Seattle to New York 2 – This trip includes 8 anchors: the Finger Lakes in the state of New York, the iconic Niagara Falls, 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 third of this route leads from Seattle to the Yellowstone and Grand Teton area. The second third 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. The last third of this trip leads to the more touristic destinations along the route (for example – the Niagara Falls). In terms of scenic beauty – the Niagara Falls are of course spectacular; Theodore Roosevelt and Badlands do not have dramatic landscapes but they have an exceptional charm, and they are also a perfect place for wildlife viewing; and in 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 .It is of course recommended to add a few days in New York City at the end of this trip.
Day 1 – Land in Seattle and enjoy the afternoon in the city
Lodging location: Seattle
Day 2 – Visit Seattle
Lodging location: Seattle
Day 3,4 – 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 5 – Drive east through Craters of the Moon National Monument to Grand Teton National Park, 4.5 hour drive
Lodging location: Jackson
Day 6 – Visit Grand Teton and then drive north to Yellowstone National Park through Hayden Valley and Lake Yellowstone, 3 hour drive
Lodging location: Canyon (or Lake Yellowstone)
Day 7 – Visit the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and enjoy this canyon’s wonderful waterfalls and views and drive to West Yellowstone and visit the Lower Geyser Basin, 1 hour drive
Lodging location: West Yellowstone
Day 8 – Visit the Upper and Midway Geyser Basin and drive north to Gardiner, 3 hours drive
Lodging location: Gardiner
Day 9 – 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 10 – Drive east through the scenic Beartooth Highway (not suitable for long RVs), 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Billings
Day 11 – Drive east to South Dakota, on the way visit Devils Tower National Monument, 6 hours drive
Lodging location: Rapid City
Day 12 – 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 13 – Visit Badlands National Park, short drive
Lodging location: Rapid City
Day 14 – Drive north to North Dakota (it is possible to add to the morning hours of this day activities from day 12), 4 hours drive
Lodging location: Medora
Day 15 – Visit the southern unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, short drive
Lodging location: Medora
Days 16,17 – Drive east to Chicago, 14 hours drive divided to two days
Lodging location: first night along the way, second night Chicago
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, Mirror Lake State Park, Devil’s Lake 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 18 – Visit Chicago
Lodging location: Chicago
Days 19,20 – Drive to the Niagara Falls (Canadian Side of the border), 8 hours drive divided to two days
Lodging location: first night along the way, second night Niagara 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 east to west) are – Indiana Dunes National Park and Cuyahoga Valley National Park (see map, visiting these sites may add a few hours to the total driving time); it is also possible to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland or the Kalahari Indoor Water Park in Ohio.
Day 21 – Visit the Niagara Falls and drive east to the Finger Lakes region, 3 hours drive
Lodging location: Ithaca
Day 22 – Visit the gorges around Ithaca and drive to New York city, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: New York
Day 23 – 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.
