Banner Americana National Treasure Tour - Self Drive

This tour originates in Rapid City, whether by your own vehicle, or flight and car rental (Not included in tour) Pricing is per person, based on a family of 5.

Day 1.

Arrive in Rapid City, departing to Badlands National Park. Explore the area, then venture to the world-famous Wall Drug for kitschy americana and dinner. Stay in Rapid City, at the historic Alex Johnson hotel.

Day 2. 

Visit Mount Rushmore for the morning light on the presidential mountain sculpture. Tour the walk path, enjoying the self-guided audio, available at the park kiosk. 

Then venture behind the monument, through Hill City, to Crazy Horse Memorial. Enjoy lunch here and explore the views and displays. Be sure to get your own souvenir rock to take home!

If time allows, do a drive through Custer State Park to discover the Bison herds and other wildlife. Stay again in Rapid City.

Day 3.

Check out of your hotel, and head west. Staying off thefreeway, enjoying travel through the Black Hills on backroads to Deadwood; a historic mining town, and final resting place or a few notorious characters of the past. 

Depart to Sturgis for a quick drive near town and get this year’s Rally T-Shirt. Driving through town during the rally may delay your travel too extensively so be wary of doing so during the first 2 weeks of
August.

Travel to Spearfish Canyon if time allows, or straight Devil's Tower. Take time to walk to path around the base, viewing the climberson the wall, and the sacred banners placed by Native Americans.

Day 4.

Depart your hotel and travel through Sheridan, and over the Bighorn Mountains. Fresh coffee and pie are the tradition for many travelers near the pass summit, at the Bear Lodge on 14 Alternate. 

After pie, head on 14 to Shell falls and the spectacular views on your drive to Greybull, and onto Cody Wy. Here you can explore the five museums at the Cody Center of the West, see the bar gifted to Wild Bill by the Queen of England at the Irma Hotel, dine at the Chop house for the best cuts in Wyoming, or head to the Rodeo for a truly western experience. Stay one night here at a 2-star property or continue to the Bill Cody Ranch for a 2 night stay so you can have a full day of riding.

Day 5.

If you stayed in Cody, travel to Bill Cody Ranch and check-in for today's 4-hour ride. If you stayed at the Ranch, be at the muster for your all-day ride and cookout on the trail. Following you day's event, return to your cabin for a relaxing evening. Maybe tuck in the kids, then slip down to the ranch saloon to meet the locals.

Day 6.

Depart the ranch and head to Yellowstone National Park! Enter at the East Gate, over Sylvan Pass looking for moose and bighorn sheep. Then down the western slope, looking for bison and grizzlies. Feel free to explore and stop along the way, using pullouts, of fully off the road, past the white shoulder line. At fishing bridge area, see the Naturalist Museum, and view the lake from the back porch area. Then slip over the Lake Hotel for an elegant lunch and the views from the dining room.

Following lunch, head to Canyon Village through Hayden Valley. Your travel may be delayed due to bison jams, but that is why you came, right!? Take note of people with spotting scopes on the knolls and pullouts. If they are pointing, its often due to a roving wolf or even a pack! Along the Yellowstone River you can also find Trumpeter Swans and other waterfowl. Osprey and Eagles hunt here. Fox and Coyote patrol the slopes for rodents.

At Canyon, take time to visit both sides. The easiest to view will be Artist's Point. Save the hassle of parking and grab the first space you encounter as you enter the parking area. Walking will not hurt, and you will get  more time to explore.

The other side of the canyon has more visitors and parking is difficult to acquire. You may have to pass up some viewpoints and park where you can get a legitimate spot. Citations are readily issued, so be sure you are in a vehicle parking space, nor in the oversize vehicle line (usually on the left of the lots and parallel) Explore Canyon Visitors Center Area before heading out.

On your way to your hotel in West Yellowstone, make your last scenic stop along the Virginia Cascade Drive. Then apart from Wildlife, head to your hotel.

Stay in West Yellowstone at a 2-star hotel.

Day 7.

Drive to Madison Junction, then to Gibbon Falls. Continue to Mammoth Hot Springs. Do the upper terrace drive. Then drop off the family to walk the boardwalk, park below, and meet them along the way to make it easy to depart. Once you have had your fill, drive through Mammoth, careful of the Elk at the Administration buildings, and down to Gardiner for lunch.

Then return to Norris Geyser Basin to explore the geothermal features in this area. Following, you may return to West Yellowstone and visit the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. Slippery Otter or the Buffalo Bar are always solid choices for dinner. Stay again in West Yellowstone.

Day 8.

Check out of your hotel, and head to the lower geyser basin. Enroute, be sure to take the Firehole Falls scenic drive, just past Madison Junction. Explore this basin, then drive the Firehole Lake Drive. Continue to
the Middle Geyser Basin. Then to The Upper Geyser Basin. Have lunch either at the Inn or in the Lodge. See Old Faithful. Walk at least one boardwalk loop to see the many geothermal features.

Travel to West Thumb, stopping on the Continental Divide at Isa Lake. Explore West Thumb Geyser Basin. 

Head South to Grand Teton National Park. See Oxbow Bend, Jenny Lake Overlook and Chapel of the Transfiguration and other scenic views. 

Arrive in Jackson WY, staying at a cabin in town. Option available to dine at the Bar T 5 Wranglers chuckwagon. (Additional cost)

Day 9.

Early Start to the day, as you will spend your time aboard a raft, on the Snake River. An amazing experience that will leave you in awe! Return to town to hit the boardwalk, explore Town Square, and dinner... maybe
at the Game Club. Stay in Jackson

Day 10.

A long day of travel along the Western Slope of the Tetons, and Yellowstone. Stop and feed the trout at Big Springs, then continue to Helena.

Stay at a 2-star hotel - one night.

Day 11.

Continue to Glacier National Park, traveling on the Going to The Sun Road through the Glacier National Park. It is a long day of epic vistas, wildlife, and big skies; finally ending near Columbia Falls at a
Glamping venue to spend the night under canvas!

Day 12.

Your self-drive tour ends at Kalispell Airport.

This tour is a custom product and can be fully modified to accommodate your specific travel needs, Pricing may vary and is subject to change without notice.

Tour Includes:

Lodging

Excursions as described

Tour Routing

GPS Activated Audio Tours of this route (suitable for Phone or tablet electronic device)

In Travel - Tour Assistance.

Daily Trip-pac of information along route - PDF