The Great National Parks: Yellowstone, Grand Teton & Mount Rushmore

Epic, rugged, and wild, few things embody the bold American spirit as fully as our great national parks—a uniquely American concept. Experience America's natural bounty on this 13-day journey, focused on our Northwest national parks. Explore the expansive wilderness and geothermal wonderland of Yellowstone—the first national park in the world, and still one of its most enchanting—delve into the history of the country’s lawless frontier days, admire the mountain majesty of Grand Teton, and marvel at the natural and man-made treasures that abound at some of the most magnificent settings on Earth, from the austere faces of Mount Rushmore to the ever-changing landscape of the Dakota Badlands.

DAY 1

Arrive Salt Lake City, Utah
Destination: Salt Lake City
Accommodations: Little America Hotel
Morning/Afternoon/Evening: Travel to Salt Lake City today, with your arrival time depending on your departure city. Transfer to your hotel, check out your surroundings with your Program Director on an orientation walk, and enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure. Lunch and dinner are on your own today.

DAY 2

Explore Salt Lake City
Destination: Salt Lake City
Meals included: B D
Accommodations: Little America Hotel

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Gather with your fellow travelers and Program Director for a Welcome Briefing about what you’ll experience together over the coming days, and then set out on an included tour of Salt Lake City, site of the 2002 Winter Olympics.

On your tour, you’ll visit Temple Square, world headquarters of the Mormon Church. The massive temple, with its six spires, dominates the square, which also features a monument to Brigham Young and the “Three Witnesses Monument.” The latter memorial honors the three men who testified that an angel showed them the golden plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated. Marvel at the awesome Tabernacle, dedicated in 1893, and famous for its amazing acoustics and Mormon Tabernacle Choir. You'll also stop to admire the eponymous Great Salt Lake, the largest saltwater lake in the western hemisphere.

Lunch: On your own. The city boasts many excellent restaurants, and your Program Director will be happy to suggest a few if you’re looking for recommendations.

Afternoon: Free for your own discoveries—ask your Program Director for recommendations.

Dinner: Get to know your fellow travelers during an included Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant.

Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Program Director for recommendations.

DAY 3

Salt Lake City • Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Destination: Jackson Hole
Meals included: B
Accommodations: Snow King Resort Hotel
Activity Note: Today's overland transfer to Jackson Hole, Wyoming will take approximately 7 hours, including stops along the way.
Breakfast: At the hotel. Morning: Begin your transfer by motorcoach to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Lunch: Stop along the way at scenic Bear Lake on the border of Utah and Idaho, where you’ll have time to seek out lunch on your own. Afternoon: Continue on your way to Jackson Hole, arriving at your hotel late this afternoon. Long before the pioneers came west, the rock formations of the Grand Tetons presided over a traditional summer home for the Native Americans. When the early “mountain men” ventured out this way, the area became a destination for hunters and fur trappers. The first permanent settlers arrived in 1881, establishing Jackson Hole as a cattle-ranching center. The skiing industry took off here in the 1930s and Jackson Hole remains a winter sports mecca to this day. In the summer, this year-round resort offers hiking, river rafting, camping, and other outdoor activities. Dinner: On your own—ask your Program Director for local restaurant recommendations. Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Program Director for recommendations.

DAY 4

Jackson Hole • Snake River float
Destination: Jackson Hole
Meals included: B L D
Accommodations: Snow King Resort Hotel

Activity Note: Today's activities include a rafting excursion on Snake River.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Head out to Snake River, where you’ll enjoy an included float tour. Wind your way through the gentle waters of the Snake River corridor, granting you a unique look at the unspoiled wilderness of Grand Teton National Park. You’ll travel on an inflatable raft, steered by an expert guide as you journey past coniferous forests, backdropped by the snowcapped peaks of the Teton Range, the youngest mountains in the Rockies and arguably some of the most scenic. Your guide will help you spot the wildlife that makes its home in and around the water, including salmon, elk, moose, falcons, eagles, and more.

Lunch: You'll enjoy an included lunch during your Snake River excursion.

Afternoon: Free for your own discoveries—ask your Program Director for recommendations. A shuttle service is available to transport you between your hotel and downtown Jackson.

Dinner: Included at a local restaurant.

Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Program Director for recommendations.

DAY 5

Jackson Hole • Yellowstone National Park • West Yellowstone, Montana
Destination: Yellowstone
Meals included: B
Accommodations: Best Western Desert Inn

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Depart for Yellowstone—keep your cameras handy, as your driving route will take you through some of the gorgeous mountain scenery of Grand Teton National Park.

As you enter from the South Entrance, you’ll enjoy your first of three included tours of Yellowstone National Park. You’ll pass through toward the town of West Yellowstone, tracing a route that takes you by the tranquil, tree-lined waters of Lewis Lake, the brilliantly-hued thermal pools of the West Thumb Geyser Basin, across the Continental Divide for your first look at Old Faithful, and more.

Lunch: On your own in Yellowstone—ask your Program Director for recommendations.

Afternoon: Arrive late this afternoon in West Yellowstone. This relaxed small town serves as a perfect gateway to Yellowstone National Park, and you'll have the rest of the day to stroll the town at your leisure.

Dinner: On your own—ask your Program Director for local restaurant recommendations.

Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Program Director for recommendations.

DAY 6

West Yellowstone • Explore Yellowstone National Park
Destination: Yellowstone
Meals included: B D
Accommodations: Best Western Desert Inn

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Spend the day in America's first national park, established to preserve its remarkable geothermal formations—there are more geysers and hot springs here than in the rest of the world combined. Take in the natural phenomena of shooting geysers, and keep your eyes open for bighorn sheep, elk, coyote, grizzly, black bear, and other wildlife, as you explore the park, which remains 99% undeveloped—true wilderness.

You'll stop at Mammoth Hot Springs, Fountain Paint Pot, and Old Faithful, the famed geyser that has been spouting an average of once every hour for 100 years. During the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition in 1870, this famous geyser was officially given its name—the first in the park to receive its own moniker.

Lunch: You’ll enjoy an independent lunch in the park—perhaps you’ll rest and enjoy refreshments in view of iconic Old Faithful.

Afternoon: Return to West Yellowstone, arriving at your hotel late this afternoon, and enjoy some time to relax.

Dinner: Dinner is included at a local restaurant with your fellow travelers tonight.

Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Program Director for recommendations.

DAY 7

West Yellowstone • Explore Yellowstone National Park • Cody, Wyoming
Destination: Cody
Meals included: B L
Accommodations: Holiday Inn at Buffalo Bill Village

Activity Note: Today's overland transfer to Cody, Wyoming will take approximately 9 hours, including explorations in Yellowstone National Park along the way.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Set out upon your third and final tour of Yellowstone National Park as you make your way east toward Cody, Wyoming.

As you journey along the road, you’ll take in a few more of the park's notable sights, including the Mud Volcano Area to see its impressive cluster of hot springs and mud pots, and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone—a magnificent canyon carved out by the thundering falls of the great Yellowstone River.

Lunch: Enjoy an included picnic lunch in the park, reveling one last time in the spectacular scenery that abounds.

Afternoon: Arrive at your hotel in Cody later today, and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Dinner: On your own—ask your Program Director for local restaurant recommendations.

Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Program Director for recommendations.

DAY 8

Cody • Visit Buffalo Bill Center of the West
Destination: Cody
Meals included: B D
Accommodations: Holiday Inn at Buffalo Bill Village
Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Enjoy an included tour of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Widely regarded as one of America's finest Western museums, the center advances knowledge about the American West through acquiring, exhibiting, and interpreting collections of artifacts and preserving their physical and contextual integrity.

It features five internationally acclaimed museums under one roof—the Whitney Gallery of Western Art, the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Plains Indian Museum, the Cody Firearms Museum, and the Draper Museum of Natural History.

Lunch: Return to Cody, where lunch is on your own—ask your Program Director for local restaurant recommendations.

Afternoon: Free for your own discoveries—ask your Program Director for recommendations.

Dinner: Join your fellow travelers for an included dinner at a local restaurant, accompanied by a live western musical performance.

Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Program Director for recommendations.

DAY 9

Cody • Visit former Japanese-American internment camp • Sheridan
Destination: Sheridan
Meals included: B L
Accommodations: Holiday Inn Sheridan Convention Center

Activity Note: Today's overland transfer to Sheridan, Wyoming will take approximately 8 hours, including stops along the way.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Begin your discoveries today by reflecting upon a controversial chapter of American history during an exclusive Discovery Series visit to Heart Mountain Relocation Center, the site of a former Japanese-American internment camp.

Shortly following the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor and America’s entry into World War II, President Roosevelt authorized the forcible relocation of approximately 120,000 people of Japanese descent into ten relocation centers across the country. Heart Mountain is one of few such facilities with structures still standing today, and is now a museum dedicated to recording the experience of the inmates who lived out the war here—including those who resisted the draft after it was extended to interned Japanese Americans in 1944.

Then, begin your transfer toward Sheridan today via the picturesque Bighorn Scenic Highway. As you ride, you’ll bask in the majestic views, ranging from high plains trails to badlands and canyons with magnificent gorges. Learn about local fossils, and marvel at cliffs of rock that loom 2,000 feet overhead.

Lunch: Stop at a local restaurant along the way for an included lunch.

Afternoon: Continue your journey through the Bighorn Mountains, stopping for a moment of quiet reflection at the Little Bighorn Monument, memorializing the infamous battle between Custer's 7th Calvary and the Sioux and Cheyenne tribes. Arrive at your hotel in Sheridan late this afternoon, and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Dinner: On your own—ask your Program Director for local restaurant recommendations.

Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Program Director for recommendations.

DAY 10

Sheridan • Visit Devils Tower • Rapid City, South Dakota
Destination: Rapid City
Meals included: B L
Accommodations: Holiday Inn Rushmore Plaza

Activity Note: Today's overland transfer to Rapid City, South Dakota will take approximately 9 hours, including stops along the way.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Travel through the Black Hills of Wyoming and South Dakota today, stopping along the way for an included tour of Devils Tower, the United States' first National Monument.

Established as a monument in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt, the tower stands 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River—an almost vertical natural monolith, it's the remnant of an ancient volcano. Known by some northern plains tribes as Mato Tipi (Bear's Lodge), it is still a sacred site of worship for many Native Americans. You'll recognize the massive rock as the landing site of the alien spacecraft in the popular film Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Lunch: Stop for an included lunch as you continue on your way to Rapid City.

Afternoon: Arrive at your hotel late this afternoon, and enjoy the day free for your own discoveries—ask your Program Director for recommendations.

Dinner: On your own—ask your Program Director for local restaurant recommendations.

Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Program Director for recommendations.

DAY 11

Rapid City • Badlands National Park
Destination: Badlands National Park
Meals included: B
Accommodations: Holiday Inn Rushmore Plaza

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Enjoy an included tour of Badlands National Park. The hunting grounds of Native Americans from as long as 11,000 years ago, the 244,000-acre park has a history that stretches even further back, to an epoch at least 30 million years ago. Fossilized bones uncovered by later Lakota Indians suggested that these now dry lands had once been covered with a body of water, a fact later proved by the many geologists and fossil researchers who have studied the area.

Beyond their canyon-like grandeur, what makes the badlands so unique is the combination of dry ground and loose rock linked by sediment. Both the earth and the rocks themselves are highly resistant to erosion, so that when the infrequent rains hit, the sediment becomes runoff and the rocks can be easily displaced. The scene you see in one visit might be dramatically rearranged at your next.

Lunch: See another slice of history during an independent lunch: Wall Drug, which was founded in a poor town of 326 people during the Depression. Wall Drug made its name by offering free ice water to thirsty travelers and, as word spread, more came from even greater distances. 82 years later, travelers still come and find a vast array of shops and displays featuring regional curios, historic photos, toys and crafts from South Dakota, and items from Native American and cowboy culture. Wall Drug also features a number of dining options, and you'll be free to choose one during your lunch here.

Afternoon: Return to Rapid City, where the rest of the day is yours to spend as you like.

Dinner: On your own—ask your Program Director for local restaurant recommendations.

Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Program Director for recommendations.

DAY 12

Rapid City • Visit Crazy Horse Monument & Mount Rushmore • Native American cultural experience
Destination: Rapid City
Meals included: B D
Accommodations: Holiday Inn Rushmore Plaza

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Set off on a sightseeing tour of Rapid City as you make your way to the Crazy Horse Memorial.

Now being constructed just 17 miles southwest of Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial will be the world's largest sculpture once completed. Begun in 1948 by noted sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski at the request of Native Americans, the memorial includes the Indian Museum of North America, the Native American Cultural Center, the sculptor's studio, and a 40,000-square-foot Orientation Center.

The dramatic sculpture of the legendary chief astride his horse fulfills the wish of Lakota Chief Standing Bear spoken at the dedication of the statue in 1948: "My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know that the red man has great heroes, too." Here, you'll have an opportunity to marvel at the massive statue, and also visit the studio where Ziolkowski worked without pay until his death in 1982.

Lunch: You’ll have time for lunch on your own near the monument.

Afternoon: Continue on to Mount Rushmore. Certainly you've seen photographs and films (remember Hitchcock's North by Northwest?) of this famous monument—with the heads of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt—sculpted out of the solid granite mountain face to commemorate 150 years of American history. But nothing can compare with viewing it firsthand.

Then, enjoy some free time to contemplate the monument on your own, before returning to Rapid City. Here, you'll learn more about the local indigenous way of life during an exclusive Discovery Series event, in which you'll witness a traditional Native American dance ceremony.

Dinner: Reminisce over your journey with your fellow travelers during an included Farewell Dinner at your hotel.

Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Program Director for recommendations.

DAY 13

Depart Rapid City
Meals included: B
Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Transfer to the airport for your flight home. Departure times vary depending on your home city.