Road Trip USA 2022

Mount Rushmore, Devils Tower and the way to Yellowstone

It's only a 30-minute drive from Rapid City to Mount Rushmore. So we decide to check this off before breakfast.

So we get there shortly after 8 a.m. and only pay $5 for parking because I have seniors on board. Otherwise 10 USD is due. Unfortunately it's a bit hazy and the presidents look a bit flat. We only spend about an hour there as we still have about 370 mi (600 km) to go that day. Overall, I have to say, it wouldn't have been bad if we hadn't seen Mount Rushmore, but as already mentioned, hook it and move on.

Further means to Newcastle. I looked for a small diner there because breakfast was still due. With that we leave South Dakota and welcome Wyoming.

So now the plan was to cover 310mi (500 km) to Cody. But I still had Devils Tower in my head. That means another 60 mi (100 km) more and of course additional 3 hours. At some point, shortly before the junction comes, I decide to take the Devils Tower with me, since we're still in good time.

In the end, this was a good decision, as this once again represents an interesting and curious piece of nature. The Devil's Tower can be seen from afar and you wonder how it got there.

Once again the America The Beautiful Pass pays off because the Devils Tower is also in a national park.

Now we really take the direct route to Cody and thus to the gates of Yellowstone National Park. So there's not really much happening today, but we're really looking forward to tomorrow. Not only do we visit Yellowstone, we also meet friends there who are also currently traveling in Yellowstone.