Help me plan my trip, Two Thirds of US

[Toddavid]

Originally Posted by waybeck2018

KOA Rapid City for the stay. We were there in 2018 and used it as a base, visiting all you mentioned and more. Rates very competitive with others in the area.

We’re staying at Badlands KOA, then Big Pine Campground in Custer, and finally Devils Tower KOA before leaving the region.

[okie dokie]

Your plan looks wonderful.
If you have extra time in Custer...
Adjoining Custer State Park is Jewel Cave National Monument as well as Wind Cave National Park. Deadwood is also near. Beautiful Scenic drive through Spearfish Canyon between Custer and Devils Tower.
Tips: Custer Park Drive the wildlife loop early in the morning for best views
Wildlife viewing also in the Cave parks

Happy Travels

[Toddavid]

Originally Posted by okie dokie

Your plan looks wonderful.
If you have extra time in Custer...
Adjoining Custer State Park is Jewel Cave National Monument as well as Wind Cave National Park. Deadwood is also near. Beautiful Scenic drive through Spearfish Canyon between Custer and Devils Tower.
Tips: Custer Park Drive the wildlife loop early in the morning for best views
Wildlife viewing also in the Cave parks

Happy Travels

Thanks! Plan is to hit Mt Rushmore on our route between Badlands and Custer, Cathedral Spires hike the next day and Needles loop drive, Wildlife loop and Jewel day after, Wind Cave day after that.

We’ll have our dog with us, so we’re not sure we’ll do the drive to Deadwood, that’s a long day to leave him back at the camper, seeing that we’ll be based far south at Big Pine. Maybe they have a dog walking service.

[Beachbourbon]

Originally Posted by Toddavid

I appreciate the input, but the trip is booked.

We’re heading out middle of May 2020, for 7 weeks, doing a lot of one and two night stays on the way to the first major stop, the Badlands, seeing the Missile Silo and spending the Memorial Day holiday there.

With a bunch of little stops in between, here’s the rest of the trip:

Custer for six nights.

Grand Teton for five nights.

Yellowstone for five nights.

Glacier for five nights.

Voyageurs Natl Park for three nights.

Manistique on the Michigan UP for four nights.

Lake Leelanau for July 4th, and then back down to starting point over that next week.

So too late to avoid Philadelphia, Detroit and Chicago? we are all envious of this great trip!

[Underthedog]

IF you return via St Louis and you like that sort of thing this: https://cahokiamounds.org/ is near St Louis, just off I70. We went by many times without realizing it was there.

[Toddavid]

Originally Posted by Beachbourbon

So too late to avoid Philadelphia, Detroit and Chicago? we are all envious of this great trip!

Jump off point is south of Philly, so that is avoided.

We are bypassing Detroit to the west (my birthplace, but I don’t feel the need to visit).

Chicago is the only “unavoidable urban adventure” at this time.

Didn’t you just do a similar trip like this?

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by Toddavid

I appreciate the input, but the trip is booked.

We’re heading out middle of May 2020, for 7 weeks, doing a lot of one and two night stays on the way to the first major stop, the Badlands, seeing the Missile Silo and spending the Memorial Day holiday there.

With a bunch of little stops in between, here’s the rest of the trip:

Custer for six nights.

Grand Teton for five nights.

Yellowstone for five nights.

Glacier for five nights.

Voyageurs Natl Park for three nights.

Manistique on the Michigan UP for four nights.

Lake Leelanau for July 4th, and then back down to starting point over that next week.

Man, I'm super jealous! Have fun!

[Underthedog]

If you don't already, consider getting out EARLY during Yellowstone (sunrise). You can explore for a while without the crowds. Once everyone is up and out, your travel time goes up with it.

[grumpyer]

you can avoid chicago by going thru RockfordIll. by Beloit Wi take 1-39 to 74 and over

[dalford]

Originally Posted by Beachbourbon

So too late to avoid Philadelphia, Detroit and Chicago? we are all envious of this great trip!

We just did a similar trip this past May. Just a warning if traveling from Yellowstone to The Tetons. Avoid the Teton Pass. We went from Teton’s to YS via the south entrance to YS.

The Teton Pass is treacherous...

[Toddavid]

Originally Posted by grumpyer

you can avoid chicago by going thru RockfordIll. by Beloit Wi take 1-39 to 74 and over

The plan is to visit Milwaukee for a day, staying at Cliffside Park in Racine. Even with traffic, quickest way there seems to be through Chicago.

[Toddavid]

Originally Posted by dalford

We just did a similar trip this past May. Just a warning if traveling from Yellowstone to The Tetons. Avoid the Teton Pass. We went from Teton’s to YS via the south entrance to YS.

The Teton Pass is treacherous...

We’ll be coming from the east, from Cody, on to Colter Bay, so we’ll be far from the Pass, but thanks for the heads up.

[Toddavid]

Originally Posted by Underthedog

If you don't already, consider getting out EARLY during Yellowstone (sunrise). You can explore for a while without the crowds. Once everyone is up and out, your travel time goes up with it.

Yep, we’ll be staying right next to the West Entrance, at Grizzly RV Park, and plan to be in early each day! Since we’ll be there early June, we hope the crowds won’t be so thick yet.

[mekkerlc]

OP... Did you end up doing this trip?
I am scheduling/routing a slightly similar trip for 2021.
Wondering how it went and what you would change or do again (recommendations).

[Toddavid]

Originally Posted by mekkerlc

OP... Did you end up doing this trip?
I am scheduling/routing a slightly similar trip for 2021.
Wondering how it went and what you would change or do again (recommendations).

A little something (virus) got in the way.

Up until the last week before we were supposed to leave, we were considering going, as all our reservations were still good to go, but so many national park amenities and other sight seeing was closed or canceled, that we decided to reschedule our trip to next summer.

We were going to pull the kid out of school early this year in order to beat the summer crowds, but decided against doing that next year since she enters middle school.

So far we've been able to rebook everything for an early June departure and an early August return, 2021. Fingers crossed on what the crowds will be next year...

Black Hills to Badlands to Grand Teton to Yellowstone to Glacier to Voyageurs to Michigan Upper Peninsula to back home.

[TheWolfPaq82]

Originally Posted by Toddavid

A little something (virus) got in the way.

Up until the last week before we were supposed to leave, we were considering going, as all our reservations were still good to go, but so many national park amenities and other sight seeing was closed or canceled, that we decided to reschedule our trip to next summer.

We were going to pull the kid out of school early this year in order to beat the summer crowds, but decided against doing that next year since she enters middle school.

So far we've been able to rebook everything for an early June departure and an early August return, 2021. Fingers crossed on what the crowds will be next year...

Black Hills to Badlands to Grand Teton to Yellowstone to Glacier to Voyageurs to Michigan Upper Peninsula to back home.

Yeah...seems to be a lot of "Rescheduling" this year. We had a week in in Black Hills for June and now it's June 2021 KOA Palmer Gulch was awesome rescheduling everything for us.