Dates are flexible. This day-by-day plan is provisional until you choose exact travel dates.
Leave Michigan before dawn for the long westbound haul to Rapid City, following I-94 through Wisconsin and Minnesota, then joining I-90 across South Dakota. Plan on roughly 16–18 hours of driving before stops, so this is best treated as a travel day rather than a sightseeing day. Rotate drivers if possible, stop every two to three hours for fuel and stretching, and keep snacks and water accessible; I-90 becomes much quieter across western South Dakota, with long gaps between larger services. Allow extra time for construction, weather, and fatigue, and budget approximately $180–300 for fuel depending on your vehicle and starting point, plus meals.
Arrive in Rapid City as early as your energy allows and use your hotel’s parking rather than trying to find street parking downtown. After checking in, take a gentle 30-minute walk around Main Street Square and downtown Rapid City to loosen up after the drive. The area is compact and easy to explore on foot, with public art, benches, and nearby storefronts; if you arrive late, keep the walk short and prioritize sleep.
Have dinner at Murphy’s Pub & Grill downtown, a relaxed choice for burgers, sandwiches, and regional beer at roughly $15–30 per person. It is an easy walk or short drive from most downtown hotels, though evening parking can be more convenient in a garage or hotel lot than on Main Street. Check the current kitchen closing time before setting out, since the day’s driving may push your arrival later than planned. Keep the evening low-key: tomorrow’s route toward Custer and the Black Hills is much more enjoyable with an early start.
Start early from Rapid City and drive about 25 minutes southwest on US-16A to Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Arriving near opening time gives you easier parking and cooler temperatures for the Presidential Trail, which takes about 1.5 hours with pauses for the viewpoints. Allow extra time for the entrance queue and parking; admission to the memorial is free, but parking costs about $10 per private vehicle. The visitor facilities and exact seasonal hours can change, so check the National Park Service site before leaving.
From Mount Rushmore, continue roughly 35 minutes south toward Custer State Park and begin the Wildlife Loop Road late in the morning. Set aside about two hours for the 18-mile loop, driving slowly around grazing bison, pronghorn, and possible bighorn sheep. Keep well back from wildlife—bison can move surprisingly fast—and expect delays if a herd occupies the road. A Custer State Park entrance license is required, generally around $20 per vehicle for a temporary pass.
Continue into the park to Sylvan Lake, about 30 minutes from the western end of the Wildlife Loop. Spend an hour walking around the shoreline and granite formations; the short lakeside paths are easy, though the rocks can be uneven. If you want a quick snack, bring one from Rapid City or Custer, since food options inside the park are limited. Then drive the Needles Highway toward Custer, allowing approximately 1.5 hours including scenic pullouts. The road’s narrow tunnels and tight bends are spectacular but not suitable for oversized vehicles, trailers, or nervous drivers; check seasonal closures and weather conditions before committing.
Finish in Custer and settle in for dinner at Black Hills Burger and Bun Co., a casual local favorite known for substantial burgers and house-made toppings. Budget roughly $15–25 per person, and arrive before the peak dinner rush if you would rather avoid a wait. Afterward, keep the evening low-key: Custer’s small downtown is pleasant for a short stroll, and tomorrow’s westbound drive through the Bighorn Mountains is best started early.
Leave Custer around 7:00 AM on US-16, allowing roughly 5–6 hours total to reach Sheridan with the planned stops. Your first stop is Devils Tower National Monument, reached via WY-24; allow about two hours for parking, the visitor center, and the 1.3-mile Tower Trail around the base. The trail is mostly level, but bring water and expect limited shade. The monument typically charges an entrance fee—check current rates and road conditions before leaving, especially outside the summer season.
Continue through northeast Wyoming toward Sheridan on the scenic approach through the Bighorn foothills, allowing around 2½ hours with photo stops. The road is straightforward in good weather, but services are sparse, so fill up and carry snacks before leaving Devils Tower. After checking in or leaving bags at your hotel, head to Trail End State Historic Site in downtown Sheridan for the late-afternoon mansion tour, about an hour. Tours and seasonal hours can vary, so verify the day’s schedule before committing; if the interior is closed, the grounds and nearby historic streets still make a pleasant short walk.
Walk or drive a few blocks downtown to King’s Saddlery and Museum, a wonderfully local stop with Western tack, leatherwork, and regional history; allow about 45 minutes, and check its closing time before arriving. Finish at Wyoming Rib & Chop House for a substantial steakhouse dinner, generally $25–45 per person. Downtown Sheridan is compact, but parking is usually easier on the surrounding streets than directly in front of the busiest storefronts. Expect a long day on the road, so keep the evening unhurried and save any extra sightseeing for tomorrow.
Leave Sheridan around 7:00–8:00 AM with a full tank and take U.S. 14 west toward Cody on the Bighorn Scenic Byway. The drive takes roughly 4–5 hours with stops, but allow extra time: this is a slow, high-elevation mountain road rather than a simple point-to-point transfer. Check Wyoming 511 before departing for snow, ice, construction, and seasonal closures; if U.S. 14 is not passable, do not attempt the crossing in a standard rental car. Pack breakfast and water, since services are sparse once you climb into the Bighorn Mountains.
Build in several short viewpoint stops along the Medicine Wheel Passage Scenic Byway, especially around the higher overlooks where the terrain opens into broad alpine views. If the access road and weather permit, allow about 1–2 hours for the Medicine Wheel National Historic Landmark; the final approach may involve a walk from the parking area, and the site can be closed or inaccessible outside the warmer season. Treat the route as a scenic morning rather than trying to rush into Cody for lunch.
Continue down toward Cody, arriving around early or mid-afternoon depending on road conditions and stop length. Have a quick lunch in town, then spend 2–3 hours at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West on Sheridan Avenue. Its galleries cover Western art, firearms, Plains Indian cultures, and regional natural history, so it is worth choosing a few sections rather than trying to absorb everything. Check the current seasonal hours and admission price before setting out; a general adult ticket is typically in the several-dozen-dollar range, and an afternoon arrival gives you a more comfortable visit than squeezing it in after dinner.
A short drive west along U.S. 14/16/20 brings you to Old Trail Town, where about an hour is enough to wander among preserved frontier buildings and historic artifacts. It is an outdoor attraction, so hours are seasonal and it may be closed in shoulder-season or winter conditions; verify access before relying on it. If it is closed, use the extra time to stroll Cody’s downtown blocks rather than adding another major stop.
For dinner, walk or drive into central Cody for The Irma Hotel, the town’s best-known historic dining setting. Expect roughly $20–40 per person before drinks, with a menu suited to an easy post-drive meal. The dining room is atmospheric, but hours and service can vary by season, so check the evening schedule and arrive early if you want a relaxed table. Afterward, keep the night low-key: tomorrow’s route through Yellowstone National Park is long, and an early departure is useful. Fill the car tonight and confirm current park-road conditions before bed.
Leave Cody at first light, ideally around 6:00–7:00 AM, with fuel, water, food, and warm layers in the car. The route through Yellowstone National Park is beautiful but slow, and in late season some roads, services, or entrances may close with little notice. Check the National Park Service road-status map before departing; if the east or south route is closed, this full plan will not work as written and you may need to add a night or take a longer highway route around the park. After entering through the east entrance, continue toward Yellowstone Lake and allow 30–45 minutes for a quiet lakeshore pause.
Continue along the lake to West Thumb Geyser Basin, where the boardwalk takes about an hour and brings you close to steaming pools and geysers beside the water. Stay on the marked path—thermal ground is unstable—and expect limited food and fuel options inside the park, so pack breakfast and lunch from Cody. Build in time for wildlife, traffic, and pullouts; the nominal drive to Jackson is about 6–8 hours before substantial stops, and park entry is generally charged per vehicle unless your pass covers it.
Drive south through the park toward Old Faithful Geyser, allowing roughly 2–3 hours for the eruption viewing and the surrounding Upper Geyser Basin boardwalks. Eruption times are forecasts rather than guarantees, so check the posted prediction when you arrive and use the waiting time to explore nearby trails instead of standing at the cone. The Old Faithful Inn is worth a quick look for its enormous timber interior, and the Old Faithful area has restrooms, snacks, and fuel—use them, as choices become sparse on the drive south. From here, continue through the south entrance toward Jackson, arriving in the early evening if road conditions and animal sightings do not slow you down.
After checking in, walk about 45 minutes around Jackson Town Square, especially beneath its distinctive elk-antler arches as the light fades. Downtown is compact and easy to explore on foot, though parking can be tight; leave the car at your lodging if possible. Finish with dinner at Snake River Grill on East Broadway, a polished Jackson institution with creative American cooking. Expect roughly $40–80 per person before drinks and make a reservation in advance—after such a long park crossing, an unhurried table is much better than trying to squeeze in another activity.
Start early in Jackson and drive north on U.S. 89 into Grand Teton National Park—allow about 45 minutes to reach Jenny Lake, plus time for the entrance station and parking. Begin with the Jenny Lake Scenic Drive and Jenny Lake, using the lakeshore shuttle only if it is operating; in late season, verify both shuttle hours and trail conditions before leaving. If the shuttle is closed, park at the lake and take a short shoreline walk instead. Have water, warm layers, and traction footwear in the car, since temperatures can change quickly and services may be limited.
Continue with the Cascade Canyon Trail from the Jenny Lake area, hiking only as far as daylight, weather, and trail conditions comfortably allow. The full canyon is far too ambitious for a relaxed day, so treat this as an out-and-back of roughly two to four hours. Afterward, return toward the central park roads and take the Signal Mountain Summit Road if it is open; the short drive leads to broad views over Jackson Lake and the valley, though the road can close seasonally or after snow. Allow about an hour including the viewpoints.
Finish at Schwabacher Landing, reached by a short side road from U.S. 89. Give yourself around 45 minutes for the classic Snake River reflections, especially if the wind drops near sunset; stay on established paths and watch for muddy conditions. Then drive back to Jackson, usually about 35–45 minutes depending on traffic and wildlife-related slowdowns, and settle in downtown at Persephone Bakery for pastries, sandwiches, or coffee—roughly $10–20 per person. It is a good casual final meal, but check its current closing time before relying on it for dinner, as seasonal hours can be limited. Park once downtown and walk the remaining blocks rather than moving the car between stops.
Treat the return as a two-day drive at minimum, not a single-day push. Leave Jackson after breakfast—around 7:00–8:00 AM—and take US-26/US-89 toward Pinedale, then connect with I-80 east near Rock Springs. Allow roughly 23–26 hours of wheel time to Michigan before fuel, meals, traffic, weather, and overnight rest. A practical first-day target is North Platte, Nebraska or Omaha, depending on how early you leave and how many drivers can share the driving. Fill the tank before leaving town; services become widely spaced once you are east of the Wind River Range.
Plan a proper stop every two to three hours for fuel, stretching, and a driver change rather than waiting until everyone is tired. Evanston makes a useful early break, while Rawlins or Laramie are better places for a substantial lunch before continuing across Wyoming and Nebraska. Keep snacks and water in the car, and expect strong crosswinds, long exposed sections, and rapidly changing weather on I-80. If road conditions deteriorate, stop early rather than trying to make a predetermined mileage target.
Book an overnight hotel before departure in North Platte—a sensible midpoint with plentiful roadside lodging and restaurants—or continue only as far as the driver team can manage safely. For dinner, choose a well-reviewed local spot near the hotel rather than adding extra mileage; the priority is a full night’s sleep. The next morning, continue east on I-80 toward Iowa, then use I-90 or the most direct interstate route for your specific Michigan destination. If the vehicle is rented, confirm the one-way return location and hours in advance; if flying instead, compare Jackson Hole Airport departures and remember to allow about two hours for the airport drive, rental-car return, security, and possible weather-related delays.
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