Wildlife, Mountains, and Monuments
Trip Type: Custom-Made Travel
Territory: North America
Region: Rocky Mountains
Trip Price: $10,695
Duration: 17 days/16 nights
Trip Begins/Ends: Rapid City, SD / Kalispell, MT
National Parklands: Glacier NP;Grand Teton NP;Yellowstone NP
All custom travel is tailored to the desires and interests of our traveling clients (see How Custom Travel Works tab). Trip pricing detailed is an estimate of the per person pricing for the sample itinerary detailed and includes all of the lodging, activities, and guided experiences described. Actual pricing for the trip designed expressly for you and others traveling with you will depend on the features and elements developed during the trip planning process. Travel with Off the Beaten Path requires agreement to our standard Terms & Conditions.
No Sweat - 1-2 miles of walking or hiking per day, plus easy activities
Nice & Active – 3-6 miles of hiking or walking per day, plus physically active exploration
High Five! – 5-10 miles of hiking per day, plus possible peak bagging or other action-oriented fun
The Energy Index detailed above relates to the level of exertion associated with the sample trip detailed. This would be modified to fit the style and ability of your group as a part of the custom trip planning process
We’ve been tailoring custom journeys for clients since our very inception in the mid-1980s! The process is all about connecting the interests of the travelers with the best that a given destination has to offer. To achieve this, we rely upon good ol’ fashioned conversation! Our geographically focused travel designer love to meet new people and learn about their interests for travel. Understanding your goals informs the process immensely and serves as the foundation for the development of a bespoke travel experience for you and yours.
The trip detailed on this web page is a sample of something we’ve done for other clients over the years. In order to start the process of designing your own custom travel experience, just call us at (800) 445-2995 and ask to speak with one of our Travel Advisors. After a bit of time on the phone, you will then have the opportunity to connect with one of our travel designers.
The entire planning process is very personalized and works in an iterative fashion until a final, perfect trip has been created. We then secure all of the lodging, activities, and guided experiences associated with your trip and send along abundant trip materials capturing these details – and much more about your travels!
Arrive in Rapid City, pick up your rental vehicle, and make your way to your accommodations in the heart of Custer State Park. The following morning, meet your guide for a private jeep tour exploring Badlands National Park. Your jeep has a safari top that is easily removed for unprecedented views of the badlands. Your final day in the area gets you out on explorations of Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, and the Crazy Horse Memorial with a private naturalist guide. In this area rich with American and Native American history, the guide will offer interesting interpretation rounding out your experience.
Drive from State Game Lodge to Buffalo, Wyoming, with a stop to walk around the base of Devils Tower. The distinctive landmark is considered sacred by Northern Plains Indians and indigenous people.
Grand Teton National Park is next on your journey! During your three-night stay, enjoy the many incredible hiking trails that this beautiful park has to offer, many of which can be found right out your front door. You'll also be perfectly positioned to take advantage of any additional activities of interest, such as wildlife watching, bike riding, kayak/canoe rentals, fishing, and more!
As you bid farewell to one incredible National Park you will be welcomed by another. Drive into Yellowstone for four days of exploring America's first National Park. Your first two nights will be spent at the Old Faithful Inn, where the heart of the park is at your fingertips. Explore the geysers, mudpots, waterfalls, and grand canyons with an OBP naturalist guide.
Drive through Yellowstone's Upper Loop and into wildlife-rich Lamar Valley where you will spend two nights and days. During these final two days in the park, your guide will take you on a wildlife viewing exploration in Lamar and Hayden Valley.
This morning, you'll make the scenic drive through the park toward Bozeman, Montana. Stop at Mammoth Hot Springs to take a walk around the boardwalks and admire the fumaroles, hot pots, and multicolored, bubbling hot springs. Drive through the Paradise Valley, aptly named for its unbelievable views of the towering Absaroka Mountains and the Yellowstone River. Rest your head in the heart of downtown Bozeman at the Kimpton Armory Hotel.
Drive onward towards Glacier National Park and the culmination of this Rocky Mountain National Parks Grand Slam. The drive is long today but filled with amazing sights - sweeping Montana valleys, lakes, and charming historic towns like Phillipsburg. Once in Glacier National Park, on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake, stay in the beautiful Many Glacier Hotel, and marvel at the epic views out the front door. Explore and hike near Swiftcurrent Lake, Lake Josephine, and the astounding Grinnell Glacier.
After driving the breathtaking Going-to-the-Sun Road, arrive at Lake McDonald Lodge later in the evening, where you will settle in for the next couple days. Explore the west side of the park with naturalist guides, hiking the Trail of Cedars to Avalanche Lake and Monument Falls.
The State Game Lodge is a gracious native stone and wood lodge built in 1920 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It served as the ‘Summer White House’ for President Calvin Coolidge in 1927 and was visited by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. The Grace Coolidge Creek serenely winds through the valley where the property sits as a beacon of stature and grace.
The Occidental Hotel is a historic building that hosted most of Johnson’s County’s political, social and cultural gatherings. Today the intimate 17 room hotel, furnished with antiques and decorated in elegant period style, is a living history museum that combines great service and wonderful food in an Old West setting. The hotel has been restored to its 1910 era condition and is the recipient of several awards including True West Magazine’s Best Hotel and has been included in the National Geographic Traveler’s Top 129 Hotels in North America.
Located in Grand Teton National Park, Jenny Lake Lodge is ideal for those who seek the finest service and lodging, while still enjoying a National Park vacation. Each of the rustically elegant cabin rooms are well appointed with hand-made quilts, down comforters, and unique Western charm—a rarity in today’s one-size-fits-all lodging approach.
Built in 1903-1904 Old Faithful Inn is one of the most requested lodging facilities in the park. As a national historic landmark, this beautiful lodge was built with local logs and stone and is considered the largest log structure in the world. As you enter the lobby you are welcomed by expansive ceilings and a towering stone fireplace that features a hand-crafted clock made of copper, wood and wrought iron. Amenities onsite include a full-service restaurant, lounge, snack bar and gift shop.
Located on the east side of the park near the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Canyon Lodge & Cabins is a great base of exploration. The renovated cabins all have private bathrooms, and the main lodge and restaurant is LEED Certified following a recent major renovation. The lodge is on the New York Times' list of 'Five Hotels for Eco-Conscious Travelers.'
The most elevated and amenity-rich hotel in Bozeman, the Armory Hotel is perfectly located in the heart of historic downtown Bozeman, providing easy walking access to charming boutiques, independent coffee shops, galleries and lively bars and restaurants. The hotel boasts three restaurants and bars and frequently hosts live music events that may be of interest.
Situated along the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake in the heart of Glacier National Park, Many Glacier Hotel is a secluded five-story hotel that has been welcoming guests into the awe-inspiring scenery of Glacier National Park since it first opened in 1915. All 214 rooms are comfortable and beautifully decorated in an old-world style.
Originally opened to visitors in 1914, the Lake McDonald Lodge is an historic park lodge full of character. While the lodge rooms and cabins used to show their age a bit, a renovation in 2015 has really helped to refresh the accommodations. Most important is the favored location along the Going-to-the-Sun Road and on the shores of Lake McDonald – a spectacularly scenic mountain lake.
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