Seattle to Chicago 3 – This trip includes 6 anchors: the wonderful city of Chicago, Theodore Roosevelt, Badlands (and its surroundings), Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, and the charming city of Seattle. The first half of this route leads from Seattle to the Yellowstone and Grand Teton area. The second half of this route leads to the least touristic, off the beaten path America – that of the small and remote towns, that of the Wild West and that of traveling through endless prairies and plains of corn and wheat – east of the Rocky Mountains. In terms of scenic beauty – Theodore Roosevelt and Badlands do not have dramatic landscapes but they have an exceptional charm, and it is also a perfect place for wildlife viewing. In contrast, in the Yellowstone and Grand Teton area (which are the icing on the cake of this trip) the views are more dramatic and the topography is more impressive (and the amount of wildlife you can expect to see is exceptional). This is a great route, ideal for coast-to-coast travelers. It should be noted that the route includes relatively long drives (especially in the second half).
Day 1 – Land in Seattle and enjoy the afternoon in the city
Lodging location: Seattle
Day 2 – Visit Seattle
Lodging location: Seattle
Day 3 – Enjoy one more day in Seattle
Lodging location: Seattle
Day 4 – Visit the Boeing factory or go whale watching near Seattle
Lodging location: Seattle
Day 5,6 – Drive west to Idaho, 9.5 hours drive divided to two days
Lodging location: first night along the way, second night Twin Falls
Please note: it is advised not to make reservations for the first night and to decide when to stop according to how tired you are; points of interest along the way (located from west to east) are – Mount Rainier National Park , Columbia River Gorge, Boise, Bruneau Dunes State Park, Shoshone Falls (in Twin Falls), (visiting these sites may add a few hours to the total driving time).
Day 7 – Drive east through Craters of the Moon National Monument to Grand Teton National Park, 4.5 hour drive
Lodging location: Jackson
Day 8 – Enjoy a day in southern Grand Teton National Park plus participate in outdoor activities (rafting, horseback riding etc.) near the town of Jackson, less than 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Jackson
Day 9 – Enjoy on more day in the southern part of Grand Teton National Park and enjoy activities around Jackson, less than 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Jackson
Day 10 – Drive north to Yellowstone National Park through Hayden Valley and Lake Yellowstone, 3 hour drive
Lodging location: Canyon (or Lake Yellowstone)
Day 11 – Visit the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and enjoy this canyon’s wonderful waterfalls and views and drive to West Yellowstone, 1 hour drive
Lodging location: West Yellowstone
Day 12 – Visit the Midway and Lower Geyser Basin of Yellowstone, 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: West Yellowstone
Day 13 – Visit the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone,1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: West Yellowstone
Day 14 – Drive north to Gardiner (on the way you can stop and visit Norris Geyser Basin) and visit Mammoth Hot Springs (it is also possible to add a rafting trip near Gardiner), 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Gardiner
Day 15 – Visit the Mammoth Hot Springs and then drive east to Cooke City, on the way visit the Tower Fall and the Lamar Valley, 1.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Cooke City
Day 16- Drive east through the scenic Beartooth Highway (not suitable for long RVs), 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Billings
Day 17 – Drive east to South Dakota, on the way visit Devils Tower National Monument, 6 hours drive
Lodging location: Rapid City
Day 18 – Visit Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Wind Cave National Park, Custer State Park, and/or the Black Hills (including Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway), 1-2 hours drive
Lodging location: Rapid City
Day 19 – Visit Badlands National Park, short drive
Lodging location: Rapid City
Day 20 – Visit sites in the area that you did not have enough time to visit in previous days, 1-2 hours drive
Lodging location: Rapid City
Day 21 – Drive north to South Dakota, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: Medora
Day 22 – Visit the southern unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, short drive
Lodging location: Medora
Day 23 – Enjoy one more day on the southern unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, short drive
Lodging location: Medora
Days 24,25 – Drive east to Wisconsin Dells, 11 hours drive divided to two days
Lodging location: first night along the way, second night Wisconsin Dells (see attractions in Wisconsin Dells here)
Please note: it is advised not to make reservations for the first night and to decide when to stop according to how tired you are; points of interest along the way (located from west to east) are – Maplewood State Park, Lake Maria State Park (see map, visiting these sites may add a few hours to the total driving time); it is also possible to add a day or two to the drive a spend them in Minneapolis (if visiting the city – don’t miss this park and this huge mall – that also has a water park and more attractions).
Day 26 – Drive to Chicago on the way visit Mirror Lake State Park and/or Devil’s Lake State Park (see map), 3.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Chicago
Day 27 – Visit Chicago
Lodging location: Chicago
Day 28 – Enjoy one more day in Chicago
Lodging location: Chicago
Day 29 – Fly home
– In order to fill this route with content – see our Central USA and Northwest USA destinations pages, where you can find articles that include suggestions what to do in various locations along this route.
