Happy Tuesday! 👋

I've been working behind the scenes on a new blog post that I'm almost ready to hit publish on...

How to Plan a Road Trip from Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone National Park

And while I've been going back through our pictures and retracing our route, I keep thinking about how much I loved this part of our trip.

Because when I was originally planning it, the drive across Wyoming was mostly something I needed to figure out.

Which route should we take?

Where should we stop?

Should we drive straight to Yellowstone or spend the night somewhere along the way?

And, most importantly...

How do I get four kids across Wyoming without everyone losing their minds? 🤣

But once we actually did it, I realized...

The drive wasn't just how we got to Yellowstone.

It was part of the vacation.

And if you're thinking about combining Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone into one family road trip someday, I thought I'd give you a little sneak peek at exactly how we did it. 💛

🚗 Our Mount Rushmore → Yellowstone Route

We visited Mount Rushmore the evening before, spent the night in Rapid City, and started driving west the next morning.

Our route took us across Wyoming, through Bighorn National Forest, and eventually to Cody, Wyoming, where we spent the night.

The next morning, we drove from Cody to Yellowstone's East Entrance.

The direct drive from Rapid City to Cody is around 6 hours, but with our stops, it took us about 7 hours and 45 minutes.

And honestly?

I wouldn't rush it.

There is SO much to see along the way.

📍 Northeast Wyoming Welcome Center

I'll admit, I wasn't exactly excited about this one. 🤣

We were stopping for bathrooms, maybe a few travel brochures, and then we'd be on our way.

Instead, we ended up staying much longer than expected.

The boys climbed into an interactive whitewater rafting display with life jackets and paddles, sat on a horse for another picture, and checked out the wildlife displays.

What was supposed to be a quick bathroom stop turned into one of our most enjoyable breaks of the day.

I'd allow about 20–30 minutes here.

🍔 And here's a VERY random mom tip...

If you need gas + lunch around Gillette, Wyoming, stop at the Sinclair Travel Center.

I know. A gas station isn't exactly the travel recommendation you expected from me today. 🤣

But hear me out.

It was incredibly clean, had lots of food choices, and there was even a little fenced playground outside where the boys could run around before getting back into the van.

There was also a coloring area inside, and our four-year-old colored a picture and got a free cookie.

Obviously, that sealed the deal. 😂

We liked this place so much that we intentionally stopped there again on our drive home.

That's about as strong of a road trip recommendation as I can give a gas station!

🏔️ Bighorn National Forest

This was one of the most beautiful parts of the drive.

As we headed into the mountains, the scenery completely changed from rolling prairie to pine trees, winding mountain roads, and gorgeous overlooks.

We did encounter quite a bit of construction, so that's something to keep in mind during the summer.

But even with the slower drive, I wouldn't have wanted to skip this route.

💦 Meadowlark Lake

And then came one of those stops that wasn't on the itinerary at all.

We spotted Meadowlark Lake and decided to pull over.

The boys immediately started throwing rocks into the water and climbing on the big boulders while we took in the mountain views.

Nothing fancy.

Nothing we'd researched ahead of time.

Just a beautiful place to get out of the van for a few minutes.

And sometimes that's exactly what everyone needs.

🛏️ Would I spend the night in Cody again?

100% yes.

Instead of pushing all the way into Yellowstone, we spent the night in Cody, Wyoming.

We had dinner, walked around downtown, got ice cream, and actually went to bed at a reasonable time. 🤣

Then we woke up the next morning rested and ready for our first day in Yellowstone.

If I planned this road trip again, I'd absolutely overnight in Cody.

And there's another reason why...

😍 Don't rush the drive from Cody to Yellowstone

This might have been my biggest surprise of the entire route.

We woke up thinking we had about an hour of driving before we reached Yellowstone.

But the "good stuff" starts long before the entrance sign.

The drive takes you past Buffalo Bill Reservoir and through incredible mountain scenery, tunnels, and towering rock formations.

We couldn't resist pulling over.

At one stop along the water, the boys started throwing rocks while we stood there taking in the scenery.

It wasn't marked as an attraction.

It wasn't on my itinerary.

And it ended up being my favorite unplanned stop of our entire road trip. 💛

So even though the drive from Cody to Yellowstone is only about an hour without stops, I'd give yourself 1½–2 hours.

Don't rush this part.

👀 And that's only part of it...

My full Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone road trip guide is almost ready!

I'm also sharing:

• The exact route we took
• Every stop we made along the way
• Where we stayed in Cody
• The stops we researched but ultimately skipped
• Whether I'd make the detour to Devils Tower
• What I'd do with more time in Cody
• How much time I'd allow for each stop
• And one VERY important lesson involving our gas tank. 😬

I'll send you the link as soon as it's live!

But if you're thinking about combining Mount Rushmore + Yellowstone into one family vacation someday, here's the biggest thing I want you to know:

Don't think of the drive between them as six hours you have to get through.

Give yourself a little extra time.

Stop at the Welcome to Wyoming sign and take the picture.

Pull over when you see something beautiful.

Let the kids throw the rocks.

And enjoy the drive, too.

Because sometimes the places between the places you planned to visit end up being the ones you remember most. 💛

Stay tuned for more packing tips, behind-the-scenes travel hacks, and inspiration to make your trips feel doable and fun. I’m all about helping you make family travel as smooth as possible, so you can create memories without the headache.

Thanks for being part of the Travel Tuesday community, and I can’t wait to connect again soon!💕

✨ Want to make your own road trip easier to plan?

My Ultimate Family Itinerary Planner is the exact planning system I use for every family vacation.

It's where I organize our accommodations, transportation, reservations, must-do activities, restaurants, daily itineraries, packing, and travel budget so everything is in one place before we leave.

Having a plan doesn't mean scheduling every minute.

For me, it's actually the opposite.

Having a plan gives us the freedom to let go of the plan when something better comes along.

May you LOVE your adventure!

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