whitewater rafting in Gardiner, MT today! This was followed by a trip to Peace Valley, MT where we stayed the night at Boulder Hot Springs. While in the area, we explored the nearly-abandoned town of Elkhorn, MT. This is worth checking out if you like to explore abandoned buildings!
Day 6
The trip back to Rapid City, SD. On this day we stopped and fed the prairie dogs again, so fun! This night we stayed at AmericInn by Wyndham Rapid City.
Day 7
Visited the 1880 town in Midland, SD! So cool to see if you love history and want to feel immersed in what a town would actually feel like in the late 1800’s. Most of the day was spent in the car driving home. This night we stayed at home!
I hope this blog post was helpful as you navigate planning your own trip out west. I highly recommend each of the stops we made along the way. It was truly a diversified experience and perfect for any couple or family taking a road trip from Wisconsin to Yellowstone and back. Thank you for taking the time to read my post!
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