Road trip ideas between Seattle and Mount Rushmore

hi, I'm looking for itinerary ideas starting and ending in Seattle. Of course, I'd like to see at least Yellowstone Park, Mount Rushmore, Devil’s Tower, the town of Cody for a rodeo, and the bison... If anyone has any suggestions—without taking the same route twice, of course—I’d love to hear them! Best regards, Mâchouille

Hi there,

Quick question—why start from Seattle? You’re looking at at least 2 or 3 days of driving just to get to Yellowstone. Plus, Mount Rushmore is really far away... What time of year are you thinking? How many days do you have? And most importantly, are you up for a lot of driving?

Hi there, First of all, thanks for your reply. We’ve planned a Seattle-to-Seattle road trip since we’re taking the Amtrak to Chicago afterward. We’re definitely up for driving all the way to Mount Rushmore while enjoying the national parks along the way. We’re planning to arrive in Seattle on June 12th and leave for Chicago from Seattle on June 30th. Driving in the U.S. doesn’t scare us—we do it regularly—but we’re not yet familiar with this part of America. So any info, tips, or advice is more than welcome. Best regards.

Let's be real, the drive is *super* long for a round trip from Seattle...

June 13/14/15 - Seattle to Yellowstone (There’s an 11-hour drive to do in 2/3 days minimum, and I’m not sure what there is to see in between)

June 16/17/18 - Plan for at least 3 days in Yellowstone

June 19 - Then you’ll need at least 1 day of driving to get to Buffalo via Cody

June 20/21 - Two days for the route Buffalo - Devil’s Tower - Mount Rushmore and head back toward Casper

June 22/23 - One day to get to Grand Teton and one day to visit

We’re already at 11 days, so you’ve got 6 days left if I’m not mistaken to get back to Seattle

June 24 - If I were you, I’d head to Crater of the Moon National Monument next June 25/26 - Then 2 days to get to Crater Lake June 27 - 1 day at Crater Lake June 28/29 - Then 2 days to get back to Seattle via Portland

That’s the rough outline... But let’s be real, that’s a *lot* of driving... 😉

Thanks for the info! It reinforces our plans. Have a great day! Best regards,