Updated April 1, 2026 09:26 AM
Public lands out west conjure up big images — jagged peaks, sandstone arches, thundering falls. But the Great Plains have their own quiet pull, a landscape that rewards patience and attention. This route from Chicago to Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone is a chance to see all of it.
Roll the windows down and you might catch the song of meadowlarks, their golden feathers catching the light. The sky out here is enormous. Rolling prairie gives way to badlands, then to dense forest as you push further west. President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “It was here that the romance of my life began” — words about his beloved North Dakota home, now a national park carrying his name. The plains don’t announce themselves. They open up slowly, and that’s the point.
Whether you drive from Chicago or fly into Rapid City Regional Airport in South Dakota, five very different national parks sit within a few hours of each other. At Badlands National Park, bighorn lambs scramble over rust-colored rock formations while bison drift through the grasses and prairie dogs sound the alarm to anyone who’ll listen.
Go underground at Wind and Jewel Caves, stand face-to-face with the granite presidents at Mount Rushmore, or spend a sober moment at the Minuteman Missile Site reckoning with the Cold War era.
From Rapid City, head west through Deadwood, Spearfish, Belle Fourche, and Hulett until the landscape announces itself with the sheer stone column of Devils Tower. The drive shifts again along the Bighorn Scenic Byway — through Ten Sleep and Worland — where dinosaur fossils wait in the hills around Thermopolis. Somewhere along the way, sample some Wyoming whiskey and stop to learn about the history of the two Tribes on the Wind River Indian Reservation before the wildlife spectacle of Yellowstone takes over.
Leaving the park over Beartooth Pass is its own event. You’ll climb to 10,947 feet — the altitude is real, and so is the view. Down the other side, Billings, Montana offers a proper city with good food and cold beer. A night in Lewistown breaks up the drive through southeastern Montana before Theodore Roosevelt National Park brings the badlands back one more time.
Road Trip Map
Start: Chicago
Badlands National Park
10 Top Things to Do in Badlands National Park
From off-trail hiking to a pink sunrise that stops you in your tracks, here are the experiences worth carving out time for at Badlands National Park.
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
Step into the history of nuclear weapons at this site near the northeast Pinnacles Entrance to Badlands National Park.
Wind Cave National Park
Drop into one of the world’s most complex cave systems on a guided tour. If that leaves you wanting more, Jewel Cave National Monument is a short drive away.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
From 1927 to 1941, workers carved four U.S. presidents — George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln — into the granite of the Black Hills.
Hidden History
Long before the carvings, the Lakota Sioux knew this mountain as The Six Grandfathers. There are deeper stories here than the ones on the surface.
Crazy Horse Memorial
The largest mountain carving in the world has been in progress at Crazy Horse Memorial for over seventy years. It isn’t finished yet, and that’s almost the whole point.
Black Hills Adventures
Want to get there quicker? Fly into Rapid City instead.
Flying into Rapid City Regional Airport puts you right at the doorstep of the Black Hills, Badlands National Park, and Mount Rushmore. Don’t just use Rapid City as a launchpad — it’s worth a look on its own.
Rapid City Guide
Looking for a base to explore South Dakota’s national treasures? Settle down in this charming City of Presidents.
The Lodge at Deadwood
Modern comfort and a genuine sense of history sit side by side at The Lodge at Deadwood Gaming Resort.
Stay Awhile in Splendid Spearfish
Outdoor adventures year-round, striking rock formations, waterfalls, and Spearfish Canyon in full autumn colour — this South Dakota town has a habit of keeping people longer than they planned.
Devils Tower National Monument
The Magic of Devils Tower
You’re driving through open prairie in northeastern Wyoming when a massive stone column simply appears on the horizon. There’s nothing quite like your first look at it.
Take the Scenic Route to Devils Tower
The drive from Belle Fourche, South Dakota, through Hulett to the monument is worth taking slowly.
Buffalo and Kaycee, Wyoming
5 Ways to Experience the Old West
The towns of Buffalo and Kaycee deliver genuine Western character — trail rides, saloons, and real Wyoming history. For something more immersive, Paradise Guest Ranch offers a working dude ranch experience where family memories tend to stick.
15 Stops to Discover Butch Cassidy Across the West
Follow the legendary outlaw’s trail from Yellowstone to Capitol Reef National Park, and see where the mythology of the Wild West was actually made.
The Scenic Route to Yellowstone
U.S. Highway 16 — known as Sweet 16 — is the most scenic way over the Bighorn Mountains on the way to Yellowstone. The curves are gentle, the hills are manageable, and the views make the detour worthwhile.
Kirby, Wyoming
This small town is home to Wyoming Whiskey, a distillery that takes the state’s natural landscape seriously. The tasting room is worth a stop.
Thermopolis, Wyoming
Be a Paleontologist for the Day Amidst the Mineral Waters of Thermopolis
Thermopolis has more elevation than it does residents, and that’s saying something. Soak in the famous mineral hot springs, then sign up for a “Dig for a Day” experience at one of the world’s top dinosaur museums.
Wind River Range
Feel the Wind in Your Face
Communities like Riverton, Lander, and Dubois sit in the shadow of the Wind River Range and offer solid recreational options alongside genuine Wyoming history. The Wind River Wild Horse Sanctuary is a highlight.
Yellowstone National Park
Enter via the South Entrance
2 Days in Yellowstone
Not much time? Here’s how to hit the spots that matter most without burning yourself out.
Early Birds and Night Owls
Clear midday light is fine, but Yellowstone at sunrise or sunset is a different park entirely.
GuideAlong’s Narrated Driving Tour App
Download the Yellowstone tour app and your drive becomes a guided experience, with commentary timed to wherever you happen to be on the road.
Watch Wildlife in Yellowstone’s Lamar and Hayden Valleys
These broad valleys are where the animals are. Keep your search focused on the Lamar and Hayden valleys for the best chance of a real sighting.
Exit via the Northeast Entrance
Silver Gate Lodging: Your Closest Cabins to Yellowstone
Just half a mile from the northeast entrance, this quiet cabin resort sits among snow-capped mountains and wandering wildlife. It’s a proper place to decompress.
Eastern Montana
Drive the Dramatic Beartooth Highway Northeast of Yellowstone
All 68 miles of this road have earned their reputation. Recognised as a National Scenic Byway and an All-American Road, it’s one of the most striking stretches of pavement in the country.
Montana’s Charming Town of Red Lodge
Outdoor adventures, world-class rodeos, glamping, and direct access to the Beartooth Highway — Red Lodge earns its place on this itinerary.
Savor the City in Billings, Montana
Montana’s largest city has real infrastructure — airports, James Beard-nominated restaurants, craft breweries, good museums — plus easy access to the outdoors and the history of the American West.
Hit the Trail in Southeast Montana
Hiking, brewery tours, and reportedly the best burgers around. Southeast Montana offers more than the map suggests.
Watch Wildlife and Scenery from a Train in Lewistown
Out in the Judith Basin, the options run from big game hunting to fishing, biking, hiking, and skiing. A night here breaks the drive nicely.
Have a Historic Stay at The Calvert Hotel
A well-restored historic building that still feels like itself, with modern comforts added where they count.
Lose the Crowds in Northeast Montana
The Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge stretches along the shores of Fort Peck Reservoir — the largest body of water in Montana, with more coastline than California. There’s also gold to look for and dinosaur country to cover if you have the time.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
This three-unit park is home to bison, elk, and 95 miles of hiking trails, plus horseback riding, water sports, and the story of a president who found himself out here in the badlands.
End: Chicago
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