Out West Itinerary
Out West Trip Itinerary
Day One
Mitchell, SD
Corn Palace 604 N
Main St Mitchell – open 8am-9pm
Mitchell Prehistoric
Indian Village - 3200 Indian Village
RoadMitchell, South Dakota 57301 605.996-5473 – open: 8-7 Sunday 10 - 6
$6 adults - $5 children – kids can dig for arrow heads and
exchange for real ones in gift shop and learn how to throw arrows
Day Two
Minuteman Missile
Site (3 hours drive) (4th grade pass)
24545 Cottonwood Road
Philip, SD 57567
Philip, SD 57567
Open daily 8-4 – stop at Visitor Center north of I-90 exit
131. Free unless you do a Delta 1 tour
To the Visitor Center
The
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site Visitor Center is located on the
north side of exit 131 Interstate 90.
From the east, via I-90 Follow I-90 west to exit 131. Turn right off the exit and visitor center will be 1/4 mile on the left. From the west, via I-90 Follow I-90 east to exit 131. Turn left off the exit, go across the overpass and the visitor center will be 1/2 mile on the left.
To The
Delta-09 Missile Silo
The
Missile Silo Delta-09 is located on the south side of Exit 116, Interstate
90.
From the east, via I-90
Follow I-90 west to exit 116. Turn left off the exit and go under the underpass. The road will soon turn to gravel. The missile silo will be 1/2 mile on the right. From the west, via I-90 Follow I-90 west to exit 116. Turn right off the exit. The road will soon turn to gravel. The missile silo will be 1/2 mile on the right.
To The
Delta-01 Launch Control Facility
Launch
Control Facility Delta-01 is located on the north side of Exit 127,
Interstate 90. No
facilities presently exist at Delta-01 except for the ticketed, ranger-led
tour; no entry to the facility is allowed without tour reservations.
From the east, via I-90
Follow I-90 east to exit 127. Turn right off the exit. The road will soon turn to gravel. The launch control facility will be 1/2 mile on the left. From the west, via I-90 Follow I-90 west to exit 127. Turn left off the exit and go under the underpass. The road will soon turn to gravel. The launch control facility will be 1/2 mile on the left. |
Badlands (11 min)-
open 7-7 (4th grade pass) exit 110 at
Wall
|
Badlands Loop Scenic Byway (30 miles long)
Visitor Center to get maps/scavenger hunt for kids
Big Badlands Overlook to see The Wall
Big Foot pass overlook (bring packed lunch)
Big Pig Dig – active dig site – Fossil Exhibit Trail - .25
miles reproductions of extinct animals
Robert’s Prairie Dog Town- can watch tons of prairie dogs
and bring peanuts to feed them (5 miles down Sage Creek Rim Road)
Trail: Notch Trail – can do in under an hour,
bring water, ladder climbing. Cliff Shelf Trail – boardwalk trail with
lots of stairs, some shade, and short trail
Option: Prairie
Homestead – admission fee – sod home and prairie life- 21070 SD-240, Philip SD
Wall Drugs Store (20 minute drive)
510 Main St Wall SD 57790 – pick up food***
Option: Illumination of Mt Rushmore
Day Three
Mt. Rushmore–(4th
grade pass) $10 to park
Visitor Center – exhibits and 14 minute film open 8am-9pm
Presidential Tail - .6 miles long brings you closer to
monument
9:30-11pm illumination
Crazy Horse Memorial (22
minute drive)
Laughing Water Restaurant – Native American Tacos
Indian Museum of North America
Custer State Park
(15 minute drive)
Entrance fee of $20
18 mile Wildlife loop – counter-clockwise.
Sylvan Lake – can swim or rent kayaks
Needles Highway – 14 miles passes Sylvan Lake and Needles
Eye 40-60 minute drive
Hike: Harney Peak aka Black Elk Peak- highest peak east of
Rockies – Trail 9 – shortest to peak 3.1 miles starts at Sylvan lake- there is
a fire tower lookout
Cathedral Spires- off Needles highway 1.5 miles
Badger Clark Historic trail- 1 mile loop behind badger hole
Options: Buffalo Safari Tour 8-6 1 ½ hours to 2 hours long
$53 adult, $48 kids
Hayride/chuck wagon – arrives back at 8pm has cowboy hat and
bandana $56/$49 veggie option available
Buffalo Safari and Cookout Combo $91/$84
Trail Rids 1 hr $50/$43-2 hr $72/$52
The Stables at Palmer
Gulch – Hill City KOA Mount Rushmore – $51/$41/$25 5pm-7:30pm
Day Four
Wades
Gold Mill – 12401 Deerfield Rd Hill City, SD 57745 pan
for gold 9-6 tours at 10 and 2 tour of gold extractor
Reptile Gardens:
8955 S Highway 16 Rapid City, SD 57702
Open: 8-6 cost: 17.50/11.50
Rapid City Options:
President sculptures
– sculptures of 42 presidents within 3 blocks- can download an app for a
description of them
WaTiki Waterpark – tied to hotels
Journey Museum – 9-6 $10/$7
Dinosaur Park
Keystone Options:
Tramway Adventures- open 10-7
203 Cemetery Road Keystone, SD 57751
Ride a chair lift up and Alpine Slide down ($12 a person)
Cosmo Mystery Area
Hill City Options:
Prairie Berry Winery/Naked Winery/Stone Faces Winery/Twisted
Pine
High Country Ranch - @4 and 7pm M-R have food and Native
American show – have trail rides 6 yrs and up
Dakota Stone Shop
1880 Train – 20 mile ride – 2 hours Hill City to Keystone –
round trip
Deadwood (from
Hill City: 54min, from Rapid City: 45 min, from Keystone: 1 hour)
Shootouts
Daily except Sundays; 2:00 p.m.
in front of Tin Lizzie, 4:00 p.m. in front of the Celebrity Hotel, and 6:00
p.m. in front of the Franklin Hotel. Shooting of Wild Bill is held daily inside
Saloon No.10 at 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Mt Moriah Cemetery
Saloon 10 – historic memorabilia and where Wild Bill was
shot
Broken
Boot Gold Mine – tour of mine every 30 minutes and extra cost for
gold panning- upper main street 8-6
Day Five
Devil’s Tower
(1 hr 14 min from Deadwood)
Tower Trail 1.3 mile loop – paved
Circle of Sacred Smoke Sculpture –in the picnic area
Jayner Ridge Trail – 1.5 mile loop
Travel to Cody WY
(5 hours from Devil’s Tower)
Day Six
Cody, WY
Shooting
and Gun Safety at K3 Ranch
Buffalo
Bill Center of the West- 720
Sheridan Ave, Cody, WY 82414-3428+1 307-587-4771 8am-6pm $19/$12
Very large museum has six museums in one. Can spend more than 4 hours here – art,
Buffalo Bill, Plains Indians, Firearms, natural history – have horseback riding
Old
Trail Town - 1831 Demaris Dr, Cody, WY 82414-8736 +1 307-587-5302
8am-7pm $8/$5
Authentic Buildings from the Wild West, gravesites
Cody Trolley Tour
The Cody Cattle Company – live country western music show
and buffet – doors open at 5 – dinner 5:30-7:30 show 6:30-7:30 1910 Demaris Dr,
Cody, WY 82414 - has a trifecta ticket for a discount to the rodeo
Cody Rodeo 421 W Yellowstone Ave, Cody, WY 82414-8729 +1 307-587-5155
2 hours $20 per person gates at 7 and rodeo starts at 8pm – go early for face painting, picture with rodeo bull, learn to rope like cowboys, kids can join the calf scramble – order tickets in advance online or buy in town
Day Seven
Travel to Yellowstone (2 hours 17 min to Canyon Lodge) –
pick up some snacks/food along the way
*sign up for Jr Ranger Program
Can do
Canyon Area:
South Rim Trail
Tower Junction
Tower Falls (between Tower-Roosevelt Junction and Canyon
Village – 100 yards from parking area
Day Eight
Mammoth Hot
Springs
Boiling River – 2 miles north of Mammoth and 2.9 miles
south of North Entrance (could be closed if water is too high) parking on east
side just south of 45th parallel – walk upstream about a half mile
Go to General Store – can get lunch and other food for fast
meal
Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone –
Keeper Kids
Mud Pots and Dragon Breath Springs
Old West Cookout Wagon ride in Yellowstone
Day Nine
Old Faithful Area:
Old Faithful Geyser
Old Faithful Inn
Observation point Trail – 2 miles for view of Old Faithful
Walk on Geyser Hill Trail behind Old Faithful
Madison Campground – warm springs meet Madison River. Can
park and walk down river to find the hot spot
Dinner at Old Faithful Inn
Day Ten
Mid-Way Geyser Basin
Grand Prismatic Spring
Fairy Trail – see fairy falls and then to Imperial Geyser
(mud pots around too)
Travel to Jackson WY
Day Eleven
Whitewater Rafting
Mad River Boat Trips – 8 mile round trip 3.5 hours – 10:30-1:30
– Be there at 10. http://mad-river.com/whitewater-rafting-in-jackson-hole-wyoming/classic-snake-river-whitewater
(800) 458-7238
Day Twelve
Grand Teton
National Park
Jenny Lake Scenic Drive – 4 mile loop
Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center
-drive north on Teton Park Road – Teton Glacier
-20 minute boat ride on Jenny Lake to Hike to Hidden
Falls or Inspiration Point (need snacks and water – long hike)
-North Teton Park Road to Signal MT Road- great views
Swim in Jackson Lake
Signal Mountain – drive up and take pictures
Teton Village’s Piste Mountain Bistro– ride gondola to
get to it
Saloons:
Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, Wort Hotel, Silver Dollar bar,
Stagecoach Bar
Rodeo at night
Day Thirteen
Explore Jackson
Hole:
Horseback riding??
Mormon Row – lots of Bison and beautiful
Menor’s Ferry – historical buildings – Church of
Transfiguration
Moose-Wilson Road to see Moose (very early in the
morning)
Geocaching around Jackson Hole and Spring Creek Ranch
Sage Overlook: Western BBQ Wagon ride, 3 course meal with
smores bar, guitar and nature chat. 6pm Tuesday Thursday and Sunday $75/$45 https://www.springcreekranch.com/dining/sage-overlook/ concierge@springcreekranch.com
Options:
Jackson Hole Adventure Park: Ride the Tram – 12 minutes to
get to summit, rock wall, bungee jump, disc golf
Snow King Mountain- summer cowboy coaster, mini golf, Alpine
Slide, scenic chairlift, bungee trampoline
Bridger
and Teton Nation Forests – Continental Divide with water from
Atlantic and Pacific – Can put one foot in Pacific Creek and the other in the
Atlantic Creek to feel two oceans at once!
Day Fourteen
Cheyenne – Luxury Diner – trolley turned dinner/breakfast
and lunch
Travel to: Des Moines Iowa 16.5 hours
West Des Moines
6905 Lake Drive
West Des Moines, Iowa
United States 50266
Hotel Front Desk: 1-515-2230000
6905 Lake Drive
West Des Moines, Iowa
United States 50266
Hotel Front Desk: 1-515-2230000
Horseback Riding in Jackson
Swiftcreek Outfitters - $45 no reservations required. 6
years and up – cross a creak and forest trails, 8am first ride out to 3:45 – 1
hour ride http://www.horsebackadv.com/ Visit us at Teton Horseback Adventures,
located on Pacific Creek Road, north of Jackson Hole, just outside of
Grand Teton National Park for your Jackson Hole Horseback Riding experience of
a lifetime!
A-OK Corral - $35 one hour ride- kids 6 and up – located
15 minutes south of Jackson
Scenic Drives near
Jackson WY:
•
Moose Wilson Road. Wildlife spotting is a given on this narrow and winding, 8-mile
road that runs between the Grand Teton National park entrace just outside of
Teton Village to Moose.
•
Inner Park Loop Road. Travel for 20 unforgettable miles through Grand Teton National
Park underneath the watchful eyes of the towering Tetons.
•
Jenny Lake Scenic Loop. This one-way, three-mile road off the main park roadway is a
less traveled gem.
•
Kelly Loop. The
Kelly herd of bison comes out and plays in force just before sunset on this
16-mile loop that starts and ends at Gros Ventre Junction. Other sights include
Mormon Row, Mouton Barn and Shadow Mountain.
•
Teton Pass. This
high mountain pass starts in Wilson and connects the valleys of Jackson Hole,
Wyoming, and Teton Valley, Idaho.
Sunset:
Curtis
Canyon. Located
close to the town of Jackson and reachable via the National Elk Refuge Road,
this gem of a sunset viewing spot is part the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
Mormon
Row. The
Mormon Row Historical District is home to the Moulton Barn, the most
photographed barn in Wyoming. Sunsets there usually include bison from the Kelly
herd, and only add to the jaw-dropping scenery. Drive north from Jackson on Hwy
191 past Moose Junction and turn right onto Antelope Flats Road.
Dornan’s. Whether you’re inside Dornan’s
Pizza, Pasta Company or sitting on its upstairs deck, or enjoying a chuck wagon
meal on a picnic table, you’ll have a front row seat to watch the sun’s final
hurrah of the today.
Jenny
Lake and
the top of Signal Mountain in
Grand Teton National Park are two other places to see a memorable sunset.
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