8 Days Mt Rushmore , Grand Tetons and Yellowstone

Your western adventure begins in Rapid City, South Dakota. Transfer from the Rapid City Airport by hotel courtesy shuttle to your centally located hotel for a 2 night stay. Rooms are available for check in after 3:00 pm. Join our local representative for a 7:00 pm welcome briefing.

Enjoy the morning visit to Mt. Rushmore National Monument and the sculpted faces of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, and Lincolm. Next drive to Crazy Horse Memorial, still under construction, the memorial is the world’s largest sculpture in progress. The monument is a tribute to the Sioux Lakota Indian leader known as Crazy Horse. Here, Indian artisans showcase their arts and crafts. Visit the Indian Museum of North America. Return through the Black Hills to Rapid City. Free time to explore historic district and stroll the Presidential Walk with life-sizes statues of American Presidents.

Enter the range lands and oil fields of Wyoming and head west across the high plains. Visit the old western cowboy town of Sheridan. Enjoy lunch. Enter Montana, “Big Sky Country.” Visit the Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument in the Crow Nation. In 1876, in the Valley of Little Big Horn, combined Sioux and Northern Cheyenne forces led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse overwhelmed General Custer and his cavalry. Continue to Billings, nestled between the Yellowstone River and the Rim rocks. Explorers Lewis and Clark camped near here in 1806.

Journey alongside the Yellowstone River in Montana as you follow the Lewis and Clark Trail to Livingston, Montana film location of “A River Runs Through It” and “The Horse Whisperer.” Continue to following the Yellowstone River south through Paradise Valley into Yellowstone

National Park. Established in 1872, Yellowstone became the first national park in the world. This 2,219,766 acre park contains almost 300 geysers and over 10,000 hot springs, fumaroles and mud pots. Look for moose, elk, bison, bears and wolves. Visit Mammoth Hot Springs, one of the best areas in the park for close-up viewing of elk. See the unique terraced pools at Mammoth. Enjoy a relaxing two night stay at your lodge, Old Faithful Inn and just walking & viewing distance of the iconic Old Faithful Geyser. Every 90 minutes, Old Faithful Geyser shoots thousands of gallons of steaming water into the air. Elevation at Old Faithful is approximately 7,300 feet.

Continue your exploration of Yellowstone Park today. Visit Norris Geyser Basin, stop at Fishing Bridge Visitor Center alongside Yellowstone Lake and visit Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon, where you can marvel at the rushing waters of Yellowstone Falls, twice the height of Niagara Falls. Return to Old Faithful Inn by midafternoon. Visit nearby geysers on your own for the rest of the day.

This morning enter Grand Teton National Park, see the jagged, soaring Teton Range with peaks over 12,000 feet. Stop at pristine Jenny Lake. Weather and river conditions permitting, an unforgettable float trip awaits you on the majestic Snake River. Wildlife viewing opportunities abound as you float through the park. Look for waterfowl, beaver, osprey and eagles. Then, to Jackson, Wyoming. Free time to explore the charming downtown. Stroll the art galleries and western shops. See the Antler Arch at the entrance to historic Jackson town square. You may wish to visit the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, with bar stools made from horse saddles. Elevation in Jackson is approximately 6,300 feet.

Head south this morning through the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Enter Idaho and travel along the route of the original “Oregon Trail.” Visit the National Oregon Trail Center. Drive by Soda Springs and visit the resort town of Lava Hot Springs. Continue to Salt Lake City, Utah, the state capital. Afternoon visit to Temple Square with its spacious gardens and fountains. See the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (unless closed to the public due to a religious ceremony). Enjoy a travel farewell dinner.

Your tour ends after breakfast. Transfers are provided to the Salt Lake City Airport. Thanks for vacationing with us.