American Parks Trail
9 Day Tour to Mount Rushmore & Yellowstone | Operated by InsightVacations
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9 Days
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1 Country
United States -
14 Cities
Salt Lake City, Jackson, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful Geyser of California, Cody, Ucross, Devils Tower, Spearfish Canyon, Badlands National Park, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, Mt. Rushmore, Denver -
11 Meals
3 Dinner with Wines, 8 Breakfasts -
Pace: Active
Faster paces with mix of 1–2-night stays in each location. Typically features 4+ miles of walking on some days and may involve steep hills and uneven surfaces, such as cobblestones.
Trip Itinerary
Welcome to Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah. Situated between Wasatch Range and the Great Salt Lake, this mountainous city is perfect for outdoorsy types, with a strong focus on skiing and fishing. Savor a dinner accompanied by wine in the company of your fellow travelers.
Before leaving Salt Lake City, take in the State Capitol building. Drive along the scenic Logan Canyon, over the Wasatch Mountain Range, and up to the Bear Lake Summit. Stop for lunch near Bear Lake offering views of beautiful turquoise waters. You will then head north across the Oregon Trail to historic Jackson. Have your cameras ready for the famous elk antlers at central square, while eager shoppers will find a number of charming traditional boutique galleries to browse. Enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure, with your hotel located only a short walk away from Jackson's Town Square.
Wake up to a mountainous view like no other and witness the striking Grand Tetons thrust skyward 13,775 Ft (4,199 m) from the valley floor. This morning, you have the opportunity to partake in an optional scenic float down the Snake River inside Grand Teton National Park. In keeping with today’s rustic country charm, you’ll enter Yellowstone, the world’s first National Park. Known for its unique geothermal activity, spectacular landscapes and abundant wildlife, you’ll experience Wyoming in all its glory. Keep an eye out for black bears or wolves. Tonight you’ll stay in one of Yellowstone's National Park Lodges, allowing you to experience the park after hours, in its natural habitat.
Savor the surreal surroundings of Yellowstone with a relaxed start. Walk among the rainbow tinted hot springs and watch the erupting geysers as you take in the history of the park on an informative stroll with your Travel Director. Catch the renowned colorful bubbling mud pots and observe Old Faithful geyser shooting water over 120 feet (37 meters) into the air. In the afternoon, enjoy the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone as you take in stunning natural wonders. While driving through Hayden Valley, famous for its wildlife, keep an eye out for wolves, bears, elk and hundreds of bison. The rest of the evening is at leisure for you to relax.
Set off on your travels through the stark Shoshone Canyon and Absaroka Rocky Mountains, leading you to the Wild West Town of Cody. Channel your inner showman and learn more about America’s great Western legends at the Buffalo Bill Center, known for its Western art collection, firearms, and natural history. Travel through the Bighorn National Forest to the Ranch at UCross. Take in the rustic charm as you're hosted at a traditional Wyoming Family ranch. Start off the evening with a cocktail hour in the historic Ranch House bar. After a home-cooked dinner, enjoy a fire pit with live entertainment, including country, folk and bluegrass music.
Live the American frontier dream and begin your day with a scenic country horseback ride accompanied by a Ranch Hand. If playing cowboy isn’t your thing, perhaps go fishing or merely relax and take in your beautiful surroundings, the choice is yours. Make your way to Devils Tower, an astounding geological feature that protrudes out of the surrounding Black Hills. You'll learn why this symbolic landmark is considered sacred to the Lakota and other local tribes. Experience Spearfish Canyon, a favored spot among wildlife enthusiasts and one famous for its elvish woodland beauty. The limestone palisades of this creek-carved gorge are more ancient than the Grand Canyon itself.
A day for those looking to explore the Wild West, try to spot the fastest mammal in North America, the pronghorn antelope as you cross the great high plains to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Our first stop this morning is the Oglala Lakota Living History Museum for a one-of-a-kind MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Visit Badlands National Park in South Dakota, 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in America. A hidden gem in the national park system, the unique beauty of the Badlands landscape is unlike any other.
Join an Insight Experience at Crazy Horse Memorial, the world's largest mountain carving created in honor of the Lakota warrior. Curated with a view to help protect and continue the living heritage of the Native Americans, this experience details how the memorial was carved from land sacred to the tribes. With exclusive access not available to the general public, guests ascend 563 feet (172 meters) and have the opportunity to face the monument up close. Then, travel to the iconic Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Here, carvings of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt overlook the landscape. Join your Travel Director and newfound friends for a Celebration Dinner with wine, as you reflect on your adventure across the wide-open spaces of America's national parks.
Your journey comes to an end today. A transfer is available to Denver International Airport, arrival at the airport will be at approximately 16:30.
Guests have the option to end the tour in Denver or Rapid City at time of booking.
Price Includes
Dining Summary- - 3 Dinner with Wines (DW)
- - 8 Breakfasts (B)
- At 18:00, join your Travel Director for a Welcome Dinner with wine where you'll have the chance to mingle with fellow guests.
- Savor a hearty ranch style Highlight Dinner prepared by your local hosts.
- Toast to the finale of your trip at a Celebration Dinner served at your lodge in Custer State Park.
- Historic Jackson, where the majestic peaks of the Teton Range act as your constant backdrop. Feel like you’ve stepped back in time as you walk through the town's famous landmark arch of tangled elk antlers. Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the town’s boutiques and stores, which blend the Old West and the modern West harmoniously.
- The world’s first National Park, Yellowstone spans 2,219,789 acres and even has its own Grand Canyon. The park is home to half of the world’s hydrothermal features, more than 10,000, of which over 300 are geysers. Yellowstone is also a wildlife paradise. Some 1,700 species of plants and 400 species of birds, fish and mammals live in the park, including bison, wolves, bears, elk and moose.
- Travel through a mountainous landscape like no other. Witness the striking Grand Tetons thrust skyward 6,562 feet (2,000 meters) from the valley floor and keenly watch for exciting wildlife that call these mountains home. Including the grizzly bear, bald eagles, moose, bison, and elk.
- Catch the renowned colorful bubbling mud pots and observe Old Faithful geyser shooting water over 120 feet (37 meters) into the air. The Upper Geyser Basin boasts the highest concentration of spouting geysers, hot springs and steaming fumaroles in the world.
- Explore the award-winning Buffalo Bill Center of the West, known for its excellent Western art collection and natural history.
- Travel out of Yellowstone NP through Shoshone Canyon and Absaroka Rocky Mountains to the Wild West Town of Cody.
- View the awe-inspiring Devils Tower National Monument, a butte that protrudes from the landscape and is considered sacred by the Lakota and other tribes.
- Continue venturing through the Black Hills to arrive at Custer State Park. Renowned for its beautiful landscape and abundance of wildlife. Home to a famous herd of 1,500 free roaming bison, accompanied by elk, mule deer, white tailed deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, mountain lions and feral burros.
- Steep yourself in all that is the Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Preserved here are 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires, blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in America. The unique beauty of this landscape is like no other. Sightseers as well as scholarly scientists are attracted to the area for its astounding beauty and the opportunity to gaze into an ancient world.
- View iconic Mount Rushmore National Memorial where carvings of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt overlook the landscape.
- Live the American frontier dream with a scenic morning country horseback ride.
- Take a leisurely fishing outing and enjoy the serene surroundings.
- Discover the past, present, and future of the Lakota people at the Oglala Lakota Living History Village. Walk the trails through displays of 19th-century living quarters. Local artists present culture and tradition through their crafts and storytelling. Your visit contributes to the sustainability and resilience of the Lakota community.
- Visit Crazy Horse Memorial, which is dedicated to protecting and preserving the culture, tradition and living heritage of the Native American people. A special Insight Experience awaits as you are taken up to stand face-to-face with this impressive sculpture. Measuring 641 feet (195 meters) long and 563 feet (172 meters) high, the piece takes the record as the world’s largest mountain carving.
Optional Experiences
Optional Experiences are subject to change. Your Travel Director will supply you with a final list of Optional Experiences available on your trip. Optional Experiences cannot be booked online; they can be purchased during your trip through your Travel Director.
Snake River Float Trip Through Grand Teton National Park (Available on Day 3)Ready for relaxation? This gentle 10-mile float trip inside Grand Teton National Park covers the most scenic stretch of the Snake River in the Jackson Hole Valley. As you kick back on the gentle waters, learn how the Snake River is a lifeline to the park’s bison, elk, moose, beaver, pronghorn, deer, bear and 300 different species of birds, including osprey and eagles. Your experienced guide offers in-depth information on the geology of the Grand Tetons and the habitats of the local animals.
Custer State Park is known for its beauty and serenity, but it is also a wildlife reserve that is home to a famous herd of 1,500 free roaming bison plus elk, mule deer, white tailed deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, mountain lions and feral burros. On this 90-minute scenic tour of the back country, you’ll get up close and personal with herds of buffalo and other species as your jeep driver and guide offer historical and educational information about the park and wildlife. Start with a guided off-road buffalo safari jeep tour through the park in search of pronghorns, elk, and the noble buffalo. Along the way, guides will share historical and educational facts about the park and wildlife—and help you spot the animals. Then head to the Chuck Wagon Cookout in the mountain canyon for a chuck wagon feast and live entertainment with some Western flair. You’ll also get your own souvenir cowboy hat and bandanna to play the part. Vegetarian option is also available.
Adult Price: $112 Child Price: $112