The Black Hills to Yellowstone National Park
Credit: Laura C. Walthers
Credit: NPS
Trip Type: Small Group Adventure
Territory: North America
Region: Rocky Mountains
Trip Price: From $5,375
Single Supplement: $1,395
On-Trip Airfare: $0
Duration: 8 days/7 nights
Trip Begins/Ends: Rapid City, South Dakota / Bozeman, Montana
Minimum Travelers: 2 travelers
Maximum Travelers: 16 travelers
Pricing detailed for this Small Group Adventure is based upon double occupancy. Additional charges for single travelers and any on-trip airfare required for the trip apply. A booking deposit is required to reserve your space. Small Group Adventure pricing includes all lodging, meals (unless otherwise noted), activities, baggage handling, transportation, and guide service. Not included are travel costs to/from gateway cities, guide gratuities, and personal incidentals including, but not limited to, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, alcoholic beverages, and laundry service. 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
Outdoors for 6-8 hours each day, and elevations ranging from 3,500 to 10,000 feet (at the top of Beartooth Pass), and most time spent between 4,500 and 7,795 feet. Activities include walking on most days on boardwalks and trails, ranging from 1 to 3 miles.
Most all of our Small Group Adventures can be made private to just your traveling troupe. Just give us a call at (800) 445-2995 and tell us that you would like to “make it private”!
Generally, there are two ways to make a small group adventure private. First, you could capture one of our published departure dates for just your group. In order to achieve this, we have to have sufficient space available to create a separate private trip. Second, we could take the details of this itinerary and fashion it for just your group on dates of your choosing. For this, too, we just need to review your interest, group size, and preferred timing in order to create the trip.
In all cases, the process begins with a phone call so give us a ring at (800) 445-2995 and after just a few minutes gathering information, we can set to the task of making your trip a reality!
Meet your guide and fellow travelers in Rapid City for a welcome dinner.
We meet Mount Rushmore face-to-face this morning, and seventeen miles from there, pay homage to Native American history at the Crazy Horse Memorial. Our guide takes a unique approach to both monuments, setting the context, capturing the history, and connecting us to the surprisingly solitary landscape surrounding these otherwise bustling national landmarks. From there it’s on to Custer State Park, a 71,000-acre wildlife reserve, with terrific hiking terrain. Chances of seeing wildlife while we’re out and about are excellent. After our first picturesque day, we celebrate with a welcome dinner at the historic State Game Lodge, where we’re staying.
Take most of the day to hike and watch wildlife in this picturesque park, where granite peaks spire up from an evergreen forest graced with streams and lakes. Perhaps we’ll walk the banks of French Creek, where Custer’s expedition first discovered gold in 1874, or visit the prairie dog town where the black-tailed prairie dogs scurry around feeding, grooming, and “barking.” If there’s time this afternoon, we’ll explore Wind Cave National Park or maybe Jewel Cave National Park. In any case, we’ll be back at the State Game Lodge this evening in time to relax and enjoy dinner.
We head to the Big Horn Mountains, stopping en route at Devils Tower. This is a sacred site to the Lakota and other tribes, who called it Bear Lodge or Buffalo Horn. We’ll walk around the formation on a 1.3-mile paved trail, marveling at nature’s own monument. After our walk we continue tracing the route many pioneers followed during the days of western settlement. Next stop Buffalo, Wyoming. We arrive in time to settle into our historic lodgings and enjoy the quaintness and order of this charming Northern Rockies town.
A modern-day Crow Indian scout joins us today as we stalk the path of General George Armstrong Custer. Our storyteller-guide brings history to life through stories and the Native American perspective of events during that turbulent time period. At the site of Sitting Bull’s camp we’re treated to a colorful recounting of the history that unfolded on this very spot. Leaving this dramatic setting behind, we end the day at another striking location, historic Red Lodge, Montana, at the base of the Beartooth Mountains.
We hit another high today driving up and over the famed Beartooth Pass. This steep, breathtaking road is the “back way” into Yellowstone National Park. We have wonderful opportunities for wildlife-viewing along the way, and also take time for some short sightseeing walks. Ultimately, we’ll arrive at the stunning Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. After enjoying the epic views we’ll relax at our nearby Lodge in the Canyon Village.
Today is packed with extraordinary sights and experiences in the world’s first national park. We follow the “Grand Loop” to see the parks’ iconic features even while our guide steers us off the beaten path, away from the crowds, to see some of the park’s hidden treasures. The park's geyser basins hold the most extensive concentration of geysers in the world (at least 30 named geysers, including Old Faithful), along with colorful hot springs and steaming fumaroles. Tonight we toast a fantastic trip at our farewell dinner.
Savoring the morning light and a bite of breakfast, we're off early to Bozeman, soaking up the last leg of our unforgettable Western road trip! You'll arrive at the airport in time for afternoon flights home.
Alex Carlton Johnson (1861-1938), Vice President of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, built the historic Hotel Alex Johnson as a shrine and tribute to the Sioux Indian Nation, whose people he greatly admired. The hotel’s architecture blends the heritage of the Plains Indians with Germanic Tudor architecture, representing German immigration to the Dakotas. The hotel, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1928, and has since hosted many U.S. presidents and celebrities. In the 1990s, the hotel was restored based on original photographs, and is greatly refreshed.
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 still winds serenely through the valley today. It is in the heart of a scenic byway with wildlife abounding!
The Pollard is a historic hotel located in the former mining town of Red Lodge, Montana. The hotel that served Buffalo Bill Cody, Calamity Jane and other western legends reopened in 1994 after a complete restoration. Since then its old-fashioned comfort, modern conveniences, and attentive staff have earned wide recognition and many awards.
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.'
Welcome!The Occidental Hotel is one of Wyoming’s great Frontier hotels, with a history of having hosted most of Johnson County’s political, social, and cultural gatherings. Guests whose names have graced the hotel register include Buffalo Bill Cody, Teddy Roosevelt, General Sheridan, and General Crook. Even the notorious Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and Calamity Jane chose the Occidental as their headquarters in Buffalo—though they never signed the register! In addition to hotel guests and events, the hotel’s embossed ceilings, original back bar (brought by wagon over 100 years ago), and even bullet holes in the saloon wall, bring western history to life!Like many hotels in small towns in the West, the hotel has had its share of partners, owners, and economic hard times over the past century. Then, in the fall of 1997, John and Dawn Wexo came to town and bought the Occidental, with a promise to bring it back to its former glory as the preeminent social and cultural meeting place of Buffalo. They made good on their promise, and the Occidental is now a living history museum, fully restored to its 1910-era condition, and the recipient of several awards, including TrueWest Magazine’s Best Hotel in the West and National Geographic Traveler’s Top 129 Hotels in North America.Guest accommodations are in 17 rooms and suites, each uniquely furnished with antiques, and decorated in elegant period style, with a private bath, heat and air conditioning, cable television, complimentary WiFi, and a hairdryer. There are no telephones in the rooms.The Virginian Restaurant is one of the premier restaurants in Northeastern Wyoming, serving the best bison, steaks, chops, and prime rib around, with the elegance of the Old West. The Busy Bee Cafe is a cheery as they come, and has been serving locals since 1927. Breakfast is delicious!
Set within Custer State Park, this woodsy lodge on the shores of Legion Lake is framed with granite and pine trees and features a mile-long walking trail around the water. Cozy, modernized cabins tucked among the mild forest hills. A welcoming, family-friendly lodge with a deck overlooking the lake. Only 26 total cabins can be found at Legion Lake Resort...it's no wonder they go fast.
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